Pork for dinner is so versatile and quick to cook! Dinner can be on the table usually within an hour without standing over a hot stove all day.
Ingredient prepping earlier in the week or over the weekend will help make the cooking process even shorter.
If you have been here before, you know that I love to prep on the weekend and eat all week. BUT, I do not like to eat the same thing all week…which is what used to happen when I meal prepped on the weekends.
I don’t do that type of meal prepping anymore. You don’t have to.
Just pick a protein, cook a meal with that protein…add the sides. Then, use that starter protein or one of the meals, add to it… make some changes…and eat something different every night of the week.
First, do like most people do…find a recipe. Look on Pinterest or Google and find a recipe using your protein. But, don’t look for just any recipe, look for one that you can add to or make slight changes to throughout the week to make other things as well.
This blog post has all the information you need to make delicious pork meals for dinner tonight and every night this week. Whether you’re a busy family or just looking for a quick and easy meal, this is the perfect post for you.
We’ve included a variety of pork dishes that will be sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. Keep reading to find some top pork meals for dinner tonight!
START THE WEEK WITH PORK.
This week, pork tenderloin was on sale, so let’s start the week with a pork loin or two.
Pork tenderloin is one of the nicest cuts of pork. It’s very lean and tender and can be seasoned in any number of ways. They are long and slender and weigh around ¾lb to 1 ½lbs each and they frequently come in a 2-pack.
Similar Pork Products
You might find other similar pork products called pork loin, pork loin filet and pork roast which are NOT pork tenderloin and require different cooking steps.
If pork tenderloin is not on sale in your area, you can use any pork that is on sale…or a pork roast you have in your freezer.
The most popular pork loin roast in the supermarket is the boneless pork loin roast, which can be seasoned in any number of ways. Pork loin roast comes in sizes of about 2-5 pounds, is usually lean, and has a fat cap that can be trimmed to give you the exact amount of flavor needed. this is the most common size you’ll find, and they are usually around 2-3″ in height and around 12″ in length.
Pork tenderloin is a much leaner and narrower cut of meat than pork loin roast. When searching for recipes for the week, specify what type of pork you will use.
Sunday is Prep Day.
Sunday; complete your shopping and ingredient prep for the week. Calculate how much pork you will need for your family for all the recipes this week.
If you want the most tender results, you must remove the tough silver skin that exists on a pork tenderloin. To remove the silver skin, insert the tip of your knife between the silver skin and meat and cut with the skin still attached while pulling the silver skin and fat away.
MONDAY IS ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN.
Monday when you get home from work, have dinner ready in less than an hour!
Let’s start with something easy, put your favorite rub on one of the pork loins and cook in the oven or on the grill. If cooking in the oven, Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Trim pork loin, if you did not do it on Sunday, and pat dry. Rub oil over the loin and coat with rub.
Bake for 25-30 minutes and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with potatoes or rice and gravy or pasta in the sauce.
Add a salad or other vegetables and you have Monday night dinner done! If you need a recipe, Taste of Home has multiple recipes you can use.
To prepare for Tuesday, take a pound or two of pork loin and cut it into cubes for kabobs. Place the pork into a zip-top bag and pour in a marinade.
Make your own marinade or use a bottle, whichever you prefer. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
TUESDAY; DINNER ON THE TABLE IN UNDER AN HOUR!
Grilled Pork Shish Kabobs (Shashlik)
Kabobs are fun and easy for dinner. You can add your favorite vegetables and use a marinade your family loves. Here is a simple, excellent recipe for Grilled Pork Shish Kabobs from Taste of Home.
Pork tenderloin kebabs can be prepped ahead for an easy dinner or entertaining.
If you did not marinate the pork last night and you have a vacuum sealer, you can place the meat in a vacuum sealer bag with the marinade and remove the air. The pork will be done marinating in an hour.
Cut your vegetables into similar-sized cubes. Put your pork and vegetables on skewers and either roast in the oven or cook them on the grill.
You can serve kabobs with roast potatoes and carrots or substitute the carrots for Brussels sprouts or green beans. Green beans are so tasty when roasted!
