Cheesy Ranch Pork Chops Recipe

Pork chops, particularly thin, boneless ones, make a quick dinner since they take mere minutes to cook, but they can be a bit bland unless you season them just right. For recipe developer Kate Shungu, the secret lies in a packet of ranch dressing mix. She tells us, "If you like ranch dressing, you have to try these pork chops," as "the flavor of ranch is baked in." In addition to the ranch seasoning, each chop also gets a melty cheese topping, plus, as Shungu notes, "The addition of mayonnaise underneath the cheese adds the perfect amount of creaminess to the finished dish."

While boneless chops make for the shortest cooking time, Shungu does say that bone-in chops could be used as well — and these do have a certain advantage in that the fat helps keep the chops from drying out. In such a case, she suggests using 4 chops instead of 6.

You only need 5 ingredients to make this entrée. In addition to the chops, ranch dressing mix, mayonnaise, and shredded cheddar cheese, the only other requirement is some olive oil for cooking. If you like, grab some fresh parsley for garnish.

Pour the olive oil into a frying pan large enough to hold all of the chops, tilting the pan around so the oil coats the whole surface. Heat up the pan over a medium-high flame.

While you wait for the pan to get hot, sprinkle the ranch dressing mix over the chops. As you do so, make sure to turn them so each side is coated with seasoning.

Fry the pork chops for 3-4 minutes, then flip them over and cook for another 2 minutes. There's no need to whip out your trusty meat thermometer at this point, as they're not done cooking quite yet.

Keeping the pork in the pan, spread a teaspoon of mayonnaise on top of each chop. Once that's done, divide the shredded cheese evenly among the chops, patting it down into an even layer on top of the mayonnaise.

Put a lid on the pan and cook the chops for another minute until they reach 145 F internally on a meat thermometer. At this point, they can be removed from the pan. If you like, you can sprinkle the chops with about a tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley. This garnish, Shungu tells us, "adds color and a pop of freshness" that contrasts nicely with all that cheese. Any chops you don't eat can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.