Baked Garlic and Parmesan Pork Chops

I was originally going to make this recipe with chicken breasts. Then I discovered I actually only had chicken wings on hand. Oops. Good thing I did have a pack of thin cut pork chops. While I was hesitant at first, I am glad I made the substitution.  Crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside and quite tasty from the garlic and cheese combination. If you are in a rush you will love that these can be prepared and cooked in less than 30 minutes as well.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 thin cut boneless pork chops (you can use thick cut or bone-in but remember to adjust cooking time)
• 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley, reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish
• 1/4 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large shallow bowl combine Panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and Italian parsley. Mix well and set aside.
3. Prepare pork chops by covering each piece in olive oil. Be sure the pork chops are well coated on both sides.
4. Individually dip pork chops into Panko mixture. Pat down on both sides to ensure even coverage. Place covered pork chops on non stick baking pan.
5. Bake pork chops for 15-18 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
6. Let rest for 3-5 minutes before serving. Garnish with reserved Parmesan cheese and Italian Parsley.