Three Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops

Bacon, cheese and pork chops. Need I say more?? Didn’t think so.

I was born and raised on a farm, so when my mom brought me a few juicy one-inch thick pork chops from home, I knew I had to find a stuffed pork chop recipe. I combined a few recipes and ultimately came up with this delicious entree!

My notes: I let the pork chops marinate in worcestershire sauce and one of my favorite rubs for a few hours before the cooking began. I set four of the 8-10 pieces of bacon aside and cooked the rest before making the cheese stuffing mixture (I didn’t use the cornbread stuffing mix). While I was browning the pork chops I coated the four uncooked pieces of bacon in a mixture of brown sugar and the rub I had used on the chops earlier, and wrapped them around the meat after it was done browning.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 1” boneless pork chops
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
• 1/2 cup cheddar, shredded
• 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
• 8-10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 package cornbread stuffing mix

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large baking dish.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the pork chops until golden brown, no more than 3 minutes per side.
3. When the chops have cooled enough to handle, create a stuffing pocket by cutting a large slit along one side of each chop.
4. Combine the cheeses, bacon, and cornbread in a large bowl and then stuff each pocket with the mixture. Secure each chop closed with toothpicks and place the chops in the prepared baking dish. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the chops reach an internal temperature of 160°F.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

You always know you’ve found a winning appetizer when you continue to make it again and again, not only to enjoy it yourself but to also watch the reactions of your friends and family when they bite into its absolute deliciousness. That’s exactly what happened when I came across this recipe!

I made this appetizer for Christmas, and I believe my dad’s exact words were, “Don’t bother cooking anymore I’ll just eat this all day.” I knew I got my love for appetizers and dips from someone! I made it again for Valentine’s Day and it was just as delicious, and I can’t wait to make it for a third time!

The addition of cream cheese and ranch, plus the traditional buffalo chicken spiciness, make this appetizer a must-have. The recipe calls for it to be made in layers and that’s how I’ve prepared it both times, but I’ve also heard of people mixing it all together and saying it was just as delicious.

Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  30 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (10 ounces) chunk white chicken, drained (I boiled a few chicken breasts instead)
• ½ cup buffalo wing sauce (pretty sure I used more than a 1/2 cup but would recommend tailoring it to your tastes)
• ½ cup ranch salad dressing (don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to a 1/2 cup, I made sure the chicken was covered!)
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese
• French bread baguette slices, celery ribs or tortilla chips, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spread cream cheese into an ungreased 1-qt. baking dish.
2. Layer with chicken, wing sauce and salad dressing
3. Sprinkle with additional hot sauce and then top with cheese.
4. Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Champagne Ice Cubes

What’s better than one bottle of champagne?? TWO! Next time you’re in the mood for a few mimosas, grab an extra bottle of champagne, fill up an ice tray and stick the tray in your freezer until it’s solid. Your mimosas will stay chilly and won’t be watered down with the ice cubes – genius!

Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower Recipe

I was a tad bit hesitant to try this recipe, just because I have never been a true fan of vegetables, but it was a knockoff of garlic mashed potatoes and those are my favorites so how bad could it be? Not bad at all!

This recipe is a healthy alternative to mashed potatoes and tastes extremely familiar, but I did add a few ingredients to give it a little more taste because the original recipe was a little bland for my tastes. I added a lot more garlic, green onions, a little bit of lemon, basil, parsley and pepper. It was MUCH better with the extra flavor – enjoy!
INGREDIENTS

1 Head of Cauliflower
1/2 c. milk
2 T. butter
1 t. garlic salt
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. fresh chives
salt and pepper (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

1. Steam and drain cauliflower.

3. Add the remaining ingredients to the cauliflower.

4. Combine until smooth.