Monday, April 15, 2013

Make Ahead Monday: Basil & Feta Stuffed Pork Chops




So I bought a large package of thick cut pork loin chops with nothing in mind to do with them. I had some basil pesto from a previous recipe and thought, huh, I should combine these two. I remembered some recipe I’d seen that involved pesto, pine nuts and feta cheese but couldn’t find it again so I decided to BYOC (be your own chef) and throw something together. It turned out pretty great if I do say so myself!

Basil & Feta Stuffed Pork Chops
click for easy printing

Ingredients:
4-6 thick cut pork chops
4 TB basil pesto
4 TB feta cheese
2 TB pine nuts
1 TB brown sugar
1ts dried thyme
1ts salt
½ ts fresh cracked pepper (or ¼ ts regular ground pepper)
¼ ts red pepper flakes (or more if you’d prefer it spicier)

Directions:

Combine the pesto, feta cheese, and pine nuts. Cut about ¾ of the way into your pork chop along a long side to create a pocket for your stuffing. Stuff about a tablespoon of your stuffing into the pocket and press your seam down to seal it in there. Place in an 8 ½ x 11 inch baking pan lined with aluminum foil (for easy clean up).

Combine the brown sugar, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the outside of your pork chops on one side with the spice mixture. Rub it in. Flip and repeat on the other side.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-40 minutes until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

These were great right out of the oven and I was happy to see that the stuffing stayed in place and didn’t ooze out very much. I put the other half in the fridge and they sat great for a couple of days and heated up easily in the microwave. A great make ahead meal!

I served alongside roasted potatoes and a green salad. 


feta, pine nuts, basil pesto 

filling stuffed into your pork chop pocket

 a pan full of yumminess

a close up of the spice rub 

"momma, take a picture of my plate too!" says curly girl


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