Oven-Fried Pork Chops

Serves: 4

3 T. butter, melted
1 egg
2 T. water
1 C. cornbread stuffing mix
4 pork chops

Place butter in 13 x 9 baking dish. Mix egg and water together in a shallow bowl; beat until combined. Dip pork chops in egg mixture; then in stuffing mix to coat. Place chops on top of melted butter in baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees, turn and bake 10-15 minutes more or until browned.

Check my coupon resources page to save money when you make this recipe!

Tips: These pork chops were easy to put together with a nice crisp coating without the deep-frying. My husband has been avoiding gluten so I made these with some gluten-free cornbread that we had made the night before. I crumbled the cornbread and added sage, parsley, salt, pepper and onion powder. Then I just used this in place of the stuffing mix. We served the pork chops with mashed potatoes and a nice green salad. Easy prep dinner and you're done!

Recipe from The Four Ingredient Cookbook

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Makes: 1 large & 1 small loaf

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
3 to 4 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. buttermilk (see tips)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add bananas, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla; mix well. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and stir just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips; pour into lightly greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and one small loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Check my coupon resources page to save money when you make this recipe!

Tips: I love different banana bread recipes and this one from the Hawaiian cookbook intrigued me. The chocolate chips add just an extra touch of sweetness. I'm hoping I can convince my kids that this is a special treat and substitute it for cookies or ice cream at dessert time. If you don't keep buttermilk on hand, just put 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar in a measuring cup then fill with milk to the 1/2 cup line. If this isn't quite what you're looking for, check out Blueberry Banana Bread or my other Banana Bread recipe which has yogurt in it.

Recipe from From Hawaii's Kitchen: Homemade Gifts of Sweets & Treats

Beef Fajitas

Serves: 4

1 lb. beef steak, cut into strips
2 T. oil
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 onion, cut into strips
Flour or corn tortillas
Toppings: cheese, fresh cilantro (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine oil, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add in beef strips and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. In a large skillet over high heat, saute the beef strips in marinade with bell pepper and onion strips for 6-8 minutes or until beef has cooked through and the peppers and onions have softened. Serve in warmed tortillas and top with cheese and cilantro.

Check my coupon resources page to save money when you make this recipe!

Tips: These fajitas were easy to put together and tasted wonderful! We used top sirloin steak that we already had in the freezer so our beef was very tender. Obviously there are a plethora of good toppings for fajitas including guacamole, sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, etc. Cheese and cilantro are what our family used. My husband and I chose to use corn tortillas and heated them slightly in the same skillet we cooked the meat in. I highly recommend doing this. I did use flour tortillas for the kids, however since I could roll them up burrito-style and make it easier for them to hold.

Recipe from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook