This post was originally published September 24, 2014. I’ve updated it with new pictures and wanted to share it again since it’s apple season!

When Fall (and football season) hit I pretty much crave two specific (adult) beverages – pumpkin beer and hard apple cider. It’s a happy day when the pumpkin beer display appears at the grocery store. Hard apple cider, I’ve noticed, seems to be available all year round which is a treat because sometimes a cold, refreshing, slightly sweet apple bevvy really hits the spot on a warm evening on the patio.

I don’t cook pork chops very often at home. No reason why really, it just doesn’t seem to be something I remember to include when I am planning our meals. I really should start adding them into regular rotation because I’ve noticed when I do make them, everyone devours them – including the kids (the whole family loves these Parmesan Baked Pork Chops!).

I’ve always loved the flavor of pork chops with apples – adding the hard cider the mix just makes it better! If you are cooking for your family, don’t worry – the alcohol cooks off in the skillet making them kid friendly. (You can always use regular apple juice or apple cider instead.)

How to make Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

1. In a small bowl mix together salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic powder. Season both sides of pork chops liberally.
2. In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Place the pork chops into pan. (If not enough room, cook pork chops in batches). Cook on one side for 4 minutes until chops are golden brown and releases from pan easily. Cook other side for additional 3-4 minutes.
3. Take pork chops out and place on to a plate. Repeat with remaining pork chops, if needed.
4. Add sliced onions and apples into skillet. Season with pinch salt and pepper. Pour in part of hard apple cider (about 1/4 cup) to deglaze pan while tossing apples and onions. Add rest of hard apple cider and let simmer for 5 minutes uncovered or until liquid reduces a bit. Add pork chops back into skillet and cover.
5. Turn off heat and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Using tongs, take out pork chops and place in dish. Pour apple and onion mixture over pork chops and serve.

Since the pork chops are boneless and thin, this Hard Cider Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions recipe cooks up fairly quickly making it a good option for a weeknight dinner. I don’t know about you, but I love skillet meals like this.

We ate these skillet pork chops with apples alongside these Cheddar Dill Roasted Red Potatoes but mashed potatoes or wild rice would be another great side as well.

PS…I’m curious, what’s your favorite hard cider or pumpkin beer?

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Click here to pin this Smoked Sausage and White Bean Soup with Spinach recipe!

Soup is one of my go-to foods when I feel that I need to reset and recharge my eating habits. It’s filling, it’s healthy (if you make it healthy, of course) and it’s usually really easy to pull together any day of the week.

One of my favorite soups to make is this Smoked Chicken Sausage and White Bean Soup with Spinach.

This soup is filled with staple ingredients that I almost always have in my pantry and fridge. Beans and basic veggies like carrots, celery and onions are really essential ingredients to almost all of my soups so I try to always have them on hand. I love using this chicken apple sausage and usually have a few packages in the freezer (it takes no time at all to defrost!).

It really does make for a perfect weeknight soup and leftovers are great for lunch the next day.

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A couple of weeks ago my entire family got hit with a funky cold that was going around. It was not fun at all and I’m thankful it’s behind us. All 3 of my kids were home missing school, and then my husband came home sick from work on Wednesday night, just as I was making this Chicken Gnocchi Soup for dinner, the timing couldn’t have been better I guess you could say.

My kids aren’t huge soup people (though from the amount of soups that I post here, I obviously am). Both my kids discovered their love of the Chicken Gnocchi Soup at Olive Garden not long ago during one of our soup, salad and breadstick fixes and I knew that it was a soup I was going to have to make for them at home. They love gnocchi and when I found some adorable mini gnocchi at the grocery store the other day I knew it was time to make some soup.

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If you asked my family what they want to eat on Game Day, they will more than likely answer burgers. We tend to grill burgers at least once a week, especially in the fall when the weather in Florida is actually comfortable to grill out in. I love playing around with burger creations, and these Italian Turkey Sausage Sliders were most definitely a hit and will be making a regular appearance on the burger rotation at our house.

What’s great about these burgers are that they are lighter than your typical burger, for a few reasons. For one, they are smaller (hence the term sliders). They are also made with a blend of leaner ground turkey sausage and chopped mushrooms using the Blend method. The Blend method adds chopped mushrooms to the meat mixture, enhancing the texture and flavor while lightening them up and adding nutrients. Read more about how blending mushrooms into your meals makes them better here.

Grab my recipe for these juicy Italian Turkey Sausage Sliders over on The Mushroom Channel blog today!

You still have time until the end of the month to share your own blended burger creations on Instagram by tagging your photo with #GameDayBlend for a chance to win a pretty sweet Tailgate Prize Pack! See details here.

(Disclosure:  I am in a partnership with The Mushroom Council and am compensated for my time in creating recipes for their blog. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Aggie’s Kitchen!)

