Family Style Mac and Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese -- and pork chops. And I really like when the mac n cheese incorporates some tomato or tomato sauce. Friday night I made tomato sauce, and I had a couple of servings with pasta, but I was wondering what else to do with the leftover sauce.  So I decided to add it to some mac and cheese!  I figured I'd grab some pork chops as well.... 

I've heard this style of mac and cheese referred to as "family style" before, so that's what I'll call it.  Here's what I used today:

• 16 oz cooked pasta (today I used orecchiette)
• shredded cheese, today I used:
• 7 oz TJ's unexpected cheddar 
• 12 oz TJ's raw milk cheddar
• 4 oz goat cheese
• pork chops (I used 3 boneless -- dipped, breaded, and browned)
• tomato sauce (I only had about 8 ounces today)
• bread crumbs on top

breaded and browned, not cooked

1. First I dipped the pork chops in milk/egg mixture.
2. Then I rolled them in a breading mixture.
3. Brown in butter for a few minutes.
4. Cook the pasta.
5. Add all (pasta, pork chops, cheese, tomato sauce) to a deep dish.
6. Top with bread crumb mixture.
7. Bake for an hour at 350.

Mmm, I am eating this right now.  The flavor is great.  The breading did not stick to the pork chops, though.  I shouldn't have mixed in any bread crumbs -- just stick with a flour mix. The pork chops are also kind of dry.  But when I baked it at 350 for an hour they weren't done.  So I added another 15 minutes at 400.  But maybe if I had just let it sit they would have cooked through.  Hmmm. It could have used less pasta or more cheese. Or a creamier cheese -- like a mozzarella.

It was hot and bubbly when it came out

Next time try:

• just flour mixture on pork chops, not bread crumbs -- too soggy
• Bake a little longer
• More cheese, try mozzarella