Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Pork Chops. Sautéed spinach, mushrooms, garlic, and asiago cheese stuffed into thick-cut boneless pork chops.
As we are in the middle of May, spinach is aplenty in the garden. I am harvesting bowls of the amazing green stuff each week. So these spinach and mushroom stuffed pork chops were on tap.
Have you ever grown spinach?
If you have not I highly recommend it. Spinach is easy to grow, does not take up a lot of space, grows quickly (from 30-50 days depending on variety), and tastes better then store-bought.
You can find seeds in late winter in your local grocery store, garden center, or big box store. I buy my seeds online from several seed companies (but I buy a lot). My latest batch of spinach was grown with seeds from botanical interests.
How to Grow Spinach?
This will be a quick and dirty (pun intended) explanation. You can easily get started by buying 1 pack of seeds from the store and growing the spinach in a small planter or flower box.
Fill a medium-sized pot (with drainage holes) with potting mix, leaving 1-2 inches of space on top. Next, sprinkle the spinach seeds evenly and cover with about 1/4-inch of potting mix. Then, water in well.
In about 7-10 days the seedlings will emerge and then you are off to the races. Keep an eye on the pot an make sure the soil remains moist. Once the seedlings are established, water deeply about 1-2 times pers week (depending on the weather).
Always check your soil. If it is dry when you put your finger about 1-inch down, give some water.
*Word of Caution* spinach likes cool weather. Once the temperature gets over 80 degrees consistently and the day hours get longer, the spinach plant will start to flower (bolt) and go to seed.
So here in Maryland I grow spinach in early-spring and again in fall. So read the seed package and grow accordingly for your area.
Give spinach a try! For me it is relaxing and healing to watch something grow and to tend to it.
This spinach and mushroom stuffed pork chops recipe was a hit with the wife. Not so much with the kids, but that was not a surprise. The kids liked the pork itself, but not the spinach and mushrooms.
Hey, but a Dad can try! Maybe the second or third times the charm. One can hope. If not, more for Dad.
The process of this recipe is as follows: (1) make the stuffing, (2) stuff the pork chops, (3) pan-sear the pork chops, and (4) finish the spinach and mushroom stuffed pork chops in the oven.
These pork chops were juicy and delicious. But remember, do not over-stuff the pork chops before pan-searing. You do not want to lose all of the stuffing to the skillet.
If you have any extra stuffing serve it as a side when plating this dish.
NOTE
Before beginning the recipe remember to read the “Invent Your Recipe” section below for additional suggestions, recipe combinations, or ingredient alternatives.
How to Make Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Pork Chops
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
Preparing the Spinach and Mushroom Stuffing:
- In a large oven safe large skillet, add 2 tablespoons butter and melt on high heat. Next, add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Next, add in the spinach, mushrooms, salt, and ground black pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Finally, turn off the heat, add the asiago cheese, and mix in. Remove the spinach and mushroom stuffing to a bowl to cool.
Stuffing the Pork Chops:
- Cut a 3-4-inch-long pocket lengthwise in each pork chop but do not cut all the way through. You want to make sure you can add the stuffing into one side without it falling out the other side of the pork chop.
- Next, add about 1-2 tablespoons of stuffing into the pocket. Ensure you do not overstuff the pork chops. You can heat and serve any leftover stuffing as a side with the pork chops.
Cooking the Pork Chops:
- Continuing on high heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and melt. Next, add in the pork chops and sear on each side for 2 minutes.
- Finally, place the oven safe skillet into the oven and cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork is 150 degrees.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
How to Serve Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Pork Chops:
- Serve the spinach and mushroom stuffed pork chops with a side of roasted potatoes or your favorite grain. Heat and place any remaining spinach and mushroom stuffing along side the pork chops when serving.
INVENT YOUR RECIPE
For this spinach and mushroom stuffed pork recipe I am using boneless pork chops. You could also use boneless chicken breasts, boneless turkey breasts, skirt steak, or flank steak. The recipe would work great with any of these options.
If you are not a fan of mushrooms try using beans (cannellini, kidney, navy, or pinto). Or you could add other vegetables like onions, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, asparagus, or tomatoes.
For some additional crunch and texture, you could coats the boneless pork chops is breadcrumbs or cornflakes before searing. Or instead, you could had sliced or chopped nuts, like pecans, walnuts, or almonds, into the stuffing.
The Recipe
Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 4 garlic cloves sliced
- 8-10 ounces spinach
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup asiago cheese shredded or mozzarella
- 4 boneless pork chops thick-cut at least 1-inch
Instructions
How to Make Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Pork Chops
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
Preparing the Spinach and Mushroom Stuffing:
- In a large oven safe large skillet, add 2 tablespoons butter and melt on high heat. Next, add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Next, add in the spinach, mushrooms, salt, and ground black pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes, mixing occasionally.
- Finally, turn off the heat, add the asiago cheese, and mix in. Remove the spinach and mushroom stuffing to a bowl to cool.
Stuffing the Pork Chops:
- Cut a 3-4-inch-long pocket lengthwise in each pork chop but do not cut all the way through. You want to make sure you can add the stuffing into one side without it falling out the other side of the pork chop.
- Next, add about 1-2 tablespoons of stuffing into the pocket. Ensure you do not overstuff the pork chops. You can heat and serve any leftover stuffing as a side with the pork chops.
Cooking the Pork Chops:
- Continuing on high heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and melt. Next, add in the pork chops and sear on each side for 2 minutes.
- Finally, place the oven safe skillet into the oven and cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork is 150 degrees.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
How to Serve Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Pork Chops:
- Serve the spinach and mushroom stuffed pork chops with a side of roasted potatoes or your favorite grain. Heat and place any remaining spinach and mushroom stuffing along side the pork chops when serving.
Invent Your Recipe
Nutrition
