Comfort Family Meals

    Comfort Family Meals

    By: Jacqueline Gomes, RD, MBA

    Comfort foods…we all have them and we all love them! They can make us feel emotionally satisfied, remind us of special occasions, or serve as a reward or temporary calming. Think about your favorites — for me, comfort foods often involve potatoes! Whether it’s Spanish omelets or simply roasted potatoes, I absolutely love them!

    You can turn even your favorite comfort foods into deliciously healthy meals with just a few modifications. For example, consider adding more veggies to your family dishes like pork chops, ground meats, or casseroles. This boosts the nutrition and adds fiber while keeping the comfort factor intact. A few extra vegetables—like spinach, zucchini, or bell peppers—can seamlessly blend into dishes without compromising taste, offering added vitamins and minerals while cutting down on unnecessary carbs.

    Did you know? According to a recent study by Cornell University researchers, women and men tend to crave different types of comfort foods. Men often seek out mixtures of salt, protein, and fat, like pizza and steak, while women lean toward high-fat and sugary foods like chocolate, ice cream, and cookies. What are your comfort food favorites?

    Pork Chops in Mushroom Sauce

    Pork chops mushrooms

    Prep: 10 minutes

    Cook: 20 minutes

    Makes: 4 Servings

    Ingredients:

    • 4 Bone-in Pork Chops
    • ½ teaspoons paprika
    • Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil.
    • ¼ cup butter, divided
    • 8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
    • 4 garlic gloves, minced
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 2 cups beef broth
    • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

    Directions:

    1. Using a paper towel, pat pork chops dry. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.
    2. Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat and olive oil. Sear pork chops for about 4 minutes per side. Remove from pan to a plate.
    3. add 2 tablespoons butter to the pan, add mushroom and cook until water evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and mustard, cook for an additional minute.
    4. Add flour to the skillet and stir well. Slowly add beef broth, whisk until smooth, add fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir until sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
    5. Return pork chops to the skillet and warm through.

    Serving suggestion: Serve over mashed potatoes or rice.