Recipe Highlight from Archives Past: Root Beer Pulled Pork

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Today we're flashing back to October 2009 when I made this root beer pulled pork recipe.  I made it again the other day for the KSL morning show and thought I would share it with you again.  It's a bit sweet and a good recipe if you're going to be gone all day.  Cook the pork until it's falling apart.  Mine took 9 hours or so on low.  This is a great recipe for summer since you don't have to heat up your kitchen and you can enjoy delicious sandwiches on toasted buns.  Serve with coleslaw and fruit salad for a perfect summer meal!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Salsa Verde

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Makes about 6-8 servings

3 lbs bone-in pork roast (shoulder, butt, or boston cuts are the best--if you want to use pork loin you can, but you'll need to cut down on the cooking time and increase the liquid.  It definitely won't turn out as tender and shreddable either.)

2 cups chicken stock

1 (16 oz) jar salsa verde

1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp tomato paste

Optional toppings:  cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, cilantro, lime, sour cream etc.

1.  Place the pork in a medium to large slow cooker.  Pour in the chicken stock.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours, or until meat is falling off the bone and shreddable.

2.  Remove the meat and place on a cutting board.  Drain the liquid out of the slow cooker.  Shred the meat and remove the bone.  Return shredded meat to slow cooker.

3.  Add the salsa verde, garlic salt, pepper and tomato paste into the slow cooker and stir until it's coating the meat well.  Adjust seasonings.

4.  Serve meat in flour tortillas as tacos, over a salad, nachoes, quesadillas, tostados, etc....however you want it!

Review:

I kept thinking about the Mexican Pulled Pork recipe and decided to use the other half of the pork roast to try a different version.  I love the green salsa and we love to eat in with tortillas chips so I wanted to try it on the pork.  It turned out very tasty.  I would definitely choose the Mexican Pulled Pork over this recipe though.  It seemed more flavorful and it was just as easy.  What a great way to serve a crowd!  No complaints from any member of my family.  I think Reagan ate 3 tacos.  4 stars.

Slow Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork

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Makes about 6-8 servings

1 large onion, cut into large slices

2 cups chicken stock

2-3 lbs shoulder pork roast (look for the words shoulder, butt, or boston), trimmed of excess fat

1 (15 oz) can diced tomato with jalapenos 

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp oregano

1 cup frozen corn (you could probably use canned and it would be fine)

1 (14 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Any toppings that you'd like (sour cream, cheese, chips, cilantro, lime, avocados etc)

1.  Place onion slices in bottom of slow cooker.  Pour in the chicken stock.  Place trimmed roast on top of onions.

2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours, or until roast is very tender and falling apart.

3.  Remove roast and place on large cutting board.  Discard the onion and juices in the slow cooker.  Shred the roast, discard of any excess fat, place meat back into the slow cooker.

4.  Stir the tomatoes, paste, garlic salt, pepper, oregano, corn and peppers into the meat.  Cover the slow cooker and cook for another 30-60 minutes on HIGH until flavors are incorporated and corn and beans are warm.  Adjust seasonings if needed.

5.  Serve as tacos, nachos, quesadillas, tostados, over salad...the options are endless!

Review:

I don't know what it was about this recipe but I just keep dreaming and thinking about it.  It was so good!  Maybe it's because I love pulled pork.  Maybe it's because I was super hungry.  I'm not sure.  I loved how easy it was to get started in the morning.  It cooks all day and smells great.  Then add in a few ingredients and boom you have dinner!  The options of how to serve it are endless too.  My kids ate theirs in a taco, my husband over nachos and I ate mine over salad.  So many choices.  I had never heard of diced tomatoes with jalapenos before (I have often used the tomatoes with green chiles).  But I really think they were the key ingredient.  Delish!  5 stars (I could eat this every week for sure).

