Pork Archives - Noble Pig

Thai Dumpling Soup

Cathy Pollak — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 18:21:13 +0000

I make this Thai dumpling soup with frozen pork potstickers simmered in a coconut red curry broth with mushrooms. It’s ready in about 30 minutes, and I finish mine with chili crisp and fresh cilantro.

Thai Dumpling Soup with Red Curry and Coconut Milk

When I lived in Northern California for six years, there was a small Thai restaurant in town where I’d stop for soup. I went often enough that it became part of my routine. I knew I could stop, pick up soup to bring home, and have dinner taken care of without having to cook.

It was a busy time in my life, and there were days and nights when cooking wasn’t happening. Years later, I’m still thinking about that soup and how much I liked it. Eventually, I did start making something similar at home, and over time it has turned into this Thai dumpling soup.

This is my Thai-inspired take on it, with a few shortcuts that make it easy enough to cook whenever the craving for it hits. It’s not the soup from that restaurant, but it reminds me of the nights when dinner was already taken care of.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

Frozen pork potstickers are what make this an easy dinner to get on the table. I can make it for lunch or dinner without spending half the day in the kitchen. I add six potstickers to a bowl, and that’s dinner.
I cook the red curry paste with the onion, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil before adding any liquid. It gives the curry paste a chance to come alive in the pot and lets the ginger and garlic get involved before the coconut milk comes in and calms everything down.
I use full-fat coconut milk and chicken broth without thickening the soup because I want it to stay brothy enough for a spoon instead of turning it into a curry sauce with dumplings in it. The coconut milk makes it creamy on its own. I did include an optional cornstarch step for anyone who likes a thicker broth, because your bowl can have different needs than mine.
Eight ounces of mushrooms might seem like a lot for this soup, but it really isn’t. They add an earthy flavor and another texture, making the soup more hearty without adding another protein.
Fish sauce and lime juice go in after the soup comes off the heat. The fish sauce adds so much. Why are there so many haters of fish sauce?! It adds a savory, salty edge, while the lime helps balance the richness of the coconut milk and curry. I always taste the broth before adding more salt because the curry paste and fish sauce may have already done enough.
I keep the chili crisp out of the pot and let everyone add it to their own bowl. That way, the red oil and crispy parts stay visible, and anyone else eating can make their own spice decisions.

Ingredients

Avocado oil – Start with a little, then add another drizzle if the pot looks dry while the aromatics are cooking. Any neutral oil will work, but avocado oil is what I use.
Yellow onion – I slice it instead of dicing it so you still get soft pieces of onion in the finished soup.
Fresh ginger, garlic, and toasted sesame oil – Fresh ginger and garlic flavor the broth before the curry paste even gets involved, and even the small amount of sesame oil adds a nutty aroma I love.
Thai red curry paste – Different brands vary a lot in heat and saltiness, so start with less if you’re unsure. I use two tablespoons for a milder soup and add more when I want a stronger curry flavor.
Full-fat coconut milk and low-sodium chicken broth – Use canned, unsweetened full-fat coconut milk, not the refrigerated coconut beverage. It makes the broth creamy, while low-sodium chicken broth lets you control the salt once the curry paste and fish sauce are added.
White button mushrooms – They’re easy to find, affordable, and cook right in the curry broth. Shiitake mushrooms would also work if you want a stronger mushroom flavor.
Frozen pork potstickers – Buy a brand you like and check the package before you start. Some can simmer directly in the soup, while others need to be cooked separately. Gluten-free pork potstickers are fine too if that’s what you need.
Fish sauce and fresh lime juice – Fish sauce seasons the broth with a savory, salty depth, while lime keeps the coconut milk from tasting too rich. Taste before adding extra salt because fish sauce and curry paste are already doing enough.
Cornstarch and cold water (optional) – If you prefer a thicker coconut curry broth, whisk them together and stir the mixture in before adding the potstickers.
Chili crisp, green onions, cilantro, and dry-roasted peanuts – These are optional, but I always use chili crisp and cilantro. Green onions add freshness, peanuts add crunch, but chili crisp adds the extra spice I want.

How to Make Thai Dumpling Soup

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

Step One (soften the onions)
Heat the avocado oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the sliced onion. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring now and then, until it softens. You’re not trying to brown it, so there’s no need to turn up the heat.
Step Two (cook the aromatics and curry paste)
Add the ginger, garlic, toasted sesame oil, and red curry paste. If the pot looks dry, add another small drizzle of avocado oil. Stir for 2–3 minutes, until the curry paste smells really good and the garlic is fragrant. Keep it moving so the garlic doesn’t brown. If it starts getting too dark, turn the heat down.
Step Three (make the coconut curry broth)
Slowly pour in the coconut milk, stirring until the curry paste is mixed into it, then add the chicken broth and sliced mushrooms. Bring the soup to a gentle boil and cook for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender. The broth should look creamy and rich, but it’s still soup. If you want a thicker broth, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together, stir it into the soup, and let it cook for another 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
Step Four (cook the frozen potstickers)
Check the package before adding the frozen pork potstickers because not every brand is meant to be boiled. If yours can cook directly in the soup, add them and follow the package timing. Stir gently so the wrappers don’t tear as they soften. If boiling isn’t listed as an option, cook the potstickers separately and put them into the bowls before serving.
Step Five (finish with fish sauce and lime)
Take the pot off the heat and stir in the fish sauce and lime juice. Taste the broth before adding any salt because the curry paste and fish sauce have already done some seasoning. I sometimes add another squeeze of lime if the coconut milk needs more of a wake-up call.
Step Six (serve with your favorite toppings)
Divide the soup among four bowls, giving everyone six potstickers. I use chili crisp and fresh cilantro, but green onions and chopped peanuts are good too. Serve it while the dumplings are tender because they’ll keep absorbing broth the longer they sit.

Recipe Tips

Don’t let the garlic brown when you’re cooking the aromatics and curry paste. You want everything fragrant, not bitter. If the pot seems too hot, turn it down.
Curry pastes vary a lot, so start with 2 tablespoons if you don’t know how spicy yours is. Taste the broth after adding the coconut milk and chicken broth. If you want more curry flavor or heat, stir in a little more paste and give it a few minutes to cook before adding the potstickers.
Keep the broth at a gentle boil. Coconut milk can separate if it boils too hard for too long, and you don’t need to beat it up to cook the mushrooms. Follow the heat instructions on your potsticker package, or cook the dumplings separately if boiling isn’t recommended.
Read the potsticker package before you start. Some frozen dumplings can simmer directly in the soup, while others need a different cooking method. You don’t want to discover this after dumping an entire bag into the Dutch oven. Once they’re cooking, stir carefully because the wrappers can tear as they soften.
Serve the soup as soon as the dumplings are cooked. They keep absorbing broth while they sit, which means softer wrappers and less soup in the pot later.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. The potstickers will continue absorbing broth, so expect them to be softer the next day. They’ll still taste good, but you may need to add more broth when reheating.
To reheat, warm the soup gently over medium-low heat until the broth and dumpling filling are hot. Don’t stir it too much because the wrappers are more fragile after sitting in the refrigerator. Add a splash of chicken broth if the dumplings absorbed more liquid than you wanted them to.
If you’re making the soup ahead, prepare the coconut curry broth and mushrooms, then refrigerate the broth. Keep the uncooked potstickers frozen until you’re ready to serve. Warm the broth and cook the dumplings according to their package instructions so they don’t spend hours sitting in liquid.
I’d freeze the broth without the potstickers. Freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months, thaw it in the refrigerator, then reheat and add freshly cooked potstickers. Frozen dumpling wrappers can get soft and fragile after thawing in soup.

FAQs

Can I use chicken or vegetable dumplings instead of pork potstickers?
Yes. Use any frozen dumplings you like, as long as their package instructions work with the cooking method. Chicken, shrimp, or vegetable dumplings will change the flavor a little, but the coconut curry broth works with all of them.
Can I make Thai dumpling soup gluten-free?
Yes, if you use gluten-free potstickers and check the labels on your curry paste, chicken broth, fish sauce, and chili crisp. Fish sauce is often gluten-free, but it’s worth checking the brand you’re using. Check every packaged ingredient if you need to avoid gluten.
Can I use light coconut milk?
You can, but the broth will be less creamy and won’t have the same coconut richness. Full-fat coconut milk is what gives this soup the texture you see in the photos.
Can I make this soup vegetarian?
Yes. Use vegetable dumplings, vegetable broth, and a vegetarian fish sauce alternative. Check the curry paste too, since some brands include shrimp paste.
Should I add the dipping sauce packet that comes with the potstickers?
No. The broth is already seasoned with curry paste, fish sauce, and lime juice, and the dipping sauce can push it into overly salty territory. Save the packet for another recipe.
Can I thicken Thai dumpling soup?
If you prefer a thicker coconut curry broth, whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir the mixture into the gently boiling soup before adding the potstickers and cook for 2–3 minutes until thickened.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

I can tell the difference between being softened and being ruined.
I don’t expect the same instructions to work for every package.
Intensity and depth are not the same thing.
I notice when someone is absorbing everything around them instead of bringing anything of their own.
Some things absorb too much when they’re left unattended.
I know better than to add everything at once.
I don’t treat every tenderness like it comes with the same instructions.
I know when more time helps and when it only makes everything weaker than it should be.

Keep Thai Food on the Menu

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Noodle Soup – Coconut milk, ginger, chicken.
Thai Chicken Curry Soup with Coconut Milk – Red curry paste, rice noodles, shredded chicken.
Spicy Thai Shrimp Pasta – Shrimp, serrano peppers, lemongrass.
Open-Faced Thai Chicken Sandwiches – Rotisserie chicken, crisp vegetables, chili-garlic mayo.
Slow Cooker Thai Pork – Slow-cooked pork, Thai seasonings, rice.
Panang Curry Ramen with Crispy Chicken – Crispy chicken, coconut broth, Panang curry.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Thai Dumpling Soup

Thai Dumpling Soup is made with frozen pork potstickers cooked in a coconut red curry broth with mushrooms, ginger, and garlic. Finished with fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and optional chili crisp, it's a Thai-inspired dinner that takes about 35 minutes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Thai-Inspired

Keyword coconut curry dumpling soup, frozen pork potstickers, red curry dumpling soup, Thai coconut soup, Thai dumpling soup, Thai-inspired dumpling soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 580kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

Dutch Oven or heavy-bottomed pot 6-quart. Provides enough room for the broth and dumplings to cook without crowding.
wooden spoon For stirring the aromatics and curry broth.
Cutting board and knife. For preparing the vegetables and toppings.
measuring cups and spoons For measuring the broth ingredients and seasonings.

Ingredients

Soup:

1 tbsp (15 ml) avocado oil plus additional as needed
1 cup (150 g) sliced yellow onion
1 tbsp (6 g) minced fresh ginger
2 tbsps (17 g) minced garlic
½ tsp (2.5 ml) toasted sesame oil
2-4 tbsps (30-60 g) Thai red curry paste depending on desired heat level
1 can (14 oz / 400 ml) full-fat coconut milk unsweetened
4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
8 oz (227 g) white button mushrooms sliced
24 frozen pork potstickers
2 tsps (10 ml) fish sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice plus additional to taste
salt to taste

Optional Thickener:

2 tbsps (16 g) cornstarch
2 tbsps (30 ml) cold water

Optional Toppings:

Instructions

Heat the avocado oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
1 tbsp (15 ml) avocado oil, 1 cup (150 g) sliced yellow onion
Add the ginger, garlic, toasted sesame oil, and red curry paste, adding more avocado oil if the pot seems dry. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Reduce the heat if the garlic begins to brown.
1 tbsp (6 g) minced fresh ginger, 2 tbsps (17 g) minced garlic, ½ tsp (2.5 ml) toasted sesame oil, 2-4 tbsps (30-60 g) Thai red curry paste
Slowly stir in the coconut milk until the curry paste is incorporated, then add the chicken broth and sliced mushrooms. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender.
1 can (14 oz / 400 ml) full-fat coconut milk, 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, 8 oz (227 g) white button mushrooms
For a thicker coconut curry broth, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together until smooth. Stir the slurry into the gently boiling soup and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. This step is optional; the full-fat coconut milk already makes the broth creamy without it.
2 tbsps (16 g) cornstarch, 2 tbsps (30 ml) cold water
Add the frozen pork potstickers if the package includes boiling instructions. Cook according to the manufacturer's directions, stirring carefully to prevent sticking or tearing the wrappers. The dumplings should be tender and the pork filling fully cooked, reaching 165°F (74°C) if specified by the package. If boiling instructions aren't provided, prepare the potstickers separately according to the package directions and divide them among the serving bowls.
24 frozen pork potstickers
Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the fish sauce and lime juice. Taste and adjust with additional lime juice or salt as needed.
2 tsps (10 ml) fish sauce, 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice, salt
Divide the soup among four bowls, with six pork potstickers per serving. Garnish with chili crisp, green onions, cilantro, or chopped peanuts as desired. Serve immediately.
chili crisp, chopped green onions, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped dry-roasted unsalted peanuts

Notes

The cornstarch slurry is optional. I make this soup without it, but you can add it if you want a thicker coconut curry broth.
Thai red curry pastes vary in heat and concentration. Begin with 2 tablespoons if you're unsure about the brand you're using.
Use canned, unsweetened full-fat coconut milk for the creamy broth.
Frozen potstickers have different cooking requirements depending on the brand. Follow the package directions and cook separately if boiling isn't recommended.
For make-ahead preparation, refrigerate the coconut curry broth without the potstickers and cook the dumplings when ready to serve.
The dipping sauce packets included with frozen potstickers aren't needed for this soup.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary, and Noble Pig makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Have you made this Thai Dumpling Soup? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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The post Thai Dumpling Soup appeared first on Noble Pig.

Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast

Cathy Pollak — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:01:52 +0000

This slow cooker Mississippi pork roast is made with pork loin, ranch seasoning, onion soup mix, butter, and pepperoncini peppers. It takes about ten minutes to prep before spending the afternoon in the slow cooker, where it cooks until it’s tender enough to shred, with enough seasoned juices for mashed potatoes.

Mississippi Pork Roast with Pork Loin and Onion Soup Mix

Mississippi pot roast is usually made with beef, but I also like making mine with pork. I’ll use a boneless pork loin instead of pork shoulder, and dry onion soup mix instead of the usual au jus packet. The ranch seasoning, butter, and pepperoncini are still part of my recipe because without them, it wouldn’t taste like Mississippi roast.

I always sear the pork before it goes into the slow cooker because that’s the only chance it gets to brown before hanging out under a lid. Once it’s cooked enough, the pork is easy to shred and stir back into the seasoned juices. Lean pork needs the extra moisture, and there’s lots of flavor in there too.

I serve this pork roast over a mountain of my Instant Pot mashed potatoes with some of the softened pepperoncini peppers. If there are leftovers, they’re great for sandwiches, tacos, or another dinner later in the week.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

I use boneless pork loin for this Mississippi pork roast because it’s leaner than pork shoulder. That means I’m not dealing with a layer of rendered fat floating on top of the cooking juices. It does need the cooking juices because it doesn’t have all the fat of pork shoulder, but once it’s tender enough to shred, I stir it right back into them. That’s how I keep it from feeling dry.
A lot of Mississippi pot roast recipes use an au jus packet, but I like dry onion soup mix with the ranch seasoning. The onion flavor is good with the pork and the juices at the bottom of the slow cooker. Those juices are in no way an afterthought. They’re the reason I serve this pork roast over a mountain of mashed potatoes.
I always sear the pork before it goes into the slow cooker. Yeah, it adds another skillet to wash, but the slow cooker is never going to give you that browned exterior on its own. A few minutes in a hot skillet adds color to the pork and flavor before it goes incognito for the rest of the day.
The pepperoncini peppers are a standard part of Mississippi roast, but I use the brine too. The peppers soften while the pork cooks, and the vinegar in the juice keeps the butter and seasonings from tasting too rich. They add more acidity than heat, so this is in no way a spicy pork roast unless your personal definition of spicy is seeing a pepper.
There’s already enough salt in the ranch seasoning and onion soup mix, which is why I use unsalted butter. The butter melts into the cooking juices, and adding more salt isn’t necessary.
I cook this pork roast on LOW because the meat is easier to shred that way. Pork loin is lean, so I start checking it at six hours instead of assuming it’s ready. When I can pull the pork apart easily with two forks, I know it’s ready.

