Pork Chops with Apples and Cranberries and a side of Baked Squash

We like pork chops and I have several ways that I fix them.  Jan's favorite way has a sweet side to it.  She loves sweet flavors with pork, so I came up with this method a few years ago and I have made it many times.  We usually have either squash or sweet potatoes with the pork. Tonight we went with the squash. 

To bake squash I use an old recipe from Paula Deen.  We have been using this recipe for some time, but I haven't found anything I like better and it is really simple. I have used it for both acorn and butternut squash, with the same results for both.  Tonight we happened to have a butternut squash on hand. Here is the squash recipe from Paula Deen:

Ingredients:

One winter squash, either butternut or acorn
2 TBSP butter, melted
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP maple syrup
Salt and pepper

Preparation:


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a jelly roll pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Cut the squash in half and clean out all the seeds. Lay squash on the lined pan cut side up and salt and pepper as desired. Combine the melted butter, brown sugar and maple syrup and stir well. Brush the cut side of the squash liberally with the mixture and pour any excess into the cavity of the squash. Bake until tender, approximately 1 hour.  

While the squash is baking, I start the preparation of the pork. I do this without a recipe, but since I am sharing it, I have estimated the quantities. Here is the recipe I came up with:

Ingredients:(Serves 2)


2 thick cut pork chops, either loin or bone in
2 eggs
2 TBSP milk
1 cup flour
salt and pepper
Panko Bread Crumbs
2 TBSP butter
1 TBSP olive oil
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thin sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsps cinnamon
1/4 cup Amaretto di Saronna
1/2 cup water

Preparation:

Crack the eggs into a flat dish and add the milk. Stir until well blended. Add the flour to another flat dish and add salt and pepper to the flour and mix well. Put Panko bread crumbs into another flat dish, using what you think it will take to coat the chops. First dredge the chops, one at a time in the egg mixture. Next dredge in the flour and coat both sides well. Put back into the egg mixture and finally dredge in the Panko until both sides of the chop are evenly coated with the Panko bread crumbs. Melt the butter and olive oil in an oven proof skillet with a lid. Brown the chops well on each side, about 4-5 minutes per side.  

While the chops are browning, mix the apple slices, cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, Amaretto and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is reduced by half.  

When the sauce is reduced add it to the skillet, putting some fruit on top of the chops and spreading the rest evenly around the meat.  
It should look like this:

Cover the skillet and put into the same 400 degree oven with the squash. Your squash should be about halfway through baking at this time. Leave the meat in the oven until the squash is done, about another 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.