Sweet BBQ Pork Steaks

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1/4 cup flour

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp canola oil

1-2 lbs pork butt steaks, trimmed

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp honey

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Splash of liquid smoke

Pinch of black pepper

1/4 cup A1 steak sauce

1 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca

1.  Pour the oil into a skillet and heat over medium heat.

2.  On a plate combine the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Dredge the pork steaks in the flour.  When the oil starts to smoke brown the steaks on each side for about 3-5 minutes.  Place in the bottom of a medium slow cooker.

3.  In a separate bowl combine the ketchup, honey, garlic, Worcestershire, salt, vinegar, liquid smoke, pepper, A1 and tapioca.  Whisk until smooth.  Spoon over the steaks.

4.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.  

Review:

My husband absolutely loves pork steaks.  He was very happy with how these turned out.  I however think that this pork steak recipe is much better and it has a lot less ingredients.  A good recipe but try the other one before you try this.  3 stars.

Pulled Pork Paninis with Caramelized Onions and Homemade BBQ Sauce

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Today we have an awesome guest post from my friend, Jaymee.  She recently started a beautiful food blog called E is for Eat.  She is cooking up a storm and has a wide variety of recipes.  Check it out!  This recipe looks absolutely amazing.  Thanks, Jaymee!  (If you'd like to do a guest post for my blog, please contact me)

I'm delighted to share a recipe on 365 Days of Slow Cooking. Karen and I go all the way back to high school!  I recently started a food blog called E is for Eat where I post recipes and restaurant reviews while following the letters of the alphabet. This post is coincides with "P" week.

Pulled Pork Paninis with Caramelized Onions & Homemade BBQ Sauce

Makes 4-6 servings

2-3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (pork butt)

1/2 to 3/4 cup of dry spice rub, recipe follows

4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

2 large onions, sliced

1/4 cup water or apple juice

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce, recipe follows

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sourdough bread, sliced (I used whole wheat sourdough)

Sharp cheddar cheese, sliced (I used a light white cheddar)

Butter or olive oil

1. Coat pork pieces on all sides with dry rub and massage into the meat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour or overnight.

2. Lay one of the sliced onion and the smashed garlic cloves on bottom of slow cooker. Mix apple juice (or water) with liquid smoke and add to slow cooker. Place pork on top of everything. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until pork is very tender.

3. Transfer pork to bowl or baking sheet with rimmed edges. Discard cooking liquid and onions. Using two forks, shred pork and return to slow cooker (discard fat). Pour BBQ sauce over the top and mix thoroughly. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Add any additional seasonings to adjust to your taste.

4. While pork is cooking the final 30 minutes, caramelize the onions. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, and add sliced onions. Cook until brown and caramelized, about 25-30 minutes.

5. When ready to make your paninis, butter the outside of the bread (or brush with olive oil) and pile pork, some caramelized onions, and a slice (or two!) of sharp cheddar cheese. Grill until brown and toasty...serve hot! (Note: I used a panini maker, but you could also do them like you do grilled cheese or a George Foreman).

Review:

I may be biased, but this is without a doubt a five star recipe in my book. The BBQ sauce might look like a lot of ingredients, but once you have them on hand, it's so easy to make your own sauce and control the flavors, and SO worth it. (I also use the sauce as a base for my slow cooker BBQ baked beans.) However, you can totally substitute your favorite bottled BBQ sauce and use a store bought rub and it will still turn out awesome!

For the rub:

1/4 cup paprika

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar or muscovado

2 tablespoons Kosher salt

1.5 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chile powder

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Mix together all ingredients in a medium bowl (could also use chopper attachment of immersion blender). Store in an airtight container up to three months. (Note: adjust the types and amounts of seasoning to your liking or to what you have on hand, just don't leave out the paprika, sugar, salt, or pepper. (This might seem like a lot of intense flavors, but they will mellow a lot in the cooking process).

For the BBQ sauce:

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar or muscovado

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon molasses

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced

2 teaspoons dry yellow mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (such as Lawry's or a homemade blend)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)

1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

Mix together all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (If using the BBQ sauce outside of this recipe, you'll want to simmer on the stove for 10-15 minutes, but here you don't need to because it will cook in the slow cooker).

