Not a conspiracy theory - but that foil will hold your dish together.

Not a conspiracy theory - but that foil will hold your dish together.

FROM THE EDITOR’S WIFE…

<p>The chops are fresh from North Carolina.</p>

The chops are fresh from North Carolina.

<p>The stuff kind of reminds me of thanksgiving… and oh, once you taste it, you will give thanks.</p>

The stuff kind of reminds me of thanksgiving… and oh, once you taste it, you will give thanks.

<p>And dinner for your king. It will put a smile on his face.</p>

And dinner for your king. It will put a smile on his face.

I had the pleasure of joining my husband to the Balden Community College Foundation and Auction Fundraising Dinner last week. How nice meeting so many wonderful people that care about their community not to mention so many followers of the Bladen Journal who read my food column! The big question that I heard all night long is “Do you cook like this every night? How do you find the time?” Well, the answer is “No” and “With the time I spend helping people obtain financing to get into a home, it can be difficult to find the time.”

So, here is one of my recipes that is super quick on the prep time and can be on the dinner table in less than an hour. Stuffed Pork Chops. You can serve with so many different sides such as mashed potatoes, sauerkraut and even warm applesauce.

Here is your shopping list:

1. 2 Thick Cut Pork Chops

2. 1 Box of Stove Top stuffing (my favorite is the Savory Herbs)

3. 1 oz package of McCormick Pork Gravy

4. ½ Stick of Cold Butter

5. Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Make the stuffing by following the directions on the box. Set aside to cool a bit. While the stuffing is cooling, prepare the pork chops by slicing in the middle all the way to the bone. Salt and pepper on both sides to taste.

Fill the pocket with stuffing (as much and you can get in there). Take a piece of foil and fold it up so that you can put that over top of the stuffing to keep it from burning while baking. Spray the foil which will make it easier to remove it when done and keep it from sticking to the stuffing.

Place the chops in a glass baking dish that you will coat with cooking spray. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Cook for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes.

You may then want to set a broil for about five minutes to brown the top of the chops. Remove the chops from the dish and put on a plate. Tent it with foil.

Follow the directions on your favorite pork chop gravy mix. Add the juices from the chops to add that extra flavor. Serve and enjoy the extra time you have!

Thecia DeLap is not only a successful mortgage lender for VanDyk Mortgage Corporation, but is also an Italian culinary artist who knows her way around the kitchen and has experience cooking, catering, entertaining and planning for large corporate events as well as smaller gatherings. To reach her, you can email her at thecia1@hotmail.com or message her at: http://www.facebook.com/vandykmortgagethecia