Savory Baked Stuffed Pork chops are filled with hints of apples, mushrooms and creamy cheese. An easy gourmet pork chop to make for weeknight entertaining. A perfect alternative to Thanksgiving turkey.
Serve this alongside Sweet Potato Casserole and Wild Rice Salad and you are all set for a simple, elegant meal!
I love stuffing and it’s criminal that it’s usually only served around Thanksgiving. I decided I’d make a savory apple stuffing to go inside a juicy succulent baked pork chop.
The stuffing has all of the flavors of fall with apples, mushrooms, mixed with parsley and sage. To tie it all together there is a tangy goat cheese way in the back of the stuffing pocket that as it cooks spreads out into the stuffing!
Apple stuffed Pork Chops are a simple dish, but there tends to be a lot of questions regarding them. I’m going to answer all of those questions and share with you an easy recipe for enjoying dinner with friends or as a gourmet meal alternative to serving turkey on Thanksgiving!
What temperature should you cook pork chops to?
How do you make the pocket for stuffing to go into?
Can you use a boneless pork chop for stuffing?
Why this Gourmet Stuffed Pork Chops Recipe Works
- It’s simple to make, but with the stuffed pork chop with stuffing it’s a little more special for entertaining.
- You can prepare it ahead of time and just cook it when it’s time.
- It’s a great alternative to holiday dinners like Christmas, Thanksgiving dinner and New Years day dinner for smaller portions to cook.
This simple stuffing for these pork chops has just a few ingredients, but they pair beautifully with the pork. No heavy chopping involved here.
Simple Baked Pork Chops Stuffing Ingredients:
- bread cubes
- apples
- butter
- onions
- sage
- parsley
- goat cheese
How do you make a stuffed pork chop?
- Start with getting a thick bone-in pork loin chop. I suggest 1 1/2 inches in thickness.
- Cut a slit that is 2″ long along the side, then take your knife and create a pocket that runs almost all the way to the edge of the chop to the bone at the center.
- Make a quick bread stuffing to slide inside. Saute the stuffing quickly then allow it to cool before stuffing it inside.
- First stuff the goat cheese all the way back into the slit.
- Place the bread/apple/mushroom stuffing inside.
- Place pork chops into the oven and bake uncovered for 30 mins, then uncover to finish.
- Allow the pork to rest to absorb the juices.
Common Questions, tricks and tips for stuffed pork chops in the oven
What temperature is safe to eat for pork?
Pork used to be cooked to well past 160°. Now the USDA says its completely safe at 145°. I suggest cooking to 145° then allowing it to rest for 10 minutes. The pork will continue to cook and will finish out around 150°
What kind of pork chop should I use?
A pork loin chop with a bone in it presents beautifully. You can also use boneless pork chops, you will need to reduce the cooking time a little bit.
Can I use something besides an oven to bake the pork chops?
Yes! You can do them on the grill in indirect heat. You will need to use a thermometer to check the temp of your grill. Instead of browning them on the stovetop you can sear them on the grill then move them to indirect heat for finishing the cooking.
Tips for making the baked pork more gourmet looking!
Before you turn off the skillet after browning the pork chops. Add some whole sage leaves to the oil and fry them for 15 seconds on each side. Save them to place on top right before you serve them.
Can you make baked pork chops ahead of time?
You can prepare everything up until the actual cooking of the pork chop. Prepare the stuffing and keep it in a separate container in the fridge. Season the chops and have the pocket all ready to go. Take the ingredients out of the fridge about an hour before you are ready to make them. (If you don’t the pork cooking times will be off because the pork will be colder so it will take longer.)
Suggestions for serving this meal:
Pork chops and stuffing is ideal as a substitute for turkey as a main course for Thanksgiving. It will pair with all of the sides that you expect for the holiday but you won’t have to spend hours roasting a whole turkey.
Side Dishes to Serve with this Gourmet Stuffed Pork Chop
- Garlic Sugar Snap Peas
- This super one pan honey butter peas recipe could be made while the chops are in the oven!
