Lunch: John's Baked Pork Chops Stuffed with Smoked Gouda and Bacon

Recipe by jckane59 It was too rainy to grill so I prepared a baked version using boneless center-cut pork chops. I breaded the chops and added a baked apple garnish for flair. We were very pleased by the outcome. I used the fat line as marker for making

Ingredients

2 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (2 1/4-inch thick) center-cut boneless pork chops
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 apple, cored
1 green onion
2 pieces red grapes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Combine Gouda cheese, bacon, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper together in a bowl.
Cut each pork chop from one side through the middle horizontally to within 1/2 inch of the other side. Open the two sides and spread them out like an open book. Stuff cheese mixture into each pocket and close; secure with a wooden toothpick. Coat each stuffed pork chop with olive oil.
Whisk egg in a bowl. Mix bread crumbs, salt, and black pepper to taste together in a separate bowl. Carefully dip each stuffed pork chop in the egg; press chop into bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. Place breaded pork chops in a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
Bake in preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Garnish pork chops with cored apple, green onion, and red grapes.