These Pork Chops Get Nick's Seal of Approval

I have finally perfected one of my favorite pork recipes. Very simple to make, this recipe takes only about 30 minutes and doesn’t trash the kitchen. (Which is only part of the reason Greg likes it so much.) I made the cream cheese sauce lower in fat but still delicious. My husband loves the sauce so much I think he’d eat it with a spoon if I let him. I buy my pork chops from Costco, and they’re really thick. Sometimes I butterfly them, but I always cook them first, so they don’t get tough.

Pork Chops and Fresh Green Beans with a Cream Cheese Sauce

-4 large, thick pork chops
-Two large handfuls of fresh green beans
-8 little red potatoes
-2 cloves of garlic
-8 oz. package of Neufchatel cream cheese
-7 oz. or so of fat free, low sodium chicken broth
-Spices (rosemary, thyme, rubbed sage, fresh   
  ground pepper)

First, preheat the broiler and season the pork chops (both sides) with rubbed sage, garlic, thyme, and fresh ground pepper. I usually rub in the seasonings. Cook the pork chops for 20 minutes total, turning every 5 minutes. During the last five minutes, bake the potatoes in the microwave. (We have a funky fabric potato sack that does this is 5 minutes flat.


While the broiler is heating, put the cream cheese and chicken broth into a small saucepan. Stir as the cream cheese melts, and add rosemary and thyme to taste. Your cream cheese sauce should look like the picturebelow, and the mixture does have to boil a little bit before it gets to the right consistency. You can always add a bit more cream cheese if it's too thin, or a bit more broth if it's too thick. I take a silicone spatula and stir constantly. This sauce thickens when cool, but can be reheated in the microwave.

For the green beans, fill up a saucepan about halfway with water. Boil the water, and then throw in two handfuls of fresh, washed green beans. Let them boil until they’re tender—about 8 minutes, depending on how much crunch you want.

The sauce can be poured over the green beans and/or pork chops. It is a family favorite, and Nick loves this dish. Can you tell? (That's a green bean he's showing you.)