- The color of these streusel topped Sweet Potatoes would look lovely with the apple stuffed pork chops!
- Could any dinner go wrong with Sweet Corn In Cake form as a side dish (ok, it is Jiffy Corn casserole, not cake but its so good!?! )
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More Easy Gourmet Recipes You might enjoy:
- Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin with a honey mustard glaze (another alternative for a turkey less Thanksgiving dinner!)
- Grilled Cuban Mojo Pork
- Mojo Chicken
- Pork with a blue cheese sauce ~ Great one pan dinner that seems fancy, but is just easy and delicious!
More Easy Gourmet Meals for Special Occasions
These recipes are easy gourmet meals you can use to serve for special occasions. Simple to make so you can entertain without stress. All of these would also work for alternatives to a whole turkey on Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Easy elegant dinner made with caramelized onions and melted cheese over tender succulent chicken thighs (or breasts) Easily made in one pan for a wow-factor presentation.
Simple pan sauteed pork medallions made in one pan are then drizzled with a rich blue cheese sauce for an elegant comfort food dinner.
Seriously delicious and quite the impressive meal for entertaining, but so easy to make for entertaining for a crowd. Simple herbs and spices flavor the rack of lamb that will rival any restaurant presentation.
Freshly grated horseradish is the wow factor for this simple ribeye roast. Perfect for entertaining without a lot of stress -- your company will think you worked for hours, but these easy steps will be our little secrets for a gourmet comfort food meal.
Take all the hours of cooking and prepping for a whole turkey and make this slow cooker turkey breast for any dinner for company. Easy trick to get crispy skin too!
French Beef stew is full of a deep wine-infused sauce swirled around tender chunks of beef, mushrooms, carrots and onions. Simple gourmet food that is ideal for entertaining and the fact that it can be done in just over an hour in the instant pot is just a bonus
Savory Apple Baked Stuffed Pork Chops
Savory Baked Stuffed Pork chops are filled with hints of apples, mushrooms and creamy cheese. Easy Gourmet meal to make for weeknight entertaining. Perfect alternative to Thanksgiving turkey.
Ingredients
- 6 - 7 ounce bone in pork chops, 1 1/2" thick
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups bread, cut into cubes
- 1 cup apple, peeled, small dice cubes
- 1 cup mushrooms, minced
- 3 ounces goat cheese
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons parsley , minced
- 1 tablespoon onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon sage, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Heat a cast iron pan to medium high. Melt one tablespoon butter in it. Once melted add apples, bread, mushrooms, sage, parsley and onion and sautée for 5 minutes until apples are softened and onions are translucent. Remove from pan and place in a bowl to cool.
- Salt and pepper all sides of pork chops. Cut a 2 inch slit in side of pork chop to create a pocket. The slit will only be 2 inches at the incision but inside the pork chop you will create a large pocket to have the stuffing and goat cheese fit into. Remove skillet from stovetop, turn off burner but dont wash the pan. You will reuse the pan once you stuff the chops.
- Divide goat cheese (or cream cheese) between all pork chops. Stuff the cheese all the way to the back of the pocket. Then divide stuffing mixture between all pork chops and stuff that in as well.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the same cast iron pan. Turn temp back on to high. Once sizzling sear all sides of pork chops until each side is golden brown. About 4 mins per side. You may need to do this in batches.
- Place pork chops into an oven safe baking dish, and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes then remove the foil. Continue to bake until pork has reached an internal temperature of 145°. Allow the pork to rest for 10 mins after removing from the oven so allow the juices to reabsorb.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
6 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 562Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 178mgSodium: 338mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 56g
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. Please calculate your own nutritional information if you want it exact to what you make and use my calculations as a guide only.
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Elaine Benoit
Wednesday 17th of October 2018
These pork chops look simply amazing. When I think of pork chops, I always think of my mom. She would have loved this recipe! The chops look so delicious and moist which is a requisite for me!
Carlee
Friday 28th of September 2018
I am putting thick cut pork chops on the grocery list. These look gorgeous!
Wendy Klik
Monday 24th of September 2018
This sounds like a meal I could love.