**By posting this recipe, I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Wild Blueberries Association of North America and I am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Happy (almost) holidays, readers! As neighborhood Halloween stores close, the festive winter decorations have opened. It’s putting me in a very jolly mood this year, so I’m going to share some of my newest holiday creations with you.

This recipe was inspired by my husband. I cannot get him to eat fruit on a regular basis, no matter how hard I try. “There are too many pits… I don’t like the texture…” I’ve heard it all before.

Well, he and his family love pork, so I thought I’d make a holiday meal that replaces the classic Christmas ham, and entices my husband to eat more fruit.

Let’s sweeten up some pork chops with Wild Blueberries!

Did you know that there are 2 types of blueberries? There are regular, farm-grown blueberries that you find in the produce section of the grocery store. When you check the freezer section, you’ll find Wild Blueberries.

Frozen Wild Blueberries

Wild Blueberries tend to have more flavor because they’re grown in their natural habitat. They are sweet, and tart, making for the perfect sauce flavors. Because they’re grown naturally in the fields of Maine and Eastern Canada, they have more antioxidants than farmed blueberries (likely due to the fact that the wild blueberries themselves have to ward off pests). They have been growing in these areas for over 10,000 years!

Just one cup of these babies has 72% more fiber and 32% less sugar than cultivated blueberries! They’re super healthy, and super tasty. What’s not to love about them?

This recipe is so easy to make, and you can boast about its uniqueness thanks to frozen Wild Blueberries.

For the pork rub:

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red crushed pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 8 thin, boneless pork chops

For the Wild Blueberry Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups frozen Wild Blueberries
• 2 small shallots, diced
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced (plus a few extra sprigs for garnish)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
• Pinch of Himalayan salt or sea salt to finish

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, mix the black pepper, salt, paprika, and red pepper. Mince the garlic, and add it to the bowl. Rub this mixture on the pork chops, and place the pork chops in a 9 x 13 inch glass dish.

On the stove top, sear the pork chops on both sides using a very hot sauce pan (about 10 seconds per side).***Save this pan for sauce preparation.***

Place the pork chops back into the glass dish, and put them in the oven for a total of 10 minutes. Flip the pork chops halfway through cooking.

Prepare the sauce ingredients while the pork chops are cooking. When the pork chops are finished, set them aside. Then make the sauce.

Add the blueberries to the same pan you used to sear the pork chops. Mix in the honey and olive oil, and let the blueberries break down slowly. Let the sauce simmer, and stir consistently. Once the blueberries have softened completely, add the shallots, rosemary, parsley, and lime juice. Let the sauce cook down even further.

Wild Blueberry Sauce

Then add flour to thicken the sauce, but sprinkle it into the sauce slowly, while stirring. You will see an automatic change in texture. Once it feels like most of the water has cooked out of the sauce, then you’re ready to plate!

Smother that sauce all over the pork chops, and garnish with a few sprigs of rosemary. Sprinkle the sea salt or Himalayan salt on top of the sauce for some added texture.

Your family will be SUPER impressed by this meal this holiday season. This dish is definitely a conversation starter at the holiday dinner table. Enjoy!

Don’t forget to check out the other fabulous holiday Wild Blueberry recipe creations shared by my fellow Recipe ReDuxers below!

As the first and only recipe challenge founded by registered dietitians, The Recipe ReDux aims to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoy!

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