Stuffed Pork Chops

These turned out even better than we expected.  You can adjust the stuffings as you like, but the spinach/cream cheese mixture was perfect!  Serves 4 - enjoy!

Stuffed Pork Chop

 Ingredients

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp, cooled & crumbled (reserve 2 tsp. bacon grease)

4 oz. fresh spinach, chopped

1 tbl. Parmesan cheese

salt & pepper to taste

4 thick pork rib chops

3 tbl. olive oil

½ cup apple sauce

4 tbl. sherry

Directions

·         Put cream cheese into a bowl and add garlic powder & black pepper and mix well

·         Add the bacon, reserved bacon grease, spinach, Parmesan, salt & pepper, and crumbled bacon and mix well

·         Cut a 2” slit into the side of each pork chop, then cut a “pocket” for stuffing, leaving about ¼” of meat all the way around

·         Fill each pocket with some of the cream cheese/spinach mixture and sprinkle each chop with a little more salt & pepper (to taste)

·         Heat olive oil in a large skillet to medium heat

·         Cook the stuffed chops about 3 to 4 minutes per side until just browned

·         Remove chops to a lightly oiled baking dish

·         Top each chop with apple sauce

·         Add sherry to the oil the chops were fried in and deglaze the pan

·         Spoon pan drippings over the chops in the baking dish

·         Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes