Unstuffed Pork Chops

I’ve got a new really simple dinner recipe for you, but first let me share what sparked this idea. I was recently at an agricultural event where the farmers were talking about how everyone always goes for the pork chops, and they hoped people would branch out. Funny enough, I was thinking to myself, “I almost NEVER buy/cook pork chops. I must be missing out.” I usually go for ground pork (in tacos) or the shoulder roast, which is sooo darn tasty in my slow cooker.

So my takeaway was clearly the opposite of what they were hoping for because now here I am cooking up some Unstuffed Pork Chops. :) And let me tell you what, I’m so glad it inspired me to do just that because this recipe turned out even better than I hoped! I served it with whole grain wild rice, which I thought was a great accompaniment. Enjoy.

Unstuffed Pork Chops

4.67 from 3 votes

Course: Dinner

Dietary Restriction: Egg Free, Gluten Free, Peanut/Tree-Nut Free

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings (Adjust to suit): 4

Adapted from Rachael Ray

Print

---

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 pound sausage, mild, Italian
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 8 apricots, dried, cut into quarters (I bought the dark-colored unsulphured kind that you can see the front of the picture)
• 4 pork chops, boneless and thin, about 1/2" thick - I purchased "center cut" and they were really good
• 1/2 cup broth, or water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in your largest skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and begin to brown it while breaking up the meat with a spatula, about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, celery, and apricots to the pan and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Make room for the pork chops and nestle them into the pan among the sausage mixture. Sear each side of the pork chops until golden brown, a couple minutes per side.
4. Pour in the broth or water, cover the pan, turn down the heat to low, and cook until the pork chops are done all the way through (no longer pink), about 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Take the lid off the pan, stir in the cream until well combined, and serve warm.