Ingredients

Boneless pork loin roast – Use pork loin, not pork tenderloin. Pork loin is a larger cut than pork tenderloin, and it can spend several hours in the slow cooker until it’s tender enough to shred. I like it because it’s leaner than pork shoulder, but it does need the cooking juices when it’s time to serve.
Ranch seasoning mix and dry onion soup mix – Use the dry packets, not ranch dressing or prepared onion soup. The ranch is the familiar Mississippi roast flavor, while the onion soup mix replaces the usual au jus packet and seasons the cooking liquid you spoon over mashed potatoes.
Unsalted butter – There’s already enough salt in both seasoning packets, so I use unsalted butter. It melts into the pork juice as it cooks without adding any more salt.
Whole pepperoncini peppers and pepperoncini juice – Use the peppers and some of the brine from the jar. The peppers soften while the pork cooks, and the juice adds vinegar flavor to the butter and savory seasonings. I don’t think pepperoncini are spicy, so nobody needs to start a family meeting about whether they are or not.
Olive oil – You only need a small amount for searing the pork before it goes into the slow cooker. It’s a small extra step, but the browned exterior is worth it.

How to Make Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

Step One (sear the pork)
Pat the pork loin dry with paper towels, then heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the pork on all sides, turning it as each side gets good color. Don’t rush through this part. The slow cooker will make the pork tender, but it’s not going to give you this browned exterior later.
Step Two (move the pork to the slow cooker)
Transfer the browned pork to a 6-quart slow cooker and pour the pepperoncini juice around it. Don’t add water or broth. The pork releases liquid as it cooks, and between that, the pepperoncini juice, and the melted butter, there’s enough liquid in the slow cooker.
Step Three (add the seasonings and peppers)
Sprinkle the ranch seasoning and dry onion soup mix over the pork. Arrange the butter slices and whole pepperoncini peppers over the top. Then leave it alone. The butter will melt, the seasonings will mix into the liquid as the pork cooks, and there’s nothing you need to stir around right now.
Step Four (cook the pork on low)
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Start checking the pork closer to the six-hour mark. The pork is ready when you can pull it apart easily with two forks. Pork loin doesn’t have the fat of pork shoulder, so don’t let a certain amount of time make you cook it longer than it needs to be.
Step Five (shred and serve)
Once the pork is tender, shred it with two forks, then return it to the slow cooker and stir it into the seasoned juices. Give it a few minutes to sit in there before serving so the shredded pork can take some of the liquid back in. Serve the shredded pork over mashed potatoes with the softened pepperoncini peppers and some of the cooking liquid poured over the top.

Recipe Tips

If the pork is still resisting the forks when you check it, put the lid back on and give it another 30 minutes before trying again. Pork loin can look finished before it’s tender enough to shred. It needs more time, not a hostile pulling apart ritual.
Don’t throw away the cooking juices after you shred the pork. I keep some of them mixed into the meat, even for leftovers, because pork loin is lean and it makes all the difference when you reheat it.
If the cooking liquid tastes saltier than you want, don’t reduce it on the stove. Reducing it only concentrates the salt from the ranch and onion soup mix. Add a small splash of unsalted broth or water, stir, and taste again.
A 6-quart slow cooker is the size I use. The pork should fit comfortably inside with room for the seasonings and peppers, not be wedged into a slow cooker that’s too small.

Storage, Freezing and Reheating

Store leftover Mississippi pork roast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Include some of the cooking liquid with the shredded pork so it doesn’t dry out around the edges.
For longer storage, freeze the cooled pork in freezer-safe containers or bags with some of the cooking liquid for up to 3 months. I like portioning it before freezing so I can thaw only what I need.
Thaw frozen pork overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat it in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a little of the reserved liquid. Add a splash of broth or water if it needs more moisture, then heat it only until it’s hot all the way through. Pork loin doesn’t need an extended reheating program.
You can also microwave individual portions, covered, in short intervals with a spoonful of cooking juices over the top.

FAQs

Can I use pork shoulder instead of pork loin?
Yes. Pork shoulder or pork butt will work, and it has more fat than pork loin. It may need more cooking time, and I’d skim off any excess fat from the liquid before serving.
Can I make Mississippi pork roast without pepperoncini peppers?
You can leave out the whole peppers if you don’t want to serve them, but I would still use the pepperoncini juice if possible. It adds the tang that keeps the butter and seasoning mixes from becoming too rich.
Can I cook Mississippi pork roast on HIGH?
You can, but I don’t recommend it for pork loin. I get better results cooking it on LOW and checking for tenderness closer to the six-hour mark.
Do I need to add water or broth to the slow cooker?
No. The pepperoncini juice, melted butter, and pork’s own juices make enough liquid for this recipe. Adding broth at the beginning would dilute the seasonings when there’s already enough liquid to cook the pork.
What can I make with leftover Mississippi pork roast?
The leftovers are good in sandwiches, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or another bowl of mashed potatoes because I am never done with that. If you’re using it as a filling, drain off some of the liquid first so you don’t end up with a wet sandwich.
What other side dishes go with Mississippi pork roast?
Mashed potatoes are my favorite, but I also like serving Mississippi pork roast with my pineapple casserole, pimento macaroni and cheese, or carrot souffle.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

I know when something needs more time, not more pulling.
I’ve learned not to throw away what keeps something from drying out.
I never need to add more to know there’s enough.
Some things are better once they’ve been returned to where they belong.
I’m very good at knowing when something is ready to come apart.
I don’t confuse resistance with strength.

Keep the Slow Cooker Busy with Pork

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Chile Verde – Pork, green chiles, garlic, spices.
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup – Ham, beans, savory broth.
Slow Cooker Cranberry-Pineapple Pork – Pork, cranberries, pineapple.
Slow Cooker Honey-Soy Pulled Pork – Pulled pork, honey, soy sauce.
Slow Cooker Kalua Pork – Hawaiian-style pork, three ingredients, chive-lime rice.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast

This slow cooker Mississippi pork roast uses boneless pork loin, ranch seasoning, onion soup mix, butter, and pepperoncini peppers. The pork is seared before slow cooking until tender enough to shred, then mixed with the seasoned cooking juices for serving over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword crockpot pork roast recipe, Mississippi Pork Roast, Mississippi roast with pork, pork roast in crock pot, Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast, slow cooker pork roast

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 6

Total Time 6 10

Servings people

Calories 383kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

large skillet For browning the pork before it goes into the slow cooker.
slow cooker 6-quart (5.7 L). For cooking the pork roast on low until tender.
meat shredders or two forks. To shred the pork after slow cooking.

Ingredients

3 lbs (1.36 kgs) boneless pork loin roast
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil or avocado oil
¼ cup (60 ml) pepperoncini pepper juice from the jar
1 packet (28 g) dry ranch dressing mix
1 packet (28 g) onion soup mix
6 tbsps (85 g) unsalted butter sliced
8 whole pepperoncini peppers

Instructions

Pat the pork loin roast dry with paper towels. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and sear on all sides until browned, turning as needed.
3 lbs (1.36 kgs) boneless pork loin roast, 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
Transfer the browned pork roast to a 6-quart (5.7 L) slow cooker. Pour the pepperoncini juice into the slow cooker around the meat.
¼ cup (60 ml) pepperoncini pepper juice
Sprinkle the dry ranch seasoning mix and onion soup mix evenly over the pork. Arrange the sliced butter and whole pepperoncini peppers on top.
1 packet (28 g) dry ranch dressing mix, 1 packet (28 g) onion soup mix, 6 tbsps (85 g) unsalted butter, 8 whole pepperoncini peppers
Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours, or until the pork is tender enough to pull apart easily with two forks. Begin checking for tenderness near the earlier end of the cooking range, since pork loin is lean and can dry out if overcooked.
Shred the pork using two forks, then return it to the cooking juices in the slow cooker. Stir to coat the meat and serve warm with the pepperoncini peppers and some of the seasoned juices.

Notes

Cooking time can vary depending on the starting temperature, size, and shape of the pork roast, as well as the slow cooker. A roast going into the cooker straight from the refrigerator may take longer than one that has warmed slightly during preparation. Cook until the pork shreds easily rather than relying entirely on the clock.
Pork loin and pork tenderloin are different cuts and should not be used interchangeably in this recipe.
The seasoning packets already contain salt, so unsalted butter is recommended.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary, and Noble Pig makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Have you made this Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast appeared first on Noble Pig.

Carne Adovada

Cathy Pollak — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 16:48:07 +0000

I make my carne adovada with pork shoulder and a red chile sauce made from guajillo, ancho, and chipotle chiles. The pork gets fork-tender, and the sauce cooks down dark and concentrated enough that you’re going to want warm tortillas nearby.

Carne Adovada with Pork Shoulder, Guajillo, Ancho and Chipotle Chiles

If you’ve never had carne adovada, it’s a New Mexican dish of pork cooked in red chile sauce. Traditional versions are made with New Mexico red chiles, and that’s how they should be made. But I like changing things and I kept wanting a different chile flavor for mine, and that’s true of lots of other things I cook.

After messing with it for a while, I ended up on a trio of guajillo, ancho, and chipotle chiles. They’re so good together. The guajillos are where the red color comes from, the anchos, believe it or not, add sweetness in their own way, and the chipotles come in with smoke and heat without owning the room.

I like lots of sauce with this carne adovada, and I want the pork tender enough to pull apart with a fork without turning into shredded meat. I keep the pieces big enough that I’m still eating chunks of pork, and by the time they’re ready, the sauce is darker, thicker, and very much worth the tortillas I’m going to eat with it.

I’ll put the Dutch oven on the table with warm tortillas, chopped onion, and lime wedges, and that’s dinner. The leftovers are even better because the pork and sauce can go straight into breakfast burritos, tacos, quesadillas, or next to eggs and potatoes. This is a recipe I never mind having extra of.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

Figuring out which chile combo I liked best took some time. I like guajillo, ancho, and chipotle chiles together in this sauce more than any other combination I tried. New Mexico red chiles are traditional for carne adovada, but I like the color, sweetness and spice I get from these three together.
Traditional carne adovada often starts with pork that has marinated in red chile sauce, sometimes overnight. I wanted to see if I could skip that without sacrificing the chile flavor. I make the sauce fresh and let the pork braise directly in it until the pieces are tender and the sauce has cooked down around them. By the time it comes out of the oven, I don’t miss the overnight head start.
Only half of the pork gets browned, which saves me from searing three pounds of it in batches. Three pounds of pork shoulder means a lot of batches if you try to sear every piece, and eventually the pot gets crowded enough that the pork starts steaming instead of browning anyway. Browning half leaves enough behind on the bottom of the Dutch oven for the sauce, and the rest of the pork gets all the time it needs in the chile braise.
I soak the dried chiles to soften them, then toss the soaking water. It can pick up a bitterness and dustiness from the chiles, even after rinsing them. I use chicken broth for the sauce instead of putting the soaking water back in.
Straining the chile sauce after blending is an extra step I don’t skip. Guajillo skins can stay noticeable no matter how long you run the blender, and I like this sauce completely smooth. It takes an extra minute, but it gives me the completely smooth sauce I want.
The vinegar goes in at two different times for a reason. One tablespoon gets blended into the sauce before the pork goes in the oven, then I stir in the second one after the braise is finished. The first cooks with the sauce, while the tablespoon at the end adds acidity after two hours in the oven.

Ingredients

Dried guajillo chiles – Look for chiles that still feel flexible instead of dry enough to crack apart in the bag. They account for the red color in the sauce and most of the dried-chile flavor.
Dried ancho chiles – These are darker and slightly sweeter than guajillos, which is why I use both instead of making the sauce from only one kind of chile.
Pork shoulder – This cut is made for a long braise. It has enough fat and connective tissue to turn tender without drying out, and I cut it into 1½-inch pieces so it stays in chunks instead of becoming shredded pork. Boneless country-style ribs from the shoulder could also be used.
Kosher salt and black pepper – Season the pork before it goes into the pot so the meat itself is seasoned, not only the sauce around it.
Avocado oil – I use this for browning because it has a neutral flavor and handles the heat well. Any neutral high-heat oil will do the same thing.
Yellow onion and garlic – These cook in the Dutch oven after the pork and become part of the blended chile sauce, along with what’s left behind from browning the pork.
Chipotle peppers in adobo – Use three peppers from the can, not three tablespoons of adobo sauce and definitely not three cans. They bring smoke and heat to the sauce. Use two for less heat, or four if you want it hotter.
Low-sodium chicken broth – This adds liquid to help braise the pork and lets you stay in control of the salt as everything cooks down.
White vinegar – It goes into the sauce before braising and again at the end, so the finished carne adovada has some acidity left after all that oven time.
Light brown sugar – One tablespoon is enough to soften any bitterness from the dried chiles without making the pork or sauce taste sweet. If you’re out, make a batch of my homemade brown sugar.
Dried oregano, ground cumin, and ground cloves – These season the chile sauce without any one of them taking over. The cloves are only a quarter teaspoon. It’s not going to taste like Christmas dinner.
Bay leaves – They simmer with the pork and sauce, then come out before serving.

How to Make Carne Adovada

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

Step One (soak the chiles)
Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo and ancho chiles, then give them a good rinse under cool water to get rid of any dust. Cover them with hot water and set a small plate on top so they stay submerged. Let them soften for 20 to 25 minutes, then drain them and throw out the soaking water. I don’t use it in the sauce.
Step Two (brown some of the pork)
Pat the pork shoulder dry and season all of it with the salt and pepper. Heat half of the avocado oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then brown half of the pork in a single layer for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Once it’s browned on several sides, move it to a plate. The other half stays uncooked. It might look like I forgot about it, but I didn’t. I only need enough browned pork to leave some fond on the bottom of the pot for the sauce.
Step Three (make the red chile sauce)
Turn the heat down to medium, add the remaining avocado oil, and cook the onion until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds. Pour in ½ cup of the chicken broth and scrape up everything left from browning the pork. Transfer that to a blender with the softened chiles, chipotle peppers, remaining chicken broth, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, and cloves. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes, until you’re not seeing large pieces of chile skin.
Step Four (strain the sauce)
Pour the chile sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and press it through with a spoon or flexible spatula. I take the time to do this because guajillo skins can survive a surprisingly long trip through a blender. Once you’ve pressed through as much sauce as you can, throw away what’s left in the strainer.
Step Five (braise the pork)
Pour the strained chile sauce back into the Dutch oven and bring it to a simmer, stirring often. Add the browned pork, the uncooked pork, and any juices on the plate, then add the bay leaves. Stir so the pork is coated, bring the sauce back to a simmer, cover the pot, and transfer it to a 325°F oven. Let it braise for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring after about an hour.
Step Six (check the pork and finish the sauce)
Start checking the pork at 1½ hours. I want a fork to slide into it easily and the pieces to pull apart with light pressure without completely falling apart. If the pork is still putting up a fight, cover the pot again and give it another 15 minutes before checking. Once it is ready, remove the bay leaves and stir in the remaining tablespoon of vinegar. Taste the sauce for salt before serving.

Recipe Tips

Even though you’re only browning half the pork, don’t crowd it into the pot. Give the pieces enough room in a single layer so they can brown instead of sitting in the liquid they release. You want color on the pork, not gray pork having a sauna.
Don’t start adjusting the salt or vinegar while the pork is still braising. The sauce reduces and concentrates in the oven, so something that seems like it needs help after 30 minutes can be completely different by the time the pork is tender. Wait until the end, add the last tablespoon of vinegar, then taste it.

Storage, Freezing and Reheating

Keep leftover carne adovada in an airtight container with all of its sauce in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It’s very good after a night in the fridge, once the pork has spent even more time in the sauce.
When it’s cold, you may see a layer of pork fat firm up on top. You can remove some of it before reheating if you want, but there’s no need to perform surgery on the container.
Reheat the pork gently in its sauce in a covered pan over low heat, stirring now and then, until it’s hot. You can also reheat it in a covered baking dish in a 325°F oven. If the sauce has thickened more than you like in the refrigerator, add a small splash of chicken broth to loosen it.
Freeze the pork and sauce together in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it gently with the sauce.

FAQs

Is carne adovada spicy?
It does have spice from three chipotle peppers in adobo, but it’s not heat for the sake of making everybody miserable. But spice is very subjective, so you have to know where you are with that. The guajillo and ancho chiles aren’t very hot, and the amount of heat can vary from one can of chipotles to another.
Can I make it less spicy?
Yes. Use two chipotle peppers instead of three for a milder carne adovada. I wouldn’t leave them out completely because they also bring smoke to the sauce, but you are allowed to make dinner according to your own life.
Can I use New Mexico red chiles instead of guajillo and ancho chiles?
You can, but it will be a different sauce from this one. New Mexico red chiles are traditional in carne adovada, while I made this recipe around the flavor of guajillo and ancho chiles with chipotle added in. I haven’t tested an exact substitution, so I wouldn’t substitute them blindly and promise the same result.
Can I make carne adovada ahead of time?
Yes. Make it a day ahead, cool it, and refrigerate it in the sauce. Reheat it when you’re ready to eat.
What should I serve with carne adovada?
Warm flour or homemade corn tortillas are my first choice, with chopped onion, lime wedges, and cilantro if you have it. It’s also good with rice and beans, or you can add it to eggs the next morning.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

I don’t need every part of something to go through the same thing to end up in the same place.
I know when I’ve taken enough from something.
I’m aware of the difference between tenderness and falling apart.
I can leave something alone until it stops resisting me.
I don’t have to use everything I have at the beginning.
I don’t need to take every rough edge with me.
I know better than to decide what something needs before it’s finished.

