Pork Chops Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach

Here is a very tasty way to prepare pork chops.  This dish looks like it would take a long time to make but comes together quite quickly.   The chicken broth – lemon – mustard sauce adds a very nice touch to the dish. The pork chops were very moist and the stuffing is excellent.  This is a definite keeper and next time I'd like to try the filling with boneless chicken breast.  I found the original recipe on Food Network from Giada.  I made a change and used feta instead of goat cheese.  I also cooked the pork chops longer than original recipe called for.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), diced
• 1 (10-ounce) box of frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) feta cheese
• 3 oz.  cream cheese, softened
• 4-5 (4-ounce) center-cut pork chops
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Warm the 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 feta 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 pan and place in preheated  oven to finish cooking while you make sauce.  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 boils. Reduce the broth by half to make a light sauce, about 8 minutes. Spoon sauce over the pork in oven and cook until pork chops are completely cooked.  May take a few more minutes.  Don't overcook but cook until no longer pink.