Pork Recipes & Meal Ideas

Brunch, especially when you’re serving it to guests for holidays like Easter or Mother’s Day, doesn’t have to be a stressful affair where you’re stuck at the stovetop like a diner cook. Harness the power of the cute and practical muffin tin and make these egg cups instead. Crispy prosicutto forms each shell, with a nest of Parmesan hash browns inside, all crowned with a perfectly cooked whole egg that can be as runny or set as you like it.

The ultimate French sandwich gets the ultimate cheesy makeover.

There’s been an increasing demand for low-carb fare, so Starbucks answered the call with Sous Vide Egg Bites. These eggy bites are cooked sous vide (in a low-temperature water bath) until velvety smooth and are studded with bacon and cheese or vegetables. They’ve proven so popular that I haven’t been able to find any to sample in my local stores!

Take this salad to a potluck and it will be the talk of the table. It has the familiarity of a classic Cobb salad, balancing the leafy greens and tomatoes with can’t-miss ingredients like crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, and a zippy red wine vinaigrette, along with a fun twist that keeps it feeling fresh. I like to consider it the trifle of the salad world.

Don't be surprised if this breakfast salad changes your life.

The first time I made these pepperoni chips for a dinner party with friends, I put them down alongside the cheese and olives, turned back into the kitchen to get my wine glass, and by the time I returned, the chips were gone. I really am not kidding. These crispy, crunchy, salty, spicy little guys are sure to be a hit among anyone you serve them to. Not only do they require just one ingredient, but they also happen to be gluten-free.

After an easygoing summer, getting thrown back in to the busy fall season can be enough to make anyone’s head spin. Between school, work, appointments, sports, and other activities, dinner feels hard to get a handle on. Luckily there are sheet pans, which make getting a meal on the table as stress-free as the carefree days of summer we are all secretly still longing for.

In Tuscany, cooks don’t have a lot of uses for hard-shelled winter squash. It is typically roasted as a side dish or turned into soup. At our Brooklyn farmer’s market in autumn and winter, the stands are filled with a huge variety of squashes, each one more attractive and tasty than the other. In the States, we cook with squash all the time, and the entire family benefits. This pasta balances the somewhat sweet squash with sausage, kale, and Romano cheese.

With the focus squarely on Christmas dinner, it is easy to forget that there will be a table full of hungry mouths to feed early in the morning. Instead of resorting to short-order cook status, wake up to the comforting aroma of cheesy hash brown casserole. This slow cooker take on a classic hash brown casserole is creamy, cheesy, and packed with potato flavor.

It's made in the slow cooker.

I firmly believe that at the center of every Easter brunch spread there should be a savory, eggy casserole that’s served up in slabs and washed down with mimosas. Make this number your celebratory casserole this year. It’s filled with leeks, as an ode to the spring season, and is packed full of crowd-pleasing bacon and cheese. Oh, and it can be made ahead of time, which really just seals the deal here.

If you’re a longtime reader of Kitchn, no doubt you have come across Faith’s chicken ragù with bacon in the years since it was first published. This is one of those magical recipes whose flavor is inversely related to the number of ingredients and effort required to prepare it. A favorite among editors here at Kitchn, it’s hard to believe it has taken us this long to revisit it.

Add this one to the dinner plan ASAP!

The juiciest, most flavorful way to make grilled chops on a weeknight.

When cilantro and lime are paired together in a recipe, I expect my tastebuds to tingle with vibrant, bright flavors that make every bite feel like the best I’ve ever had. And boy do these pork chops deliver. Bite after bite, they treat you to a burst of citrusy tang. This simple pan sauce might make your mouth pucker, but paired with lean, mild pork chops, it’s absolute perfection. This is about to become you’re new favorite way to eat a pork chop — no doubt about it.

Backyard parties are the best parties. Who cares if the house is a mess when the festivities are outside? Be a guest at the party you’re throwing this summer and skip the burger flip in favor of a bacon cheeseburger dip. This hearty dip checks all the boxes that make bacon cheeseburgers a BBQ classic — big beefy flavor, gooey cheese, and smoky bacon. Your friends won’t miss the standard-issue burgers and buns after scooping second helpings of this hearty dip.

For a fun, easy twist on chicken marsala, give boneless pork chops a try for dinner instead. When cooked in a bit of browned butter and then simmered in a glossy sauce rich with golden-brown mushrooms and sweet marsala wine, these pork chops can make dinner just a tad more elegant. It may seem a bit fussy to use both oil and butter, but that’s what makes this recipe special.

It's creamy, crunchy, and downright sexy.

