WHAT YOU’RE MAKING

Buffalo & Blue Cheese
Stuffed Pork Chops

Garlic Parmesan
Mashed Potatoes

Lemon-Roasted
Asparagus

THE DRINKS

Modelo Lemon Shandy

PER PERSON
6 oz cold Modelo
3 oz cold lemonade
Ice (optional)
Fresh lemon wedge

Pour cold lemonade into a tall glass. Slowly add the Modelo to keep the foam under control. Give it a gentle stir and finish with a fresh lemon wedge. Make two and enjoy while the chops cook.

Learning Point — Why the Shandy WorksBuffalo sauce and blue cheese bring heat and richness. A cold, lemony shandy brings brightness and bubbles to balance both.

S&S Move: Start with cold ingredients. Warm beer and lemonade aren't doing anybody favors.

WHAT YOU NEED

Buffalo & Blue Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops

2 thick-cut bone-in pork chops (about 1½ inches thick)
⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese
¼ cup celery, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
2 Tbsp softened cream cheese
2 Tbsp Buffalo wing sauce, plus 2 Tbsp for finishing
2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
Kosher salt and black pepper

Secret Weapon — A Pocket, Not a Tunnel
Cut a deep pocket into the side of each chop without slicing all the way through. That keeps the filling inside and the pork juicy.

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled if desired
2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup warm milk (plus more as needed)
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped scallions for finishing

Lemon-Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
½ lemon (juice and wedges)
Kosher salt and black pepper

Gear

Sharp knife and cutting board
Large oven-safe skillet
Medium saucepan and colander
Potato masher
Rimmed baking sheet
Small mixing bowls
Spoon for stuffing and sauce
Instant-read meat thermometer

BEFORE SHE GETS THERE

Make room for the good stuff. Clear the counters and pull out the skillet, saucepan and baking sheet. No hunting for equipment mid-dinner.
Prep the pork. Cut a pocket into each chop, pat dry, season and refrigerate until cooking time. Keep raw pork separate from everything else.
Mix the filling. Combine blue cheese, cream cheese, chopped celery and Buffalo sauce. Cover and refrigerate until you stuff the chops.
Get the sides halfway there. Cut the potatoes and hold them in cold water. Trim the asparagus and mince the garlic. Keep the asparagus dry.
Chill the Modelo. Put the beer in the fridge and have lemons and glasses ready. Cold beer, fresh lemon, zero drama.
Reset the kitchen. Wipe the counters, empty the sink and put away the groceries. A clean kitchen makes you look suspiciously competent.
Take care of yourself. Shower, clean shirt, brush your teeth. Cologne is not a substitute for any of those.
Set the room. Music on, lights comfortable, table ready. And yes, check the bathroom for toilet paper.

Dinner planned.
Kitchen ready.
Now enjoy the night.

PLAY BY PLAY

PREHEAT AND START THE POTATOES
Heat the oven to 400°F. Cut 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes into even chunks, cover with cold salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer 15–20 minutes until fork-tender. If a fork slides right in, they’re ready. No need to interrogate every potato.
MIX THE BUFFALO FILLING
Combine ⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese, 2 Tbsp softened cream cheese, ¼ cup celery chopped into ¼-inch pieces and 2 Tbsp Buffalo wing sauce. Mix until spreadable, leaving some blue cheese pieces intact. That celery gives you a little crunch in all that creamy, spicy goodness.
STUFF AND SEASON THE CHOPS
Pat dry 2 thick-cut bone-in pork chops. Cut a pocket into the side of each without slicing through. Divide the filling between the pockets. Season the outsides with ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Secure the openings with toothpicks if needed. You’re making a pocket, not digging a tunnel through the pork.

LEARNING MOMENT — THE STUFFED CHOPThink of the pocket as a little home for all that blue cheese, celery and Buffalo goodness. Slide your knife into the side of the chop, but leave enough pork around the edges to hold everything together while it cooks. You want that filling melting inside the meat, not making a break for it in the skillet.

S&S Move: Give each chop a generous spoonful, then stop before it starts bulging. A little filling peeking out is fine. A full-blown cheese escape? That’s dinner for the pan.

SEAR THE PORK
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high. Sear chops 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Keep the stuffing opening facing up as much as possible. Listen for that sizzle. Quiet skillet? Give it a little more heat.
FINISH THE CHOPS IN THE OVEN
Transfer the skillet to the 400°F oven and cook about 10–18 minutes, depending on thickness. Check the thickest part of the meat, away from bone and stuffing: 145°F minimum. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Yes, waiting is annoying. Dry pork is worse.

LEARNING MOMENT — COOK TO TEMPERATUREHere’s why we keep that thermometer handy: two chops can look exactly alike on the outside and cook at completely different speeds. Check the thickest part of the pork—not the bone or the cheesy center—and pull it when the meat reaches at least 145°F
S&S SAVE: If the outside is getting dark before the middle is ready, ease up on the heat and let the oven finish the job. And if a little cheese leaks out, don’t panic. Perfect-looking pork isn’t worth dry pork.

YO DUDE!
That skillet handle is HOT after the oven. Keep an oven mitt on it. Nothing ruins a smooth dinner faster than grabbing 400°F metal barehanded.