Hello friends! The month of October just flew by, and I find myself planning a menu for the week of Halloween. (What’s really scary about Halloween is not the ghouls and ghosties, but the fact that the very next day is NOVEMBER 1st! It’s full on holiday season on that day – and the race to prepare, plan and decorate begins in earnest. Eeek!)

Halloween night is a tough one for getting dinner on the table. The kids are chomping at the bit to start trick or treating – who wants “real food”? It can be a real “Twix” to feed your kids before the candy-fest begins. A dinner that’s quick and easy to prepare, inexpensive to make, healthy, and fun to eat would be perfect.

Here’s what we came up with years ago: Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions. AKA Meat and Worms! This recipe is actually very tasty, despite its appearance. It’s a favorite at our house on Halloween night.

Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions AKA Meat and Worms

.

  • 4 (4 oz) boneless center-cut pork loin chops
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (2 cups)
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar

.

  1. Place pork chops between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound slightly to an even thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chops and cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove chops from pan, and keep warm.
  3. Add onion to pan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with brown sugar; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spoon onion mixture over pork chops.
  4. Yield: 4 servings (1 chop and about 1/2 cup onion mixture)

** Hint: Even though the recipe doesn’t call for it, we cover the chops while cooking, keeping a close eye on them. They cook faster this way. We always use a meat thermometer to check the chops for safety and doneness. We ignore the recipe’s overall cooking time and go by the chops’ temperature to tell us when they’re done.

We always eat dinner a little earlier than usual on Halloween night – this recipe will help you kick off the night’s spooky fun! Happy Halloween!