Baked Pork Chops and Gravy

My baked pork chops and gravy dinner recipe is a hearty, budget-friendly, easy meal for two or a family of four.

Grab your pork chops, soup, cream cheese, milk, and seasonings, throw them into the oven, and bake for a little over an hour.

The pork chop dinner is one of the easiest meals you’ll ever create. This will quickly become one of your favorite oven-baked dinners. Plus, I’ll show you how to tell if the pork chops are done.

Tender Pork Chops

DISCLAIMER: This post is sponsored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association. As always, the opinions are honest and are all my own. 

I love this recipe because it really is one of the easiest that you’ll ever make, and it takes about ten minutes to mix everything, pour it on the pork chops, and get it into the oven.

In about an hour and fifteen minutes, you’ll have smothered pork chops that are crave-worthy. The creamy gravy is so rich in flavor, and the juicy pork chops are a wonderful dish.

If you love pork, try this easy Crock Pot sausage and peppers recipe.

And if you’re nervous about cooking pork, don’t be. I used to be a little nervous about cooking pork, and I would overcook them, making them taste dry and awful.

If you’ve got an inexpensive thermometer, you’ll know when dinner hits the right temperature.

I’ll also show you how to check to see if the baked pork chops are done if you don’t have a thermometer.

One of the great things about pork is that it’s loaded with protein. Just three ounces of pork has a whopping 24 grams of protein.

You can hear your muscles squealing with joy that they’re about to get stronger.

Pork.org says, “Adding a lean animal protein source such as pork to your meals not only helps you hit daily suggested levels, but also comes packed with the essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that your body needs.

“Pork is a complete protein, which means it comes packed with all essential amino acids, more so than plant-based proteins. When you add pork to your meals, you feel fuller longer, which in turn can help lower post-meal glucose and insulin levels and assist in weight loss.”

Raise your hand if you’d like to eat something that keeps you full longer (my hand is way up in the air).

Years ago, I worked for a company that built natural gas pipelines, and we worked all over the country. One of my first jobs landed me in Iowa.

We worked in three locations throughout the state, and I loved the wide-open fields, the rows and rows of corn, and all of the barns scattered across the state.

I knew I was right in the heart of America. Plus, I knew families were working hard on that land.

One of the interesting things that I’ve learned about Iowa that I didn’t know while working is that there are quite a few pig farms in the state because of all of the agriculture.

A lot of corn and soybeans that are grown throughout the state are fed to the pigs, so it becomes a beneficial cycle.

I love to support farmers by eating pork, as well. It means a lot to me when I know I’m helping families, mainly because it reminds me of my grandfather, who raised a few pigs on his farm out in west Tennessee.

Farming has come a long way, even since my childhood. We used to scrape the leftover food off of our plates into a bucket under the sink after each meal, and my grandfather carried it out to the pigs later that day. Now, pigs are fed differently, as mentioned above.

Farming includes the entire family, as well. Kids get involved in the farm and join Future Farmers of America (FFA) and learn new technologies, how to farm, and new farming techniques, and they can even earn scholarships for their future.

I really do get excited about it, and I’m sure you can tell! You can read more about family, community, and even animal care at Iowaselect.com.

Now that you have a good idea of how things are working on the farm, let’s get started on how to make the easy baked pork chops recipe.

Ingredients

• Bone-in pork chops (2-inches thick)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Milk
• Cream cheese (softened)
• Can of cream of celery soup

Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

How to Cook Pork Chops

Grab a medium-sized bowl and add the cream cheese. I usually leave my cream cheese on the counter for about an hour to soften it up. It just helps it mix easier.

If you forget, don’t worry about it. You can still mix it cold.

Next, pour the entire can of condensed cream of celery soup into the bowl.

Sprinkle the salt and pepper on top.

Finally, add the milk to the bowl.

Mix everything together in the bowl.

Grease a 13″ x 9″ casserole dish and place the pork chops in the dish. The pork chops I got for this dish were about 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the pork chops.

Bake the pork chops, uncovered, for half an hour at 350 degrees and then flip each one and bake another 45 minutes. The gravy will help keep them moist and tender.

How do I know the cut of pork is done cooking? 

About halfway through cooking the pork chops, I checked the temperature to see if they were reaching a safe internal temperature.

When I pulled the pork chops out of the oven, they were at 152 degrees. Pork chops are safe to eat at 145 degrees, so I know this piece is safe to eat.

TIP: If you use a thermometer, place it in the thickest part of the meat, and do not allow the thermometer to touch the bone, or you’ll get an incorrect reading.

What do I do if I don’t have a thermometer?

As you can see in the picture, the pork chops are safe to eat by the light pink hue. You can check out Pork.org’s cooking temperature graph here, and there’s a great picture on the site with the safe pink hues ranging from medium-rare to well-done.

Different cuts can have a different temperature range, so keep the graph handy.

I could have taken them out of the oven at this point. But, when baking in the oven, they tend to be more tender when you bake them longer at a lower temperature. So, I flipped them and cooked them for another 45 minutes.

In this particular recipe for baked pork chops, I wanted the gravy to thicken some more, and cooking longer does the trick.

TIP: Pork.org states that pork chops are safe and ready to eat at 145 degrees and will have some pink in them. If you like them well done, that is more around 160 degrees.

TIP: If you like your pork chops medium-rare, remove them from the heat at 145 degrees and let them sit for three minutes before eating.

Remove the baked pork chops and gravy from the oven and let them rest for three minutes.

Scoop them over to a plate, and pour some gravy right over the top of the golden brown chops.

These are the best pork chops, and they have so much flavor. It doesn’t get any easier than this recipe. And that brown gravy is perfect on mashed potatoes, rice, or veggies, too.

Sides to Eat with the Oven-Baked Pork Chops and Gravy

• Cheesy diced baked potatoes – potatoes are always a great side dish to pork recipes.
• Pepper Jack jalapeño poppers from Outgrilling are a great side for any pork dish.
• Funeral potatoes – the whole family loves these and craves them on a regular basis.
• Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn – this is another popular dish that is easy to make and goes great with fried pork chops, baked pork chops, or anything in between.
• Butter beans – these are always easy to make in the microwave or in a slow cooker.
• Broccoli cheese bake – this is a favorite way to get a green vegetable in the kids without them complaining!
• White rice – something simple and easy is always perfect.
• Potato salad – potato salad can be hot or cold and always delicious.

Storing the Pork Chops

If you have leftovers, you can store the pork chops in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Variations for Pork Chops and Gravy

• Make rich onion gravy with garlic powder, celery soup, cream cheese, and sauteed onions. The creamy onion gravy will taste great with any pork dish.
• Add some Italian seasoning to the gravy mixture for a different flavor.
• Sprinkle in some Worcestershire sauce for a kick of flavor and savory gravy.
• Eat some creamy mushroom gravy with mushroom soup. You can throw in some extra mushrooms, as well.

Baked Pork Chops and Gravy

Baked pork chops with gravy have become a family favorite, offering a complete meal that combines the yumminess of browned chops with the richness of easy gravy.

The homemade smothered pork chops recipe is pure comfort food.

With such simple ingredients, these pork chop recipes deliver tons of flavor, ensuring a delightful Sunday dinner experience every time.