Stuffed Pork Chops with Roasted Tomatoes

I have a favorite manicotti/shell stuffing that I make in the fall and freeze in batches. I make it in the fall because one of the ingredients is chard and I have an abundance of that this time a year. Also basil but my basil this year is already done with. I had one last batch in the freezer from last year and decided that I could do other things with it then just stuffed manicotti. So I decided to try stuffing pork chops.

Now I didn't do this recipe exactly as I had planned. I have been very busy lately and loving my crock pot so I put this all in the crock pot and cooked on low all day. I had planned to put it in the oven and while it was fine and good in the crock pot I think the oven would have been a little closer to what I was thinking as it turned out instead of like pork chops a little more like a pork pot roast!

Swiss Chard filling:

2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded/chopped swiss chard
1/4 cup shredded basil
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup Parmesan
1 cup Cottage Cheese
Salt and pepper

Cook garlic and onion in a pan until translucent then combine all ingredients in a food processor and mix/incorporate thoroughly.

Roasted Tomatoes:
Fill a pan with chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 oven until bubbly and caramelized.  For this recipe I then lightly pureed it.

I make this and freeze it to add to well whatever, soups sauce etc. You can puree it or leave it as is but it really brings out the flavor in tomatoes especially if they are not perfect ripe off the garden vine.

4 thick cut Pork chops.

Cut a slit in the pork chops and spoon in cheese mixture, salt and pepper both sides. Put in a single layer in the crock pot pour over the tomato puree, cover and cook on low all day. I was going to sprinkle with some cheese at the end but forgot! Cheese makes everything better but it was still yummy.

I am going to be using my crock pot a lot in the near future maybe all winter. It is so great for busy days like yesterday, I had to leave the house at 9am and had a late lesson at 5 meaning i wasn't back in the house until 7pm. But dinner was pretty much ready when I came in so no complaining about  eating at 9!