I’d Stay for This Kind of Dinner

Instant Pot Barbacoa – Beef, chipotle, cumin, oregano.
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken – Chicken, chipotle, tomato, lime.
Chile Colorado Beef – Beef, red chile sauce, slow cooker.
Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers – Poblanos, chorizo, corn, three cheeses.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Chile Verde – Pork, green chiles, garlic, spices.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Carne Adovada

This carne adovada is made with tender pork shoulder braised in a smooth red chile sauce made from guajillo, ancho and chipotle chiles.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, New Mexican-Inspired

Keyword braised pork, carne adovada, carne adovada recipe, pork shoulder, pork shoulder braise, red chile sauce

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2 15

Total Time 2 45

Servings

Calories 675kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

Dutch Oven A 6 to 7-quart (5.7 to 6.6-liter) Dutch oven gives the pork enough room for browning and braising.
Blender Used to purée the softened dried chiles, aromatics, broth and seasonings into the red chile sauce.
large fine mesh sieve Removes pieces of chile skin that remain after blending.
mixing bowls Large enough to soak the dried chiles while keeping them submerged.
wooden spoon Useful for scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven.

Ingredients

8 dried (56 g) guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
4 dried (48 g) ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
4 cups (960 ml) hot water
3 pounds (1.36 kg) boneless pork shoulder cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces
2 tsps (6 g) kosher salt
1 tsp (2 g) ground black pepper
2 tbsps (30 ml) avocado oil divided
½ large yellow onion chopped
6 large cloves garlic smashed
2½ cups (600 ml) low-sodium chicken broth divided
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tbsps (30 ml) white vinegar divided
1 tbsp (13 g) packed light brown sugar
2 tsps (2 g) dried oregano leaves
2 tsps (4 g) ground cumin
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cloves
2 bay leaves

Instructions

Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo and ancho chiles. Rinse the chiles under cool running water, rubbing the surfaces to remove any dust.
8 dried (56 g) guajillo chiles, 4 dried (48 g) ancho chiles
Place the chiles in a heatproof bowl and cover with the hot water. Set a small plate over the chiles to keep them submerged. Soak for 20 to 25 minutes, or until soft and flexible. Drain well and discard the soaking water.
4 cups (960 ml) hot water
Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and season evenly with the salt and black pepper. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
3 pounds (1.36 kg) boneless pork shoulder, 2 tsps (6 g) kosher salt, 1 tsp (2 g) ground black pepper
Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the avocado oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the pork in a single layer and brown for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until browned on several sides. Transfer the browned pork to a plate. Leave the remaining seasoned pork uncooked. Browning half of the pork creates enough fond for the red chile sauce without having to sear all 3 pounds (1.36 kg) in batches.
2 tbsps (30 ml) avocado oil
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) avocado oil. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
½ large yellow onion, 6 large cloves garlic
Pour ½ cup (120 ml) of the chicken broth into the Dutch oven and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Transfer the onion, garlic, broth and browned bits to a blender.
2½ cups (600 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
Add the softened guajillo and ancho chiles, chipotle peppers, remaining 2 cups (480 ml) chicken broth, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vinegar, brown sugar, oregano, cumin and cloves. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the red chile sauce is smooth and no large pieces of chile skin remain.
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 2 tbsps (30 ml) white vinegar, 1 tbsp (13 g) packed light brown sugar, 2 tsps (2 g) dried oregano leaves, 2 tsps (4 g) ground cumin, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cloves
Pour the chile sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing it through with a spoon or flexible spatula. Discard the solids remaining in the strainer.
Return the Dutch oven to medium heat. Pour in the strained chile sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
Add the browned pork, uncooked pork and any accumulated juices to the Dutch oven. Add the bay leaves and stir to coat the pork in the sauce. Return to a gentle simmer.
2 bay leaves
Cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Braise for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring once after about 1 hour. Begin checking the pork at 1½ hours. The carne adovada is ready when a fork slides easily into the pork and the pieces pull apart with light pressure without completely falling apart.
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vinegar. Taste and adjust the salt, if needed, before serving.

Notes

Use 2 chipotle peppers for less heat or 4 for a hotter, smokier sauce.
If the pork is still tough after 1½ hours, cover and continue braising in 15-minute intervals until fork-tender.
Refrigerate leftovers with the sauce for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary, and Noble Pig makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Have you made this Carne Adovada? I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

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The post Carne Adovada appeared first on Noble Pig.

Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Cathy Pollak — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 15:46:52 +0000

Grilled sausage stuffed portobello mushrooms turn the big meaty mushroom caps into a full dinner with sweet Italian sausage, mozzarella and Parmesan cooked right on the grill. The mozzarella goes into the cap first, the sausage cooks over it, and everything comes off hot, savory and far removed from the usual vegetarian portobello meal.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Portobellos with Mozzarella and Parmesan

I’ve always loved big portobello mushrooms, but they come with this funny association that they’re somehow the vegetarian answer to dinner. Grill one, put it on a bun, call it a burger, and I’m supposed to feel satisfied. I’m not that girl. I’m way too much of a carnivore.

Instead, I took the giant mushroom everyone wants to use in place of meat and stuffed it with as much pork as I practically could.

And that’s when portobello mushrooms really became something I looked forward to.

The mozzarella melts underneath the sausage while it cooks, I added Parmesan to the filling and over the top, and by the time I take it off the grill, there’s absolutely nothing vegetarian about it.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

I use four large portobello mushrooms because I want each one to hold a decent amount of sausage and feel like dinner, not like the kind of pork stuffed mushrooms you pass around before dinner. I scrape out the gills to make more room, but keep the stems, chop them and cook them with the onion and garlic so they come back into the filling instead of getting tossed.
The sweet Italian sausage goes into the mushrooms uncooked. I wanted it to cook right in the cap instead of browning it separately and then stuffing everything back together afterward. The cooked mushroom, onion and garlic mixture gets cooled first and then mixed into the sausage with Parmesan and the seasonings.
The mozzarella goes into the mushroom before the sausage, where it melts between the cap and the filling as everything cooks. Parmesan goes into the pork mixture and I add more over the top where it can pick up color on the grill. Parmesan is good at that.
I cook the mushrooms directly on a greased grill grate at 350°F instead of putting them into a pan or wrapping them in foil. The portobellos soften and shrink while the sausage cooks, and I take them off when the center of the sausage filling reaches 160°F. The color on top is nice, but the thermometer is what tells me dinner is done.

Ingredients

Large portobello mushrooms – Use four large caps because these need enough room for a substantial amount of sausage filling. Choose mushrooms that are similar in size so they cook at about the same rate, and keep the stems because they get chopped and added back into the filling.
Vegetable or avocado oil – Either works well for cooking the onion, mushroom stems and garlic before they go into the sausage mixture.
Yellow onion – I use finely chopped yellow onion because it softens nicely in the skillet and gives the filling a sweeter flavor once it cooks with the mushroom stems.
Garlic – Fresh minced garlic goes into the skillet near the end so it has time to cook without burning.
Sweet Italian sausage – Use bulk sweet Italian sausage, or remove the meat from the casings if you buy links. The sausage goes into the mushrooms uncooked, so there is no need to brown it first.
Low-fat mozzarella cheese – I use block mozzarella cut into slices. The slices go into the mushroom caps before the sausage, where they melt as everything cooks. I would stay with a low-moisture block mozzarella instead of fresh mozzarella.
Parmesan cheese – Grated Parmesan gets divided between the sausage mixture and the top of the mushrooms. Some of it seasons the filling while the rest gets direct exposure to the heat and takes on more color.
Black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper and sea salt – These season the sausage mixture without taking it too far away from the Italian sausage flavor. The cayenne addition is small but useful. It adds warmth without making the mushrooms spicy.

How to Make Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

Step One (prep the mushrooms)
Preheat the grill or smoker to 350°F and grease the grates well. Carefully remove the stems from the portobellos and save them, then scrape out the dark gills with a spoon so you have more room for the filling. Trim off any tough parts from the stems and chop the rest pretty finely because they’re going right back into the recipe.
Step Two (cook the vegetables)
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onion for 3 to 5 minutes, until it has softened. Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic and give them another minute or two, stirring so the garlic doesn’t get away from you. Take the skillet off the heat and let that mixture cool before you add it to the raw sausage.
Step Three (make the sausage filling)
Add the sweet Italian sausage, ¼ cup Parmesan, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne, salt and the cooled onion, mushroom and garlic mixture to a large bowl. Mix it until everything is evenly distributed, then stop. There’s no prize for overhandling sausage.
Step Four (fill the portobellos)
Lay 3 to 4 slices of mozzarella inside each mushroom cap, then divide the sausage mixture between the four mushrooms and press it into place. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup Parmesan over the top. This is where the cheese gets very good, because the mozzarella melts underneath the sausage while the Parmesan gets direct heat from above.
Step Five (grill the stuffed mushrooms)
Set the stuffed portobellos directly on the grill grates, close the lid and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. You want the mushrooms tender and the sausage at 160°F in the center. Keep the thermometer in the pork instead of pushing it all the way through into the mushroom, or you’ll get a number that tells you nothing useful.

Recipe Tips

Look for portobellos with firm, intact caps. A split mushroom can become a much bigger problem once you put a quarter pound of sausage in it.
Scrape out the gills with a spoon, but don’t get aggressive with the mushroom itself. Portobello caps are sturdy until suddenly they aren’t, and you need the bottom intact to hold all that sausage and cheese.
Grease the grill grates well. Portobellos like to hold onto things when given the opportunity.
Don’t use the browned Parmesan or sausage on top as your doneness test. The center of the sausage filling still needs to reach 160°F, so this is a dinner where I use my instant-read thermometer every time.
If the mushrooms are giving off some liquid as they cook, that’s normal. They’re mushrooms and have feelings about moisture.
You’ll have half an onion left, which I usually dice up for eggs the next morning. If you bought an 8-ounce block of mozzarella, you’ll also have four ounces of that left, and conveniently, both my gooey pizza dip and mac and cheese pizza use exactly that amount.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover stuffed portobellos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For reheating, I like the oven or air fryer because the browned top fares much better than it does in the microwave. Heat them at 350°F until warmed through.
The microwave works if speed is the priority, but the mushroom will soften more and the top will lose some of the grilled texture.
I wouldn’t freeze these. The sausage would survive it, but the portobello has nothing to gain from the experience.

FAQs

Can I use hot Italian sausage instead of sweet?
Yes. If you like more heat, hot Italian sausage is fine. I would keep the rest of the seasonings the same the first time instead of automatically adding more cayenne.
Can I make these ahead of time?
You can prep the mushrooms and cook the onion, garlic and chopped stems ahead of time. Once everything is cool, keep the components refrigerated and assemble closer to grilling. I prefer to keep the raw sausage mixture and mushrooms separate until closer to the time they’re going on the grill.
Can I cook these in the oven instead of on the grill?
Yes. Set them on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350°F until the sausage reaches 160°F in the center and the mushrooms are tender. You won’t get the same grilled flavor or browning, but the basic method still works.
Do I have to remove the portobello gills?
You don’t have to because the gills are edible, but I remove them for this recipe. These mushrooms hold a lot of sausage, and scraping out the gills gives me more room for the filling.
Can I use fresh mozzarella?
I wouldn’t. Fresh mozzarella has more moisture, and these mushrooms already release liquid as they cook. Low-moisture block mozzarella gives you the melt without adding more water.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small obsverations from the margins.

Sometimes making room for something means taking out what was always there.
There are things that can hold much more than they look capable of holding.
What gets removed is not always what gets discarded.
I like when something comes back into the recipe in a different form.
You can spend years thinking you understand what something is for, and then one small change makes the old explanation look ridiculous.
I’m increasingly suspicious of anything that requires one thing to do all the accommodating.
There are combos that make perfect sense once something finally stops pretending otherwise.
Sometimes the thing that changes everything was sitting there the whole time, waiting for someone to use it properly.
There are things I wouldn’t have chosen years ago that make complete sense to me now.

Mushrooms Have a Life of Their Own

Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms – Shrimp, cream cheese, Parmesan panko.
Portobello Mushroom Gyros – Portobellos, creamy tzatziki, feta, crisp vegetables.
Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops – Boneless pork chops, fresh sage cream sauce, lots of mushrooms.
Italian Stuffed Mushrooms – Italian seasoning, cheese, bite-sized mushrooms.
Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine – Buttery mushrooms, garlic, Parmesan.
Pork Marsala – Thin pork chops, mushrooms, Marsala sauce.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms are filled with sweet Italian sausage, sautéed mushroom stems, onion and garlic, with mozzarella underneath and Parmesan throughout. They cook directly on the grill until the portobellos are tender, the sausage is cooked through and the cheese has melted.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword grilled sausage stuffed portobello mushrooms, grilled stuffed portobello mushrooms, Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms, sausage stuffed portobello mushrooms

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 554kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

grill or smoker. For maintaining a steady 350°F (177°C) cooking temperature.
large skillet For cooking the onion, mushroom stems and garlic.
mixing bowls (large). For mixing the sausage filling.
instant-read thermometer For checking the center of the sausage filling for doneness.

Ingredients

4 large portobello mushrooms stems removed and reserved
1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil or avocado oil
½ medium yellow onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 lb (454 g) ground sweet Italian sausage
¾ cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese divided
¼ tsp (0.6 g) ground black pepper
¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
4 oz (113 g) part-skim mozzarella cheese (block) sliced

Instructions

Preheat the grill or smoker to 350°F (177°C). Clean and grease the grill grates well.
Remove the stems from the portobello mushrooms and reserve them. Using a spoon, scrape out the dark gills from the underside of each mushroom cap to create more room for the filling.
4 large portobello mushrooms
Trim and discard any tough, woody ends from the reserved mushroom stems, then finely chop the remaining stems.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer, stirring frequently to prevent the garlic from burning. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.
1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil, ½ medium yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic
Add the Italian sausage, ¼ cup (60 ml) Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne, salt and cooled onion, mushroom and garlic mixture to a large bowl. Mix until evenly incorporated without overmixing the sausage.
1 lb (454 g) ground sweet Italian sausage, ¾ cup (75 g) grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ tsp (0.6 g) ground black pepper, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper, ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
Arrange 3 to 4 slices of mozzarella in the cavity of each portobello mushroom.
4 oz (113 g) part-skim mozzarella cheese (block)
Divide the sausage mixture evenly among the 4 mushroom caps, pressing the filling securely into each cavity.
Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) Parmesan cheese evenly over the sausage filling.
Place the stuffed portobello mushrooms directly on the prepared grill grates. Close the grill and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the sausage filling registers 160°F (71°C) and the mushrooms are tender.

Notes

Choose large portobello mushrooms that are similar in size for even cooking.
Scraping out the gills makes more room for the sausage and cheese.
Let the onion and mushroom mixture cool before mixing it with the sausage.
Grill with the lid closed and check the sausage in the center with an instant-read thermometer. It should reach 160°F (71°C).
Cooking time can vary depending on the size of the portobellos and thickness of the sausage filling.

If you’re making these Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Have you made these Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Grilled Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms appeared first on Noble Pig.

Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops

Cathy Pollak — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:01:52 +0000

I make my creamy mushroom pork chops with seared boneless pork chops, a fresh sage cream sauce and a full pound of mushrooms roasted separately until browned. The mushrooms go on at the end instead of simmering in the sauce, so they keep the roasted flavor and texture they developed in the oven.

Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops with Roasted Mushrooms and Sage Cream Sauce

Since moving to Oregon, I’ve somehow become even more attached to mushrooms than I already was. I’ve always loved pork chops with mushrooms, but with this dish, I wanted the mushrooms to have more presence than they usually do once they find themselves in a cream sauce. So, I gave them their own pan and a hot oven, while the boneless pork chops get seared on the stove, leaving everything from the sear behind for the sage cream sauce. A full pound of mushrooms might sound like a lot for four boneless pork chops, but they shrink considerably once they roast and give up their moisture.

What I didn’t want was a skillet full of pale mushrooms that had given everything they had to the sauce. I wanted browned, concentrated mushroom flavor and pieces I could still identify when taking a bite. Roasting them separately does that, and it also keeps all of their released moisture out of the cream sauce.

The pork chops get their own time in the skillet first. I sear them until they have good color, then take them out before they’re completely cooked through. I don’t wipe out the skillet afterward because everything left from searing the pork belongs in the sauce. That’s what the flour, chicken broth and cream go into, and the fresh sage follows.

