Mustard, Herb & Cheese Crusted Pork

The other night, we had a couple of our friends over for dinner. They're expecting their first child, a daughter named Lily, in September and we couldn't be more excited for them! Ever since we've moved to the suburbs, they have been great friends to welcome us into suburbia in so many ways and we were happy to introduce them to our little man. For dinner, I prepared this quick recipe for Mustard, Herb & Cheese Crusted Pork and it was a hit with no leftovers to be seen!

The recipe for Mustard, Herb & Cheese Crusted Pork is a combination of two different pork recipes. I used the herb combination of one recipe and the mustard coating of another to impart additional flavor. Since I didn't want to prepare something that took too long in the oven, I sliced a pork loin roast into individual slices and coated them with a crunchy panko breadcrumb and Romano cheese crust. I thought the added breadcrumb and cheese crust made for a better presentation and added some nice texture. I served this dish with a toasted garlic rice pilaf and a strawberry spinach salad. This guest friendly dish can be made in advance and frozen as well, a bonus if you want to have a quick meal for busy nights.

Mustard, Herb & Cheese Crusted Pork
recipe adapted from MyRecipes and Paula Deen

1 (4-pound) boneless pork loin, cut into 1 inch slices
1/2 cup canola oil for frying

Herb mixture:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

Coating:
1-2 cups panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons grated fresh Romano cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a skillet until hot.

Combine the all herb mixture ingredients in a small bowl. Brush the herb mixture onto the pork loin slices, covering all of the meat and fat.

Combine the coating ingredients in a shallow dish and dredge coated pork loin slices to coat completely.

Pan fry the coated pork loin slices until browned. Place browned pork on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes. Test for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, remove the pork from the oven.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Following the directions above and freeze pork after coating pork slices with panko breadcrumb mixture. Place in an oven- and freezer-proof baking dish covered with foil/lid or gallon sized freezer bag and freeze.When ready to prepare, pan fry from frozen until browned. Bake in preheated oven for 7-12 minutes. Test for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, remove the pork from the oven.