Cold weather can sometimes make me ‘cooking lazy’. That’s when I just want to toss a few out-of-the-pantry and out-of-the-fridge ingredients into a slow cooker, turn it on, and come back half a day later to a done dish. Doesn’t mean it has to be all out of a can, but it doesn’t have to all be from scratch either. But it does still have to be good. And spicy. Gotta have spicy and these slow cooker bold ranch pork chops deliver on that. And they deliver on tasty too. Not too bad for ‘cooking lazy’ if I do say so myself!
The Perfect Meat-And-Potatoes Dinner
I served these slow cooker bold ranch pork chops with warmed leftover mashed potatoes. The gravy from the slow cooker is great over mashed potatoes, but I think it’d be even better over grits, so I’ll give that a whirl next time. They’ll be instant grits, though, to keep with my ‘cooking lazy’ mood.
These chops are also great served over a long-time boxed favorite, Rice-a-Roni. Believe it or not, I make a crazy good copycat of it too. It’s really not that hard to make and box, is it ever delicious!
Note: Between the soup and Cajun seasonings, this dish can be salty. I recommend a low-salt soup and making your own Cajun seasoning, cutting the amount of salt in half.
Turn your slow cooker on low.
Whisk together the soup, Ranch dressing mix, and Cajun seasoning in a small bowl.
Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.
Oh how I do love Shake ‘N Bake pork chops. And as much as they are great made in the oven, I was completely blown away by how fantastic they were cooked in my Char-Broil Big Easy. Crazy tasty, the chops were unbelievably moist and tender. Every bite was so good, I hated coming to the end. Well, except that I saved the bone for last. You can’t have a Shake ‘N Bake chop and not gnaw on the bone. It’s almost a law. You could use boneless chops, but bone-in have much more flavor. These Shake ‘N Bake Pork Chops on the Char-Broil Big Easy are insanely good!
A Few Cooking Notes
I used 3/4″ bone-in chops, which took just over 20 minutes to cook to 160 F. I cooked the chops in Bunk Bed baskets lined with foil for easy clean up. Depending on the size of your chops, you might be able to cook two at a time per basket, but don’t crowd them or they won’t cook completely or consistently. If you use multiple bunk bed baskets so you can cook multiple chops at once keep in mind that each level might cook at a different rate. Try to use same-thickness chops on each level so they all finish at the same time.
You can use any flavor Shake ‘N Bake you like. Read the package instructions to decide how much you’ll need for the chops you have. I prefer my homemade chipotle Shake ‘N Bake. It takes just like the classic mix, but with a nice little smoky kick.
The bunk bed basket lets you double the amount of cooking space you have on your Big Easy. And it’s easy to take in and out of the cooker too!
Working one at a time, place a pork chop into a resealable bag containing the Shake ‘N Bake mix. Seal and shake until coated. Alternatively, pour the Shake ‘N Bake out onto a plate and press the chop into the mixture, flipping and pressing the other side to also coat it.
Line the Big Easy basket and any bunk bed baskets with foil. I sprayed mine with non-stick spray but I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary.
Lower basket into the Big Easy.
Cook for 20 minutes then check the temperature in multiple places. The minimum safe temperature is 145 F, but I personally aim for 160 F as measured in several places.
Remove from the Big Easy and rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
You can cook only one large pork chop (or maybe two small ones) at a time in the Big Easy basket. But, with a little finagling you can also add up to three Bunk Bed Baskets, giving you room for four large pork chops at once. Note that the chops at the top of the basket may cook at a different rate than those at the bottom, so start checking the temperatures after 20 minutes for chops that are around 3/4″ thick. Thinner chops will of course take less time and thicker ones will take longer.
It has been a long, long time since I have made Shake’N Bake pork chops. They were a staple in my bachelor days. I also recall my mom making Shake’N Bake chicken or pork chops back when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Honestly, I’d forgotten all about it until the other day when I came across a copycat recipe for Shake’N Bake. I instantly flashed back to the pork chops of years passed, and thought… boy, I really need to make those again. So I made the copycat of the mixture, but of course I had to add my own little twist. That twist came in the form of great, spicy smoky chipotle powder. What a great addition. I so loved these chipotle Shake’N Bake pork chops.
Smoky Spicy Greatness
Don’t go crazy adding the seasoning to this chipotle Shake’N Bake. You want just enough to get a hint of smokiness. A hint of heat. Subtle is what you are after and that’s what you’ll ended up with. If you want less subtle and enjoy curry, try my curry Shake’N Bake. My lowcountry smothered pork chops are a true treat too!
Don't go crazy adding the seasoning to this chipotle Shake’N Bake. I wanted just enough to get a hint of smokiness. I hint of heat. Subtle is what I was after and that’s what I ended up with.
