We Cooked Dinner to Heal a Broken Heart

Presenter / Channel

• Devin (from Chicago) and Lauren host the live and cook together (while dealing with grief/depression).
• Mentioned page: “setstalkers.”

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Ingredients

Pork chops (breading/seasoning)

• Water + eggs (for an egg wash; quantity not specified)
• Bread crumbs (with a “whole crap ton” of minced onions, to taste)
• Bourbon oak seasoning (McCormick grill mix) (to taste)
• Salt (a little)
• Parmesan cheese (mixed into the seasoning; amount not specified)

Brussels sprouts (roast)

• Olive oil (drizzle; “lot”)
• Salt and pepper (to start)
• Parmesan cheese (added towards the end)

Macaroni and cheese

• Butter (softened; “a couple scoops,” and later “might just use that whole stick”)
• Vegetable oil (used earlier; role not fully clarified)
• “Real basic Ragu cheese sauce” (then doctored up)
• Cheese blend:
  • Triple cheddar (shredded Vermont cheddar, sharp cheddar, mild cheddar; main layer)
  • Gouda (for flavor)
  • Monterey Jack (set aside for the top for extra color/flavor)
• Water (small amount added; “not much”)

Brownies (package mix)

• Fudge brownie mix
• Milk (to make them fudgier; amount not specified)
• Olive oil (sprinkled on top before baking; “top these with some olive oil”)
• Optional: chocolate pudding concept (“act like chocolate pudding” as an add-in idea)
• Optional: frosting (not available — “No, I don’t have enough frosting.”)

Optional / extras

• Turkey bacon (considered)
• Buns/bread for pork chop sandwiches (toasting mentioned; type/quantity not specified)
• Mustard for sandwiches/spread (amount not specified)

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Equipment & Prep Notes

• Bowls/plates for breading stations:
  • Egg wash
  • Seasoned breadcrumb mixture
  • (Flour is mentioned later as part of the breading workflow.)
• Pan/skillet for frying pork chops (and potentially heating oil)
• Roasting pan/oven pan for Brussels sprouts
• Deep baking pan large enough for mac and cheese
• Tin foil (to line/cover so they don’t scrub)
• Strainer and oven mitts
• Oven set to 400°F
• Toaster/oven for buns
• Freezer: extra pork chops to be frozen

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Step-by-Step Method (with key timings/temps)

1) Prep pork chops: rinse/pat dry → egg wash → breading

1. Rinse pork chops, then pat them dry (“we need to actually pat them off as well to dry them off”).
2. Make egg wash: whisk together water + eggs.
3. Build breading:
   • Mix bread crumbs + minced onions (very heavily)
   • Add bourbon oak seasoning / grill mix
   • Add salt
   • Add Parmesan into the breading/seasoning mixture
4. Breading order cue:
   • Flour → egg → breading (called out explicitly)
   • Ensure adequate coverage; add more if needed

2) Fry pork chops

1. Heat oil before frying (“start heating the oil”).
2. Fry until golden:
   • A minute or two on each side
   • Flip and continue until golden
3. Watch oil temperature:
   • If the pan/oil isn’t hot enough, frying may not go right (“we’ll see”).
4. Batch cooking:
   • They discuss potentially using fresh oil if needed.

3) Roast Brussels sprouts (separate timing from frying)

1. Don’t do much with them until they go into the oven (“not really going to do anything… until… in the oven”).
2. Season:
   • Drizzle olive oil over sprouts (“Lot on this big”)
   • Salt and pepper for now
   • Add Parmesan towards the end
3. Oven temp: 400°F
4. Roast timing:
   • Target: 20–30 minutes at 400°F
   • Later they shorten it: set a timer for 10 minutes to avoid overcooking before final seasoning

4) Macaroni & cheese (semi-homemade sauce + cheese melt/crust)

1. Start mac & cheese while waiting on oven/oil timing:
   • Mac needs the oil heated to start cooking meat (discussion context)
   • Sauce is based on basic cheese sauce
2. Make sauce/mix:
   • Heat “real basic Ragu cheese sauce”
   • Doctor it up with other cheeses
   • Add a small amount of water (“Not much…”) and stir/shake
3. Bake/finish:
   • Spread triple cheddar over top (main layer)
   • Add Monterey Jack on top for extra color/flavor
   • Add Gouda for flavor
   • Bake until cheese is melty and crusty (exact duration not fully stated; they’re monitoring with timers)
4. Serving/topping note:
   • Finished Brussels sprouts get butter + Parmesan (noted as a topping step)

5) Brownies (box mix quick update)

1. Mix fudge brownie mix.
2. Add milk to make them fudgier (“act like chocolate pudding… add some of the milk”).
3. Before baking:
   • “Top these with some olive oil”
   • Bake for a few minutes
4. Timing overlap:
   • They loosely coordinate brownies with other steps (pork frying overlaps conceptually).

6) Sandwich assembly (pork chop sandwiches)

1. Toast buns (questioned about toaster use; agreed).
2. Add pork chops and toppings:
   • Mustard mentioned for what they’ll set out
   • Shredded cheese suggested for sandwiches
   • Consider turkey bacon as a topper

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Chef Tips / Technique Cues / Mistakes to Avoid

• “Measure with your heart” joke → practically: keep seasoning until it looks/tastes flavorful (“going until it looks flavorful, yummy”).
• Brussels sprouts were previously soggy/yuck; roasting is the fix.
• Don’t skip drying pork: pat dry after rinsing.
• Breaded steps order: flour → egg → bread.
• If the pan isn’t hot enough, pork won’t fry correctly—monitor temperature.
• They plan not to eat all pork chops and to freeze extras.

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Plating / Serving Suggestions

• Mac & cheese: served hot from a deep baked pan, with cheese melty and crusty on top.
• Brussels sprouts: finished with butter + Parmesan topping.
• Pork chops: fried, then used in sandwiches with toasted buns, cheese, mustard, and possibly turkey bacon.

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Notable Variations Discussed (Brief)

• Cooking order idea: keep Brussels for later while brownies/other items cook.
• Turkey bacon:
  • Potential topping for Brussels or mac and cheese, or
  • Potential sandwich topping depending on how it’s cooked/diced.

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Source / References

• Video: “We Cooked Dinner to Heal a Broken Heart” (YouTube cooking live)
• Mentioned page/source: Devin’s Facebook page “setstalkers.”