Mention the word “Stuffed” to me in reference to food and my eyes will almost always light up with anticipation. I can see you nodding your head in agreement with me. And why wouldn’t you?
While food in itself is delightful, food stuffed with more food is usually double the pleasure. It only makes sense when you stop to think about it. Seriously, why eat a lonely graham cracker when you can have one with chocolate and marshmallow in the middle? Peppers and mushrooms are perfectly capable of standing on their own two feet, but drop in a little cheese and crumbled meat if you really want to see them dance. And of course there’s pasta shells. They’re just begging to be stuffed with any and all form of culinary delight.
These chops are no exception. While good on their own, the addition of cheese, spinach and stuffing elevates them to a whole other level of dinnertime enjoyment. So what in the blazes are we still sitting here for? My hunger is asking for a little food stuffed food; let’s get off the couch and do this.
Begin by cooking up a few slices of bacon. When they’re good and crisp, chop into bitty pieces and set to the side. And here’s where we get serious. Add in a little apple, onion and garlic to the pan you just cooked the bacon in. Awe yea. Food cooked in food; you better believe I’m going there.
Remove it from the pan and add in some water, italian bread crumbs and my secret ingredient; Better than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base. Finally, introduce that bacon into it’s new flavor filled home and stir the whole bada bing together.
We’re officially ready to get “stuffing”. Begin by cutting a pocket into your chops. It should look a bit like the picture below. Make it as deep and wide as you can without cutting through the walls of the pork. Mine is so reminding me of Joan Rivers botoxed lips (I can’t believe I just went there).
Now stuff it full, beginning with the cheese then spinach and finishing with the stuffing. If you’re able to, close it up with kitchen twine or toothpicks. I had the unfortunate circumstance of only having three chops to my name so subsequently mine are all “power” stuffed and completely incapable of closure (kind of like Joan Rivers botoxed lips). Dang, if I didn’t just go there again.
Salt and pepper the stuffed chops and sear them up on both sides. Check out the gorgeous caramel color on top of that pork.
They’re brown, they’re beautiful. They’re all yours. At this point, all that’s left to do is finish them in the oven until the pork is cooked through; about 10-15 minutes.
Time to stuff our mouths and bellies with some fantabulous food stuffed food.
Last up, before I sign off, I’m offering up ten jars of Better than Bouillon (1 jar each) to the first ten people that leave comments below! Simply head over to the Better than Bouillon website and let me know what flavor you’d like to try out. I’ll send your information to the people who make things happen and just like that, you too will be able to stuff chops with delightful food additions in the comfort of your very own home. Off ya go!
Bacon Apple and Gouda Stuffed Pork Chops
Yield: Four Stuffed Chops
Total Time: 45 min
Ingredients:
4 Boneless Pork Chops, 3/4"-1" Thick
3 Slices Bacon
1/3 Cup Diced Apple
1/4 Cup Diced Onion
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/4 Cup Water
1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base
1/4 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs
2-3 Oz. Fresh Spinach Leaves
4 Slices Gouda or Fontina Cheese
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Cook up the bacon slices and dice them into small pieces. Set to the side.
In the same pan you used to cook the bacon, cook up the diced apples, onion and garlic on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat and add in the water, chicken base and bread crumbs.
Add the bacon pieces back in and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper if needed.
Transfer to a separate bowl.
Slice each pork chop down the middle to create a pocket for stuffing.
Add a slice of the cheese, followed by the spinach and finished with a hearty spoonful or two of the stuffing. If you can, toothpick or kitchen twine them shut.
Still using the same pan you cooked the bacon and stuffing in, add the oil and heat it up to medium high.
Salt and pepper the stuffed chops and add them to the pan to sear the outsides for about four minutes, flipping them halfway through.
Transfer to a baking dish and finish in the oven at 325 degrees. It will take approximately 10-15 minutes for your pork to finish cooking through depending on the thickness of the chop used. Internal temperature should be about 150 degrees.
Comments
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I would love a jar of the chicken base. Can I still get it free if I live in Canada? Thanks for a good laugh at 1 am in the morning here in good old Prince Edward Island. I will never look at pork chops the same way again.
Anyhow, happy blogging.
Allie
I would love to make Clam Chowder with the Clam base!
I saw your question on facebook, I would of never guess! I love the recipe it looks delicious.
I’d like to try their Organic Chicken base if that’s ok, or perhaps a lower sodium one.
I read your blog every day, but these pork chops are right up my alley. I love stuffed anything and I have some wonderful Gouda cheese just waiting to be used. I can see this same idea with a boneless turkey breast or chicken breasts. Thanks for sharing. Should I be one of the winners, I’d love to try chicken base.
I’ve actually tried these and love them. This recipe looks amazing. If I were one of the winners I would love to have some Chicken Base.
I would love to try the au jus base, but any would be great! Those pork chops look amazing
And who first taught you about better than boullion? We use the organic chicken in just about everything! I need the beef one to try shepards pie again:)
Great looking chops. I’d love to win your Organic Chicken base! It may inspire me to make my own.
I am also a big fan of stuffing things! I have not stuffed a pork chop though. You need lovely thick chops…I must find some. Often they are such slim offerings I find these days. Au Jus Base would be my choice if I was to get a pot.
I want to try the lower-sodium chicken. I was already trying to watch the family’s sodium consumption, but even more so after hubby’s heart problems last year (2 angioplasties and a stent).
just missed it!
well, those pork chops are stuffed to the gills, and that’s the way it should be. very nice, julie!
This pork is certainly stuffed with flavors Julie! Love it!
Hmmm hhmmmm looks so good! Thank you for sharing! I am going to try this!
Darn I missed out too! My favorite is the beef flavor, I use it for gravy in a lot of things.