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It’s the middle of the week and everyone is coming home tired and hungry!  What can you fix that won’t wear you out but fits the bill of filling and delicious?  Gnocchi and pork chops!

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No, this post won’t tell you how to laboriously prepare homemade gnocchi (hence the “lazy” part of this blog) – but it will tell you where to find and how to prepare the packaged kind!

Gnocchi are little Italian potato dumplings.  They cook up like pasta and make a hearty side dish and you can find them prepackaged in the pasta section of your grocery store.

And here’s how you cook ’em –

How to Do it:

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet at medium high and sear the pork chops on both sides until they are a light, golden brown.  Add the garlic and cook on low until it’s soft.  Pour the tomatoes over the top, add 1 Tablespoon of the basil and simmer for about 15 minutes.

While the pork chops are cooking, cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions.

When the gnocchi is cooked, drain in a colander and let set for a couple of minutes.  Return to the pan and toss with the butter, adding the remaining basil and about 1/4 cup of the parmesan.   Set aside.

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Check the chops.  You want them to be tender, but no pink in the middle.   Be careful not to overcook them or they get tough.  Top with the remaining parmesan cheese and serve with the gnocchi and some salad on the side

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You have a quick and delicious dinner.

Serves 4

Print ^[9]

Pork Chops and Gnocchi - A simple week Night Dinner

It's the middle of the week and everyone is coming home tired and hungry!  What can you fix that won't wear you out but fits the bill of filling and delicious?  Gnocchi and pork chops!

Course: Main Course, meal

Keyword: gnocchi, pork, tomatoes

Servings: 4 people

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 4 Center loin pork chops, bone in or boneless
• 2 14-oz cans of diced tomatoes with basil & garlic
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, not the canned stuff
• 1 pkg gnocchi (found in the pasta aisle of the store)
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet at medium high and sear the pork chops on both sides until they are a light, golden brown.  Add the garlic and cook on low until it’s soft.  Pour the tomatoes over the top, add 1 Tablespoon of the basil and simmer for about 15 minutes.

2. While the pork chops are cooking, cook the gnocchi according to the package instructions.

3. When the gnocchi is cooked, drain in a colander and let set for a couple of minutes. Return to the pan and toss with the butter, adding the remaining basil and about 1/4 cup of the parmesan. Set aside.

4. Check the chops. You want them to be tender, but no pink in the middle. Be careful not to overcook them or they get tough. Top with the remaining parmesan cheese and serve with the gnocchi and some salad on the side

© Copyright 2015 The Lazy Gastronome

Below are some of the items we used to create this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

I found some ground lamb on sale at the market and thought, what can I do with this.  We had some cabbage left over from a slaw and it came to me – Stuffed Cabbage – sort of.

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Well, this is what I came up with.  My family told me it was worth sharing, so here you go!

What you need:

• ½ head of red or green cabbage (you will not use it all-I sliced some and sautéed it in butter then served it on the side)
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 cup cooked rice (any rice works, but I used white basmati)
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 ½ Tablespoon of butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

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How to Do it:

Bring about ½ cup water to a boil in a large kettle.  Cut the cabbage in half and place, cut side down into a pan of water.  Cover and simmer about 5 to 10 minutes, until the cabbage is soft enough to separate the leaves.

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Carefully remove 4 large leaves then set the pan aside, covered to keep warm.

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Melt ½ tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and sauté for one minute, until the onions are slightly softened.  Add the lamb, crumbling and cook until it is browned.

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Stir in the rice, garlic salt, pepper and curry powder.  Add the mushrooms and garlic and mix well.

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Melt the remaining butter and whisk with the balsamic vinegar

Place ¼ of the meat mixture in each of the four cabbage leaves.

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Drizzle the butter and vinegar mixture over the top then sprinkle the feta evenly over it all –  and serve.

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Makes 4 servings

Nothing says refreshing like cold watermelon on a hot day – unless it’s FROZEN watermelon!  These pops are super easy and keep for weeks in the freezer!

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What you need:

• Watermelon sliced in 1 to 1 ½ inch slices
• popsicle sticks or plastic knives
• Finely granulated sugar

How to Do it:

Using cookie cutters, cut the watermelon into circles or shapes

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Place them on paper towels and gently blot.  Let them sit for about five minutes.  This helps remove some of the water.

Cover a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper.

Insert sticks into the bottom of each shape and lay on the parchment paper.

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Sprinkle the sugar onto the top of each pop – about 1/8 to a ¼ of a teaspoon on each

Freeze for several hours

Depending on how much water was left in the fruit, they may need to sit on the counter for several minutes to thaw slightly before eating.

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Enjoy!