1-First Step: Preheat and Prep Preheat your oven to 400°F. While it heats, pat the 4 bone-in pork chops dry, season both sides with salt and black pepper. Cut the yellow onion into 1/2-inch slices, chop 4 strips of thick bacon coarsely, and cut 1 head green cabbage (2 1/2 pounds) into 8 wedges. Measure out 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons flour, and 3 cups whole milk. Mise en place keeps things speedy!

2-Second Step: Brown the Pork Chops Heat the olive oil in a large roasting pan over two burners on medium-high. Add the seasoned pork chops, brown one side for 5 minutes until golden. Flip and brown the other side for 3 minutes. This sear locks in juices. Transfer to a plate. Pro tip: Don’t overcrowd; do in batches if needed. The fond left in the pan is flavor gold!

3-Third Step: Crisp the Bacon Reduce heat to medium. Toss in the chopped bacon and cook 5 minutes until crispy. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick. Bacon fat joins the party, adding smokiness. Drain excess if too much pools, but keep some for the next steps. Smell that? Dinner’s calling!

4-Fourth Step: Soften Onion and Cabbage Add the onion slices to the bacon, cook 6 minutes until softened and golden. Stir in cabbage wedges, cook one side 6 minutes until browning at edges. Turn wedges and cook other side 3 minutes. Cabbage softens but holds shape. If wedges stick, add a splash of water.

5-Fifth Step: Make the Creamy Sauce Sprinkle 3 tablespoons flour over the veggies, stir 1 minute to coat evenly. This prevents lumps. Pour in 3 cups whole milk, stir constantly 4 minutes until thickened and bubbly. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Watch the magic as it turns creamy. Whole milk curdles slightly for cheesy vibes!

6-Sixth Step: Bake to Perfection Nestle the browned pork chops back among the cabbage. Slide the pan into the 400°F oven. Bake 10 minutes until pork hits 145°F internal temp. Use a thermometer! Rest 5 minutes post-oven. Juices redistribute for tenderness.

7-Final Step: Serve and Enjoy Plate chops with cabbage, spoon sauce over top. Garnish with pepper if you like. Serves 4 hungry folks. Pairs great with crusty bread. Leftovers? Even better tomorrow. I whipped this up after a long day, and my family devoured it. Cleanup? Wipe one pan. Boom!