Pork Florentine Casserole

Preheat your oven to 400 F with a rack in the middle position.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add a third of the spinach, and cook it down, stirring constantly, until completely wilted. Repeat twice more, adding 1/3 of the spinach each time, and continuing to heat and stir until all the spinach has been cooked down. Turn off the heat and remove the spinach to a colander and press down with a wooden spoon to remove as much water as possible. Roughly chop the spinach on a cutting board, then transfer it, in two batches, to a clean kitchen towel to wring out the rest of the water. Set the dry spinach aside.

Pat the pork chops dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add another tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add half of the chops and cook until browned on both sides, about 2½ minutes per side, 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chops adding more oil if needed.

Add the shallots to the now empty pan and cook, stirring constantly, until softened. Add the garlic and saute for an additional 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the flour and mix to combine.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, and then whisk in the heavy cream. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and the nutmeg, and simmer until the mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, along with the spinach.

Nestle the pork chops into the spinach mixture, then use a spoon to cover the top of the chops with the spinach mixture too. Sprinkle on the remaining 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. Place the skillet in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and the spinach mixture is bubbling.

Recipe is adapted from America’s Test Kitchen “Simple Weeknight Suppers”.