Pork

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Rub both sides of 4 8-oz pork chops, bone-in, ¾” – 1” thick with sage; season with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Place pork chops onto the baking sheet and roast until the pork is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 140˚F, about 12-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, return skillet to medium high heat and melt 2 tbsp butter. Add 2 sliced apples (or pears), ½ thinly sliced onion, 2 tbsp brown sugar, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples just begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in 3 tbsp maple syrup, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Serve pork chops immediately, topped with apple mixture.

Cook 8 oz spaghetti. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Beat 1 large egg, ½ cup whole milk and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add spaghetti to egg mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish. Cook 1 lb sage sausage, 1 onion and 2 tsp minced garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning and 1½ tsp salt. Spoon over the spaghetti. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9x13 glass pan. Combine 12 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, ¼ cup milk, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper in a large bowl. Beat until just combined. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 lb hot pork sausage and 1 lb mild pork sausage and cook until browned, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain most of the grease and add the sausage to the bowl with the egg mixture. Add ½ diced green bell pepper, ½ diced red bell pepper, and 1 onion to the sausage skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add to the bowl with the eggs and stir everything to combine. Pour mixture into greased pan and bake for 35-50 minutes or until the edges are set and the center is just barely jiggly. Leftover egg casserole can be stored in the fridge and enjoyed within 3-4 days. Leftovers are delicious reheated in the microwave.

Brown 1 lb sage sausage, 4 cippolini onions (or shallots), and 2 tsp minced garlic. Meanwhile, place 4 cups water, 4 diced carrots, 1 tbsp butter, 2 tsp beef broth concentrate, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp black pepper, and 1 peeled cubed apple in a stockpot. Boil until apples are softened; mash about half of the apple cubes and leave the other half intact. Add sausage mixture, 2 cups water, ½ head of cabbage cut like egg noodles, and ½ tsp salt to the stockpot. Mix until cabbage is wilted. Keep on warm. Right before serving, add in ½ cup cream and garnish with bacon.

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Melt 2 tbsp butter in skillet. Add 1 chopped onion and cook until tender. Add ⅓ cup flour, 2 tsp sage, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper; cook and stir until mixture slightly starts to brown. Add 1 cup milk and 1½ cup chicken stock all at once. Cook and stir until mixture thickens. Add 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables and 3 cups shredded cooked pork; mix and dump into blind baked pie shell. Top with second prepared pie crust and bake at 400˚F until topping is cooked through and browned.

Place 5-7 lb bone-in ham in a very large pot (liquid is splashy while cooking) and cover with 2 parts water to 1 part white distilled vinegar until the ham is covered by at least an inch or two of liquid. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer vigorously for 2-3 hours, until the meat easily falls off the bone. Add more time, as needed, until the meat is tender. If the liquid reduces, add more during cooking so the ham stays mostly covered. When finished cooking, remove the ham from the pot to a rimmed sheet pan, discarding the liquid. Let the ham cool until it is easier to remove the meat from the bones.

In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup brown sugar and 1½ tbsp ground dry mustard. Shred the ham and place half of it in a 9x9 baking dish. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture over the ham. Layer the rest of the ham on top and sprinkle with the rest of the brown sugar mix. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 325˚F for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.