Cinnamon Apple Pork and Sweet Potatoes

My kids (and hubby) love their sweets.  This is a dinner that to them tasted like dessert but I felt fine about it because there was plenty of fruit and veggies in every bite.  Ladybug decided that forks should be optional during this meal because she was able to shovel in the goodness with her hands better.

Ingredients:

Pork chops

1 c (or one juice box) apple juice

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1/4 c honey

2-3 sweet potatoes

2 apples

1. Night before (or right when you get home) put pork chops, apple juice, honey, and cinnamon in a large ziplock bag to marinate the meat. Cooking/Meal planning tip:  Even if I haven't meal planned, I like to know what I am making for dinner by the night before.  That way I can make sure any meat needed is thawed and ingredients are on hand.
2. Peel and cube sweet potatoes (~1/2 inch cubes are perfect)
3. Cook the sweet potatoes with some coconut oil or olive oil for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Preheat the grill.
5. While sweet potatoes are cooking, cube the apples (I leave the peel on)
6. Once the sweet potatoes are starting to soften, add the apples and a little more oil. 
7. Put the meat on the grill, keeping the marinade.

   

   Reserved marinade

8. Pour the marinade into the sweet potatoes and apples and cover.
9. Flip the meat when it is no longer sticking to the grill (about 4 minutes)
10. Pull the meat off the grill when again, it is no longer sticking to it and let it rest while the apples and sweet potatoes finish cooking.                                                                                                        
11. Once the sweet potatoes and apples are softened, pull off the heat.  
12. Serve in a bowl with the sweet potatoes and apples in the bottom and the pork chop on top.  We served in a bowl because the sweet potatoes and apples mixed with the apple juice and cinnamon makes a yummy sauce that is great to dip the cut up pork chop in.

Beast was excited because he thought we were going to have enough for a great lunch for him the next day.  But Ladybug kept going back for seconds, thirds, fourths and beyond (I actually lost track).  His lunch whittled away to a tiny snack by the time she was done.

As I am typing this, Bear is looking over my shoulder and he just said, "That was good!"

Definitely something we will be having again!

Same meal different way:  So sometimes we get sick of making the same things the same ways.  An alternative way to make this meal would be to slice the apples and cook them with cinnamon, a little water, and honey.  Then roast the sweet potatoes with a little olive oil and cinnamon.  Grill the pork chops as recommended above.  Then the plate looks different with each item separated but it is essentially the same thing.