Weekly Eats: Classics, Shaken Up

I love trying new recipes, and I also love reliable, classic dishes. This week's meals were a mix of the two. One was a new spin on a traditional French dip sandwich, made with pork. Another was a new recipe for one of my favorites, pasta with vodka sauce. Finally, I tried some oven "fried" chicken with a new twist: a mix of pretzel crisp crumbs and bacon took the place of the traditional bread crumbs.

Clockwise from top right:
1. Pork Tenderloin French Dips from Pass the Sushi. Yes, another pork tenderloin recipe. They were on sale again, what can I say? The pork tenderloin is seasoned simply, roasted in the oven, and then dipped in an orange- and garlic-infused broth before going on a sandwich. I liked the flavor of the pork, but I felt like the sandwich itself needed something. Maybe it's because I've grown accustomed to sandwiches with lots of fillings and spreads, I don't know.
2. Pasta with Vodka Sauce from Dearest Love. I haven't met a pasta with vodka sauce that I haven't liked, so I happily tried Jenna's version. I made a few changes; I had no spicy sausage so I spiced up some ground beef instead. I also cut back on the vodka, since I gave Jona some of the pasta to (not) eat. This was a good one; it felt like a little mid-week indulgence.
3. Bacon Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken from Oh Sweet Basil. It's kind of funny looking, but when you top chicken with a combination of smoky bacon and salty pretzel chips, how can it be bad? I love oven "fried" chicken recipes, and this was a fun take on that. Yum!
What's your favorite way to re-do a classic?
/// From the archives: ///

• 4 years ago: wearing stripes and scarves.
• 3 years ago: making spicy seafood soup.