Peperoncini Stuffed Pork Chops

Now and again I become obsessed with a food item and try to craft creative recipes by experimenting. Sometimes it is a newly introduced item, but usually it is something rather common. Green olives, for example, became my obsession several months ago. You name it and I tried it with a green olive. One of my favorite discoveries, which led to a lot of scrunched up noses from friends, was cottage cheese and green olives. I LOVE it and frequently whip it up when I am looking for a quick and easy snack.

Recently, I became obsessed with peperoncinis. They are a signature ingredient on the Italian Nachos at one of my favorite restaurants, but I hadn't given them much thought until looking for something to enhance my Italian sausage pizza. At the time, my efforts seemed hopeless until my wondering eyes landed on the peperoncinis, a neon green pepper bursting with flavor trapped inside a glass jar. The pizza was fantastic and so began my obsession that led to the below recipe. Start your peperoncini obsession by trying it.

Peperoncini  Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 Butterfly Cut Pork Chops from Triple T Meats
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 tablespoons prepared marinara sauce
8 tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese
4 tablespoon sliced peperoncinis

Directions:

 In a small bowl, mix black pepper, basil, garlic, marjoram and cayenne pepper making a dry rub. Rub on one side of the opened butterfly chop, place seasoned side on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. In a separate, medium sized bowl, mix together the marinara and the mozzarella cheese. On the unseasoned side, facing up, evenly coat with four tablespoons of marinara and cheese mixture. You can cut this down to half, but I like my pork chop super stuffed.

Repeat steps on all chops, then bake in 375° oven for 35-45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops.

Before serving, place two tablespoons of sliced peperoncinis onto each chop and fold close, using a toothpick if necessary to hold it.

Enjoy!!!