Stuffed Pork Chops

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What happens when you infuse pork chops with spinach and cream cheese? You take a classic midweek dish to the next level for something new… and healthy!

I was never a big eater of pork chops. The concept of Pork Chop Night — despite being the highlight of Homer Simpson’s week — was foreign to me. Compared to other meats (and other ways to consume pork, like bacon and sausage), a pork chop lacked the luster I require if I’m going to dedicate an ENTIRE night to it.

Then I made a discovery that would revolutionize pork chop consumption FOREVER:

They can be stuffed.

Yes, you read that right. STUFFED Pork Chops. What’s more, you can stuff them with whichever ingredients you want. For this recipe, I’ve been something of a traditionalist and opted for a spinach and cream cheese mix but that’s not to say this stuffing ALSO lacks that ever-elusive luster. It SO doesn’t. The creaminess of the, well… cream cheese, and the slightly acidic taste of the spinach pair so well together; it’s no wonder the two are called upon to stuff many a meat (chicken and meatloaf being 2 that stand out for me). Give this a try and you may just find yourself dedicating not just a night to pork chops but an entire weekend!

Why You Will LOVE This Recipe

• This recipe is the perfect comfort meal but with a healthy punch.
• The creamy and savory spinach filling is packed with lots of flavor and pairs perfectly with the pork.
• Pork Chop Night will never be the same. This recipe is a great way of turning what might have become a boring dinner and making it something special.
• It is easy to prepare and fun to eat.
• Use the spinach cream cheese filling as a dip for the pork chops.

Are Stuffed Pork Chops Healthy?

• Spinach reduces blood sugar and keeps your body relaxed.
• Pork chops offer important nutrients like protein and iron that support everyday body functions.
• Garlic helps to reduce cholesterol levels and boosts your immune system.

INGREDIENTS

Nothing shocking here. Very easy ingredients — mostly spices — that you probably already have in your pantry.

• 2 pork chops
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 oz frozen spinach
• 1.5 oz cream cheese
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp paprika powder
• pinch of salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the pork chops on both sides with paprika powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Slice a pocket in each pork chop for the filling. Squeeze all excess liquid from the frozen spinach then chop it roughly.

Cook

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil on LOW and cook the red onion slices until soft. Add the spinach and cook for 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let it cool down.

Assemble

Combine the spinach with cream cheese and parmesan cheese, then season with salt and pepper. Now, fill each pork chop with the spinach-cream cheese mixture and seal it with toothpicks.

Bake

Heat the olive oil in a skillet on HIGH, then sear the pork chops for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the stuffed pork chops to a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until cooked.

Rest

Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before serving!

DEVOUR!

Variations

• You can also use bone-in pork chops instead of boneless pork chops. Do the same method, just slice a pocket around the bone.
• You can substitute sour cream or mascarpone for the cream cheese. Cream cheese and mascarpone will give a creamier result.
• Add more spices like oregano or dried rosemary to season the pork chops.
• Red onions are sharper and spicier than white onions. If you like a more natural taste use white onions.

Serving Suggestions for Stuffed Pork Chops

You may think that the stuffed pork chops are already a fully rounded meal but then you’d be robbing yourself of serving alongside them THESE amazing side dishes:

Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes – These mashed sweet potatoes are so flavorful and full of comfort. Sweet, yet savory; a delicious, healthy, gluten free side dish!

Broccoli Apple Salad with Greek Yogurt – This salad is an easy, healthy side dish that even kids will like! It’s protein packed and makes great leftovers!

Crunchy Quinoa Salad with Pistachios – This quinoa salad is sweet, crunchy and has a little Kefir tang! It’s super-healthy, gluten-free and makes a quick and easy weeknight side dish!

Air Fryer Asparagus – Crisp, yet tender, this side dish is so quick and easy to make! This favorite veggie of spring is cooked to perfection every time.

FAQs

How to Store Stuffed Pork Chops

Let the pork chops cool until they reach room temperature (don’t leave them out for any longer than two hours to avoid bacteria from growing). Wrap each chop in plastic or aluminum then place in an airtight container. You can then store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, let the frozen chops thaw in the fridge overnight. Place them on a baking sheet covered loosely with aluminum foil then warm them up in the oven set to 350°F. It should take 15-20 minutes.

Print

Stuffed Pork Chops

What happens when you infuse pork chops with spinach and cream cheese? You take a classic midweek dish to the next level for something new… and healthy!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 385kcal

Author FoodFaithFitness

Ingredients

• 2 pork chops
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 oz frozen spinach
• 1.5 oz cream cheese
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 red onion sliced
• 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese grated
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp paprika powder
• pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Season the pork chops on both sides with paprika powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Slice a pocket in each pork chop for the filling.
• Squeeze all excess liquid from the frozen spinach then chop it roughly. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil on LOW and cook the red onion slices until soft. Add the spinach and cook for 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let it cool.
  
  
  
• Combine the spinach with cream cheese and parmesan cheese, then season with salt and pepper. Fill each pork chop with the spinach-cream cheese mixture and seal it with toothpicks.
  
  
  
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet on HIGH, then sear the pork chops for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the stuffed pork chops to a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until cooked.
  
  
  
• Let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before serving!
  
