It's no secret that pork chops and apples are a match made in heaven. In the recipe below, thick pork chops are stuffed with an apple stuffing that also features pecans and ooey-gooey mozzarella cheese.

The secret to success with this recipe is using bread that is about a day old. This will allow it to soak up all those delicious cooking juices from the pork chops, for a moist, tender stuffing you'll love. Don't worry about using spicy Dijon mustard in this dish as it mellows out quite nicely in the oven.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, divided
5 slices slightly stale sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small apple, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
8 boneless pork loin chops (6 ounces each)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush a baking sheet with one tablespoon of the vegetable oil and set aside.

2. Place the sandwich bread in a mixing bowl. Add the milk and mix to combine.

Add the salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, and stir until all of the seasonings are evenly incorporated.

3. Add the mozzarella, apple, and pecans to the stuffing and toss well to combine. Set aside.

4. Cut a pocket horizontally into the thickest part of each chop.

Fill each chop with the stuffing mixture.

5. Use a pastry brush to brush each chop with mustard on both sides.

6. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chops in batches, cooking for four minutes per side.

Transfer the chops to the prepared baking sheet.

7. Place the chops in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the stuffing reads 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow to sit 5 minutes before serving.

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