Once the pork goes back into the skillet, it only needs a few more minutes in the sauce to reach 145°F. Then the roasted mushrooms go over everything at the end. They stay browned and substantial, the sauce stays creamy, and neither one has to become the other.

I wanted creamy mushroom pork chops where the mushrooms still tasted like they weren’t a side quest.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

Mushrooms have a surprising amount of water, and I didn’t want that water released into the cream sauce. Roasting a full pound at 450°F gives the moisture somewhere to go while the mushrooms reduce considerably in size and develop more concentrated flavor. By the time they meet the pork chops, that part of their cooking is already finished.
The sage cream sauce is made in the same skillet used to sear the pork chops. I leave the drippings and everything from the sear in the pan, then add the flour before slowly whisking in the chicken broth. The broth loosens what’s left in the skillet and brings the flavor into the cream and fresh sage.
I also don’t fully cook the pork during the initial sear. The chops go back into the sauce to finish, which gives me much more control over the final temperature than cooking them through first and then having them spend another few minutes in a hot skillet. I’m looking for 145°F in the thickest part, not a specific number of minutes on the clock.

Ingredients

Boneless pork chops – I use 1-inch-thick boneless pork chops because they give me enough time to sear the outside without cooking the center through before they go back into the sauce.
Baby portobello mushrooms – You may also see these labeled baby bella or cremini mushrooms; they’re the same mushroom. I use a full pound because I want mushrooms all over this dish, not five slices floating around pretending they contributed.
Olive oil – Used for roasting the mushrooms and searing the pork. The mushrooms need enough to be lightly coated before they go into the hot oven.
Unsalted butter – Goes into the skillet with the olive oil for the pork chops and adds more flavor as they sear.
Garlic powder – I use it on the pork and again in the sauce. It gives me garlic flavor without putting fresh garlic into a very hot skillet where it can burn before the pork is ready.
Kosher salt and black pepper – For seasoning the pork and mushrooms as they cook. I go lightly on the mushrooms because the cream sauce gets seasoned separately.
All-purpose flour – There’s only a tablespoon. It gives the sauce enough body to coat the pork without turning it into mushroom gravy.
Chicken broth – Gives me the liquid I need to loosen the skillet after searing without diluting the sauce with water.
Heavy cream – The base of the sage cream sauce. It gives me the richness I want and holds up while the pork finishes cooking.
Fresh sage – This is supposed to taste like sage. I use a full tablespoon of fresh because I want it in the sauce, not three leaves scattered on top so we can technically say it’s there.
Sea salt – Used to season the cream sauce separately so I can control that part of the dish without oversalting the pork.
Fresh parsley – Goes over the finished pork chops and mushrooms right before serving.

How to Make Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

Step One (roast the mushrooms)
Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Toss the sliced mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, adding the last tablespoon if they look like they need it, then spread them out in a single layer and season lightly with salt. Roast for 20–25 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes, until they’ve released their moisture and have real color on them. Set them aside. Their job is done for now.
Step Two (sear the pork chops)
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the pork chops with garlic powder, salt and black pepper, then sear them for about 5 minutes per side, until they’re browned on both sides. Five minutes is a guide, not a promise. Pork chops have opinions about thickness. You don’t want them at 145°F yet because they’re going back into the sauce for a few more minutes. Move them to a plate and leave everything behind in the skillet.
Step Three (make the sage cream sauce)
Turn the heat down to medium and whisk the flour into the drippings. Let it cook for about 1 minute, then slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking and scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen everything left from searing the pork. Once it’s smooth, whisk in the heavy cream, fresh sage, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper. Let the sauce simmer until it starts to thicken. We’re making cream sauce, not wallpaper paste, so it should still swirl easily around the pan.
Step Four (finish the pork in the sauce)
Return the pork chops and any juices on the plate to the skillet. Let them simmer in the sage cream sauce for 3–5 minutes, spooning some of the sauce over the top as they cook. Check the thickest part of each chop with an instant-read thermometer and take the skillet off the heat when they reach 145°F (63°C). This is one of the places to trust the thermometer more than the clock because even pork chops sold as the same thickness don’t necessarily cook at the same rate.
Step Five (add the roasted mushrooms)
Spoon the sage cream sauce over the pork chops, then place the roasted mushrooms over the top. I wait until the very end to add them because I didn’t just roast a full pound of mushrooms at 450°F only to turn around and simmer all the browning back out of them. Finish with the fresh parsley and serve.

Recipe Tips

Use pork chops that are close to the same thickness. Even when the package says 1 inch, I still check them because pork chops like to lie.
Give the mushrooms lots of room on the baking sheet. If they’re on top of each other, they spend more time sitting in their own liquid and less time browning.
Stir the mushrooms about every 5 minutes so different surfaces get exposed to the hot pan and they brown more evenly.
Whisk the flour into the fat before adding the broth. Give it about a minute in the skillet so you don’t have raw flour going straight into the liquid.
Keep the cream sauce at a simmer; it doesn’t need a hard boil. A gentle simmer is enough to thicken the sauce and finish the pork without beating the heck out of the cream.
Remember that the sauce keeps thickening after the heat is off. I stop when it still moves easily around the skillet because waiting until it looks extremely thick on the stove means it may be much thicker by the time everyone sits down.
Don’t take the pork to 145°F during the initial sear. The chops still have another 3–5 minutes in the sauce. If they’re completely cooked before they go back into the skillet, those last few minutes can take them well past where you wanted them.
Let the thermometer make the final call. Five minutes per side worked with the 1-inch chops I tested, but thickness and skillet temperature change cooking time. Check the thickest part and finish at 145°F.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover pork chops with the sage cream sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keeping the pork with the sauce helps it retain more moisture when it’s reheated.
For the best reheating, put the pork and sauce in a skillet over low heat and warm it slowly. If the sauce has thickened up in the refrigerator, add a small splash of chicken broth or heavy cream until it loosens back to the consistency you want.
You can also use the microwave, but I would do it in short intervals and stop as soon as the pork is hot. Boneless pork chops can go from reheated to dry quickly.
I wouldn’t make this one for the freezer on purpose. Cream sauces can separate after freezing and reheating, and the roasted mushrooms lose the texture we went to all the trouble to create in the first place.

FAQs

Can I use bone-in pork chops?
Yes. Bone-in chops work, but they take longer to cook depending on their thickness. Sear them the same way, then use an instant-read thermometer to determine when they’re done rather than adding an arbitrary number of minutes.
Can I use a different kind of mushroom?
Yes. White button mushrooms are fine and can be prepared the same way. I prefer baby portobello, baby bella or cremini mushrooms because they have more mushroom flavor.
Can I use dried sage instead of fresh sage?
Yes. For 1 tablespoon of fresh sage, I would use about 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage. If you have finely ground sage instead, use less because it’s considerably more concentrated.
Can I use half-and-half instead of heavy cream?
You can, but it’s not an equal substitution. The sauce will be thinner and less stable, especially if it gets too hot. Heavy cream is the better choice for the texture this recipe is supposed to have.
Why did my mushrooms turn watery instead of brown?
Usually they either didn’t have enough room on the baking sheet or the oven wasn’t hot enough. Mushrooms release water first. They only begin to brown well after that moisture has had a chance to evaporate, which is why the 450°F oven and a roomy sheet pan matter.
What if my cream sauce is too thick?
Whisk in a small splash of chicken broth until it loosens. I prefer broth over adding more cream because it thins the sauce without making it even richer.
What should I serve with creamy mushroom pork chops?
Mashed potatoes are probably the most obvious answer because they make very good use of the sage cream sauce. Buttered noodles, rice or soft polenta all work too, and something green on the side keeps the plate from becoming fifty shades of taupe.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

Some things need to lose a lot of water before you find out what they really are.
Being taken out before you’re done is not always the same thing as being left behind.
Remember that not everything belongs in the same pan just because it eventually ends up on the same plate.
There are times when keeping yourself separate is the only way to keep what made you worth wanting in the first place.
There’s a difference between being surrounded by something and vanishing into it.
Leaving behind something useful doesn’t mean you were meant to stay.
Maybe you should only return after things have changed enough to make it worthwhile.
Sometimes loving two things means refusing to make them become each other.

What Else I Do with Boneless Pork Chops

Pork Marsala – Dry Marsala and mushrooms.
Pork Chops with Balsamic Fig Sauce – Shallots, dried figs, balsamic reduction.
Peach Chutney Pork Chops – Fresh peaches, ginger, shallots.
Orange Glazed Pork Chops – Tangy five-ingredient orange glaze.
Pork Cutlets with Apples – Sweet and tart apple varieties.
Sheet Pan Pork Chops – Potatoes and broccoli alongside.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops

Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops pair seared boneless pork chops with a fresh sage cream pan sauce and a full pound of separately roasted baby portobello mushrooms added before serving.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword creamy mushroom pork chops, mushroom pork chops, pork chops with cream sauce, pork chops with mushrooms, sage pork chops

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 547kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

large rimmed baking sheet Gives the pound of sliced mushrooms enough surface area to roast without crowding.
parchment paper Keeps the mushrooms from sticking to the baking sheet.
large skillet Used to sear the pork chops and prepare the sage cream sauce from the drippings.
whisk Helps incorporate the flour and liquids into a smooth cream sauce.
instant-read thermometer The most reliable way to determine when the pork chops have reached 145°F (63°C).

Ingredients

Roasted Mushrooms:

16 oz (454 g) baby portobello mushrooms sliced
2-3 tbsps (30-45 ml) olive oil
kosher salt lightly sprinkled, to taste

Pork Chops:

1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
4 (24 oz / 680 g total) boneless pork chops 1-inch think
½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sage Cream Sauce:

1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream
1 tbsp (2 g) finely chopped fresh sage
¼ tsp (0.75 g) garlic powder
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp (4 g) finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the sliced mushrooms with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, adding the remaining tablespoon if needed to lightly coat them. Spread the mushrooms in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and season lightly with salt.
16 oz (454 g) baby portobello mushrooms, 2-3 tbsps (30-45 ml) olive oil, kosher salt
Roast for 20–25 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their moisture, are tender and well browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil and the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the pork chops with garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, 4 (24 oz / 680 g total) boneless pork chops, ½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
Add the pork chops to the hot skillet and sear for about 5 minutes per side, or until well browned. Cooking time will vary with thickness. The pork does not need to reach 145°F (63°C) at this point because it will finish cooking in the sauce. Transfer the pork chops to a plate, leaving the drippings and browned bits in the skillet.
Reduce the heat to medium. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and whisk it into the drippings. Cook for 1 minute.
1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour
Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Whisk until smooth, then add the heavy cream, sage, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper. Cook at a gentle simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken.
½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream, 1 tbsp (2 g) finely chopped fresh sage, ¼ tsp (0.75 g) garlic powder, ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
Return the pork chops and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer for 3–5 minutes, spooning the sauce over the pork, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) when checked in the thickest portion with an instant-read thermometer.
Spoon the sage cream sauce over the pork chops. Top with the roasted mushrooms and fresh parsley before serving.
1 tbsp (4 g) finely chopped fresh parsley

Notes

Baby portobello mushrooms may also be labeled cremini or baby bella mushrooms. They are the same variety and can be used interchangeably in this recipe.
The initial searing time is an estimate for 1-inch-thick boneless pork chops. Thickness can vary considerably, so use the internal temperature rather than cooking time alone to determine when the pork is finished.
Do not cook the pork chops completely during the initial sear. They return to the skillet and finish cooking in the sage cream sauce.
The mushrooms need room on the baking sheet for their released moisture to evaporate. A crowded pan can cause them to steam rather than brown.
The cream sauce will continue to thicken somewhat after the skillet is removed from the heat. If it becomes thicker than desired, whisk in a small amount of chicken broth.

If you’re making these Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Have you made these Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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The post Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops appeared first on Noble Pig.

Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Cathy Pollak — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:41:38 +0000

I wanted these Mexican street corn stuffed poblano peppers to taste like street corn before anything else, even after adding chorizo and three cheeses. Jalapeño, adobo, lime, Cotija and Tajín make sure the flavor doesn’t get buried under all the cheese and chorizo.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Chorizo and Corn, Elote Style

I knew exactly how I wanted these stuffed poblano peppers to taste. Corn, chorizo and cheese were a must, but none of those things could be allowed to change the reason I was making them in the first place. They were always going to be Mexican street corn peppers that tasted like elote. It’s what I wanted.

Because there’s something deeply attractive about someone who can tell me exactly what they want, and not in a general or “whatever you think” kind of way. I mean specific enough that I can see the thing you’re describing.

If I ask you what kind of birthday cake you want and you tell me chocolate, okay fine. But if you tell me you want a very, almost-black chocolate layer cake made with dark cocoa and espresso, sour cream in the batter, salted caramel and a thin layer of ganache between the layers, more ganache outside but not perfectly smoothed, fresh blackberries, flaky salt and one candle, now I know something about you. And if you add that you don’t want buttercream rosettes and would prefer the cake to look a little severe, even better.

Now I’m not spending my energy trying to figure you out. I’m using that energy to make the thing you want extraordinary. I’d pick the blackberries on my property myself because they’re better and they’re mine. I would taste three dark chocolates before deciding and I’d find the flaky salt with the right crystal size. The salted caramel would be homemade, by me. I would get the ganache thickness right because you specifically said thin between the layers. I’d stand six feet away from the finished cake and squint at it because you said you wanted it a little severe-looking and I would need to determine whether it had achieved sufficient severity. That’s not exhausting to me. It’s pleasure.

I love knowing that much. I appreciate that you’ve paid enough attention to yourself to know the difference between what you really want and what would be fine. And I especially like being aware of what you don’t want, because that tells me even more. More specificity is never a burden. What’s worse is the answer, “anything’s fine” because you think it comes off as accommodating, but if that’s your permanent operating system, you’ve basically handed me every decision.

Where should we eat? Anywhere. What do you feel like doing? Whatever you want. Do you want to stay here or go somewhere else? Either one. Chocolate or vanilla? I like both. After the tenth one, I’m begging you to develop a preference.

Because now I have to choose the restaurant, wonder whether you’ll like the restaurant, choose the time, decide whether you’d rather have gone somewhere else, and then watch your face for evidence that “anything” didn’t, in fact, include this particular thing. That’s not easier, it’s labor.

None of us need somebody to be particular about everything, because sometimes you genuinely don’t care, which is okay. But a person who has no preferences anywhere becomes exhausting, because I can never quite locate them in any of it.

And here’s the thing, when I say what I want, I’m not asking for it to be provided because I told you what it is. I’m telling you who I am. And you don’t have to guess. Ever.

That’s why, before I made these stuffed poblano peppers, I already knew how they needed to taste. Street corn was the goal.

I grew up in Southern California, so lime, chile, corn, cilantro and Cotija have been part of my palate forever. I’ve made Mexican street corn into soup, chicken bowls and pasta, but I’d never added chorizo to it. The pork chorizo gave the corn enough richness and chile flavor to make the filling feel more like dinner, especially once I added the quesadilla cheese I already knew I wanted in there.

And right now the poblanos at the farmers market are enormous. I’ve been buying them a lot, and they’re what this filling needs. They’re big enough to hold an avalanche of corn, chorizo and cheese without going missing. I don’t roast them first either. They get enough time to soften once they’re filled, and I want the peppers to still be able to carry all of that filling when they come out of the oven.

I could have kept changing them, but at some point I had to recognize I’d already gotten what I asked for. This is exactly how I wanted them.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

I wanted the Mexican street corn flavor to survive everything else I was putting into these peppers. I put pork chorizo, three cheeses and an unreasonable amount of filling into these, but you still taste the corn, lime, cilantro and chile first. The chorizo was the piece I hadn’t tried before, and once I mixed it into the creamy corn filling, I knew I was keeping it. It gave me the richness and chile flavor I wanted without turning these into another stuffed pepper filled with seasoned ground meat.
I didn’t want one chile responsible for everything. The poblano is earthy and mild, fresh jalapeño gives me a greener kind of heat, and the adobo adds smoke. Tajín goes on after baking so the chile and lime stay noticeable. The cheeses have separate roles. Quesadilla cheese comes in with the melt, cream cheese holds the landslide of corn and chorizo together, and Cotija stays out until the end where I can still taste its saltiness.
And I don’t precook the poblanos or bulk the filling up with rice. I want the peppers to soften in the oven while staying firm enough to hold the avalanche I’ve piled into them. Frozen corn gives me consistent sweetness and availability, and once I’m folding it into chorizo and cheese and sending the whole thing into the oven, there’s no award for making this harder with fresh corn.