  
  

Notes

• To avoid drying out the pork chops, be sure to cook them at a high temperature. As well, because the internal temperature will continue to increase even after being taken out of the oven, you need to take them out at the right time. Take them out BEFORE they attain a temperature of 145°F so that they hit that mark after resting.
• You can use fresh spinach instead of the frozen variety. Remove any stems on the spinach leaves then cook them (the leaves, not the stems) in a large skillet over MEDIUM heat with a bit of olive oil. Drain, squeeze, then continue with the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 679mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2099IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Stuffed Pork Chops appeared first on Food Faith Fitness.

References:

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the importance of spices in your life?

A spice is a seasoning that is used to enhance the flavor of food. Spices come in various forms, such as powders, liquids, gums, oils, pastes, and seeds. They are also called condiments and flavours.

It's a great way of adding variety to your meals by spiceing them up. For extra flavor and excitement, you can add many spices to your dishes.

It may be that adding a few drops to your bowl of soup makes it more flavorful. Or perhaps you could mix a handful of cayenne peppers with a cup of rice.

Fresh ingredients are best for experimenting with spicing. Buy organic dried herbs. Fresh herbs keep longer than dried ones.

Although some spices are essential to cooking, there are others that you might prefer not to use. Cinnamon sticks have high levels of coumarin. They should not be consumed if you have had liver disease in the past. Ginger also contains high amounts of coumarin. However, it is much more concentrated. People who do not have any liver problems are safe.

What are the 11 spices of Indian cooking?

Indian cuisine is made up of eleven spices: coriander seeds; cumin seeds; fennel and mustard seeds; nigella and black pepper; cloves, cinnamon sticks; dry red chili powder; turmeric and cardamom.

These ingredients can be found used in almost every recipe. These spices lend a unique flavour to dishes such dal (lentils), curries chutneys pickles rice, bread and sweets.

The health benefits of spices can be found in their medicinal properties. For example, turmeric helps fight cancer cells. Cloves help protect against bad breath. Black pepper lowers cholesterol. Cinnamon lowers blood pressure. And ginger aids digestion.

A spice rack is a great kitchen tool because it allows you to experiment with different combinations of flavors. You have the option to make your own mixes of spices, or you can buy ready-made ones that include all the essential spices.

Some people don't like spices. Some people believe spices can only mask the natural flavor of food and don't improve it. However, adding a pinch of salt or pepper is no harm in enhancing the flavor of your meals.

Most chefs agree that spices are a vital part of culinary art. Without spices, many dishes are bland and tasteless. If you are feeling adventurous, try out a new dish and see what happens.

Does Thai use ginger?

The answer is yes. The traditional Thai cooking uses ginger heavily. It is often added to stir-fries and soups and is also commonly used in desserts and drinks such as lassis.

Ginger is a native to China and Japan. The origins of ginger go back over 5,000 year. It is believed to have originated from Southeast Asia, where it was cultivated medicinally.

Ginger is well-known for its ability to relieve nausea and stimulate digestion. It may even help prevent migraines. Ginger also helps to relieve muscle spasms, reduce joint pain, and treat arthritis.

Ginger is often eaten fresh in Thailand. It is then cut into thin strips and dried. From Asian markets, ginger root can be bought in cans and jars.

What's the difference in cooking with whole vs. ground spices? Ground Spices?

There are no significant differences in the cooking of whole and ground spices. All spices are ground after harvesting. It doesn't make a difference in terms of quality.

The price difference is however significant. Whole spices cost more because of the labour involved in processing them. But the taste is worth it.

If you purchase whole spices in bulk, you might get an additional discount. For example, you might receive a discount if you buy an entire bag of cinnamon sticks.

This is true for cloves, ginger and cardamom. You might be able to save money by buying these spices in bulk.

Ground spices are also more durable than whole spices. Ground spices lose their potency very quickly due to oxidation.

But the main reason why we recommend purchasing whole spices is that they add a lot of character to recipes.

You can make a delicious curry by using whole turmeric in place of ground turmeric. You can also grind whole coriander leaves to make a spice mix for chicken dishes.

The process of grinding spices takes a lot of time. It is sensible to purchase large quantities when buying whole spices. That way, you won't run out of spices too fast.

Statistics

• Their 14 to 20 percent essential oil content means that cloves have the highest concentration of aroma compounds of any spice. (masterclass.com)
• It has been estimated that around 1,000 tons of pepper and 1,000 tons of other common spices were imported into Western Europe each year during the Late Middle Ages. (en.wikipedia.org)
• According to a recent survey, professional chefs and many home cooks use spices; usage has only continued to grow from 2011 to now. (hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu)

External Links

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

• Acute Inflammation and Metabolism - PubMed


• PubMed - Aging. Inflammation. The Environment

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

• Development and Validation of Novel Dietary and Lifestyle Inflammation Scores - PMC


• Molecular mechanisms that curcumins have on tumorigenesis, angigenesis and metastasis. This article is from PubMed.

healthline.com

• Is Pink Himalayan Salt Better Than Regular Salt?


• Turmeric and Curcumin are proving to have health benefits.

en.wikipedia.org

• Cumin – Wikipedia


• Charlemagne - Wikipedia

How To

How to cut Shiitake Mushrooms

So the shiitakes have been doing well. They are fine. However, how do you cut them without cutting yourself? We have tried everything, even using scissors. They keep falling out of our hands. What's going on here?

Well, there's a trick for that. You must put a rubber band around the mushroom's stem and twist it tight. This will ensure that you don't fall and break your wrists.

This may seem too simple. It is. But it's also very effective.

The rubber band makes your stem slippery and it feels very natural when you pick it it up. It doesn't hurt to keep the stem in place.

You can now try it. It will be so much easier to cut mushrooms than ever before.