Turkey Tenderloins with Apple and Dried Cherry Stuffing

 

I know, I know ... Thanksgiving is just over a month away.  A full Thanksgiving feast will soon be before me in late-November and I'll be able to enjoy all of the tastes of said fabulous holiday soon enough!

If only I had patience.

'Tis not a virtue of mine.

I recently picked up the latest issues of EveryDay with Rachael Ray and Food Network magazines (my monthly indulgences) and I have been swooning over all of the Thanksgiving recipes. 

And, frankly, I didn't want to wait another month to have turkey and stuffing.  So, I went out and bought what I needed to throw together a quick(er) version of what will be on my Thanksgiving table next month!  And, we enjoyed it tonight ... here in October.  It was just what I was craving.  And, it reminded me that there need be no rules to cooking.  Why do we often think we have to wait until Thanksgiving to prepare turkey?  Who made that rule?  Well, rules are often made to be broken.  What a culinary rebel I am!  Ha!

And, just a little side note ... I'm thinking this would be perfect for someone only cooking for a few people at Thanksgiving, too.  Maybe a husband and wife.  All of the expected (and cherished) tastes and flavor components of Thanksgiving dinner without the hassle of a big bird!  Also, the turkey here is super inexpensive ... around four or five dollars for a three-pack of tenderloins.  This fed my family of five with enough leftover for two people the next day.

Pork Chop, Stuffing and Mashed Potato Casserole

This dish is a combination of several of our traditional Thanksgiving dinner fixings married together in one casserole - with pork chops taking the place of turkey. It isn't anything fancy and it certainly won't win the award for "Most Beautiful Dish of The Year." However, it is a perfect all-in-one dish that is ultra comforting and one that will most-likely become a family favorite.

This dish is a blend of both store-bought shortcut items and from-scratch components. Of course, you could make stuffing and/or mushroom gravy from scratch if you'd prefer. {The preparation of the whole dish would, of course, require more of a time investment in doing so.}

The recipe may look complicated, but here's the overall gist:

Whip up some homemade mashed potatoes. {Keep them a little thicker than normal.}
Mix together some stuffing mix with water, butter and dried cranberries.
Sear off some pork chops.
Layer it all together in a casserole dish and top it all off with a mushroom soup sauce/gravy.

Simple. Uncomplicated. And, oh, so scrumptious.

Yields 4 servings.