Description

These apple bacon blue cheese stuffed pork chops are healthy, filling, and FULL of flavor! What more could you want?! Only 212 calories per serving!

Ingredients

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4 thick pork chops (around 1 inch, boneless or bone in), brined overnight (see notes)
1 Tbsp fresh, chopped rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices bacon (I used center cut)
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 large shallot, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 C crumbled blue cheese (or gorgonzola)

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Instructions

Slice the side of 4 brined pork chops until it is deep enough for the stuffing. Mix together 1 Tbsp of chopped rosemary and slat and pepper to taste and season each side of chops.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Chop 4 slices of raw bacon into small pieces and cook in skillet.
Once cooked, drain out 1 Tbsp of bacon fat and set aside both fat and bacon in separate containers for later.
Add 1 diced apple and 1 diced shallot into cast-iron and cook until apple is tender, about 3 minutes.
Next add in 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat and stir in 3/4 C of crumbled blue cheese. Toss in your cooked bacon pieces from earlier and mix until all ingredients are fully combined.
Once combined, stuff each pork chop evenly with the mixture.
Clean your skillet of remaining stuffing ingredients then add back over medium heat.
Once the skillet is hot again, add in the 1 Tbsp of bacon fat you set aside earlier.
Add the pork chops to the skillet and brown each side for 5 minutes. While you do this, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Add the entire skillet with pork chops into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Internal temperature should be at least 150 F, and be sure you're checking the pork only, not the stuffing!
Allow to cool slightly then serve and enjoy!!

Notes

To brine the pork chops, place into a sealable container and cover with water. Add in a dash of sugar and a little apple cider vinegar and allow to sit in the refrigerator overnight.

To reheat leftovers, cut pork chops into chunks, heat a skillet over medium heat and add a little olive oil. Add pork chop and stuffing and continue to move it around the skillet until warmed through.