Ingredients

Poblano peppers – Look for the biggest ones you can find because there is an incredible amount of filling going into them. They soften in the oven but keep enough of themselves to handle all the filling.
Olive oil or avocado oil – I coat the outside of the poblanos before baking so the exposed pepper has a little oil while it softens.
Fresh Mexican-style pork chorizo – This was the missing piece for me. The rendered fat and chile seasoning work their way through the corn and cheese, making the filling rich enough to turn these into dinner.
Frozen corn – Exactly what I want for this recipe. It gives me sweet, sturdy kernels year-round without adding another cooking step, and there’s lots happening here without shucking corn first.
Quesadilla cheese or Mexican cheese blend – Used in both the filling and over the top before broiling. Quesadilla cheese is my first choice because it melts so well and gives the filling the stretchy cheese pull everyone wants for Instagram.
Fresh cilantro – I use a full ⅓ cup because cilantro is part of what makes the filling taste like Mexican street corn rather than corn, chorizo and cheese.
Jalapeño – Fresh jalapeño has a greener kind of heat than the adobo. I remove the seeds and ribs, but you can leave some behind if you want more spice.
Cream cheese – This is what makes the corn mixture creamy and helps the loose filling stay together inside the poblano. Let it soften first or you’ll be working much harder.
Fresh lime juice – That acidity is important with this much cheese and chorizo. Fresh lime keeps the filling tasting like sweet corn. Bottled juice doesn’t quite get it right.
Chili powder – Adds more chile flavor throughout the filling and doesn’t make the peppers overwhelmingly hot.
Adobo sauce or chopped chipotles in adobo – Adobo adds smoke and more chile flavor; use chopped chipotles along with the sauce if you want more heat.
Sea salt – Seasons the filling, but remember the chorizo, quesadilla cheese, Cotija and Tajín are salty too.
Tajín – Goes on after the peppers come out of the oven, where I can still taste the chile and lime.
Cotija cheese – Also saved for the finish. I want the salty Cotija on top where I can taste it, not melted into oblivion with everything else.

How to Make Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

Step One (prep the poblanos)
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut the poblano peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and lightly coat the outside of each half with oil. There’s no need to roast them first. They’ll spend 20–25 minutes in the oven once they’re filled, which softens them without taking away their ability to hold the small landslide we’re about to pile into them.
Step Two (cook the chorizo)
Cook the pork chorizo in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks. Once it’s browned and fully cooked, take it off the heat and give it a few minutes to cool. I don’t want screaming-hot chorizo going straight into a bowl of cream cheese.
Step Three (make the street corn filling)
Add the thawed corn, quesadilla cheese, cilantro, jalapeño, softened cream cheese, lime juice, chili powder, adobo sauce and sea salt to a large bowl and stir until everything is well mixed. Fold in the cooked chorizo last. And yes, there’s a lot of corn. That’s on purpose.
Step Four (fill and bake the poblanos)
Divide the filling among the six poblano halves and mound it up tall. Arrange the peppers on a baking sheet with room between them and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the poblanos have softened and the filling is hot and bubbling.
Step Five (broil and finish)
Sprinkle more shredded quesadilla cheese over the peppers, switch the oven to broil and give them 2–3 minutes, until the cheese melts and starts to brown. Stay close because broilers have no loyalty. Once the peppers come out, finish them with Tajín and crumbled Cotija.

Recipe Tips

You’ll want to choose poblanos with some real estate. Wider peppers are easier to halve and fill without everything immediately trying to escape over the sides.
Drain the chorizo only if it really needs it. Some brands release far more fat than others. I want some of the seasoned chorizo fat making its way into the filling, but if you have a skillet with a lake at the bottom, spoon some off before adding the meat.
Make sure you thaw the corn completely. Any ice still hanging onto it becomes water in the filling, so drain off whatever collects before the corn goes into the bowl.
Take a bite of the jalapeño before you decide how aggressively you want to proceed. Jalapeños are wildly inconsistent, and you already have chili powder, adobo, chorizo and Tajín involved.
The baking sheet definitley needs a rim. The filling is mounded high and gets bubbly in the oven. Occasionally cheese or chorizo fat makes a break for it, and you want that to end up on the pan rather than the bottom of the oven.

Storage

Let leftover stuffed poblanos cool before transferring them to an airtight container. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For reheating, I prefer the oven or air fryer because the pepper stays firmer and the cheese reheats better. Heat them at 350°F until warmed through, then add fresh Cotija and Tajín afterward if you have them. The microwave is fine too, but the pepper will be softer.
I wouldn’t freeze these. The cream cheese filling changes texture after freezing and thawing, and the poblano loses more of its texture than I’m willing to sacrifice. These are much better eaten within a few days.

FAQs

Are poblano peppers spicy?
Usually not very. Poblanos have a mild, earthy chile flavor with less heat than jalapeños. Every pepper gets to have its own temperament, though, so sometimes you’ll find one that’s hotter than expected.
Can I make these stuffed poblano peppers ahead of time?
Yes. Cook the chorizo and assemble the filling a day ahead, then keep it covered in the refrigerator. I like filling the poblanos closer to baking so the raw peppers aren’t sitting overnight with a moist filling.
What is quesadilla cheese?
It’s a Mexican-style cheese that melts especially well and gets soft and stretchy when heated. Depending on where you shop, you may see Chihuahua cheese, queso quesadilla or a Mexican melting cheese. If you can’t find it, a good Mexican cheese blend is an easy substitute. I can usually find Chihuahua cheese at my regular grocery store or Costco.
Can I use fresh corn instead of frozen?
Yes. Cut the kernels from the cob and use the same amount by weight. You don’t need to cook them first. I use frozen because it works well in this filling and means I can make these peppers the same way when corn season is gone.
Can I make these without the chorizo?
You can, but they won’t taste like the peppers I developed. The chorizo contributes a lot of seasoning and richness, so if you leave it out, taste the filling before stuffing the poblanos and adjust the seasoning as needed.
What should I serve with Mexican street corn stuffed poblano peppers?
I like them over rice, because the rice catches whatever creamy corn and chorizo inevitably falls out when you cut into the mountain of filling. Black beans are good alongside them, as is this radish and jicama salad. Or serve the peppers on their own. They’re substantial enough to be dinner without needing a bunch of extras.
Do I need to peel poblano peppers?
No. Since these aren’t being blistered and steamed first, there’s no reason to peel them. The skin softens along with the pepper as it bakes and helps the halves stay intact underneath the filling.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

There’s a difference between being easy to please and easy to know.
The deeper subject here is not preference. It’s knowability.
Being known requires leaving evidence behind.
Evidence is not the same as clues.
The more clearly you let me know you, the less I have to invent you.
Sometimes the kindest thing you can give someone is enough information to get you right.
There’s intimacy in knowing the difference between what someone likes and what they would choose.
Knowing what you don’t want is the clearest evidence that you know yourself.
I don’t need you to want what I want. I need you to know what you want when I ask.
I’ve never felt burdened by specificity. I feel released by it.
Specificity has always given my generosity somewhere to go.
Knowing exactly what someone wants doesn’t take the surprise out of giving. It gives you somewhere to put the love.
The person asking what you want isn’t asking you to make things easier. They’re trying to learn how to love you accurately.
Thoughtfulness shouldn’t require clairvoyance.
There are people I would go very far out of my way for. But I don’t want to spend the whole trip wondering whether I’m headed in the right direction.
I’ve never minded doing too much for someone. I do mind having to guess what too much should look like.
The people who are easiest for me to give to aren’t the ones who ask for the least.
Saying “anything’s fine” doesn’t give me freedom. It hands me half of your work.
“Anything is fine” eventually makes someone else responsible for finding out what isn’t.
Telling me what you want isn’t asking too much. Making me guess can be. Telling me lets me relax into generosity.
Burden me with information, not your uncertainty.
I can do incredible things with a clear answer.
If you show yourself to me, I won’t punish you for taking up space with your complicated preference. I welcome it.
I’ve seen people mistake certainty for a closed door when it may be the first time someone has shown them exactly where the door is.
Ask me exactly what I want. Believe my answer. Give me exactly that. I love all of it. But knowing me well enough that I don’t have to tell you is rarer. That means you were paying attention before I ever had to ask.
I’ve changed my mind so many times. That’s how I learned which ones I don’t want to change anymore.
There are things I make differently every time. But there are others I stopped changing because I finally got what I wanted.

I Have a Thing for Street Corn

Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowls (Mexican Elote-Style) – Grilled chicken, charred corn, lime sauce.
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad – Sautéed corn, Cotija, chili-lime dressing.
Mexican Street Corn Soup – Fire-roasted corn, green chiles, Tajín.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers are filled with corn, pork chorizo, quesadilla cheese, cream cheese, jalapeño, cilantro and adobo, then topped with more cheese, Tajín and Cotija.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican-Inspired

Keyword chorizo stuffed poblano peppers, elote stuffed peppers, Mexican street corn peppers, Mexican street corn stuffed poblano peppers, stuffed poblano peppers

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Broiling: 3

Total Time 48

Servings

Calories 555kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

skillet (medium-sized). For browning and crumbling the pork chorizo before it goes into the filling.
mixing bowls (large). Large enough to thoroughly mix the corn filling without crushing the ingredients.
large rimmed baking sheet Holds all six stuffed poblano halves while containing any cheese or filling that escapes during baking.
chef knife For halving the pobalnos and finely chopping the jalapeño and cilantro.
Cutting board To prep the peppers and other fresh ingredients.
measuring cups and spoons For accuracy of ingredients.

Ingredients

Stuffed Poblanos:

3 large poblano peppers cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
9 oz (255 g) pork chorizo
12 oz (340 g) frozen corn thawed
2 cups (225 g) shredded quesadilla cheese or Mexican shredded cheese blend
⅓ cup (15 g) chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbsps (30 g) finely diced jalapeño about 2 medium jalapeños
1 package (8 oz / 226 g) cream cheese softened
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice
2 tsps (5 g) chili powder
2 tsps (10 g) adobo sauce or chopped chipotles in adobo for more heat
1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil or avocado oil

Topping:

additional shredded quesadilla cheese as needed
1 tsp (3 g) Tajin seasoning
1-2 tbsps (5-10 g) crumbled cotija cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.
3 large poblano peppers
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the pork chorizo and cook until browned and fully cooked, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
9 oz (255 g) pork chorizo
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the thawed corn, quesadilla cheese, cilantro, jalapeño, softened cream cheese, lime juice, chili powder, adobo sauce and sea salt until evenly distributed. Fold in the cooked chorizo.
12 oz (340 g) frozen corn, 2 cups (225 g) shredded quesadilla cheese, ⅓ cup (15 g) chopped fresh cilantro, 3 tbsps (30 g) finely diced jalapeño, 1 package (8 oz / 226 g) cream cheese, 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice, 2 tsps (5 g) chili powder, 2 tsps (10 g) adobo sauce, 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
Lightly coat the outside of each poblano half with olive or avocado oil. Divide the corn and chorizo filling evenly among the six poblano halves, mounding the filling as needed.
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
Arrange the stuffed poblano peppers on a baking sheet with space between them. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the poblanos have softened and the filling is hot and bubbling.
additional shredded quesadilla cheese
Sprinkle additional shredded quesadilla cheese over the stuffed peppers. Switch the oven to broil and broil for 2–3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Watch carefully during broiling to prevent burning.
1 tsp (3 g) Tajin seasoning, 1-2 tbsps (5-10 g) crumbled cotija cheese
Remove from the oven and finish with Tajín and crumbled Cotija cheese. Serve warm.

Notes

Poblano peppers vary considerably in size. If your peppers are smaller, you may have enough filling for additional poblano halves.
Use fresh Mexican-style pork chorizo rather than cured Spanish chorizo. Cook it completely before adding it to the corn mixture.
Thaw the frozen corn before measuring it into the filling. If there is accumulated water after thawing, drain it before mixing with the cream cheese and other ingredients.
The poblanos do not need to be roasted or precooked. They soften while the stuffed peppers bake.
For additional heat, replace some or all of the adobo sauce with finely chopped chipotle peppers from the can.
The additional quesadilla cheese used for broiling is not included in the measured 2 cups (225 g) used in the filling.
Assemble the stuffed peppers up to 24 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate. Add the final quesadilla cheese before broiling and wait to add the Tajín and Cotija until after baking.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10–15 minutes or microwave individual portions until heated through.

If you’re making these Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Have you made these Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers? I’d love to hear how they turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers appeared first on Noble Pig.

Peach Tea Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Cathy Pollak — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 18:45:35 +0000

Peach tea pork belly burnt ends are made in the oven until fork tender, then coated in a sticky peach tea glaze and baked until caramelized around the edges. The reduced peach tea gives the glaze a fruity twist that makes these burnt ends unforgettable.

Oven Peach Tea Pork Belly Burnt Ends

I use my smoker all the time, but I know not everyone has one sitting in the backyard. I wanted pork belly burnt ends you could make entirely in the oven and still get the tender, sticky, caramelized edges we’re all after. The peach tea glaze turned out to be the part that made this recipe completely its own thing.

I know lots of you live in apartments or condos where outdoor smoking isn’t an option, and even as someone with a smoker, I’m not always interested in standing outside when the weather turns miserable. So I borrowed the same approach I use for ribs in the oven, cooking the pork belly low and covered until it was tender before adding the glaze and turning up the heat to caramelize the edges.

I originally planned to use my homemade sweet peach tea in the glaze, but the flavor was too subtle once it came in contact with the rich pork belly and heat of the oven. Bottled peach tea has a more concentrated peach flavor and enough sweetness to still come through after reducing. This was not the place to add another step so I could say everything was homemade.

The peach flavor doesn’t hit you over the head. These still taste like barbecue first. It’s more of a “what is in this?” flavor, adding something fruity and unexpected alongside the smoky seasoning and tangy glaze without making the pork belly taste like dessert.

I like to serve the burnt ends as a full barbecue platter with soft white bread, refrigerator pickles, either regular onion or pickled red onions, and pepperoncini. The bread is for catching the glaze, and the sharp, tangy sides do help cut through the rich pork belly. Together, it’s the sort of meal that requires extra napkins and very little conversation.

What Makes This Recipe Different

When I started working on this recipe, I wasn’t trying to remove the smoker from an existing recipe and hope for the best. I created the cooking method around what the oven already does well, starting with a low, covered bake to slowly tenderize the pork belly before uncovering it and turning up the heat.
It’s really the two-stage cooking method that gets the pork belly to the right texture. During the first bake, the pork belly has time to render and soften without drying out too early. Once the first bake is finished, the pok belly is already tender. I’m just giving the glaze enough heat to bubble, darken, and caramelize around the cubes. If you like this method, I use a similar glaze-and-finish technique on my bourbon peach country style ribs, baking the pork until tender before letting the sauce caramelize during the final bake.
Before any of the other glaze ingredients go into the saucepan, I reduce the peach tea by about half. Reducing it first concentrates the peach flavor enough to stand up to the pork belly, peach preserves, and oven heat. That’s why my homemade peach tea didn’t work. There were too many strong flavors working against it, and this was not the place to turn one recipe into two just to prove a point.
Peach preserves reinforce the peach flavor while giving the glaze a little more body, but the finished burnt ends still taste like barbecue first. The peach flavor stays underneath everything else, and people usually can’t quite figure out what’s different until you tell them.
I do finish the glaze completely before it ever touches the pork. By the time I toss it with the pork belly, it already has the sweetness, acidity, and consistency I want. Then I keep some of it aside and brush it over the burnt ends after they come out of the oven. The glaze that bakes with the pork becomes dark and sticky, while the last brush of glaze brings back a little more peach flavor and leaves the outside looking freshly glazed.

Ingredients

Pork belly – Use skinless pork belly and cut it into even cubes so everything cooks at the same rate. Pork belly has the fat and collagen it needs for the rich, tender burnt ends texture, which is why a leaner cut will not give you the same result.
Salt – This seasons the meat before the glaze ever gets involved.
Black pepper – Adds some bite and keeps all the sweetness from becoming one-dimensional.
Garlic powder – This works its way into every side of the pork cubes and adds a savory base without the risk of fresh garlic burning during the hotter final bake.
Onion powder – Adds another layer of savory flavor underneath the peach tea glaze.
Chili powder – Adds another layer of savory flavor along with a little earthy warmth without making the pork belly spicy.
Smoked paprika – Adds smoky depth to an oven recipe that never sees a smoker. It won’t create true smoked bark, but it helps take the flavor in that direction.
Bottled peach tea – This is the foundation of the glaze. Bottled tea is concentrated enough to survive reduction and still come through after it’s combined with the rest of the glaze ingredients. Homemade sweet peach tea can be used, but the flavor will be much softer.
Peach preserves – Add body and concentrated fruit flavor without making the glaze thin. It also reinforces the peach flavor after the tea has been reduced.
Brown sugar – Some goes into the seasoning mixture to help the outside of the pork darken, and the rest sweetens the glaze and helps it caramelize during the final bake. If you’re out, make my homemade brown sugar. It’s simple.
Apple cider vinegar – This cuts through the richness of the pork belly and keeps the glaze from tasting too sweet.
Worcestershire sauce – Adds savory flavor the glaze needs to keep the peach and brown sugar from tasting too sweet. I tested it without Worcestershire and something was missing every time.
Cayenne pepper – This is optional, but a small amount gives the pork and glaze a little heat without turning the recipe spicy.
Cornstarch and cold water – Mixed together into a smooth slurry, they thicken the glaze enough to hold on to the pork belly instead of pooling in the baking dish. The preserves already provide some body, so it only takes a small amount.

