Two-Packet Pork Chops and Ranch-Roasted Potatoes

I love having seasoning mixes on hand for cooking. I know it’s much healthier and cost-effective to make my own, but, honestly, that just doesn’t always happen in my house. What can I say – I like the convenience of just being able to rip open a packet.

I heard someone mention this technique somewhere online a few months ago. I can’t remember if it was on Twitter or if it was on Facebook, and I can’t remember who posted it, but the content of the message stuck with me. She said she coated pork chops in onion soup mix and ranch dressing mix and pan-fried them, and that her husband loved them. They sounded like something we would really love, too, so I finally decided to put them on our meal plan.

Joe sometimes gets (playfully) irritated with me for trying different pork chop recipes since he has a definite favorite version that I make, but he turned out to be happy that I made these. He really enjoyed them – we all did, in fact. The ranch dressing and onion soup mixes gave them great flavor, and a dredge in some flour made them crunchy and kept all the juices in.

I used a couple of tablespoons of ranch dressing mix for the pork chops, and the remaining tablespoon for some baby red potatoes. I used my normal method for roasting the potatoes, with the addition of the ranch mix, and I loved the flavor it gave them. Together, the pork chops and potatoes were a satisfying, flavorful, and delicious meal.

Two-Packet Pork Chops and Ranch-Roasted Potatoes

8 baby red potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 boneless pork loin chops
1 packet onion soup mix
1 packet ranch dressing mix, divided
1/2 cup flour

1. For the potatoes, preheat oven to 475 degrees. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Melt butter and mix with olive oil. Add to potatoes, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing mix, and toss to combine. Roast in the oven, stirring frequently, for 20 to 30 minutes to desired crispiness.

2. Meanwhile, heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork chops on both sides with salt, pepper, onion soup mix, and remaining 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing mix. Coat each pork chop in flour, shake off the excess, and fry until browned and cooked through.

3. Serve pork chops alongside potatoes.