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This Savory Sweet Potato Gratin with Pecans recipe is sponsored by Fisher Nuts.

It’s no surprise that sweet potatoes are a popular side dish this time of year – especially for holiday meals. Because they are filled with so much nutrition, I really do enjoy sweet potatoes all year long, especially made as sweet potato fries or rounds, or paired up with up with smoked chicken-apple sausage and more veggies in a simple sheet pan meal for one of my go-to quick dinners.

Although I do enjoy a traditional sweet potato casserole on Thanksgiving, I tend to like my sweet potatoes served in more savory recipes like this Sweet Potato Gratin with Pecans I’m sharing today. The combination of flavors in this dish is absolutely delicious, and the Parmesan-pecan topping adds crunch and texture that will make your tastebuds sing. You can’t go wrong serving this dish alongside beef, roasted chicken or turkey.
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Click here to pin this Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Mushroom Bolognese recipe.

Spaghetti squash is back in my life thanks to my friend Katie’s recent post on Facebook. Why have I never thought to roast it whole in the oven like that? It makes it so much easier than struggling to try and cut it and fit it into a dish in the microwave. Yes, it takes about an hour (give or take) but once it’s in the oven that’s it. After it cooks and softens all you have to do is slice it longways, scoop out the seeds and fork out the strands – easy!

(Or – slice it into rings like my friend Beth recently posted about. Rings = longer strands that actually look like spaghetti. Genius! I’m trying this next time. But roasting it whole first.)

If you don’t have time to roast it in the oven and have an instant pot, here is how to cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot!

My favorite way to eat spaghetti squash is with a hearty tomato based sauce (like this one). I’ll never tell you that spaghetti squash will take the place of pasta, but if you are trying to cut back on calories, carbs or whatever – then this Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Mushroom Bolognese is for you. To me, it’s the next best thing to sitting down to a plate of pasta (and feeling really good about it).

Here are a few more healthy dinner ideas for you.

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Raise your hand if you love a good stir fry. (My hand is raised high – and so are my family’s hands too.)

Stir fries are a busy weeknight’s lifesaver. They are simple, healthy and quick. A no brainer really if you think about it. All it takes is a little prep (those precut bags of veggies at the grocery store come in real handy if you are really short on time) and a good wok.

Here are a few more healthy dinner ideas for you.

I’ve been lacking in the good wok department for quite some time. I have not had much luck with woks over the years for some reason. They have always seemed to get warped and become lopsided on my cooktop and the inside of the wok gets a little sad looking after some time.

Swiss Diamond recently sent me their 14″ Nonstick Wok to test out and I am so impressed. The quality is amazing. It’s a huge wok (and comes with a glass lid) so you can easily make stir fries packed with veggies your whole family will love – like this Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry I made this week. Their nonstick coating is made with real diamond crystals (pretty cool, huh) and they are made of heavy-duty cast aluminum with a flat bottom so no warping, tipping or spinning will be happening.

I’m excited to offer the same wok to one lucky reader too – see the below the recipe to enter the giveaway!

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This post is sponsored by The Mushroom Council via Kitchen Play.
I don’t know about you, but I really appreciate a good spread of meatless options at any party or get together – especially appetizers. I have nothing against meaty snacks, but I just love veggie snack food better. Maybe because mentally I think I can eat more of it?

To me mushrooms are the ultimate compromise when it comes to satisfying both meat and veggie eaters. When cooked, they make a substantial addition to any recipe, and you can really flavor them up with fresh herbs and spices to pair up with cheese, breads, rice and pasta – among many other ingredients. You can stuff them for bite sized munching, saute them with savory garlic and herbs for a topping to a sandwich or main dish or use them as the star ingredient in a recipe like a grilled portabella mushroom burger or a stuffed portabella mushroom cap. I tend to use a good handful of chopped mushrooms to bulk up recipes like sloppy joes or stuffed peppers to keep them on the lighter side. The ideas are truly endless and I find myself always wanting to experiment with them more and more.

I love cooking with mushrooms so much I have a Pinterest board dedicated to them.

When I was asked to come up with an appetizer recipe to contribute to the “Swap It or Top It” Kitchen Play event with The Mushroom Council, this grilled summer meatless flatbread pizza immediately came to mind. Flatbreads are a great option for entertaining because they are so easy to whip up. I prepared these by first sauteing the sliced portabella mushrooms with a little olive oil, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. The flatbread pizzas (I used Naan for the bread since they hold up so nicely on the grill) were quickly warmed up on the grill then taken off and topped with a shmear of fresh pesto, the sauteed mushrooms and of course cheese. Throw them back on the grill (or into the oven) until the cheese melts and gets bubbly and you have yourself an impressive little appetizer with minimum effort.

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errr, I mean plate. But I just really like how bowl sounds. Would you agree?

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Are you cold?

Make some soup.

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