Where you are always allowed to play with your food!
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! 
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!!!!!
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.
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) or crackers
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
1 can tomato sauce (1/2 in the meat and 1/2 on top)
1 splash of red wine (more if too dry) *this can be omitted, or you could add extra Worcestershire or tomato sauce.
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).
Good afternoon! I hope everyone is doing well. SO happy that tomorrow is Friday! The pool opens this weekend and there are only 2 weeks left until summer vacation!
Last night I made this yummy pasta. I had a package of ground sausage, so I was thinking pasta sauce or a meatloaf. Pasta always wins in my family, so I wanted to come up with something different! I spied some white beans in the cabinet, so I thought I would throw those in there. Something different and unexpected! My girls love beans, so I was hopeful that this would work.
Sausage and White Bean Pasta
Ingredients
1 pound pasta- I used spaghetti
1 onion, diced
1 pound ground pork (use ground turkey or chicken to make this healthier)
1 container jarred pasta sauce
1 can cannellini beans (white beans), drained and rinsed
about 1/2 cup of red wine (or stock)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta one minute shy of the directions. Save some starchy cooking water.
In a large dutch oven, brown your seasoned pork and onions in a few tablespoons of olive oil. I did this to save time; normally I would brown the pork, take it out, then add in the olive oil and onions to saute.
Add in then red wine and reduce a few minutes. Pour in your pasta sauce, beans, and Worcestershire. Stir in all together and cook until the pasta is ready.
Add the pasta to the sauce. Stir together and coat pasta evenly with all the sauce. Add in a bit of your pasta liquid if needed. Add as much Parmesan as possible =) It turned out amazing! A quick and easy dinner for a busy family!
Fun Foodie Family 