How to Make Peach Tea Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

Step One (season the pork belly)
Preheat the oven to 275°F. Stir together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne if you’re using it in a large mixing bowl. Add the pork belly cubes and toss until every piece is coated with the seasoning mixture. Taking a minute to coat everything evenly means every cube is seasoned the same way before it goes into the oven.
Step Two (slow bake the pork belly)
Spread the pork belly in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the pork reaches 190 to 195°F and a fork slides into the cubes with very little resistance. If they still feel firm, keep baking. This first bake is where the pork belly goes from tough to tender before the glaze ever goes on.
Step Three (make the peach tea glaze)
While the pork bakes, bring the peach tea to a boil in a medium saucepan, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until it has reduced by about half. Whisk in the peach preserves, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and salt, then simmer another 4 to 5 minutes until the preserves have melted completely. Stir together the cornstarch and cold water, slowly whisk it into the glaze, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking often, until the glaze lightly coats the back of a spoon but still pours easily. Reducing the tea first concentrates the peach flavor so it still comes through once it’s coating the rich pork belly.
Step Four (glaze and finish)
Carefully remove the foil, watching for the hot steam, then transfer the pork belly to a large bowl and pour the rendered fat off the baking sheet into a heat-safe container. Increase the oven to 375°F, reserve about ½ cup of the glaze, and toss the pork with the rest until every piece is coated. Spread the pork back onto the baking sheet in a single layer and bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the glaze is bubbling around the edges, beginning to caramelize, and the pork reaches 200 to 205°F. Brush or gently toss the burnt ends with the reserved glaze, then let them rest for 5 minutes so everything has time to come together before serving.

Recipe Tips

Cut the pork belly into cubes that are close to the same size. A few uneven pieces will not ruin anything, but if some are tiny and others are huge, the small ones will be done before the larger pieces soften.
Use a rimmed baking sheet with enough room to keep the pork in one layer. You want the cubes sitting in the heat, not piled into a pork belly mountain where the middle pieces steam.
I check the texture, not just the clock. The pork should give easily when you press it with a fork. If it still feels firm after about 2½ hours, cover it again and give it more time.
Drain the rendered fat slowly and carefully. There will be plenty of it, and the cubes are very tender by then. Transfer the pork belly carefully with tongs after the first bake because the cubes will be very tender. Move them into a large bowl before pouring the rendered fat from the baking sheet into a heat-safe container.
Keep an eye on the last few minutes of the uncovered bake. The sugar in the glaze can go from caramelized to scorched faster than you think, especially around the edges of the baking sheet.
Serve the burnt ends with something acidic or sharp. Pickles, sliced onion, pepperoncini, or a vinegar-based slaw like my Tennessee-style mustard coleslaw are especially good with the rich pork.

Storage

Store leftover pork belly burnt ends in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
If you have any extra glaze left after the final brush, keep it in a separate container so you can add it after reheating instead of storing the pork in too much sauce. It will become much thicker once it is chilled. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes or warm it gently before brushing it over the reheated burnt ends.
For the best texture, reheat them uncovered in a 375°F oven or air fryer until hot. The microwave works, but it softens the caramelized outside and leaves the pork kind of meh.
You can freeze the cooked burnt ends for up to 2 months, although the outside will be softer after thawing. Freeze them in a single layer first, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container once firm. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

FAQs

Can I use homemade peach tea?
Yes, but the peach flavor will be faint. Bottled peach tea is sweeter and more concentrated, which helps the flavor remain noticeable after it’s reduced down. If your homemade tea is very light, reducing it will concentrate the tea, but the peach flavor will still be much milder than bottled peach tea.
Do I need a smoker to make pork belly burnt ends?
No. I created these specifically for the oven. A smoker would add real wood-smoke flavor and a more traditional bark, but the covered bake followed by the hot finish gives you tender pork and caramelized burnt ends without outdoor equipment.
Can I use pork shoulder instead of pork belly?
I would not use it as a direct substitute. Pork shoulder can make very good burnt ends, but it has a different balance of meat, fat, and connective tissue, so the cooking time and final texture will not be the same. If you’re looking for another way to cook pork belly, my air fryer pork belly bites are much quicker and have a crisp exterior instead of a sticky glaze.
Can I prepare these ahead of time?
Yes. Complete the first covered bake, drain the pork, and refrigerate it once cooled. When you are ready to serve, let it sit out briefly while the oven heats, then add the glaze and complete the uncovered bake. This is the best place to pause because the outside is caramelized right before serving.
Can I make these on a smoker?
Yes. You can use the same seasoning and glaze on a smoker, although the timing will depend on your setup.
Why are my burnt ends still tough?
They probably needed more time during the covered bake. Pork belly can be safely cooked while still feeling unpleasantly firm. The extra time at a lower temperature is what softens the connective tissue and gives you that tender center.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

I’ve spent years circling the smoke when what I wanted was already waiting inside.
Some things stay covered so long they mistake protection for progress.
Tenderness hidden under foil is still tenderness no one can reach.
Some things only change after the cover comes off.
You can manage every detail and still lose what the heat was trying to give you.
The safest part of the process is never the part that makes it memorable.
Staying close to the heat is not the same as letting it touch you.
Pork belly does not become burnt ends by remaining protected from the fire.
A final glaze works because everything underneath it has already done the difficult part.
A good burnt end knows how to take richness and give it a place to go.
The trouble with knowing exactly what something could be is having to watch it stay unfinished.
Imagine understanding every stage of pork and still failing to recognize when something rare has been cooked especially for you.

More Sticky, Saucy Favorites

Sticky Honey Garlic Chicken Wings – crispy wings with honey garlic glaze.
Sticky Gochujang Steak Bites – spicy-sweet steak bites with glaze.
Brined Chicken Drumsticks with Hoisin Glaze – caramelized hoisin glaze over juicy chicken.
Baked BBQ Chicken Skewers with Pineapple and Peppers – juicy chicken with caramelized barbecue glaze.
Air Fryer Maple Glazed Salmon – sticky maple-soy glaze and salmon.
Mongolian Beef Noodles – tender beef in sticky sauce.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Peach Tea Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Rich, tender pork belly cubes are slowly roasted until fork tender, then coated in a homemade peach tea glaze and baked until sticky around the edges. The reduced peach tea adds a subtle fruitiness that makes these oven-baked burnt ends stand out.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword baked pork belly, burnt ends recipe, caramelized pork belly, oven burnt ends, oven pork belly burnt ends, peach barbecue pork, peach tea glaze, peach tee pork belly burnt ends, pork belly recipe

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 3 20

Total Time 3 55

Servings

Calories 577kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

mixing bowls (large and small). For seasoning the pork belly and mixng the cornstarch slurry.
baking sheet (large rimmed) Allows the pork belly to cook in a single layer.
aluminum foil Seals in moisture during the first bake.
Saucepan (medium). Reduces the peach tea and cooks the glaze.
instant-read thermometer Checks the pork for doneness.
tongs For transferring and coating the pork belly.
whisk Keeps the glaze smooth.

Ingredients

Pork Belly:

¼ cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar
2 tbsps (14 g) smoked paprika
1 tbsp (9 g) garlic powder
1 tbsp (8 g) onion powder
1 tbsp (8 g) chile powder
2 tsps (12 g) table salt
1 tsp (2 g) black pepper
½ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper (optional)
4 lbs (1.8kg) skinless pork belly cut into 1¼-inch (3 cm) cubes

Peach Tea Glaze:

2 cups (480 ml) bottled sweeteened peach tea
¾ cup (255 g) peach preserves
¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tbsps (28 g) packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp (6 g) table salt
2 tsps (5 g) cornstarch
2 tsps (10 ml) cold water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper if using. Add the pork belly cubes and toss until every piece is evenly coated with the seasoning mixture.
¼ cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar, 2 tbsps (14 g) smoked paprika, 1 tbsp (9 g) garlic powder, 1 tbsp (8 g) onion powder, 1 tbsp (8 g) chile powder, 2 tsps (12 g) table salt, 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, ½ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper, 4 lbs (1.8kg) skinless pork belly
Arrange the pork belly in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the pork is fork tender and reaches an internal temperature of 190 to 195°F (88 to 90°C). A fork should slide into the cubes with very little resistance.
While the pork bakes, pour the peach tea into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tea has reduced by about half and the peach flavor becomes more concentrated.
2 cups (480 ml) bottled sweeteened peach tea
Whisk in the peach preserves, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Continue simmering for 4 to 5 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the preserves have completely melted into the glaze and no visible pieces remain.
¾ cup (255 g) peach preserves, ¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsps (28 g) packed light brown sugar, 1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp (6 g) table salt
In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Slowly whisk the slurry into the simmering glaze and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking frequently, until the glaze becomes shiny and lightly coats the back of a spoon instead of running right off. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
2 tsps (5 g) cornstarch, 2 tsps (10 ml) cold water
Carefully remove the foil from the baking sheet, watching for escaping steam. Transfer the pork belly cubes to a large bowl with tongs, then carefully pour the rendered fat from the baking sheet into a heat-safe container.
Increase the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).
Reserve about ½ cup (120 ml) of the glaze. Pour the remaining glaze over the pork belly and gently toss until every cube is evenly coated.
Return the glazed pork belly to the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the glaze is bubbling around the edges, beginning to caramelize, and the pork reaches an internal temperature of 200 to 205°F (93 to 96°C).
Brush or gently toss the pork belly with the reserved glaze. Let the burnt ends rest for 5 minutes so the glaze has time to become sticky before serving.

Notes

Cut the pork belly into evenly sized cubes so everything cooks at the same rate.
Wait until the pork is fork tender before glazing. Adding the glaze too early can cause the sugars to darken before the meat has finished cooking.
Simmer the glaze for at least 1 minute after adding the cornstarch slurry so it has time to thicken properly.
If the glaze becomes too thick, whisk in a small splash of peach tea or water until it reaches the consistency you like.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Store extra glaze separately if possible.

If you’re making these Peach Tea Pork Belly Burnt Ends, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Have you made these Peach Tea Pork belly Burnt Ends? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Peach Tea Pork Belly Burnt Ends appeared first on Noble Pig.

Pork Marsala

Cathy Pollak — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:00:15 +0000

Pork Marsala uses thin boneless pork chops that cook in just a few minutes, making it a faster alternative to traditional Marsala recipes. I skip dredging the pork in flour and thicken the sauce at the end, so the mushrooms and dry Marsala wine are what you notice first.

Pork Marsala Made with Boneless Pork Chops and a Mushroom Marsala Sauce

I make my pork Marsala with thin boneless pork chops, lots of mushrooms, dry Marsala wine, shallots, and thyme. The chops cook quickly, and I make the mushroom sauce in the same skillet.

I’ve ordered restaurant chicken Marsala more times than I can remember, but unless someone has taken the time to pound the chicken nice and thin, I’m usually wishing I’d ordered something else. Somewhere along the way I realized I wasn’t ordering it for the chicken anyway. I wanted the mushrooms, the sauce, and all the browned parts left in the pan. The chicken was mostly there to help get everything else back to my fork.

At home I started making it with thin boneless pork loin chops instead. They give me more browned surface for the mushroom sauce, cook quickly, and have become my favorite way to make Marsala, especially when there’s enough mushroom sauce to spoon over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.

What Makes This Recipe Different

I stick with ½-inch boneless pork loin chops because they cook quickly while still giving the mushroom Marsala sauce plenty of browned surface to work with. The thinner cut is what makes this faster than traditional Marsala recipes without needing to pound something first.
I skip the traditional flour coating on the pork and thicken the sauce at the end instead. This keeps the mushrooms and dry Marsala wine as the focus instead of making a heavier sauce from the dredge.
Dry Marsala is what keeps the sauce savory and works better with the mushrooms, shallots, and thyme than sweet Marsala.
I treat the mushrooms like a main part of the recipe, not something added at the end. Cooking them with the shallots and thyme makes them as important as the pork chops.
Everything is cooked in the same skillet, so the browned bits left behind by the pork become part of the mushroom Marsala sauce.

Ingredients

Boneless pork loin chops – Thin-cut chops brown quickly and stay tender without a long cooking time. Trim any excess fat before seasoning so they cook evenly in the skillet.
Kosher salt – Seasons the pork before it goes into the skillet and enhances the flavor of the finished sauce.
Freshly ground black pepper – Seasons the pork without competing with the mushrooms and Marsala.
Olive oil – Enough to brown the pork first and then cook the mushrooms and shallots in the same skillet.
Mushrooms – Cremini have a slightly deeper flavor, but white mushrooms are fine too. Let them release their moisture and brown before adding the broth and Marsala.
Shallot – Softer and a little sweeter than regular onion, which goes well with the Marsala sauce.
Thyme – Fresh or dried. It pairs naturally with the mushrooms and Marsala.
Low-sodium chicken broth – Gives the sauce more body while letting you control the final seasoning.
Dry Marsala wine – Dry Marsala from the wine section is my first choice, but dry Marsala cooking wine will work if that’s what you have.
Cornstarch – Thickens the sauce at the end without needing to coat the pork in flour first.
Cold water – Mixed with the cornstarch to create a smooth slurry before adding it to the skillet.

How to Make Pork Marsala

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

Step One (season and cook the pork chops)
Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and black pepper. Heat a large 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick skillet over medium heat, then add 2 teaspoons (10 ml) olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the pork chops and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until browned and just cooked through. Move them to a plate and loosely cover with foil while you make the sauce.
Step Two (brown the mushrooms)
Add the remaining olive oil to the same skillet, then add the mushrooms, shallot, and thyme. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have browned and the extra moisture has cooked off. Don’t rush the mushrooms. Letting them spend enough time in the skillet is what gives the sauce more flavor.
Step Three (make the Marsala sauce)
Pour in the chicken broth and dry Marsala wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the sauce simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl, then slowly stir the mixture into the sauce. Cook for another minute or two, until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon.
Step Four (finish the dish)
Add the pork chops and any juices from the plate back to the skillet. Spoon the mushroom Marsala sauce over the top and let everything warm together for about a minute. Serve with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or rice because leaving that sauce behind would be the real mistake.

Recipe Tips

Make sure the skillet is hot before adding the pork chops. A good sear happens quickly with thin pork, and you want browning on the outside before the inside overcooks.
Give the mushrooms enough time in the skillet before adding the liquid. Mushrooms release a lot of moisture first, and the flavor gets better once that cooks away and they start to brown.
Use dry Marsala wine for this recipe. Sweet Marsala will make it much sweeter than intended.
If your pork chops are thicker than the ones I suggest, add more cooking time and use a meat thermometer instead of relying only on minutes.
Stir the cornstarch mixture again right before adding it to the sauce.
Don’t simmer the pork chops in the finished sauce for too long. They only need to warm back through so they stay tender.

Storage

Store leftover pork Marsala in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, warm in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a splash of chicken broth if the Marsala sauce has thickened too much after chilling.
You can also reheat leftovers in the microwave using a lower power setting to help keep the pork from overcooking.
Freeze pork Marsala for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

FAQs

Can I use bone-in pork chops for pork Marsala?
Yes, but they will need more time than thin boneless pork chops. Use a meat thermometer and cook until the pork reaches 145°F (63°C).
Can I use pork tenderloin instead?
Yes. Slice pork tenderloin into medallions about ½ to ¾ inch thick and cook just until done. The cooking time may vary slightly because tenderloin is a different cut.
Can I make pork Marsala without wine?
Yes. Apple cider is the closest nonalcoholic substitute I recommend. Since it’s sweeter than dry Marsala, add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and a pinch of ground nutmeg to bring it closer to the flavor of the original sauce.
Can I make pork Marsala with sweet Marsala wine?
You can, but I prefer dry Marsala for this recipe. Sweet Marsala changes the flavor of the sauce and takes away from the savory mushroom flavor.
What should I serve with pork Marsala?
Mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, and rice are all great choices because they soak up the mushroom Marsala sauce.
How do I know when pork chops are cooked?
I pull these thin pork chops from the skillet when they’re just cooked through because they’ll continue cooking as they rest. After a 3-minute rest, they should reach the USDA-recommended internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

Sometimes the thing you thought you loved was only part of the reason you kept coming back.
The sauce usually knows before everybody else does.
Because a good sauce knows what belongs together.
Some things do their best work without being the center of the plate.
There is a difference between supporting something and disappearing behind it.
It’s always the strongest flavors that come from what had time to develop.
The best parts are not always the ones that get named first.
A little time changes things. That’s often the missing ingredient.
The thing holding everything together rarely asks for credit.
It’s not that some things are second choices. They’re often waiting for the right combination.
Mushrooms have never been in a hurry to tell the whole story.
The right match does not make either side smaller.
A little distance has a way of concentrating things.
There’s a very big difference between changing something and replacing it.
There are options that feel unexpected because nobody tried them sooner.
It can take a little time for everything else to catch up.
Things get better when they stop trying to be what everyone expected.
I pay attention to things most people walk past.

