Smothered Pork Chops
FOR PORK CHOPS
1 pound (500g) bone-in pork chops,* about 3/4-1 inch thick.
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels to remove any moisture. Season pork chops with garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, seasoning salt, pepper and olive oil.
Dredge each chop in the flour; shake off the excess and KEEP THE REMAINING FLOUR.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet or pan over medium heat. When hot, fry the pork chops in a single layer on each side until golden browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Remove pork chops from the pan and keep warm.

FOR GRAVY:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
pinch of salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk or heavy cream
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
Add in sliced onions and add a pinch of salt. Cook while stirring occasionally, until soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. (Add in 1 tablespoon of the chicken broth if the pan becomes too dry.)
Add the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add 2 tablespoons of the remaining flour to the pan. Mix the flour into the onions and cook to dissolve, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the liquid reduce and thicken slightly, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in the buttermilk (or cream) and simmer for 1-2 minutes until thick and creamy.
Return the pork chops to the pan. Coat them in the sauce and let simmer until the pork is completely cooked through, about 5 minutes (or until the pork is cooked to your desired doneness). (The sauce will continue to thicken due the coating on the pork. If too thick, add a little cream or broth to thin out until reaching your desired consistency.)
Taste test and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with the chopped parsley before serving. Serve warm.

WHITE TEXAS SHEET CAKE
Cake:
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c. sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract, optional
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
Frosting:
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 c. whole milk
4 1/2-5 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. sliced almonds, garnish
Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 13×18″ cake pan (sheet cake pan) with butter or non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt). In a separate, large bowl, stir together sugar, water, melted butter, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and almond extracts until combined. Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just incorporated, then pour mixture into greased cake pan. Place pan in oven and bake for 18-21 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. While cake is baking, whisk together all frosting ingredients except for the sliced almonds until frosting is smooth and desired consistency is reached. Remove cake from oven and let cool 5 minutes, then pour icing over the cake and cover with sliced almonds. Let set, then slice into squares.