Yes, you can make a great meal with a few inexpensive ingredients and about 30 minutes of your time. This pork and cabbage skillet meal starts with ground pork that you brown on the stove top. Add an onion, a bag of cole slaw, and a few more ingredients, and you have dinner in 20-30 minutes. The pork is mild and works well with the cole slaw, so that no one taste is overwhelming. Instead, you get a mingling of flavors that creates an incredibly good comfort meal. Because I hate washing a lot of pots and pans, I add potatoes to the mixture, which means you get your protein, green (etc.) veggies, and starch all in one pan. Not to worry, though, the potatoes come in the form of frozen hash browns, which keeps preparation time short. You really can have dinner on the table fast. If you'd like to round out the meal, add a salad and perhaps some bread. Enjoy!
Ground Pork and Cole Slaw Skillet Dinner -- Serves 4+
1 pound of ground pork (approximately) -- I use 80 percent lean
14-ounce bag of cole slaw mix (with carrots is good)
1 large onion, chopped
3 - 4 cups of frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning (or 1/2 teaspoon each of dried sage and thyme)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
A little milk or sour cream (optional)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Heat a large skillet or chef's pan over medium heat until hot. Crumble in the ground pork and add the chopped onion. Saute the pork and onion for 8-10 minutes until the pork is cooked through and browned a bit. Spoon off the fat and discard it (in a container, not/not down the drain!). While the pork and onion are cooking, microwave the frozen hash browns in a microwave-safe container for about 5 minutes or until the potatoes are hot. Add the cole slaw mix, the potatoes, the poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper to the pan with the pork and onion. Stir everything well and saute the mixture for 3-5 minutes or until the cole slaw wilts into the pork and the potatoes are soft. Taste the mixture and add a little more salt, if you'd like. If you'd like a creamier mixture, add a little milk and/or sour cream (about 1/4 - 1/2 cup is plenty) and mix it in. Turn off the heat, sprinkle on the cheese, and cover the skillet for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Serve the meal from the skillet for minimal clean up.
