Honey-Lime Pork Chops with Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes

Mmmmm look at those deliciously whipped mashed potatoes back there...

For those of you that know me or have read certain blog posts, you know that I love cheese. A lot. Like, way more so than the average fan. My love for potatoes comes in close behind my love for cheese. Any potato in any form, I love it. I especially love mashed potatoes, but not just any ol' serving of mashed potatoes (because you CAN screw up mashed potatoes). These mashed potatoes, to my delight, were very good.

As I was reading through the recipe for the first time, I saw something that I had never seen before. This recipe calls for you to boil the potatoes WITH cloves of garlic also in the water! Nice! Why have I never thought of doing this before? I got really excited when I read this because I am a big fan of garlic. A fresh head of garlic is something that I always make sure I have in the house. However, I am convinced that there HAS to be an easier way to peel garlic than standing there for several minutes tediously peeling the individual cloves of garlic. If you know of a method, please let me know!

Anyways, the potatoes were great! The final mashed product had a nice subtle hint of garlic. I personally think  that you could add even more garlic. And of course, the best way to make mashed potatoes is with a KitchenAid mixer. :-)

The pork chops also had a great flavor to them! They are supposed to marinate for 8 hours or overnight, so I got that together this morning before work and let them marinate all day. I'm not too crazy about soy sauce, so that flavor was a little more prevalent than I cared for, but the lime juice also really came through which I thought was delicious. We didn't have any of the sauce for the pork chops at the end, as you can see from the picture. I messed up the sauce the first time I made it. The recipe says to bring to a boil the six ingredients and in a SEPARATE bowl combine the cornstarch and water until smooth and then add that together to the broth mixture. The first time I did it, I added the cornstarch and water to the boiling broth mixture separately and it didn't turn out too well. The cornstarch just clumped together and wouldn't mix in. It took me a few minutes to realize that I had read the recipe wrong. So make sure you read through carefully! I made the sauce again, but as I was plating dinner, I realized that the pan with the sauce accidentally got washed out. No big deal! The pork chops were still delicious! They were very juicy and full of flavor after sitting in the marinade all day.

A yummy, simple meal! Give it a try!

Honey-Lime Pork Chops w/ Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes
Taste of Home: Everyday Light Meals
Published by Reiman Media Group, LLC in 2010.

Pork Chops


Prep time: 20 minutes + marinating  Grill: 15 minutes  Yield: 6 servings

1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 boneless pork loin chops (4 ounces each)
Sauce:
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 garlic clove, minced
 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/8 teaspoon browning sauce
Dash pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first four ingredients. Add pork chops Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chops, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 6-7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.
3. For sauce, combine the broth, garlic, honey, lime juice, browning sauce and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into broth mixture. Return to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with pork chops.

Mashed Potatoes
 Prep/Total time: 30 minutes  Yield: 6 servings

8 medium red potatoes, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fat-free milk, warmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. Drain well.
2. Add the butter, milk and salt; mash. Stir in Parmesan cheese.