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup in the slow cooker

Makes 6-8 servings

5 cups water

4 tsp chicken bouillon granules or 2 tsp Shirley J chicken bouillon

1/2 cup diced onion (frozen is fine)

1/2 cup diced celery

3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat (frozen is fine)

1 1/2 cups ham cubes

1/2 tsp dried tarragon

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

4 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1.  Add water, bouillon, onion, celery, chicken, ham, tarragon, basil and garlic powder to the slow cooker.

2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

3.  Prepare a roux.  Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add  flour very slowly while whisking it in to the butter.  Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup.  Stir until thickened.  Then add in another 2 cups of soup and stir until smooth.  Add all back into the slow cooker and stir.  Season to taste.

4.  Ladle soup into individual serving bowls and top with shredded Swiss cheese.

Review:

Chicken cordon bleu can be challenging even for students in online cooking schools, but this recipe makes it easy. I saw a recipe in a magazine for "Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup."  I instantly thought I need to make that in the slow cooker.  Well I have no idea where the magazine went but the thought stayed with me and I created this recipe.  

It was very flavorful, thanks to the ham.  My kids slurped their bowls down (my daughter literally got a straw and used it to drink the broth and all). I was totally shocked because they usually don't love when I make soup.  I think they appreciated the ham cubes and cheese.  

My issue with this recipe is that it turned out not really as a cream soup but not as a broth-y soup either.  I think I should have added more flour in with the roux to make it a bit heftier.  It tasted great but the consistency was a bit weird.  So add maybe 1/4 cup more flour in when you're adding the cups a soup...stir until nice and smooth.  I think that should help things out a bit.  Another thought I had was that cubed red potatoes would be really delicious to add to this soup as well (not really part of the chicken cordon bleu dinner but this would add some nice texture and taste to the soup).  4 stars.

Slow Cooker Fork Tender Ribs

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2 lbs pork boneless country-style ribs
3 Tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 tsp oil
Flour
Cayenne pepper


Makes 4-6 servings

1.  Heat oil in a pan on the stove over medium heat.  While oil is heating, dredge the ribs in flour (I used about 1/4 cup total).  When oil is warm brown the ribs for about 3 or 4 minutes on each side.  Place ribs in the slow cooker.
2.  Combine BBQ sauce, paprika, salt and pepper and pour over the ribs.  Coat the ribs with the sauce.
3.  Cover and cook on LOW for about 7-9 hours.  Ribs should be fork tender.  If you want a little heat, add in cayenne pepper to taste.

Review:
I haven't had country-style ribs for a while and decided I needed to buy them for my husband, since it's one of his favorite things I make.  The slow cooker is the perfect appliance to cook these puppies...they do great being left on LOW all day long.  The collagen is converted to gelatin and they are fork tender.  By taking the time to brown them and dredge them in flour, the sauce is nice and thick and the color, texture, and flavor of the ribs is to die for.  I opted to leave out the brown sugar that is usually included in this type of recipe, since I'm not that big of a fan of sweet in my meat...BUT I bet for those of you who like that sort of thing adding a Tbsp of brown sugar would be perfect.  4 stars.

Sour Cream Shredded Pork

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1 (2-3 lb) pork roast (look for shoulder, butt or boston cuts)

1 cup diced onion

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 green pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 Tbsp oil

1 (4 oz) can diced green chili peppers

1 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca

1/2 cup sour cream

Salt, cumin, chili powder

1.  Combine the onion, tomato paste, peppers, chili powder, cumin and oil in microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for about 4-5 minutes until onions are nice and soft.  Add the tapioca and green chili peppers.

2.  Trim big pieces of fat off the roast.  Quarter your pork roast and place in the slow cooker.

3.  Top the roast with the onion mixture.  

4.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, until roast is falling apart and easily shredded.