Pasta e fagioli translates to “pasta and beans,” but that doesn’t even begin to describe all the flavorful elements of this humble, comforting dish. Tender pinto beans cook all day, resulting in a rich and creamy broth, and vibrant tomatoes, pancetta, and herbs are added to round out the sophisticated Italian meal. Here, we use the slow cooker to pull this soup together, making it a hands-off dinner you can eat tonight and enjoy all week.

Pork plus cola is a Southern phenomenon. I certainly never experienced it growing up on the West coast, but I have had my fill in the decade I lived in the South. Super sweet and just a bit acidic, cola is the perfect counterpart to rich, fatty pork shoulder.

It's the best (and tastiest) way to serve brunch to a crowd.

Fail-proof, tender, and moist pork roast with help from the slow cooker.

On their own, tater tots already fall squarely into comfort-food territory. But bake them like a tray of nachos and dress them up like a loaded baked potato, with plenty of sharp cheddar, crumbles of salty bacon, and generous dollops of sour cream, and be prepared to enter a whole new level of comfort-food bliss. Whether you’re binging The Bachelor with friends, watching the game, or settling into weeknight dinner with your little ones, this is how to win over your crowd.

Around the World in 30 Soups: This month Kitchn is collaborating with chefs and cookbook authors to share a globetrotting adventure in soups from countries and cuisines around the world. Today’s stop: Portugal. David Leite, author of a marvelous book about the Portuguese food of his family, shares the official unofficial soup of Portugal — complete with its essential slice (or two, or three) of sausage. Caldo verde is the official unofficial soup of Portugal.

Around the World in 30 Soups: This month we’re collaborating with chefs, cookbook authors, and our own Kitchn crew to share a globetrotting adventure in soups from countries and cuisines around the world. Today’s stop: Italy. Where to even start with Italian soups? So many fabulous soups, and so many voices to speak about them. Until we get a chance to do Around Italy in 30 Soups (please, dream with us!

I recently found myself staring at a bag of Brussels sprouts, wondering how to prepare them. I wanted to try something new (I’ve had my fill of crispy roasted sprouts and shredded Brussels sprout slaws) — and I was craving something comforting. Enter: this irresistible Brussels sprout casserole. It’s packed with crispy bacon and lots of gooey cheese, and it totally satisfied my need for a new veggie side.

If you typically save pork chops for weekend dinner guests, that’s about to change. These chops are golden-brown on the outside, perfectly juicy on the inside, and taste like a little luxury — but are simple enough for even the busiest of weeknights. They come together easily on the stovetop in just about half an hour. Oh, and did I mention they’re bathed in a creamy garlic mushroom sauce?

The combination of bacon and asparagus is a stellar spring pairing and a great way to celebrate the arrival of longer, warmer days. Asparagus is also one of the easiest vegetables to prep, making it a great side dish contender during this time of year, when it’s inexpensive and readily available. Plus, it’s quick to cook: You can have juicy, vibrant asparagus wrapped in perfectly crisp bacon in less than 15 minutes. Here’s how to do it.

Meet my new favorite brunch dish: Hawaiian Roll Egg-in-a Hole. You might be familiar with egg-in-a-hole as a beloved childhood breakfast dish, but this version is easier to cook for a crowd, and delivers big on flavor. Serve this egg bake for family brunch, or whip it up when you’re feeding a hungry crowd. Here are my tricks for nailing it every time. At first glance, this recipe is pretty straightforward: Make a well in each roll, crack in an egg, and bake!

This breakfast casserole is loaded with veggies, ham, and cheese.

Kitchn’s Delicious Links column highlights recipes we’re excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites. One of the best things about fall is how often pecans start showing up in grocery stores and on menus and at gatherings. Pecan pie is always a treasure, and pecan bars are a personal favorite.

Easing back into the hustle and bustle of life after the weekend requires some key self-care steps. First and foremost? Making yourself a delicious, warming meal. That’s where these pork chops come in. This dinner comes together in one skillet in just 30 minutes. And if that’s not enough to entice you, maybe the creamy mushroom sauce will do the trick? The key to building great flavor here is cooking everything in one skillet. (It’s also the key to the easiest cleanup!

Are you planning on picking up a HoneyBaked Ham for Easter this year? What if I told you that you don’t have to? With this Instant Pot version you only need five ingredients and 30 minutes for a perfectly cooked, sweet and tangy ham. Not only does making your own Easter ham give you more control over the seasoning and final product, but it also can save you a few bucks in the process.

