Fruit and nut stuffed pork chops

Pork chops can gone one of 2 ways usually: ho hum OR out of this world! These chops fell into the latter category, I'm happy to say. Stuffed with apples, craisins and toasted pecans, they had flavor through and through. Adding fruit to savory dishes is quite an old concept but one that has stood the test of time. Fruit accents the savory flavors like nothing else can. Little bursts of crunchy sweetness melded with crispy nuts and tender pork chops.

I used apple, craisins and pecans in these chops, mostly because I had them around & needed to use them up. I was out of bread for the stuffing so a quick trip to the pantry yielded me rosemary & olive oil triscuits that were pretty stale. Being a creative Kitchen Witch I decided the stale triscuits would actually be better than bread, they have a nice hearty flavor on their own and the rosemary & olive oil would add great herbaciousness to the stuffing. Boy, the Witch got it right with this one! The triscuits absorbed the cooking juices of the chop, which only added to the amazing flavor of these chops.

Best part of this whole dish is that its pretty quick. From start to finish I had dinner on the table in less than 45 minutes. We served these chops with the mac & cheese & cauliflower Pass it On recipe. What a delicious dinner it made!

Fruit & Nut stuffed Pork Chops
makes 4 chops
4 thick cut pork loin chops
1/2 apple, diced with skin on
2 T craisins
1 stalk celery diced
1/4 small onion diced
1/4 c pecans, toasted & chopped
1 T fresh minced parsley
S&P
2 t EVOO or butter
6 triscuits, rosemary & olive oil flavor is good here
1/4 c water or stock

Preheat oven to 350*.

Cut a pocket into the pork chop so you have a place for the stuffing to go. Salt & pepper the chops & set aside while you make the stuffing.

~*~Kitchen Witch Tip: look for pork loin roasts on sale. You can then cut the roast (which is boneless) into thick or thin chops as you desire. These cuts are usually lower cost than precut chops and this way you can control the thickness for your recipe~*~

In a small skillet over medium high heat cook and add your oil or butter. Cook the onions and celery until they start to soften & take on a little color, about 5-8 minutes. While that's cooking dice the apple and put it into a small mixing bowl with the craisins. Once onions & celery are done add to the apples.



In the same sautee pan heat the nuts about 2-3 minutes or until they are toasted & smell good. Chop roughly and add to the onions & apples.

Crush up the triscuits, add them to the fruit & veg mix, add nuts, parsley and the stock (or water). Stir well and allow to rest for a minute before stuffing so the triscuits can absorb the liquids.



Divide stuffing into quarters and stuff each chop with the stuffing.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once its hot add remaining oil and cook chops on 1st side until nicely browned. Flip chops over and cover with an oven proof lid. Put the entire pan into the hot oven & allow to cook for 15 minutes or until internal temp is at least 155-160*. Allow meat to rest about 5 minutes before serving.

~*~Kitchen Witch Tip: look for pork loin roasts on sale. You can then cut the roast (which is boneless) into thick or thin chops as you desire. These cuts are usually lower cost than precut chops and this way you can control the thickness for your recipe~*~

Sorry for the lousy photos, I was starved by the time dinner was done & quality photography was NOT high on my list of priorities.

Nutrition Facts Provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 235.8
Total Fat 13.0 g
Saturated Fat 2.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.6 g
Cholesterol 48.4 mg
Sodium 384.6 mg
Potassium 461.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 9.2 g
Dietary Fiber 2.2 g
Sugars 0.3 g
Protein 20.8 g