WEDNESDAY: DINNER ON THE TABLE IN LESS TIME THAN IT TAKES TO CHANGE INTO YOUR COMFY CLOTHES!
Let’s make some pork fajitas! If you need a recipe, try this one from SpendWithPennies.
Take a pound of pork loin and slice it into chops then slice those into strips. Cut a red, yellow and green bell pepper into strips as well. Cut an onion in half and cut it into strips.
Cook the meat and vegetables on the stove with fajita seasoning. While cooking the pork and peppers, warm some tortillas in the oven or dry fry them in a skillet.
Add a salad and you’re done for Wednesday.
THURSDAY: PORK AND BROCCOLI, QUICKER THAN YOU THINK!
Beef and Broccoli is what you usually hear about; however, pork is so versatile and more tender than beef in general and is wonderful in stir fry. A really good recipe is one from Taste of Home.
Cut ½ pound of pork into bite-size pieces, trim broccoli and cut into bite-size pieces. Steam broccoli but don’t let it get mushy!
Julien ½ red bell pepper and ½ a green pepper, add 1 cup sliced mushrooms and ½ onion. Stir fry the pork with any seasoning you choose and remove it from the pan.
Add the broccoli, peppers, mushrooms and onion, and stir fry until it reaches the level of tenderness you like. Add three cloves of minced garlic, if you like garlic. You can always add other vegetables that you like.
Mix 4 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 cup chicken broth and 4 teaspoons cornstarch until smooth. Add to stir fry and stir until sauce thickens. Add pork back and heat back up. Serve over rice.
Done for Thursday!
FRIDAY WILL BE QUICK AND EASY!
This pork stroganoff is creamy and delicious. It’s the best comfort food you can get! With mushrooms and onions, tender pork is cooked in a creamy sauce. You can try this recipe from Taste of Home.
With only 15 minutes to prepare, it’s delicious, filling, and made with fresh ingredients! It is amazing how this pork stroganoff looks and tastes with buttered noodles.
Cut up a pound of pork into small strips. A quick overview of the recipe; fry onions and mushrooms in butter. You can infuse the butter yourself or buy seasoned butter. Stir fry the pork until just cooked then simmer it all in sour cream. Add a bit of lemon juice and some pepper and dinner is done!
Add ½ stick of butter, and a teaspoon of oil to a frying pan. Add a tablespoon of paprika and smoked paprika if you have it. Add chopped onion and cook onion until translucent. Add a 10 oz package of sliced mushrooms and cook over low heat.
Remove all from the pan and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and fry cut-up pork for about a minute. Put everything back into the pan and stir well. Add 1 ¼ cups sour cream and salt to taste.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Add pepper to taste. Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Serve over buttered noodles.
Noodle Time!
Cook the noodles while cooking the pork. I cook all my noodles the same way, even the box kind! I boil salted water, add the noodles and bring it to a boil.
Once the pot boils, I shut off the burner and move the pot off the burner…if electric. I put on the lid and set a timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, I drain the noodles. Perfect every time!
In this case, put the noodles back in the pot and add ½ stick of butter and ½ teaspoon of salt. Put the lid back on and let the butter melt. Toss with tongs.
You can have dinner ready in the time it takes to cook noodles! And you’re done for Friday!
SATURDAY IS FOR RELAXED COOKING!
Today is pork cutlet day! Don’t worry, cutlets are easy. Take the rest of the pork loin and slice it into the number of chops you need. Season pork with salt and pepper.
Place pork chops between plastic wrap or wax paper and pound to â…› inch thickness. If you want a recipe, check this one out from AllRecipes.
Now the fun part!
Dust chops with 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, and dip chops one at a time in 2 beaten eggs. Put chops in bread crumbs until each one is coated.
You can use seasoned bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs. Or you can use plain bread crumbs seasoned the way your family likes them.
Fry chops in any oil other than olive oil and place them on paper towels to drain.
Make gravy, from a jar or pouch if you like, or from drippings and flour. Cook a vegetable or serve a salad. Add rice or potatoes with gravy. And you are done!
CONCLUSION
You just finished another week without spending an hour or more of time in the kitchen each night. And many nights you’ve completed the task within 30 minutes. Congratulations on being the winner!