Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Sunday Supper Stuffed Pork Chops, Cream Cheese Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas




Sunday Supper Stuffed Pork Chops, Cream Cheese Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Show: 30 Minute Meals Episode: Sunday Dinner Everyday


2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Salt
1/2 cup milk
4 ounces cream cheese
1 small onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, optional

1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil, plus some for drizzling
2 slices bacon chopped
1 small McIntosh apple chopped
2 ribs celery from the heart finely chopped
1 small onion chopped
2 tablespoons freshly chopped sage leaves, or 1 teaspoon ground dried sage
2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
2 store bought corn muffins (I have always had to make the muffins - the little Jiffy mixes work great)

8 thin boneless center cut pork loin chops
2 pounds sugar snap peas
1 cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon butter


Mashed Potatoes
Cover potatoes with water and season with salt. Cover pan to bring potatoes to a quick boil. Boil potatoes until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and return them to the hot pot to dry. Set aside. Heat milk, cream cheese and onion over medium low heat until cream cheese melts into milk and mixture bubbles. Pour hot milk and cream cheese into the potatoes and mash to desired consistency. Add a little extra milk for softer potatoes. Season with salt, to your taste, and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with chopped chives.


Stuffing
Preheat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and bacon to the skillet and cook 2 minutes. Add apple, celery and onion and season the mixture with herbs, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Cook vegetables 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Crumble the corn muffins into the pan and combine stuffing.

Pork Chops
Preheat a large skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Drizzle chops with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook chops 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Do not over cook. The chops should be firm but still giving off juices.

Peas
In a medium saucepan, place snap peas and broth and 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat. When the liquid boils, cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Simmer snap peas 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still green. Remove pan from heat and season snap peas with salt, to taste.


To assemble stuffed chops, set a thin chop on dinner plate or serving plate. Mound the pork chop with stuffing, allowing some to spill onto the plate, then top with a second chop. Repeat with 3 remaining servings. Pass potatoes and snap peas to complete the meal

Its kind of complicated and takes me more than 30 minutes, but it is a dinner that will impress and is absolutely delicious. Once you’ve made it a couple times it gets easier.

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