Once you get a handle on how to make perfectly juicy pork chops (it’s not hard, promise!), it’s time to try out some fun variations. Now, these variations don’t need to be complicated. This is Kitchn, after all, and we’re all about finding the smart tips and recipes that deliver on flavor but also aren’t, well, fussy. So that’s why I was excited when I found this brown butter and herb pork chop recipe from Innocent Delight.

No matter what you bring home from the farmers market, making this summery spin on a classic Cobb is easy.

I like to think of plums as the silent heroes of summer, sitting patiently among other more celebrated stone fruit like peaches and nectarines. Biting into a perfectly ripe, juicy plum is a rite of summer, and turning plums into dinner is one of the best ways to give them a place in the spotlight. When roasted with bone-in pork chops, plums get a bit jammy and turn into a sweet-savory sauce built around a few pantry staples and finished with a fistful of soft basil leaves.

If pork chops are a regular player in your meal plan rotation, you’re going to love this dinner. It’s a fancied-up throwback inspired by the Shake’N Bake pork chops of the ’80s and ’90s. This version gets an upgrade from panko in place of regular breadcrumbs, plus the addition of grated Parmesan. Along with smoky spices and a hit of garlic, these sheet pan pork chops are an easy way to bring an old friend back to the dinner table with a few new tricks.

If the thought of crispy bacon and the pungent bite of blue cheese makes you smile with delight, then this recipe belongs in your meal plan. File it under “pasta night” and, most importantly, nights you’re craving something really delicious and comforting but have about 30 minutes to pull dinner together.

It’s a very particular kind of morning we’re talking about when we say this is the Cuban sandwich you want for breakfast — specifically the kind that starts closer to noon than it does to nine, and one where the night before might’ve included lots of dancing. That, or those mornings when you wake up ravenous and ready for something truly hearty to eat. The Cuban medianoche is a close sibling to the more famous cubano.

Bacon and blue cheese work their magic.

Stir-fries might be one of the original heroes of easy weeknight dinners. They’ve been delivering one-pan meals of protein and veggies for a long, long time. This amazing cooking technique can cross borders, making dishes such as this tender pork cooked with heaps of shredded green cabbage and sweet apple slices possible with just as much success and ease.

Did you know that saltimbocca literally means “jumps in the mouth”? That description could not be more fitting for this weeknight version of the Italian restaurant favorite. This dish starts off with crisp, tender potato rounds and soft bundles of garlicky spinach, which creates the base for the herbed chicken that’s covered with salty prosciutto and melted cheese. It’s basically the dish chicken breast has been waiting for.

If sheet pan suppers are a major player in your weeknight dinner rotation, this combination of smoky kielbasa and Brussels sprouts bring that same ease and sophistication with a five-ingredient shopping list and 30-minute cook time. Come fall, there are few foods better to pair with kielbasa than earthy roasted Brussels sprouts. Before going to the oven, these brassicas are treated to a dusting of smoked paprika for extra warmth and just a touch of spice.

Taking food to friends, whether they are under the weather, renovating a kitchen, or welcoming a new baby, shouldn’t be limited to soups and casseroles. One of my favorite things to take to new parents is fixings for sandwiches because a sandwich can be breakfast, lunch, or dinner and requires only one hand to eat. Freezer club sandwiches take that concept and make them hot and satisfying and available on demand from the freezer.

A few years ago, a recipe in a food magazine caught my eye. The recipe involved stuffing pita bread with a thin layer of seasoned ground lamb, then grilling the whole thing until the outside was crispy and the inside stayed nice and juicy. It was an outrageously delicious and fun idea, a bit like hamburger meets pizza pocket. I liked this idea so much I wanted to make it again, but this time with Thai flavors on cute little mini pitas!

Corn and basil are fast friends when it comes to flavor. The sweetness of the corn is only amplified in the presence of this hot-tasting herb. Here, the two are literally bundled together with a bow of bacon and grilled until smoky and crisp. This recipe has a tendency to sputter a bit as it cooks. The fat rendering from the bacon drops into the grill, causing flames to leap up, which in turn give the corn an additional smoky kiss.

Every so often I attempt to re-create some of my favorite takeout meals at home, and time and time again, the resulting dish is always easier to pull off than I imagined, leading me to question why I hadn’t done this sooner. These rice bowls for two — studded with pork and broccoli, and slathered in a really good peanut sauce — are no exception.

My dad was one of eight children, and his mother and father owned a general store and deli after escaping the New Jersey suburbs for a small town in Vermont, which is just to say — my grandmother knew how to make a big sandwich for a crowd. I spent many summers in her kitchen preparing picnic lunches for two or three aunts and a circus of cousins to take to the lake. These large sandwiches became a staple of summer. They were filling, could be made well in advance, and traveled well.