Smokey Pork Sholder

This pork is my best yet. Really it is all thanks to my spice blend rub and beer. I am sharing to make this world a better place =)

Spice Rub- 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon white cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon each of chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, fennel seeds, salt and pepper.

I massaged the pork all over with the rub and let sit for about 30 minutes (the longer the better). I heated up my dutch oven on high and added a few tablespoons of olive oil. Then I browned all sided of the pork shoulder. After that, I added in 2 beers and 1 small container of beef broth. I turned the heat down to medium low and let cook for 6 hours. This would be awesome in a crockpot as a weekday meal!

First meal was BBQ Sandwiches. Success!

Meal 2- Pork enchiladas You can never go wrong with enchiladas!

Baked Shells with Sausage and Ricotta

Happy Friday everyone! We made it! My parents came over for dinner, and I made this yummy meal. Tonight we are just relaxing and catching up on our TV shows! I am researching Sloppy Joe recipes…the girls have been asking me to make some, so I am looking to switch it up! I’m planning on making them tommorrow night, so I will let you know how they turn out! Yea for the weekend!!!!

Baked Shells with Sausage and Ricotta

Ingredients

1 package of jumbo pasta shells
1 lb Italian sausage
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 small container ricotta
salt and pepper
1 package mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook Italian sausage until no longer pink. Drain fat. Stir in can of diced tomatoes and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ricotta cheese, salt and pepper.

Spread a few spoonfuls of spaghetti sauce mixture over bottom of a casserole dish. Stuff the shells with the meat and cheese mixture and place in pan. Pour the jar of sauce over shells and top with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes then place under broiler until cheese is browned.

BBQ Pineapple Pork Sliders

Hey guys! Made these bad boys via The Chew. Hawaiian Rolls and shredded pork are always a hit in my house!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter (to grease)
12 sweet slider buns (cut in half)
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded- I used my crock pot shredded pork butt instead.
1 cup store-bought barbecue sauce
2 cans crushed pineapple (drained, 8 ounces each)- I used 1can. I made half with pineapple and half without.
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)- I used mild cheddar
3 tablespoons butter (melted)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds- I left this out, because heaven forbid someone should eat a seed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter.
Place the bottom of the slider buns in the bottom of the baking dish.
In a large bowl add the rotisserie chicken and barbecue sauce and mix to combine. Place on top of the slider buns. Top with crushed pineapple and monterey Jack cheese. Place top buns on top of all of the sliders. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and sliders are warmed through.

Pork Enchiladas

Evening friends! I hope everyone is well. So glad tomorrow is Friday!!!! Earlier this week I made this. The first meal I used the pork to make BBQ sandwiches. They are always a hit.

Tonight, I used all the leftover pork to make these yummy enchiladas. Super easy! I took the leftover pork and some Mexican cheese blend and rolled them up in tortillas. Then I added a large can of enchilada sauce and more cheese on top. I cooked them at 350 for about 30 minutes. Clean plates all around!

Cast Iron Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Happy Friday! So the new year has officially begun, which means January. In Georgia, January and February are notorious for pretty sucktastic weather; i.e cold rain, wind, dark clouds for days, and ice scares. We dismissed school 2 hours early all over the state for fear of snow and ice. It might seem premature, but black ice and bad drivers are never a good thing.

The funny thing is most of metro Atlanta are transplants from all over the country. The ones of us who grew up here get how dangerous black ice is on the roads and we flee to our warm homes that have already been stocked with all the essentials like coffee, Pop-tarts, and wine. You know, just the basics for survival 😉

No snow or ice yet, but it continues to rain pellets as the temperatures drops. We are just hanging out playing and about to watch Star Wars.

I made this yummy pork tonight. So easy! In a baggie, I added a tablespoon each of salt, pepper, fennel seeds, and olive oil all over a lean pork loin. I let it sit in the bag for about 15-20 minutes. I brought my large cast iron skillet to a screaming high heat. I browned all the sides. Then, I added it to a 350 oven until the temperature came up to 145 degrees. This is the new pork recommendation temperature, so don’t be afraid of a little bit of pink! Then I let it rest for 3-5 minutes.

Perfection! Always go by temperature instead of time! When it reads 145, take it out and let it rest a bit longer. I added some green beans and a side pasta. Clean plates all around! Have a great weekend!!!!!

Easy Stove Top Porkchops

So easy it is ridiculous…

1. SMOKING HOT PAN!
2. Salt and Pepper some bone in thick cut pork chops.
3. Coat them with olive oil.
4. Put in the pan and cook on first side for about 12 minutes.
5. Turn over and cook until internal temperature reaches 150. Take out and let rest at least 10 minutes. It will continue to cook (carry over cooking) until close to 160. It will be super safe to eat! Super moist and juicy.

Make Ahead Meatloaf

Another busy weekday calls for a make ahead meal. Last night I assembled this meatloaf ahead of time so all I had to do when I got home was pop it in the oven. It took a good 1 hour, but I still had dinner on the table by 6:30. Most families I know eat between the 5:30-7:00 window, so this is a perfect thing to make the night before. You could even make 2, and freeze one uncooked for another night!

Easy Make Ahead Meatloaf- Feeds 4-6- You can double this recipe for a bigger family, leftovers, or an extra uncooked meat loaf to go in the freezer

Ingredients
1 pound of ground meat- I used 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground mild sausage
1 egg
1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs (add more if too wet)
2 tablespoons Worchestershire
1 can tomato sauce (1/2 in the meat and 1/2 on top)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 splash of red wine (more if too dry)
1 garlic clove grated (or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder)
1/4 onion grated (or 1 teaspoon of onion powder)
fresh or dried herbs- This time I used dried Italian seasoning- about 1 tablespoon
salt and pepper to taste- do not skimp

Directions

In a large bowl combine all your ingredients. I get in there and mix it up with my hands. Mix just enough to combine the ingredients. DO NOT OVERMIX! I do not use ketchup at all. The tomato sauce, tomato paste, and Worcestershire combo is better and gives the meatloaf so much more depth of flavor than ketchup ever could. I take my mixture, form in a loaf shape, and put it on some aluminum foil in a long baking dish. Top with more tomato sauce. 350 for about an 1 hour or until meat is at 155. Take out and let it sit for 10 minutes to set and for carry over cooking. Enough leftovers for the hubby and I to take for lunch tomorrow!

I served with some green beans and fried potatoes (small white potatoes diced with salt and pepper cooked in a bit of olive oil and cooked until tender, about 40 minutes).