Sorority Pork Chops

You may not expect a sorority to have pork chops, but obviously you aren't a Phi Beta Chi. Once upon a time, in the beautiful town of Chapel Hill, my sorority sold cookbooks comprised of various sisters' recipes for a fundraiser. One of the recipes became a staple when four PBX sisters (hint: I'm one of them) lived together in a tiny apartment on Airport Road.

We had cooking nights; every semester, each of us was assigned a night of the week to cook dinner, Monday through Thursday. Weekends were for going out, or fending for ourselves. As a strategy, it was marvelous. We only had to cook one night a week each, but we got fed for four nights (and there were often leftovers). One of my roommates made this out of the cookbook on a whim, and it became a staple.

Even though we all graduated and moved out and moved on, this still remains a staple in my recipe repertoire. It's tasty, it's easy, and it looks fancier than it is. The only caveat to this recipe is that it takes an hour and a half to bake - it's not an ideal weeknight dinner. Save this one for a night you're not in a hurry, and you'll be nicely rewarded.

If you're reading a Phi Beta Chi's blog, raise your hand. If not, raise your standards. AVVIC :)

Phi Beta Chi cookbook pork chops

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops
1 8-ounce bottle of French dressing
1 packet onion soup mix (I prefer Trader Joe's kind)
1 can whole cranberry sauce (NOT the sliced jelly stuff)

Directions:
Brown pork chops on stovetop.
Mix French dressing, onion soup mix, and cranberry sauce in a bowl.
Place browned pork chops in a baking dish. Cover with sauce mixture.
Bake for an hour and a half at 350.