Magda’s Mushroom and Ricotta Stuffed Pork Chops

Erin here: $5 Dinners is going international!  I’d like to introduce y’all to Magda, who hails from Canada.  I’m thrilled that she’ll be sharing some great recipes from north of (my/the) border, along with some great tips for spending less in Canada.

When pork chops or pork loin go on sale for $1.99 a pound, I always purchase at least a dozen pork chops and cook some immediately and prepare some for freezing. The recipe I have developed for Mushroom and Ricotta Stuffed Pork Chops is fast, delicious (even my picky 12 year loves these) and easy, yet it looks impressive enough for a dinner party. I normally make eight or nine chops from one recipe. We have three (or six when we have the grandparents for dinner on Sunday evening) for dinner and I freeze the rest in packages of three before cooking them. To use the frozen stuffed chops, defrost fully in the refrigerator and cook as directed.

If I get the mushrooms (.99/250 g) and ricotta (1.99/200g) on sale, I can make nine stuffed pork chops for about $11.00 ($1.22 per serving) or $3.66 per meal.

Mushroom and Ricotta Stuffed Pork Chops

Recipe By: Magda Stryk Therrien

Ingredients

8 or 9 Pork Chops
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, diced
8 ounces mushrooms, diced
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
2 cups breadcrumbs
200 g ricotta cheese
1 egg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heat a heavy pan and add half the oil. When hot, saute the onions, mushrooms and herbs.
Take of the heat, add breadcrumbs, ricotta, and egg. Mix to throughly combine.

If the chops are relatively thick (1/2″ or more), slice partway through the middle, almost making the chop into two thinner chops. Do not cut all the way through. Stuff this opening.

Divide the stuffing into eight or nine portions and form each portion of stuffing into a flattish oval.

Press the stuffing into the opening cut in the  pork chop and press closed.

Brown on the stove top and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Money Saving Tip

When using products like toothpaste, laundry detergent, and similar products, try using only half the amount you usually use and see if that makes a difference in how clean things are. I use less one quarter to one half of most commercial cleaning products and find that in the vast majority of cases that is more than enough. Of course, if you are unsatisfied with the results when using smaller amounts, increase how much you use until you are happy (or try switching brands).