5.  Shred the pork and add in the sour cream.  Add in salt, cumin and chili powder to taste if needed.

6.  Serve in tacos, in salad, or on sandwiches.

Review:

I kept thinking about the sour cream chicken taco filling and wanted to see if I could duplicate it with pork.  Turns out it wasn't the best.  The chicken cooks only 4 hours and so the peppers were still distinguishable.  But with the pork cooking for so long it didn't work great.  They were a mushy mess.  Plus there is enough fat in the pork that you really don't need to add the creamy sour cream.  If I was to make this again I would change a few things about the recipe (add peppers later, or just not cook with the onions.  not add sour cream, etc).  3 stars.

Cajun BBQ Pork Steaks

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Makes 4 servings

1 1/2 lbs pork shoulder butt steaks
Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 Tbsp oil
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

1.  Take about 1/4 cup of flour and the salt and pepper and sprinkle on a plate.  Dredge the steaks in the flour until coated nicely. 
2.  Warm the oil in a pan over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, sear the steaks on both sides for about 1 minute.  Place the steaks in the slow cooker.
3.  In a bowl combine the BBQ sauce, cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder and then pour over the top of the steaks.
4.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (depending how hot your slow cooker cooks).  The meat should be fork tender and literally falling off the bone.

Review:
Awesome.  Totally.

My husband thought these were the best thing ever.  And I must say, I liked them a lot too.  The searing of the steaks retains their flavor and the flour really helps the sauce to stay nice and thick.  5 stars.

Now a word about the cut of meat.  I picked this certain cut of meat "Pork Shoulder Butt Steaks" because it is perfect for the slow cooker.  When you are picking pork cuts of meat destined for your slow cooker make sure to use anything with the word "shoulder" or "butt" or "boston" in the title.  They have enough collagen and fat to really work well with the low, long, even heat.  And don't worry the "butt" cut is not actually the bum of the pig, it's the shoulder.  :)

Delicious Shredded Pork Salad

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Makes 6-8 servings

2 lb picnic pork roast
Kosher Salt
Shirley J Chicken Bouillon (or regular bouillon)
Shirley J Onion Seasoning (or onion powder)
1 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp mustard
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper

1.  Place pork roast in slow cooker.  Season liberally with kosher salt, bouillon and onion seasoning.  Pour in water.
2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hour, or until meat shreds easily.
3.  Drain liquid from slow cooker and shred the meat using 2 forks.
4.  In a small bowl combine the ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic powder and red wine vinegar.  Pour into the slow cooker and stir to coat the meat.  Salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Serve pork over salad with your favorite toppings.

Review:
Another yummy summer dish.  Loving the avocado and cilantro on the salads.  My husband was in love with the pork.  We both liked the sauce that was tangy but not overpowering.  5 stars.

March Madness Day 26: Smothered Pork Chops

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4 slices crispy bacon, crumbled
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 bay leaf
4 bone-in pork chops, dredged in flour, browned (about 1 minute on each side) and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes

Place bacon in bottom of slow cooker.  Microwave the onion, water, brown sugar, garlic and thyme for about 3-4 minutes (stirring every minute) until onions are softened.  Stir the flour, broth and soy sauce into the onion mixture.  Pour into slow cooker and add in the bay leaf.  Nestle the pork chops into the sauce and cover and cook on LOW for 3-5 hours.  Transfer pork chops to serving platter and tent loosely with foil.  Remove fat from braising liquid with a large spoon.  Discard bay leaf and then stir in the vinegar and parsley flakes.  Spoon sauce over pork chops and serve.  Makes 4 servings.

Review:
This was probably the most successful slow cooker pork chop recipe that I have done to date.  The only problem I had with it was the amount of bones in it.  If you don't mind fishing out bones this is a great recipe.  The sauce was so nice and thick and flavored beautifully.  4 stars.

Slow Cooker Garlic Pork Roast

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2 lb picnic pork roast
3 or 4 russett potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp A1 steak sauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken broth

Place potatoes, garlic cloves and bay leaf in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Pour broth over the top.  Rub the pork roast with the kosher salt and brown the meat in a pan with about 1 or 2 tsp of canola oil.  You really only need to sear the meat to seal in flavors.  Probably about 45 seconds on each side.  Place the meat on top of the potatoes.  Pour soy sauce, A1 and lemon juice over the top of the roast.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.  After meat is cooked, you can use the juices to make gravy, if desired.

