This recipe is super simple: I use a slow cooker (crockpot) to cook the pork chops, make a mushroom gravy with the broth the chops are cooked in so there is no waste and add fresh rosemary and a little white wine to the sauce. Cooking with white wine helps enhance the incredible flavors in the pork chops and mushroom sauce. Don’t worry, the alcohol will evaporate during the cooking process. So make sure you pair a glass of wine with this dish since this sauce is alcohol free! Also, I don’t dredge the pork in flour, making the recipe gluten free.
For pork chops
Pork chops* Salt Pepper Olive oil Yellow onion sliced Chicken broth White wine
There are a variety of pork chop cuts. Which is best for this recipe?
There is no right answer. You can use whatever you like best, bone it or boneless! As you will notice in this recipe, I used a pork sirloin chop. They have lots of flavor and my hubby loves them! Boneless loin chop: America’s favorite cut! It’s lean, tender and mild in flavor and cooks perfectly in the slow cooker. Rib chop AKA Bone-In Ribeye chop: this cut is also mild in flavor, tender and has a little fat. Centercut Loin Chop: This cut is more moderate in flavor and is larger in size and tender.
For Mushroom Gravy
Butter Cremini mushrooms sliced Garlic Liquid from crock pot Heavy cream Cornstarch Cold water Rosemary (fresh) Grated Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste
Pat dry both sides of pork chops and add salt and pepper to each side Coat the bottom of a medium saucepan with oil (about 2 Tbsp.), turn on to high heat. Pan and oil MUST be hot to get a great sear. Once pan and oil are hot, add pork chops, sear each side for ~1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, turn stove off (set pan aside to be used for mushroom gravy). Place sliced onion into the slow cooker covering the bottom surface. Add pork chops on top of onion. Pour in chicken broth and wine. Cook on low heat for 1-2 hours, or until internal temperature of pork chops reach 145 degrees F. Remove pork chops from crock pot. Using an immersion blender, blend the broth and onions in the crockpot until smooth. Set aside. (You can also pour the liquid into a standing blender and blend until smooth). In the same saucepan that was used to sear pork chops, melt 2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted, add sliced mushrooms and saute for ~8 minutes. Add in 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, saute with mushrooms. Pour in remaining liquid from crock pot, stir, while scraping the bottom of the pan for ~1-2 minutes. Make cornstarch slurry by whisking 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. cold water together with a fork. Whisk in heavy cream and cornstarch slurry, simmer until sauce begins to thicken. Once sauce is thick, add in rosemary, parmesan cheese, 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve on top pork chops.
Healthy Side Dishes for Pork Chops
MASHED POTATOES & MORE MASHED POTATOES! Okay, maybe I am kidding (or am I?), but mashed potatoes are an amazing side dish to pair with these slow cooker pork chops. Not to mention, this mushroom gravy deserves to be on top of a mountain of potatoes. Baked and roasted potatoes would also go great with this dish. Potatoes are so versatile and satisfying! I know they get a bad rep and are typically labeled as “unhealthy.” BUT they are actually naturally LOW in fat and contain nutrients like vitamin C and potassium. Fat and calorie content are increased in potatoes when they are cooked in fats like butter and oil. Green beans and broccoli are also great additions. Look in the freezer section at the grocery store for steamer bags of vegetables. These bags can be easily popped into the microwave and make for a healthy side dish to any dinner. Spaghetti squash! Scrape out the “spaghetti” and top with one of these slow cooker pork chops, mushroom gravy, and more parmesan cheese of course. Add some red chili flakes for a nice spice! Preheat oven to 350F. Put just enough chicken broth to cover the bottom of a glass baking dish (not much is needed, just a thin layer). Add pork chops and cover tightly with foil. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until pork chops are heated through.
What to do with dried out pork chops?
It happens to all of us. Sometimes we forget to set a timer, or maybe leave them in just a few minutes too long. Even if the pork dries out a bit, THE SAUCE WILL SAVE THEM! This mushroom gravy is seriously so good and pairs well with the pork. If they are just too dry to eat alone, you can also cut them into strips and make a stir fry, quesadilla, or even put it between two slices of bread with some bbq sauce and veggies! Bone in is not required, boneless will work just fine! Check the temperature of the pork abut an hour into cooking. The first time I made this recipe, I waited until the two hour mark and the pork chops were WAYYYY past 145F (cooking on low too)! Try to catch the pork chops when they are just getting to the 145°F mark. This will make for juicy meat and prevent the pork chops from drying out.