More Boneless Pork Chop Recipes

Pork Chops with Balsamic Fig Sauce – Shallots, figs, and a rich pan sauce.
Peach Chutney Pork Chops – Fresh fruit, ginger, and shallots.
Orange Glazed Pork Chops – Five ingredients with a tangy orange glaze.
Pork Cutlets with Apples – A mix of sweet and tart apples.
Sheet Pan Pork Chops – Potatoes and broccoli cook alongside.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Pork Marsala

This pork Marsala is made with thin boneless pork chops, mushrooms, dry Marsala wine, shallots, and thyme. It's a one-skillet dinner that's ready in about 20 minutes.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Boneless Pork Chops with Balsamic-Fig Reduction, boneless pork loin chops, mushroom Marsala sauce, Pork Chops Marsala, pork chops with mushrooms, Pork Marsala, pork Marsala recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 285kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

measuring cups and spoons For accurate measuring of ingredients.
Cutting board For preparing the mushrooms.
Knife For slicing the mushrooms.
nonstick skillet 12-inch (30 cm) Cooks the pork chops and sauce.
tongs For turning the pork chops.
mixing bowls (small) For mixing the cornstarch slurry.
whisk Creates a smooth slurry.
digital thermometer (optional). Checks for pork doneness.

Ingredients

4 (4 oz / 113 g each /452 g total) boneless pork loin chops ½-inch (1.3 cm) thick, trimmed of excess fat
salt and pepper
3 tsps (15 ml) olive oil divided
1 package (8-10 oz / 227-284 g) sliced cremini or white mushrooms
¼ cup (40 g) chopped shallot
½ tsp (0.5 g) dried thyme or 1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup (80 ml) dry Marsala cooking wine or dry Marsala drinking wine
1 tsp (4 g) cornstarch
1 tsp (5 ml) cold water

Instructions

Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and black pepper.
4 (4 oz / 113 g each /452 g total) boneless pork loin chops , salt and pepper
Heat a large 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add 2 teaspoons (10 ml) olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the pork chops and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until browned and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and loosely tent with foil while you prepare the sauce.
3 tsps (15 ml) olive oil
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil to the skillet. Stir in the mushrooms, shallot, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned and most of their moisture has evaporated.
1 package (8-10 oz / 227-284 g) sliced cremini , ¼ cup (40 g) chopped shallot, ½ tsp (0.5 g) dried thyme
Pour in the chicken broth and dry Marsala wine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, ⅓ cup (80 ml) dry Marsala cooking wine
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Slowly stir the slurry into the sauce and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon.
1 tsp (4 g) cornstarch , 1 tsp (5 ml) cold water
Return the pork chops and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Spoon the mushroom Marsala sauce over the pork and cook for about 1 minute, just until heated through. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Dry Marsala wine. You can use Holland House Marsala Cooking Wine because it's easy to find and works well in this recipe. If you're using a bottle of drinking Marsala, choose a dry Marsala rather than a sweet one. The drinking version does impart a more authentic and nuanced flavor to the dish.
Thin, ½-inch (1.3 cm) boneless pork loin chops cook quickly and stay tender. If your chops are thicker, increase the cooking time as needed.
Remove the pork chops from the skillet when they're just cooked through. They'll continue cooking slightly while they rest and finish warming through when returned to the sauce.
Let the mushrooms brown before adding the broth and Marsala wine. Cooking off their moisture first creates a richer mushroom sauce.

Nutrition

Have you made this Pork Marsala? I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Pork Marsala appeared first on Noble Pig.

Bourbon Peach Country Style Ribs

Cathy Pollak — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 17:21:54 +0000

My bourbon peach country style ribs combine fork-tender pork shoulder with a smooth peach bourbon barbecue sauce made from fresh peaches. Part of the glaze caramelizes onto the meat during the final bake while the rest is served warm alongside.

Tender Country Style Ribs with Fresh Peach Bourbon BBQ Sauce

No one gives country style ribs as much attention as baby back ribs, but they’re one of my favorite cuts for oven baking. Because they’re cut from the pork shoulder, they have enough marbling and connective tissue to stay moist during a long cook while becoming tender enough to pull apart with a fork.

Country style ribs belonged to my mom because they didn’t require a grill, and according to her, grills were men’s equipment. My dad made baby backs outside and turned it into a full-blown cooking event. There was charcoal and sauce and all the general cooking mess that seemed to come with ribs. My mom wanted no part of any of it. She made country style ribs in the oven because it was Tuesday and we needed dinner.

We had country style ribs more often because of that. They were messy and sticky and easier to eat than baby backs, and I still crave them for reasons that have very little to do with barbecue and a lot to do with ordinary dinners. There are foods that become attached to birthdays and holidays. Others become attached to regular nights when everyone was home and hungry, and it seems those are the ones that have followed me the longest.

My country ribs are a little different from the ones I grew up with. I have no idea what sauce my mom used. It was probably something store-bought, and honestly it was good enough. But I live in Oregon now, where summer peaches seem bent on working their way into lots of things, and my dad always liked bourbon. Fresh peaches cooked down with bourbon and barbecue sauce feel like both of them found their way into the same pan.

I brush part of the sauce onto the ribs and it caramelizes into a sticky glaze during the final bake. I warm the rest and serve it alongside the ribs because I’ve never once regretted having extra barbecue sauce on the table.

With Father’s Day this weekend, I’ve been thinking about my dad and his baby back ribs. The ones I used to watch him make in the backyard. But somehow I ended up next to the oven making my mother’s country style ribs with peaches from Oregon and bourbon that would have made my dad happy. Funny how food puts people back together.

What Makes This Recipe Different

Every summer I do this thing where I start looking for places to use peaches that aren’t dessert. And this round I wanted them to become part of the barbecue sauce. I cooked them down, blended them smooth, and turned them into something that tastes peachy without tasting like I poured preserves over a rack of ribs.
If I was going to go through the trouble of making the sauce, I wanted it to show up in a few different places. Mostly because I didn’t want the peach flavor disappearing into the bottom of the pan. Some cooks with the ribs during the long bake, some gets brushed on during the final caramelizing stage, and the rest gets warmed and served alongside. It’s a three-part process.
One of the best things about country style ribs is that they’re cut from the pork shoulder and are a very forgiving cut of meat. They have enough marbling to spend hours in the oven and still pull apart with a fork. They’re also big, meaty pieces that can handle a thick glaze without being overwhelmed by it.
I didn’t originally blend the peaches. The first sauce I made had little pieces of peach in it, and while it tasted good, the fruit kept sliding off the ribs when I brushed it on. Blending everything together changed the sauce completely. It coated the meat evenly and caramelized into a sticky glaze instead of acting like barbecue sauce with peaches stirred into it.
The low-and-slow bake and the final high-heat bake are doing two different things. The covered bake is where the ribs become tender. The hotter final bake is where the glaze reduces, gets sticky around the edges, and starts holding on to the meat.
I think these ribs are even better the next day. The peach flavor is easier to pick out, and it tastes like it had a night to get acquainted.

Ingredients

Country Style Pork Ribs – Despite the name, these are cut from the pork shoulder rather than the rib section. I like them because they’re forgiving and stay tender. I think this is why I preferred them as a kid.
Kosher Salt – Salt, the only rock humans can eat. It also seasons the ribs and gives the spice rub something to hold onto.
Brown Sugar – In both the rub and the sauce. It balances the smoky spices and helps the glaze become sticky and caramelized during the final bake. Make your own homemade brown sugar if you’re out.
Smoked Paprika, Chili Powder, Black Pepper, and Cayenne Pepper – These shape the barbecue flavor. The smoked paprika adds smokiness, the chili powder adds warmth, the black pepper is doing what black pepper does, and the cayenne gives everything a little nudge.
Garlic Powder and Onion Powder – I almost always use this combination in barbecue rubs. They add savory flavor and don’t compete with the peaches.
Fresh Peaches – I love adding peaches to things that aren’t dessert. Once cooked and blended, the peaches become part of the sauce itself instead of fruit just stirred into barbecue sauce.
Bourbon – Simmering the bourbon with the peaches softens its sharper edge. It leaves behind a warm flavor that is a really good match for pork and peaches.
Barbecue Sauce – I’m starting with bottled barbecue sauce because it gives me a head start. Because remember, we want something easy enough for Tuesday night dinner. The peaches, bourbon, vinegar, Worcestershire, and brown sugar change it enough that it ends up tasting like its own thing. I like starting with a prepared honey BBQ, hickory, or spicy BBQ flavor. If I’m feeling more heat, I will add a teaspoon of chipotle chili powder for fun.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Worcestershire Sauce – The peaches, brown sugar, and barbecue sauce have the sweetness handled, so the vinegar and Worcestershire keep everything from going too far in a sweet direction and make sure the sauce still tastes firmly like barbecue.

How to Make Bourbon Peach Country Style Ribs

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

Step One (season the ribs)
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Stir together the kosher salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne, then rub the mixture all over the ribs. Arrange them in a single layer in a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish. One of the reasons I like country style ribs so much is that they’re hard to dry out. They come from the pork shoulder, so they have enough marbling to sit in the oven for hours and still come out juicy.
Step Two (make the peach bourbon sauce)
Add the peaches to a saucepan over medium heat and cook them until they’ve softened and released their juices. Pour in the bourbon and let it simmer for a few minutes, then stir in the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire. Blend everything until smooth. The first time I made the sauce I left the peaches chunky, but the fruit pieces kept sliding off the ribs during glazing. The blended version coated the meat much more evenly.
Step Three (bake until tender)
Pour about one-third of the sauce over the ribs and reserve the rest. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the ribs are very tender. Country style ribs can fool you because they often look finished before they are. I always poke one with a fork. When they’re ready, the meat gives way with very little resistance.
Step Four (glaze and caramelize)
Remove the foil and drain off some of the liquid if there’s a lot in the bottom of the pan. Brush the ribs with another portion of the reserved sauce. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F (205°C) and return the ribs to the oven uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, brushing with more sauce once or twice along the way. At this point the ribs are already tender. This part is all about reducing the glaze until it gets sticky around the edges and starts sticking to the meat.
Step Five (rest and serve)
Let the ribs rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Warm the remaining sauce and serve it alongside. I always save extra sauce because the peach flavor is easiest to pick out in the portion that didn’t spend three hours in the oven.

Recipe Tips

Use ripe peaches because firmer peaches eventually break down, but ripe ones melt into the sauce much more willingly.
Blend the sauce until it’s completely smooth. The first time I made it, I left little pieces of peach in the sauce, and while it tasted good, the fruit mostly wanted to abandon ship and slide right off the ribs.
Country style ribs can look finished before they’re tender. If you poke one with a fork and it still feels like it has something to prove, give it more time.
Don’t pour all of the sauce over the ribs at the beginning. Some of it belongs in the pan and some belongs caramelizing onto the ribs. The rest deserves to stay in the saucepan waiting for dinner.
If there’s a lot of liquid in the baking dish after the covered bake, drain some off before glazing. Use a large spoon or carefully tilt the pan to pour it out. Otherwise the sauce will have a harder time getting sticky.
Let the ribs rest for about 10 minutes before serving. The glaze thickens slightly as it cools, and the ribs are considerably less likely to remove the roof of your mouth.

Storage

Store leftover ribs and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat the ribs covered in a 300°F (150°C) oven until warmed through. Low and slow works for reheating too.
The sauce usually thickens after spending a night in the refrigerator. I just warm it gently and call it good.
Freeze the ribs and sauce together for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
The peach flavor is easier to pick out the next day, so don’t feel bad about leftovers. It becomes obvious the peaches need a nap before introducing themselves properly.

FAQs

Can I use frozen peaches?
Yes. Thaw them first and cook them until softened. Once they’re blended into the sauce, frozen peaches do a remarkably convincing impression of fresh ones.
Can I substitute peach preserves?
Sure. The sauce will be sweeter and a little more jammy. It works, but using fresh peaches is what gives this recipe its character.
Do I have to blend the sauce?
No, but I prefer it blended. I wanted the peaches to become the sauce, not little pieces of fruit floating around in barbecue sauce.
What are country style ribs?
Despite the name, they’re usually cut from the pork shoulder rather than the rib section. Think of them as exceptionally well-behaved pieces of pork shoulder that happen to be shaped like ribs.
Why use country style ribs instead of baby backs?
Because they’re forgiving, meaty, and hard to dry out. They’re also much easier to eat with a fork when they’ve had enough time in the oven. And you don’t need a grill.
Can I make these without bourbon?
Yes. Apple juice is an easy substitute and works really well with the peaches.
Can I make the sauce ahead of time?
Yes. The sauce can be made a few days ahead and kept in the refrigerator.
Why are my ribs tough?
They needed more oven time. Country style ribs are on their own schedule.
How do I know when they’re done?
A fork should slide in with very little resistance. Somewhere around 195°F to 205°F (91°C to 96°C) is where they finally give up and become tender.
Can I make the ribs ahead of time?
Yes. Bake the ribs, refrigerate them, and reheat them with extra sauce before serving.
Why is my sauce too thin?
Keep simmering it. The peaches release quite a bit of juice at first, but the sauce thickens as it reduces.
Can I make these in a slow cooker?
You can, but you’ll miss the sticky, caramelized edges that happen during the final bake. And really, the edges are what makes them.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

Some foods have remained in my memory because it was special. Others because it kept being served on Tuesdays.
Every family has foods that belong to one parent, even if nobody ever officially decided it.
As an adult you realize your parents had favorite things too.
It’s interesting how accidental traditions can stay with us for the rest of our lives.
Sometimes nostalgia is just remembering what happened often enough.
There are meals that became part of me even though they were never meant to be memorable.
Some foods don’t have a specific memory, but remind me of an entire era.
I recall a lot of childhood memories through flavors.
Some of my favorite things are the things I originally took for granted.
I get attached to ordinary stuff.
I don’t think enough credit is given to things that are dependable. I don’t have the bandwidth for things I can’t count on.
Sometimes I underestimate how much affection can hide inside ordinary dinners.
A surprising amount of my life has been assembled from things that never looked important at the time.
There are recipes we inherit and recipes we slowly become.
I don’t think I’m nearly as good at letting go of familiar things as I think I am.
Some ingredients seem determined to find each other again no matter how many years pass in between.
Some combinations seem inevitable once they happen. Recipes and people.
The things that stay with me are often combinations of people who never realized they were making something together.
Some things only become interesting after enough years have passed.
There are foods that practically require a stack of napkins and a complete disregard for dignity. I like those.

What Ends Up on My Plate with These Ribs

Rainbow Macaroni Salad — creamy, cold, and colorful.
Smoked Corn on the Cob — sweet corn, seasoned butter and smoky flavor.
German Potato Salad — bacon, Dijon, and whole grain mustard.
Corn Succotash — corn, edamame, bacon, and tomatoes.
Pineapple Coleslaw — sweet, tangy, and refreshing.
No-Knead Peasant Bread — baked in a Pyrex bowl and perfect for extra peach bourbon sauce.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Bourbon Peach Country Style Ribs

Bourbon peach country style ribs are tender oven-baked ribs glazed with a peach bourbon barbecue sauce made from fresh peaches. Part of the sauce cooks with the ribs, part caramelizes during the final bake, and the rest is served warm alongside.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword bourbon peach country style ribs, country style pork ribs, oven baked country style ribs, peach barbecue ribs, peach bbq ribs, peach bourbon barbecue sauce, pork shoulder ribs

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 20

Servings

Calories 485kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

baking dish 9x13 (23x33 cm). Holds the ribs in a single layer for even cooking.
Saucepan (medium). Used to cook the peaches and build the sauce.
Immersion blender (or regular blender). Cretaes a smooth glaze by blending the peaches directly into the sauce.
aluminum foil Covers the baking dish during the slow cooking stage.
basting brush Makes it easier to apply the glaze during the final bake.
digital thermometer Helpful for checking tenderness. Country style ribs are often most tender between 195°F and 205°F (91°C to 96°C).