Review:
I like pork.  I didn't really know that I did before I started my project.  But through my experiences with pork I have come to realize that it is pretty much underrated.  It is called "the other white meat" because it is similar to fat and calorie content of chicken.  Plus it is very inexpensive if you buy it on sale.  This roast I bought was probably $1.69/lb.  I like this recipe, although I think that I prefer the teriyaki pork roast or the citrus pork roast.  3 1/2 stars

Pork and Sweet Potato Stew

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(This is a guest post by Maria Rainier)

I’ve seen some recipes for beef and sweet potato stew, but I wasn’t sure what I thought about the combination of savory meet and sweet potatoes. It sounds like a great idea – sweet potatoes are wonderful in the winter because you can still get local organic ones in most places – but I love cinnamon with sweet potatoes, and not so much with beef. I decided to try making a stew with pork instead, plus a few extra goodies to make it unique and flavorful. I’ve included my favorite variation of the recipe below and hope that you enjoy it on a cold evening as much as I do.

Ingredients:
• 1 lb. lean boneless pork shoulder cut into one-inch cubes
• 3 large sweet potatoes, cubed (I leave them unpeeled)
• 10 dried apricots, halved
• 2 apples, cored and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 8-oz. can tomatoes
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 cup white wine

Preparation
Place the sweet potatoes, apricots, apples, onion, and tomatoes in the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle on the spices, adding the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Top this with the pork cubes and pour the apple juice and wine over the other ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, checking to make sure that the meat and vegetables are tender.

Review:
This hearty stew showcases the flavors of pork, onion and tomato, but it also includes the warm tastes of fruit, sweet potato and cinnamon. It’s festive and perfect for December when everyone just wants to wind down with a bowl of something hot and flavorful. The combination of sweet and savory may be subjective, but my family and I enjoy the unique twist and the ability to taste the flavor of the sweet potatoes. They’re a favorite at our house and this stew is a great way to experience them as something other than a side or dessert.

Servings: 4-5

Rating: 4 stars

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, where recently she's been researching different types of mechanical engineering degrees and blogging about student life. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Thanks Maria!  This looks great.
Have a guest post to share?  Email me (karenbellessapetersen@gmail.com)

Spicy Citrus Pork Roast

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1 (2-3 lb) pork butt roast
4 T melted butter
Grated peel on 1 medium lemon
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 to 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Place roast in slow cooker.  Mix butter, lemon peel, chili powder, black pepper and red pepper flakes in small bowl until well blended.  Spread mixtures over tops and sides of roast.  Cover cook on LOW for 5-7 hours.  Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.  Serve with lemon slices on the side. 

Review:
I am in love with this pork roast.  It was excellent.  If you are making a pork roast try this recipe or the teriyaki pork roast.  Both are great.  Yum!  I want to make this again next week.  We served ours with baked potato and this yummy broccoli recipe.  4 1/2 stars.

Slow Cooker Mustard Sauced Country Ribs and Red Potatoes

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1 1/2 lbs boneless country style pork ribs
6 medium red potatoes, quartered
1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into chunky slices
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup French's spicy brown mustard
1 tsp dried Thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 tsp pepper

Place potatoes and onions in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Top with the ribs.  Combine the broth, mustard, thyme, garlic and pepper in small bowl and pour over the top of the ribs.  Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.  Use liquid in slow cooker to make a gravy for the potatoes, if desired.

Review:
Unfortunately, this meal just didn't really turn out the way I had hoped.  It was lacking in flavor.  I think that if I were to do this again I would definitely dredge the meat in a little flour and sear it in a tablespoon of canola oil before adding it to the slow cooker.  Refer to my post about browning for more info on that little subject.  I give this a sad 2 stars, sorry family for the gross meal...I'll make something better tonight, I promise.

