Dinner Tonight: Amazing Smothered Pork Chops

These pork chops are delicious and the sauce is to die for! Even my picky daughter scarfed it down. The total cook time is about 75 minutes, but you can multi-task while the chops are on the stove. It is the perfect center to a balanced meal.

My trusty Nintendo DS XL gave me this recipe and spelled it out for me step by step (with pictures, video and explanations). I didn't burn anything, which is a miracle! Follow the Nintendo "America's Test Kitchen: Let's Get Cooking" recipe below and you will be a chef in no time at all.

What you need:

2 onions, 2 garlic gloves, 3 ounces bacon (slices), 4 bone-in rib pork chops, salt, paper, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, 2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth, 2 bay leaves and 1 tablespoon minced parsley.

Let's prep!

First, peel and halve the onion. Cut the onion pole to pole into thin slices.

Mince the garlic

Use a chef's knife to crush the garlic clove. The skin should slip right off, Use a garlic press to mince the garlic.

Chop the bacon

Freeze the bacon for 15 minutes to make it easier to chop. Once slightly frozen, chop the bacon into very small pieces.

Let's cook!

Pat the chops dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Brown the chops on both sides for 6 minutes, then transfer to a large plate.

Cook the onions

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in 2 tablespoons of water, then transfer to a bowl.

Make the sauce

Add the bacon to the skillet and return to medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan. You should have at least 2 tablespoons, but if not, substitute veggie oil. Whish 2 tablespoons of flour into the fat left in the skillet and cook over medium-low heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1 3/4 cups broth.

Cook the chops

Return the chops to the skillet and cover them with the onions. Add 2 bay leaves, and simmer over low heat until the pork is completely tender, about 30 minutes.

Thicken the sauce

Transfer the chops to a serving platter and tent with foil. Continue to simmer the sauce until thickened, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves, stir in 1 tablespoon parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Almost there!

Spoon the sauce over the chops and sprinkle with the crisp bacon before serving. (MM TIp: Hide the bacon pieces until you are ready to use them! My husband ate almost all of them!)

Enjoy!

Enjoy the pork chops- I did! Serve them with a vegetable like broccoli or green beans and some rolls. The whole family will love it! See the link below for a great appetizer! Thanks to Nintendo for sending us the new "America's Test Kitchen: Let's Get Cooking" game and the Nintendo DSi XL. We are loving it.

Appetizer

• Tomato and Mozzarella tart