Panko-Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Herb Dressing

Since the hockey playoffs started (GO BUFFALO!), we needed to have meals that we could prepare quickly.  This is one of our favorites, Panko-Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Herb Dressing.  If you've never used Panko (Asian breadcrumbs) before, I highly recommend it.  How is it different from regular breadcrumbs you ask?  Panko has a lighter, flakier texture but provides the same type of browned-crust as regular breadcrumbs.  

This recipe has a three-dip method: flour mix, egg wash and breadcrumbs which makes it so easy to create the crust.  The dressing calls for common ingredients, most of which we have in house on a regular basis.  If you have larger chops, I would recommend butterflying them or pounding them out with a meat tenderizer so that they are 1/2 inch thick or less, otherwise the pork requires a longer time in the oven and that's just frustrating when you're hungry.  One other great thing about this recipe is the amount of servings - just 2.  If you have a small family like us (2 people and 2 cats) this amount is enough for one or two nights (we buy prepackaged pork chops which usually come in 1 lb or more and double the sauce).  Doubling (or tripling) this recipe is easy if your family is larger.  As you can see, we had Texas Toast on the side, which is not healthy but we believe the mantra: "everything in moderation"  (1 piece is 150 calories, so with the pork the total calories are still reasonable).

As of today's post, the average rating was a 4 out of 5 based on 11 reviews.

I hope you enjoy this in your home too!

Recipe by David Bonom, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2008

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and about 2 tablespoons dressing)

Ingredients

• Pork:
• 2  teaspoons  all-purpose flour
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  onion powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  chili powder
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  teaspoon  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  large egg white
• 1/3  cup  panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 2  (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
• 1  teaspoon  canola oil
• Cooking spray
• 
  Dressing:
• 1  tablespoon  chopped green onions
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2  tablespoons  fat-free sour cream
• 1  tablespoon  fat-free milk
• 1  tablespoon  reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1  teaspoon  cider vinegar
• 1/4  teaspoon  garlic powder

Preparation

1. To prepare pork, preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce and egg white in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place panko in a shallow dish.
3. Dredge pork in flour mixture; dip in egg mixture. Dredge in panko. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 1 minute on each side. Place pork on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 6 minutes or until done.
4. To prepare dressing, combine onions and the remaining ingredients. Serve dressing with pork.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 268 (32% from fat)

Fat: 9.5g (sat 2.2g,mono 4g,poly 1.8g)

Protein: 30g

Carbohydrate: 13.6g

Fiber: 0.7g

Cholesterol:74mg

Iron: 1.3mg

Sodium: 608mg

Calcium: 72mg