BBQ Country Ribs

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Serves 4-6

2 lbs boneless country-style pork ribs
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp Shirley J Onion Seasoning (or 2 tsp onion powder)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
8 oz tomato sauce
1 T Shirley J BBQ Sauce Mix (or instead of 8 oz of tomato sauce, use 8 oz of your favorite barbecue sauce)

In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, mustard, onion seasoning, salt, pepper, brown sugar, tomato sauce, and bbq sauce mix. Place the pork ribs in the bottom or your slow cooker. Spoon the sauce over the top of the ribs and coat really well. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Review:
This recipe is similar to the Sweet and Sour Country Ribs and is just as delicious, if not more so. The prep is so easy and it is one of those recipes that everybody will be satisfied with. These type of ribs are relatively inexpensive. I bought mine on sale for probably around 1.75 a pound. 4 stars.

Day 360: Ham and Potato Soup

Pin It  6 large russet potatoes, cubed

1 lb of ham, cubed
1 (10 ¾ oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
4 oz shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (16 oz) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Layer potatoes and ham and beans in slow cooker. In mixing bowl, combine soup, water, and cheese. Pour over potatoes and ham. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, or until potatoes are very tender. Stir soup and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Review:
My family really enjoyed this and we all had seconds. Easy way to use your leftover ham. 3 1/2 stars.

Day 352: Pulled Pork Stuffed Biscuits

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1 lb pork picnic roast

1 cup plain barbecue sauce
1 container (contains 8 biscuits) large butter-flavored refrigerated biscuits

Dipping Sauce:
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil

Place pork roast in slow cooker. Fill slow cooker with 1 inch of water. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or until meat is very tender. Drain liquid. Take 2 forks and shred the meat. Pour barbecue sauce on the pork and mix. Refrigerate, if making a day ahead. If not, cut each biscuit in half with a serrated knife. Spoon 1 tablespoon of pork in center of bottom of biscuit. Cover with the top of the biscuit, gather edges around filling and press to seal. Generously spray a 2-quart baking dish (that fits inside your large slow cooker) with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange all filled biscuits in a single layer, overlapping slightly if necessary. If all 8 biscuits don't fit in a single layer, spray a piece of foil with non-stick cooking spray on both sides. Place foil lightly on top of layer of biscuits and place the rest of the biscuits on top of the foil. When finished, cover the dish with another piece of buttered foil, buttered side down. Place small rack in bottom of slow cooker (if you don't have a rack, use balled up pieces of foil). Add 1 inch of water (water should not come to top of rack). Place baking dish on rack. Cover; cook on HIGH for 2 hours. Meanwhile prepare dipping sauce by combining the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and oil in small bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Serve biscuits with dipping sauce. Makes 8 servings.

Review:
This was a very tasty recipe. I made my roast the day before and then refrigerated it overnight. Then 2 hours before dinner I did the biscuit part...so easy and so tasty. Kids and husband loved it. I give this 4 stars. My husband gave it 5.

Day 325: Country Ribs and Peppers

Pin It  2 pounds bone-in country-style ribs

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 medium green bell pepper, sliced

Place ribs and peppers in bottom of slow cooker. Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the ribs. Cook on HIGH for 1 hour, then turn to LOW and cook for 4-5 hours longer. Makes 4 servings.

Review:
The ribs that I used with this recipe had so much fat on them. I was a little distracted with finding the meat that I didn't really appreciate the flavor of the marinade. It tasted pretty good from what I remember :) This could also be used over pork chops, if you'd like. 3 stars

Day 315: Ham and Bean Soup

Pin It 1 pound mixed dry beans

Ham bone
1 1/2 cups ham, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup celery, chopped
3/4 cup carrots, sliced or chopped
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup tomato juice
6 cups water
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp chili powder
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Place beans in sauce pan. Cover with 6 cups water and soak overnight. Drain the liquid. Combine remaining ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 9-11 hours or 5-6 hours on HIGH. Remove bay leaf and ham bone before serving. Makes 10 servings.


Review:
I really enjoyed this soup. It had good flavor and it's pretty healthy for you, since it's not a typical cream-based ham soup. This is perfect to make with your leftover ham from your holiday meals. 3 stars.