Apple Baked Stuffed Pork Chops

These Apple Baked Stuffed Pork Chops are guaranteed to remind you of Thanksgiving Stuffing, but high in protein and without all the carbs. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to put together and how delicious the flavor was.

It’s easy to get tired of chicken after bariatric surgery, and pork is a great way to mix things up. It’s high in protein and contains thiamine, B12, zinc and iron which are all important nutrients to the post-bariatric patient.

What Do You Stuff the Pork Chops With?

You can stuff a pork chop with a lot of different kinds of foods but traditionally I see it stuffed with an herb stuffing, apple, spinach, cheese, mushrooms and potatoes. For the purposes of this recipe I used onions, ground sage, apple and dried cranberries. The sage spice gave it a traditional stuffing flavor.

I sautéd the onions for five minutes to give the stuffing more of a savory-sweet flavor. Then I added fresh apple, sage and a small amount of dried cranberries (Please see modifications below of you are not eating dried fruit).

How to Stuff Pork Chops

I honestly was intimidated the first time I made stuffed pork chops. In fact, I bought the wrong kind of pork chop. I bought the thin bone-in pork chops and not the thick. YOU NEED to buy the thick bone-in pork chops, about 1 ½ inches thick so you can cut a pocket in the middle to stuff them. Like this…

If you end up buying the thin one on accident, don’t worry. Just prepare the filling as is and layer it on top of the thin cooked pork chop.

When you prepare stuffed pork chops, I suggest cutting a slit in the pork chop first. Then prepare your stuffing on the stovetop. Once the filling is cooked, stuff the pork chop with the filling and place on baking dish.

It is super easy yet seems fancy!

What to Serve With Apple Stuffed Pork Chops

There are a variety of side options to choose from when you cook these Apple Stuffed Pork Chops. I personally like to see a little “green” on my plate so I would serve this with broccoli, brussel sprouts, green beans, sautéed spinach or salad for my veggies.

There are a small amount of carbs (~ 6 g per serving) in the stuffing from the apples and cranberries. However, if you want to add more carbs then sweet potatoes or roasted butternut squash would also taste good on the side.

How to Cook for One

If you are cooking for one, then I would suggest using 1-2 pork chops instead of four. If you are not much of a leftover fan, then cook one in the toaster oven. You’ll likely not be able to eat more than a half of a pork chop, so you could use it for one meal the next day.

If you’re meal prepping for a couple days then cook no more than two pork chops in the toaster oven.

How to Meal Prep This Dish

If you are meal prepping, there are two different ways you can meal prep this meal.

First, if you are planning on eating this meal with your family for dinner, you could prepare the stuffing mixture on the weekend and stuff the raw pork chops. Then place in 13×9 pan and cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge to eat later during the week. On the night you are ready to eat, take out of fridge, remove plastic wrap and bake in oven as directed.

Second, if you want this to be a “grab and go” meal out of your fridge, then prepare as is. Next, store in individual containers and add a cooked veggie to it. Reheat in the microwave for about 2 minutes when you want to eat it.

Bariatric Diet Modifications:

Pureed: Not recommended for this stage

Soft: Peel apples and omit cranberries. Make sure apples are cooked until soft.

Regular: Serve as is

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