Italian Breaded Pork Chops

Italian Breaded Pork Chops: This is my dinner for tonight. I made this for the first time last fall and Hubby LOVES them and gets so excited when I make them. They do take some a little time to prepare, but they really are delish!

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 4 pork chops

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. In a separate small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until lightly browned. Remove garlic, reserving for other uses.
4. Dip each pork chop into the egg mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating evenly. Place coated pork chops in the skillet, and brown abut 5 minutes on each side.
5. Place the skillet and pork chops in the preheated oven, and cook 25 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Here are a few things I have done differently than the original recipe.
*I only use 2 eggs...you really don't need 3. You could probably just use the egg whites if you were really concerned about cholesterol.
*I also pound out my pork chops to tenderize them a little and so they cook a little faster.
*Also, I don't keep fresh garlic cloves, I usually use minced garlic or garlic powder. The minced garlic burned a little when I used it last, so tonight I'm going to try to mix garlic powder to the olive oil before adding it to the pan.
*I use my biggest skillet to sear (fry?) the breaded pork chops, but I then transfer them to a cookie cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet to bake them. Yes, it adds extra dishes, but it also keeps the chops from getting soggy. But some people might like them soggy, I just don't. I figure if I'm going to spend the time to make a really good dish like this than what is a few more dishes!
*I often buy my pork chops in the big family pack since it is much cheaper that way and since 4 chops feeds my family just fine, I try to find a pack with 8 chops in it. Then I make all 8 at once and can freeze them for another meal or Hubby's lunches. You really don't need any extra breading as there is plenty of leftover crumb's if you only make 4 chops.

I would highly suggest this recipe if you have a rather slow Sunday to spend in the kitchen. If I were real ambitious I would have Little Miss help. But...

We usually serve it with some sort of potato, but I think tonight we are just going to have Pasta Roni and maybe some breadsticks and veggie...maybe I should be brave and finally make my kids try spinach. :)

REAL MOM'S SATURDAY DINNER: Chicken patty sandwiches, mixed veggies, and frozen french fries. I like to top the chicken patty with a little cheddar cheese and turkey bacon and a crisp piece of lettuce. Mmmmm....