Tonight’s Dinner: Pork chops with sugar-roasted peaches, fennel and cheddar grits recipe

Even though peach season is coming to a close, there’s still time to take this delicious summer fruit and make a savory autumn meal.

Peaches are those wonderful stone fruits that are delicious raw or baked in pies and tarts. And although fruits aren’t usually considered an important ingredient for dinner, they can add an awesome sweetness to an already wonderful entree. So when Fine Cooking suggested frying those peaches in sugar and then roasting them with some pork chops, I knew it would be amazing.

While it’s true that this meal is perfect for those warm summer months, simply adding some fennel and cheddar grits make it an ideal choice when those cold winds start to blow. So while grilling chops may be your first choice, roasting them in the oven is just as tasty and a lot nicer to your extremities than standing over an outside grill.

Pork chops with sugar-roasted peaches, fennel and cheddar grits

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup grits
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 stick butter, divided
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 4 pork chops
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
• 4 sugar-roasted peach halves, quartered

Directions:

Make the grits:

1. Bring the broth and milk to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Whisk in the grits and continue whisking until they boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until the mixture begins to thicken, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cheddar, Parmesan and four tablespoons of butter until melted and well combined, another five minutes.

Roast the chops:

1. Season the chops with the fennel, salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rosemary sprigs. Place the chops in the pan and cook until golden brown, about four minutes per side. Transfer the chops to a cutting board and let rest.
3. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel and toss to coat.
4. Return the chops to the skillet and nestle them and the peaches into the fennel. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until fully cooked about five minutes. Serve the chops immediately with the grits, fennel and peaches.

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Other peach recipes

Baked peach oatmeal
Curried peach and shrimp salad
Grilled chicken and peach kebabs