BBQ Pulled Pork

Is anyone out there a 'crock pot checker' like I am? Do you feel the intense need to open the lid on a crock pot when you have something cooking? Well, if you are... STOP!!!!!

I finally figured out why my roasts n such haven't been cooking as quickly as the recipes say they should. I recently read (can't remember where) that each time you open the lid to the crock pot/slow cooker, it increases the cook time by 20-30 minutes!  I guess the steam creates a seal and allows the food to cook more quickly and evenly.

I won't waste anymore time. On to the recipe! BBQ Pulled Pork!  Yummy!

The Ingredients

Shopping List:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup Worcestershire
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. ground mustard (i used Dijon instead)
1 Tbsp. paprika (i used chili powder)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke (didn't have any so left it out)
dash red pepper flakes
Pinch salt and pepper
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
3 lbs. pork shoulder, trimmed of fat. (any pork roast should do)

Directions:
-Combine all ingredients except for onion and meat in crock pot.  Whisk all ingredients until well blended.
-Place pork and onions into mixture, coating both sides of meat.
-Cook for 8-10 hours on low slow cooker setting.
-After meat is cooked, remove from slow cooker and break apart with a fork.
-Place meat back into warm sauce to reheat until serving.

All in the pot!

Finished Meat, Pre-Shredding

 

A Perfect Sandwich



As you can tell above, I made some changes based on what I already had on hand. This recipe was super and made more than plenty for a few meals plus some more to freeze!

I think I'm falling in love with my crock pot!  I made a pot roast in it last night (recipe to come) and it was glorious!

Happy Eating!

Meat Loaf

I was never really a fan of meatloaf growing up.  I did, however, find a recipe recently that the husband loves (and I do too)!

Ingredients for the Loaf

Ingredients for the Sauce

 Shopping List:
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 can tomato soup
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. dried mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire
Salt and Pepper to taste

SAUCE:
1/2 can tomato soup
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire

Directions:
-Mix the meat ingredients together and form into loaf in a foil lined roaster (if you want to save on clean-up time).
-Combine remaining ingredients and spread a layer over the loaf. (I usually have extra leftover).
-Bake meatloaf at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Meat Loaf going into the oven:

A finished slice!

As always feel free to add your own flavors and ideas. This was adapted from my mothers recipe and added a few touches based on multiple recipes I've found in different books and online.

Happy Eating

Pasta Pasta

I love making pasta salad. It goes great with sandwiches and is super easy to whip up for a party or BBQ. I promise you will love this one and you can even add in your own touches.

Shopping List:
1 box Pasta ( I usually use the little twisty kind, but used penne in this)
1 cucumber, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 package imitation crab meat, chopped
Shredded Cheese
Bacon Bits
1 cup mayonnaise (go a little lighter here for a less tangy salad)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Italian dressing

Directions:
-Cook pasta to al dente according to directions on box. Drain, and rinse with cold water.  Store in fridge until ready. Add all toppings to the pasta and combine.
-In a small bowl. combine the mayo, sour cream, and Italian dressing.
-Pour dressing over salad and mix well.  (Start with about half of dressing and add more as needed. )
-Store in fridge until ready to serve.

The pasta and toppings

The dressing mix

Finished Pasta



We eat most of the same things in our house so it is all good to mix everything together ahead of time.  If you have some picky eaters, just mix the sauce with the pasta only and set up a 'create your own salad' bar so everyone can add exactly what they want.  In the past, we have also used olives, peppers, shrimp, etc.. so let your imagination run wild.

Happy Eating

Saucy

 We recently made some pork ribs at the house, but wanted something different than the standard BBQ sauce.  We found an amazing recipe for a honey mustard sauce/marinade and fell in love.

The Ingredients:

Shopping List:

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 small onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups honey

1 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. Cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp. salt

Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a pan, saute the onion in oil until caramelized (about 5-10 minutes). Stir in garlic, honey, mustard, and vinegar. Season with crushed red pepper flakes,  Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Cool.

Boiling and Bubbling



Like i said, we used this in place of BBQ on ribs, but you could also use it as a marinade for almost any meat. We also halved this recipe and still had plenty left over. It's all up to you.

Happy Eating

It's Nuts

The hubs and I got a wok as a gift when we got married. I finally used it for the right purpose! It created a very tasty an easy stir fry dinner.

The Ingredients

Shopping List:
1 lb. chicken, chopped
1 Tbsp. oil
1 pkg. frozen stir fry veggies
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 tsp. corn starch
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
5 drops hot sauce
3 cups chopped cabbage
Chopped Peanuts
Hot cooked rice

Directions:
-In a large skillet or wok, stir fry chicken in oil for 2 minutes. Add vegetables, cook 4 minutes longer. Add garlic; stir fry until chicken is no longer pink and veggies are crisp tender.
-In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Stir in the broth, soy sauce, peanut butter, and hot sauce until well blended. Pour over chicken mixture.
-Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add cabbage, cook 2 minutes longer or until crisp tender. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve with rice.

The WOK

The completed dish (minus the peanuts)

This meal was glorious. Just like the Chinese restaurant, but WAY healthier I'm sure. Let me know if you give this a try.

Super Simple

One of my favorite simple meals growing up was Goulash. It has now become one of my husband's favorites as well. And when I say simple, I mean simple. Also, sorry for the crazy layout, the blog program seemed to be on the fritz, and I didn't feel like messing with it today.

The Ingredients:

Shopping List: 1 box elbow macaroni 1 lb. ground beef 1 can tomato soup 1 can corn, drained 1 tsp. sugar Salt to taste

Directions: -Cook pasta according to directions on box (we usually use 1/2 - 3/4 of the box and always have way too much left over for the two of us). Drain. -Meanwhile, cook ground beef until no longer pink. Drain off excess grease if needed. -In a large pan (your pasta pan will work well for this) combine all of the ingredients (beef, pasta, corn, soup, sugar, salt). Stir and heat over medium until well combined and piping hot. -Enjoy!

The Goulash

There aren't really mess ups with this dish because I've made it so many times. I guess you could add other things to it if you wanted, but it seems to work perfectly the way it is. Straight, simple, and to the point.

Happy Eating

Who said lasagna was hard to make?

My mom rarely made real lasagna when I was younger. Most of the time is was small pasta noodles and all the fixin's mixed together into a casserole type dish. It was and is still one of my favorites, but I never understood why we didn't get the original layered stuff. I was always told it was difficult and a hassle.

Well, sorry mom. I wanted some traditional lasagna, so I set out to do it.

The Ingredients:

Shopping List:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey (or beef, but we love ground turkey)
1 28 oz. jar tomato sauce (we got vodka sauce, which is a little creamier)
1 package lasagna noodles
1 container cottage cheese
1 container Ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
-Saute onion in oil until transparent. Add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add tomato sauce and simmer 5-10 minutes.
-Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to directions. We like to under cook them just a bit so they soak up some of the tomato sauce while baking. Maybe about 3/4 of the time the box calls for.
-In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, egg, basil, and Parmesan. Set aside.
-Spread a thin layer of meat sauce in the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking pan. Top with a layer of noodles. Then spread a think layer of cheese mixture on top of the noodles. Lastly, sprinkle a bit of mozzarella cheese. Follow this process of layering until you run out of ingredients. (Usually 3-5 layers). Reserve the bulk of the mozzarella cheese for later.
-Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cover top of lasagna with a decent layer of remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered for another 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting.

The Lasagna

A Giant Slice

As you can see, it came out wonderfully. The pictures don't really do it justice. The best part is that it seems to reheat the next day just as well.

Happy Eating