Did you know that October is National Pork Month?

Iowa is the No. 1 pork-producing state in the United States and has been the leading state in hog production and pig inventory for over a century, according to the Iowa Pork Producers Association. This should make Iowans proud, because it shows that all the hard-working hog farmers are a very important component of Iowa’s economy.

Many times, I have heard pork called “the other white meat.” It was a campaign several years ago, but still applies today. Actually pork is considered a red meat, but this saying promotes pork, showing how nutritious and versatile pork is to prepare. Plus, it turns white after it is cooked.

Because pork is one of the healthier meats to eat, packed with lots of protein, I have included a couple of recipes using pork.

Ham and Cheese Bake

Ingredients

16 slices trimmed white bread

1 pound diced ham

3/4 pound Swiss cheese

4 eggs

3 cups milk

1 medium diced onion

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

3 cups crushed corn flakes

1/2 cup melted butter

Instructions

Layer bread, ham and cheese, along with diced onion in a 9-by-13-inch greased pan. Mix eggs, milk and dry mustard together. Pour over top of bread, ham and cheese. Let stand in a refrigerator for 2 hours.Top with 3 cups crushed corn flakes mixed with 1/2 cup melted butter. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Crock Pot Pork Chops

Sometimes it is nice to be able to plan ahead and have part of your meal ready in advance. Crock-pot, or slow cooker, recipes are a convenient way to accomplish this, as it takes minimal time and can feed a crowd with very little effort.

Ingredients

2 cans chicken-rice soup

1/2 cup rice (white or brown)

4 pork chops

Instructions

Place pork chops in the bottom of a crock-pot. Put soup on top of the chops. Mix water and rice together, then put on top of all. Cook it on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours. This is an easy main dish ready for when you get home from work or have a busy schedule.

California Vegetable Casserole

A delicious side dish that goes well with pork is California Vegetable Casserole. Do you have any extra or leftover vegetables in the refrigerator? You can add them to the ingredients as well.

Ingredients

1 large package California vegetables

1/2 pound Velveeta cheese

1/2 cup plus 3 teaspoons margarine

1/2 to 1 sleeve crushed butter crackers, such as TownHouse or Ritz

Instructions

Cook and drain vegetables. Cube cheese and mix with vegetables. Place in a greased casserole dish. Melt 1/2 cup margarine and pour over vegetable-cheese mixture. Spread crackers over the dish after browning them in 3 teaspoons of margarine and spread them over the vegetables. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Blueberry Muffins

With some occasional cooler days recently, turning on the oven again to bake muffins sounds like a great idea. Blueberry muffins are great tasting and rich in Vitamin C and K and fiber.

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh or drained canned blueberries

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottoms only of muffin tin, or line with paper baking cups. Beat milk, oil and egg. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt all at once. Stir until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in blueberries. Divide batter among muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with sugar, if desired. Bake until golden brown for 18-20 minutes. Immediately remove from the pan. Makes 2 dozen muffins.

Loretta’s Tips

1. For tender muffins, mix liquid and dry ingredients until just moistened. Overmixing causes muffins to be tough, coarse-textured, and full of tunnels or holes after baking.

2. A rib of celery in your bread bag will keep the bread fresh for a longer time.

Loretta Krahling is a columnist with over 38 years of newspaper experience. If you have a favorite recipe you would like to share or if you have any questions, email them to Loretta at krahling93@gmail.com.