Ingredients

Ribs:

2 tsps (12 g) kosher salt
1 tbsp (13 g) light brown sugar
1 tsp (2 g) smoked paprika
2 tsps (5 g) chili powder
½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder
½ tsp (1.5 g) onion powder
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper
¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
3 lbs (1.36 kg) boneless country style ribs

Sauce:

3 fresh peaches peeled and diced
½ cup (120 ml) bourbon
1 cup (240 g) barbecue sauce
2 tbsps (25 g) light brown sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Combine the kosher salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Rub the seasoning mixture evenly over the country style ribs and arrange them in a single layer in a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish.
2 tsps (12 g) kosher salt, 1 tbsp (13 g) light brown sugar, 1 tsp (2 g) smoked paprika, 2 tsps (5 g) chili powder, ½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder, ½ tsp (1.5 g) onion powder, ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper, 3 lbs (1.36 kg) boneless country style ribs
Add the diced peaches to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peaches soften and release their juices, about 4 to 5 minutes. Pour in the bourbon and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to reduce the sharp alcohol flavor.
3 fresh peaches, ½ cup (120 ml) bourbon
Stir in the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Blend the mixture directly in the saucepan with an immersion blender until smooth.
1 cup (240 g) barbecue sauce, 2 tbsps (25 g) light brown sugar, 1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
Pour about one-third of the peach bourbon barbecue sauce over the ribs, reserving the remaining sauce for glazing and serving. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the ribs are very tender.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and discard the foil. If there is a large amount of liquid in the bottom of the pan, carefully drain off some before continuing.
Brush the ribs with another third of the reserved sauce. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F (205°C) and return the ribs to the oven uncovered. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, brushing once or twice more with sauce during baking, until the glaze is sticky and caramelized.
Let the ribs rest for 10 minutes before serving. Warm the remaining sauce and serve it alongside the ribs.

Notes

Country style ribs are typically cut from the pork shoulder rather than the rib section. Their marbling makes them particularly well suited for long, slow cooking.
Use ripe peaches for the best flavor and texture. Firmer peaches may require additional cooking time before blending.
If using frozen peaches, thaw them first and cook until softened before blending into the sauce.
Country style ribs are done when they become tender, not necessarily when the timer ends. If a fork still meets resistance, continue baking until the connective tissue has fully softened.
If excess liquid accumulates in the baking dish during baking, drain some before glazing to help the sauce caramelize more effectively.
The sauce can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
For a non-alcoholic version, substitute apple juice/cider for the bourbon.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

If you’re making these Bourbon Peach Country Style Ribs, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Have you made these Bourbon Peach Country Style Ribs? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Bourbon Peach Country Style Ribs appeared first on Noble Pig.

White Lasagna Soup

Cathy Pollak — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:20:23 +0000

White lasagna soup turns creamy white lasagna into a rich, cheesy soup loaded with sausage, chicken, spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and broken lasagna noodles. The broth gets its flavor from melted cheeses and a little nutmeg, giving it all the flavor of white lasagna without the layering.

White Lasagna Soup with Ricotta, Spinach, and Sausage

I wanted this white lasagna soup to take everything good about a bubbling white lasagna and turn it into a rich, creamy soup with broken lasagna noodles, sausage, shredded chicken, spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan melted right into the broth. A little nutmeg gives the soup that unmistakable white lasagna flavor while the noodles and melted cheeses make it feel somewhere between a bowl of soup and a baked pasta dinner.

As someone Eastern European, I feel like you’re basically born holding a soup spoon. We do not care what month it is. Soup is year-round food. Summer just means some of the soups are cold instead of hot. Even now, heading into summer, Oregon somehow still manages to feel technically warm while also making you want melted cheese and a giant bowl of something steaming by dinner.

I’ve never really followed seasonal food logic anyway. When I lived in Southern California, I drove a convertible and the top was always down. If it was hot, the air conditioning was blasting. If it was cold, the heater was blasting. If I want soup in July, I’ll blast the air conditioning at home. Same logic applies to soup. If I want white lasagna soup in May, I’m making white lasagna soup in May. Life is short. Hand me the ricotta. And preferably a chunk of bread for the extra broth left behind.

I also tend to prefer white sauces over red almost every time. My white pizza sauce, a quick fettuccine Alfredo, creamy pan sauces, all of it. Not because I dislike tomato sauces, but because there’s something about garlic, black pepper, melted cheese, and a little nutmeg folded into a creamy sauce that feels comforting in a way red sauces never fully pull off for me.

This is the kind of soup that feels far more involved than it really is. The cheeses melt into the broth, the lasagna noodles soften right in the pot, and somehow dinner ends up tasting like the best parts of white lasagna without having to layer a single thing.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

I flavored the broth with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, cream, sausage, garlic, and a small amount of nutmeg instead of a tomato-based sauce, which gives the soup the same flavor profile as white lasagna without having to make a layered casserole.
Ricotta changes the texture of the soup differently than cream cheese or a thickened Alfredo-style base. Instead of turning the broth dense, the ricotta softens into the soup and gives it the flavor of white lasagna filling once everything melts together.
The uneven pieces of broken lasagna noodles give the soup the same layered pasta texture you get from baked lasagna once they soften in the broth. Smaller pasta shapes will work, but they turn the soup closer to creamy chicken noodle soup instead of lasagna.
A small amount of nutmeg is one of the flavors I associate with white lasagna. It’s subtle, but it keeps the soup from tasting like a generic cream soup.
I found using both sausage and shredded chicken keeps the soup balanced. The sausage adds richness while the chicken keeps the soup from feeling overly heavy once all the cheeses melt in.
The cheeses get stirred in at the very end over low heat so the broth stays smooth and creamy instead of thickening up or becoming grainy.

Ingredients

Ground sausage – The sausage gives the broth a rich, savory flavor that keeps the soup from tasting dull once all the dairy goes in. Letting some of it brown properly instead of constantly stirring it makes a big difference in the final flavor.
Onion – Softens into the broth and gives the soup that slow-cooked lasagna flavor without needing a long simmer.
Butter and flour – This small roux lightly thickens the broth so the cheeses melt in smoothly instead of separating or floating around independently.
Garlic – White lasagna without garlic feels incorrect.
Italian seasoning – Gives the soup that distinctive baked-lasagna flavor.
Garlic powder and onion powder – These fill in the background flavor of the broth and make it taste fuller once the cream and cheeses go in.
Salt and black pepper – The cheeses and sausage already bring salt, which is why low-sodium chicken stock helps keep the broth balanced. Black pepper matters more in white sauces than you realize.
Nutmeg – Enough to give the broth a classic white lasagna flavor. You shouldn’t immediately think “nutmeg” when you taste the soup.
Low-sodium chicken stock – Adds enough body to support all the cheese without turning the soup overly heavy or salty once everything cooks together.
Lasagna noodles – Broken lasagna noodles make the soup feel much closer to lasagna than smaller pasta shapes do. The uneven pieces also catch more of the ricotta-rich broth.
Shredded chicken – Keeps the soup hearty without making it feel overwhelmingly rich once the sausage, cream, and cheeses all melt together.
Baby spinach – Adds freshness and breaks up some of the richness without turning the soup into “healthy soup,” which I appreciate.
Heavy cream – Gives the broth its silky texture and helps the cheeses melt together smoothly.
Ricotta cheese – Ricotta is what gives the soup its lasagna identity. It softens into the broth and tastes much more like lasagna filling than cream cheese or Alfredo-style soups.
Mozzarella cheese – Melts into the soup and gives it that stretchy baked-lasagna quality once everything comes together.
Parmesan cheese – Adds salt, nuttiness, and depth to the broth while helping the soup taste more like a baked pasta dish instead of plain cream soup.

How To Make White Lasagna Soup

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

Step One (brown the sausage and onions)
Add the sausage and diced onion to a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Break the sausage apart with a wooden spoon while it cooks until the onion softens and the sausage develops some darker golden edges. Don’t rush this part. Those browned bits are what keep the broth from tasting overly rich once all the cream and cheese go in later.
Step Two (create the white lasagna flavor)
Add the butter, flour, garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Stir everything together for about 2 minutes until the garlic smells good and the flour completely disappears into the sausage mixture. The nutmeg is subtle, but important.
Step Three (cook the noodles)
Pour in the chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the broken lasagna noodles. Cook until the noodles are just tender, about 8 to 11 minutes. They keep softening in the hot broth afterward, so slightly underdone works better.
Step Four (make it creamy)
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the shredded chicken, spinach, heavy cream, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Keep stirring until the ricotta softens into the broth and the cheeses fully melt. The whole pot starts tasting a lot closer to white lasagna than regular soup.
Step Five (serve)
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve with a slice of my crusty roasted garlic rosemary artisan bread, plenty of black pepper, or another spoonful of ricotta over the top if you’re prepared for that level of dairy commitment.

Recipe Tips

Keep the heat low once the cheeses go into the soup. Boiling the dairy for too long can make the broth thicken instead of staying smooth and creamy.
The noodles continue absorbing broth as the soup sits, especially overnight. If the leftovers feel thicker the next day, add a splash of chicken stock while reheating to loosen the broth back up.
Break the lasagna noodles unevenly instead of making perfectly identical pieces. The irregular shapes make the soup feel much closer to a pan of lasagna.
If you want the soup to hold up longer for leftovers, kale works better than spinach since it stays firmer after reheating.
Freshly shredded mozzarella melts more smoothly into the broth than pre-shredded cheese because it doesn’t contain the same anti-caking powders.
Let the sausage get properly browned before adding the broth. Pale sausage changes the final flavor more than you’d think once all the dairy goes in.
Ricotta melts into the broth more easily if it sits at room temperature for a little while before adding it to the soup.
White lasagna soup thickens quickly as it cools, which somehow makes the leftovers taste even more like lasagna the next day.

Storage

This soup thickens considerably in the refrigerator because the noodles continue absorbing liquid overnight. The flavor gets even better by the next day, but you’ll probably need extra chicken stock when reheating to loosen the broth back up.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Reheat gently over low heat on the stove instead of blasting it over high heat. Cream-based soups stay much smoother reheated slowly.
You can freeze the soup, but the texture does change once thawed because of the dairy and noodles. If freezing, it works best before adding the noodles and spinach.
This is one of those soups that mysteriously disappears before storage advice becomes relevant.

FAQs

What makes white lasagna soup different from regular lasagna soup?
White lasagna soup skips the tomato-based sauce and heads into the creamy cheese side of lasagna instead. Ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, cream, garlic, and nutmeg give the broth the flavor of white lasagna filling rather than classic red-sauce lasagna.
Can I use oven-ready lasagna noodles?
Yes, although they usually soften a little faster than regular lasagna noodles. Keep an eye on them so they don’t get too mushy in the broth.
Why does the soup thicken overnight?
The lasagna noodles continue absorbing broth as the soup sits in the refrigerator. That’s completely normal and part of why the leftovers taste even more like lasagna the next day.
Can I make white lasagna soup ahead of time?
Yes. The flavor gets even better after sitting for a few hours or overnight. Just plan on adding extra chicken stock while reheating since the noodles absorb quite a bit of liquid.
Can I substitute kale for spinach?
Definitely. Kale holds up better during reheating and gives the soup a slightly heartier texture than spinach.
Why add ricotta directly into the broth?
Ricotta gives the soup its white lasagna flavor and texture.
Why does the soup need nutmeg?
You shouldn’t immediately taste nutmeg in the soup. It’s there to push the flavor toward classic white lasagna.

From My Kitchen Notes

Observations I can’t ignore.

White sauces feel less stable than red sauces. They’re richer, more temperamental, and somehow always one degree away from becoming a life decision. I sort of enjoy the roller coaster vibe.
There are people who civilly sprinkle Parmesan over soup and people who continue until the surface becomes architecturally questionable. I will like you more if you’re more reckless with cheese.
Ricotta has the energy of somebody insisting they’re soft while silently running the entire operation.
Lasagna noodles broken by hand somehow taste better than neatly cut ones. I think it’s because frustration is technically seasoning.
White lasagna soup is what happens when baked pasta stops acting like it has boundaries.
Some things look casual right up until you realize how long they’ve been simmering.
The amount of extra ricotta somebody adds to their own bowl tells you almost everything you need to know about how they approach pleasure.
I like the way soup changes the pacing of a house. Everyone sits longer and conversations stretch out.
Some recipes reveal themselves slowly enough that by the time you understand them, you’re already attached.
I’ve noticed there are people who carefully twirl lasagna noodles and those of us who will chase one slippery noodle around the bowl. We both deserve happiness.
The second bowl usually tells the truth the first one was trying to hide.
I love the silence that follows after one slurp of this soup. It’s not shyness, it’s the dairy winning.
The best soups are made by somebody who wanted you to stay longer than you planned.
Some recipes don’t really improve your life. They just make you significantly less willing to leave the house afterward.
There are people who leave one serving in the pot for others and people who scrape the bottom while maintaining direct eye contact. Complex moral terrain.
Some soups improve after sitting overnight. Other things do too.
Some recipes slowly become part of your life before you realize how often you’re making them.
Some flavors keep unfolding long after dinner’s officially over.
Certain people always make their way toward the stove eventually.
Ricotta softens slowly. Forcing it usually makes the texture worse.
It takes surprisingly little nutmeg to completely change the direction of a sauce.
Some things thicken gradually while nobody’s paying attention.
There’s a difference between somebody stopping by the kitchen and somebody finding reasons to stay there.
There are meals that taste familiar immediately and others that reveal themselves one spoonful at a time.
Certain recipes stop being occasional the moment somebody realizes they’d miss them if they disappeared.
There’s a point where melted cheese, cream, and time stop acting like separate ingredients and become one thing entirely.
Some things spend so long becoming part of your routine that one day you realize they quietly became part of you instead.
Some recipes take a long time to say what they were doing the entire time.
Certain things become impossible to replace once they’ve worked their way into your system.
There are combinations that shouldn’t feel this comforting together and yet somehow do.

More Comfort Food Worth Staying Home For

Marry Me Melting Cabbage – creamy Tuscan-inspired cabbage
Baked Manicotti – ricotta, spinach, marinara, and sharp cheddar
Ricotta Stuffed Shells – ricotta-filled pasta shells baked in sauce
Calabrian Chili Rigatoni – creamy tomato sauce with Calabrian chilis
Creamy Chicken and Rice Poblano Soup – charred poblano, chicken, rice, and creamy broth

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White Lasagna Soup

White Lasagna Soup combines sausage, shredded chicken, broken lasagna noodles, spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan in a creamy broth that tastes like white lasagna in soup form. The cheeses melt directly into the stock while a small pinch of nutmeg gives the soup that classic white lasagna flavor.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian-American

Keyword creamy lasagna soup, lasagna soup with ricotta, white chicken lasagna soup, white lasagna soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings to 6

Calories 420kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

Dutch Oven or soup pot. Holds the broth and pasta comfortably without boiling over.
wooden spoon Helps break apart the sausage while cooking.
measuring cups and spoons For accurate seasoning and liquid measurements.
Ladle Makes serving the thick, creamy soup easier.

Ingredients

1 lb (454 g) ground sausage
1 medium yellow onion diced
2 tbsps (28 g) butter
2 tbsps (16 g) all-purpose flour
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp (6 g) Italian seasoning
1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder
1 tsp (2 g) onion powder
½ tsp (3 g) table salt
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper
⅛ tsp (0.5 g) freshly grated or ground nutmeg
8 cups (64 oz / 1.9 L / 1920 g) low-sodium chicken stock or broth
8 lasagna noodles broken into bite-sized pieces
4 cups (560 g) shredded cooked chicken
4 cups (120 g) baby spinach
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
1 cup (245 g) whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup (113 g) shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
1 cup (100 g) shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Add the ground sausage and onion to a large pot over medium heat. Cook, breaking the sausage apart with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned and the onion softens. Let some of the sausage develop deeper golden edges for extra flavor.
1 lb (454 g) ground sausage, 1 medium yellow onion
Add the butter, flour, garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Stir continuously for 2 minutes, until the garlic smells fragrant and the flour is fully incorporated.
2 tbsps (28 g) butter, 2 tbsps (16 g) all-purpose flour, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp (6 g) Italian seasoning, 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder, 1 tsp (2 g) onion powder, ½ tsp (3 g) table salt, ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, ⅛ tsp (0.5 g) freshly grated or ground nutmeg
Pour in the chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the broken lasagna noodles and cook until the noodles are just tender, about 8 to 11 minutes.
8 cups (64 oz / 1.9 L / 1920 g) low-sodium chicken stock, 8 lasagna noodles
Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the shredded chicken, spinach, heavy cream, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the ricotta softens into the broth and the cheeses melt completely. Cook for another 2 minutes, until the spinach wilts.
4 cups (560 g) shredded cooked chicken, 4 cups (120 g) baby spinach, 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, 1 cup (245 g) whole milk ricotta cheese, 1 cup (113 g) shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, 1 cup (100 g) shredded Parmesan cheese
Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot with crusty bread and extra ricotta or black pepper on top if desired.

Notes

The soup thickens as it sits because the noodles continue absorbing broth. Add additional chicken stock when reheating leftovers if needed.
Kale can be substituted for spinach if preferred.

If you’re making this White Lasagna Soup, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Have you made this White Lasagna Soup? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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