Stuffed Baby Bells

I made these up one day when trying to decide what to serve with my country style ribs. They pair fantastically with barbecue, but also work well as party food.

1 small clamshell package yellow, red, and orange baby bell peppers (about 8-10 oz)

4 oz (1/2 pkg) 1/3 fat cream cheese
1/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1 TBS crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (more to taste)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 roasted red pepper, minced
Dash of salt

Mix all ingredients well

Cut the tops off of baby bells, clean out seedy insides, and stuff with cheese mixture. Put caps back on, exposing some of the cheese mixture in between.

Bake in a rimmed pan or baking sheet at 350 for 15 minutes, until the skins are cooked but not mushy. Blister the outsides by broiling for a couple of minutes.

Use different cheeses if you have them. I like the sharpness of the Gorgonzola with the sweetness of the peppers.

Apple and Gorgonzola-Stuffed Pork Chops

These pork chops are great for when you want to knock the socks off of company without it taking all day. These cook up quickly and are a lovely savory-sweet.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. butter
1 apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced
1 Tsp. Thyme
1/4 c. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
4 pork chops (1 1/2 inches thick)
Salt and pepper

1. Melt the butter of medium-high heat.
2. Add the apple to the butter and cook until soft.
3. Remove the apple from heat and put it in a small bowl w/ the Gorgonzola crumbles.
4. Using a thin-bladed knife to cut a pocket into the middle of the pork chops (don't cut completely through)
5. Liberally salt and pepper each side of the pork chop. Sear in a hot pan for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.
6. Stuff with the Gorgonzola/apple mixture. Don't overstuff or it'll all spill out.
7. You can either broil it on each side for 4-5 minutes or sauté covered over medium heat for 4-5 minutes each side. Veer on the side of underdone since pork chops (especially lower-quality ones) get stringy and tough if overcooked.

Serve with Gorgonzola sauce (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. butter
2 garlic cloves
3/4 c. chicken stock
2 Tbsp. cream
1/2 c. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 tsp. black pepper (though, I prefer a lot more)
1 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

1. Deglaze the crusty bits left from searing the pork chops with the butter. Add garlic and cook on med-high heat for 1-2 minutes
2. Add chicken stock, cream, Gorgonzola, and pepper and simmer 10 minutes
3. Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley.
4. Spoon warm on top of Gorgonzola pork chops.