Dinners under $20: Stuffed Pork Chops

By: Victoria Nguyen | August 01 2011
Posted in Recipes - SF Bay Area Recipes

Gourmet taste on a budget! Photo by: Victoria Nguyen

Rachel Ray may have "30 Minute Meals," but this gem from Giada De Laurentiis clocks in at only five minutes more and you can make it for under 20 smackaroos. Giada’s recipe for pork chops stuffed with a mixture of goat cheese, cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach has been a favorite go-to dish of mine for years. Lemon juice deglazes the pan, lending an unexpected brightness to a seemingly heavy dish. Pair the ‘chops with roasted summer veggies for a delicious and affordable five-star meal.

Pork Chops Stuffed with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Spinach
Ingredients

4 (4-ounce) center-cut pork chops - $8
6 sun-dried tomatoes, diced - $3
1 (10-ounce) bag of frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out - $2
1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese - $4
1/3 cup reduced-fat cream cheese - $2
1/2 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons lemon juice - $.50

From your pantry:
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

Directions
Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until combined, about 2 more minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Add the goat cheese and the cream cheese. Stir to combine and set aside.

Use a sharp knife to cut a pocket into the thickest portion of the pork chop. Stuff each pocket with 1/4 of the spinach and sun-dried tomato mixture and close the pork around the stuffing. Season the outside of the pork with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl combine the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and mustard. Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add the pork. Cook until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a side dish and tent with foil to keep warm. Add the chicken broth mixture to the skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as the chicken broth simmers. Reduce the broth by half to make a light sauce, about 8 minutes. Spoon some sauce over the pork before serving. Serves four.