Since we were out of town most of Memorial weekend (Friday night through Sunday night), Paul and I spent a good part of our Monday holiday doing stuff around the house. Grocery shopping, bathroom and kitchen scrubbing, washing clothes, cleaning floors, etc. It wasn’t exciting, but we were certainly productive.

For dinner that night, I decided to make a new recipe I’d had my eye on — I found it a few weeks ago when I was searching for something to do with the pork chops in my freezer. Verdict? BIG success. Paul requested that I add it to our rotation of favorite/go-to recipes after eating just a few bites, and I agreed. The tangy pork is a perfect accompaniment to the creamy polenta.

Balsamic-Glazed Pork Chops and Creamy Polenta

(Adapted from MyRecipes)

2 cups whole milk (I used fat-free)
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked polenta (I used organic yellow cornmeal)
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 (4-ounce) boneless pork chops, trimmed

For the polenta: Bring milk and broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. (I was out of broth so I used 2.5 cups of milk and 1/2 cup water.) Add the polenta slowly, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is lump-free. Cook for 20 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring frequently with a whisk; remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese. Keep warm.

For the balsamic glaze: Place vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half (4-5 minutes). I cooked mine a bit too long so it got a little thick — I just added another tablespoon of vinegar, heated it for an additional 30 seconds, and it was fine.

For the pork: Place a frying pan over medium-high heat (I used a non-stick pan, but you could also use a grill pan if you have one). Combine rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic; rub mixture over pork. Place pork in pan; cook for 5 minutes on each side or until done, basting with vinegar. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with the polenta.