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Toaster-Oven Crunchy Parmesan Pork Chops with Roasted Cipollini and Escarole Salad

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on January 19, 2022

Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Toaster oven setting

Air-fry or convection

Toaster-Oven Crunchy Parmesan Pork Chops with Roasted Cipollini and Escarole Salad

Ingredients

12 ounces cipollini onions, peeled and halved through root end¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided¾ teaspoon table salt, divided½ cup panko bread crumbs 1 large egg 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 5 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon pepper, divided¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless pork chop, ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar ½ teaspoon honey ½ head escarole (8 ounces), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces2 tablespoons dried cherries

Before You Begin

We recommend using pre-peeled cipollini onions. If you can’t find them, blanch the onions in boiling water for 30 seconds to make peeling easier. If cipollini onions are unavailable, substitute 1 Vidalia onion, halved and sliced through root end into ½-inch-thick pieces to keep wedges intact. The air-fry or convection setting helps to achieve a crisp crust on the pork chops; if your toaster does not have these functions, use the standard bake function. 

Instructions

  1.  Adjust toaster oven rack to middle position, select air-fry or convection setting, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Set small wire rack in small rimmed baking sheet and spray rack with vegetable oil spray. Toss onions, 1 tablespoon oil, and ⅛ teaspoon salt together in bowl, then spread in even layer on one half of prepared rack. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
  2.  Meanwhile, toss panko and 1 tablespoon oil in second bowl until evenly coated. Microwave, stirring frequently, until light golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes; let cool slightly. Whisk egg, flour, 4 teaspoons mustard, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt together in shallow dish. Combine Parmesan and cooled panko mixture in second shallow dish. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels and cut 2 slits, about 2 inches apart, through fat on edges of each pork chop. Working with 1 chop at a time, dip in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off, then coat with panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere. 
  3.  Lay chops on empty half of prepared rack and cook until pork registers 140 to 145 degrees and onions are browned and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and let chops rest while finishing salad. 
  4.  Whisk vinegar, honey, remaining 1 teaspoon mustard, remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in remaining 2 tablespoons oil until combined. Add onions, escarole, and cherries and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve pork chops with salad.  
Toaster-Oven Crunchy Parmesan Pork Chops with Roasted Cipollini and Escarole Salad
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Christie Morrison.

Toaster-Oven Crunchy Parmesan Pork Chops with Roasted Cipollini and Escarole Salad

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Toaster oven setting

Air-fry or convection

Ingredients

12 ounces cipollini onions, peeled and halved through root end
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon pepper, divided
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless pork chop, ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon honey
½ head escarole (8 ounces), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons dried cherries

Ingredients

12 ounces cipollini onions, peeled and halved through root end
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon pepper, divided
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless pork chop, ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon honey
½ head escarole (8 ounces), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons dried cherries

Ingredients

12 ounces cipollini onions, peeled and halved through root end
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon pepper, divided
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless pork chop, ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon honey
½ head escarole (8 ounces), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons dried cherries

Why This Recipe Works

For pork chops with maximum crunch, we used a favorite shortcut of ours and pre-toasted the panko in the microwave. We mixed our panko with Parmesan to provide an oily richness and also help the outer crust of the chops brown in the toaster oven. For a well-rounded meal, we wanted to add a light side. We chose to roast small cipollini onions alongside our chops; they fit neatly in the small pan and pack more flavor than your standard onions when cooked. While the chops rested, we combined the roasted onions with escarole and dried cherries to make a salad. Sweet, tart, with a slight bitterness from the escarole, it made a nice contrast to the crunchy, cheesy pork chops.

Before You Begin

We recommend using pre-peeled cipollini onions. If you can’t find them, blanch the onions in boiling water for 30 seconds to make peeling easier. If cipollini onions are unavailable, substitute 1 Vidalia onion, halved and sliced through root end into ½-inch-thick pieces to keep wedges intact. The air-fry or convection setting helps to achieve a crisp crust on the pork chops; if your toaster does not have these functions, use the standard bake function. 

Instructions

  1.  Adjust toaster oven rack to middle position, select air-fry or convection setting, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Set small wire rack in small rimmed baking sheet and spray rack with vegetable oil spray. Toss onions, 1 tablespoon oil, and ⅛ teaspoon salt together in bowl, then spread in even layer on one half of prepared rack. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
  2.  Meanwhile, toss panko and 1 tablespoon oil in second bowl until evenly coated. Microwave, stirring frequently, until light golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes; let cool slightly. Whisk egg, flour, 4 teaspoons mustard, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt together in shallow dish. Combine Parmesan and cooled panko mixture in second shallow dish. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels and cut 2 slits, about 2 inches apart, through fat on edges of each pork chop. Working with 1 chop at a time, dip in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off, then coat with panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere. 
  3.  Lay chops on empty half of prepared rack and cook until pork registers 140 to 145 degrees and onions are browned and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and let chops rest while finishing salad. 
  4.  Whisk vinegar, honey, remaining 1 teaspoon mustard, remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in remaining 2 tablespoons oil until combined. Add onions, escarole, and cherries and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve pork chops with salad.  

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