Pulled Pork Pita Pizzas

Have you ever eaten a meal at a restaurant and just kept obsessing over it until either a.) you went to the restaurant again specifically to have that dish one more time, or b.) you finally broke down and tried to duplicate it in your own kitchen? That exact thing happened to me after I tried the pulled pork pizza at Rivage Atlantique during a lunch with my family a couple of months ago. It was so delicious that I thought about it for weeks until I finally decided to make my own version at home.

This may sound simple, and it is; it's just pulled pork, coleslaw, cheese, and pickles on a pizza. But the end result is insanely delicious. It's such a wonderful combination of flavors, and one that most people enjoy on a sandwich -- so why not on a pizza?

Instead of using pizza crust, I pulled a package of pitas out of the freezer and used those -- they're the perfect size for personal pizzas. The hands-on cooking time is very minimal, making these pizzas perfect for a weeknight. And I can guarantee that they'll make your family very happy! You'll definitely have pork left over, but that's okay; you'll probably want to make these again the next night...and the next.

Pulled Pork Pita Pizzas
inspired by a meal at Rivage Atlantique

For the pork:

1 2-pound pork shoulder or butt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

For the pizzas:

4 pita breads
2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese
Prepared coleslaw
Refrigerated pickles, sliced

1. Combine garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil, and vinegar. Rub pork with garlic mixture and refrigerate overnight. Cook in a Crock pot on low for 8 hours. Turn off the heat and stir in the BBQ sauce; replace the lid and let sit until warmed through.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the pita breads on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top each pita with 1/2 cup of the pork, 1/2 cup of cheese, and sliced pickles to taste. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until pita is crisp and cheese is melted. 

3. Top with coleslaw and cut each pizza into slices. Serve immediately.

Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup

Well, it's official: No matter how much I tried to avoid it, I can no longer deny that I have my first cold of the season. Scratchy throat, runny nose, general feeling of malaise...you name it, I've got it. Just one of the joys of having kids: I seem to be susceptible to every germ my sweet little petri dishes bring in to the house.

Thankfully, we live in a world where meals like this creamy, luxurious, flavorful, drool-worthy cheesy potato soup exist. Although this soup isn't a magical cure-all, its smooth texture is perfect for soothing a scratchy throat -- and for soothing the soul.

Recently one of my co-workers was talking about her craving for cheesy potato soup -- a craving that was instantly passed along to me the second I heard her mention it. She was kind enough to print out a copy of this recipe for me when she found it online, and we both made it that very weekend -- and we (and our families) absolutely loved it. 

This soup is the height of comfort food. The texture is so velvety and creamy, which contrasts nicely with the toppings, and it's incredibly flavorful. And it's loaded with cheese and bacon, so really, how could it possibly be anything other than delicious? A lot of times the leftovers of soups like this get thick and gluey, but I'm happy to report that wasn't the case with this one. I ate the leftovers for lunch the next day, and they were just as good as (if not better than) the night before. 

What I'm saying is, this is basically the ultimate cheesy potato soup. Please, please try it -- you'll love it!

Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup
adapted from Food Network

6 slices bacon, chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken stock, plus more if needed
1 cup whole milk
One 12-ounce bottle light-bodied beer
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar (about 8 ounces)
Dash hot sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Sour cream, for topping
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onions, for topping

 

1. Add the bacon to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook until browned and crisp; remove to paper towels to drain, reserving the drippings. 

 

2. Add the butter to the bacon drippings in the pot. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the saucepan to toast the flour, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the stock, and then the milk and beer. Stir in the potatoes and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and, using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to low heat. Add 1 cup of the cheddar, a handful at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition. Add additional chicken stock if necessary to adjust the consistency. Sprinkle with hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Divide the soup among bowls and top with the remaining cheddar, sour cream, the reserved bacon, and green onions or chives.

Revolutionary Baked Ravioli

When I shared my delicious bolognese sauce with you on Monday, I promised that I'd post a fantastic recipe on Friday that calls for it -- and here it is. I'm calling this "revolutionary" baked ravioli for one simple reason: When you're layering the casserole ingredients, you add the ravioli while it's still frozen. You don't even have to cook it first! That may seem like a small thing to you, but to me, it's huge. I know ravioli doesn't take very long to cook, but it still saved me from having to boil it in a separate pot, thereby dirtying more dishes that I would later have had to clean.

Another thing I love about this dish: It only contains three ingredients. The ravioli, the sauce, and the cheese -- that's it. Layer them all in a dish, stick the dish in the oven, and in 45 minutes dinner is served. You can use whatever kind of ravioli you like, and of course you can use jarred sauce to make this even easier. The version picture above, using my bolognese sauce and cheese ravioli, tastes exactly like lasagna -- and it was about 100 times easier to prepare.

I can't say enough good things about this recipe. I'll be keeping sauce and ravioli in the freezer at all times so I can make this whenever I crave it -- which I'm sure will be often.

Revolutionary Baked Ravioli
adapted from Tasty Kitchen

1 25-ounce bag frozen ravioli
4 cups bolognese sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of a 9×13 rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce in the baking dish. Arrange half of the frozen ravioli in a single layer over the sauce; top with half of the remaining pasta sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once, starting with ravioli. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot in the center. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Big Batch Bolognese Sauce

It snowed last week here. Snow! In October! I'm never really ready for winter, but I'm especially not ready for it when it starts this soon. Give me my autumn, Universe!

Since the weather has cooled down, I've been craving slow-cooked comfort food in a major way. In that vein, a few weekends ago I made a delicious bolognese sauce that I'm so excited to share with you. Coming up on Friday, I'll share a fabulous recipe I made using this sauce. It's going to be a delicious week here on the blog!

As I do with so many things I make these days, I just kind of winged it with this recipe. I don't know if this would be considered "traditional" bolognese sauce, because I never really looked up any recipes. I just did my own thing, and I was so pleased with the results. The sauce has a nice bit of heat, a little bit of sweet, and a deep, rich flavor overall. It's thick and meaty and so comforting -- and it makes the house smell amazing while it's simmering on the stove. And plus, there's something so satisfying (at least for me) about preparing something and letting it cook all day long, and then getting to enjoy the results multiple times.

As the recipe title indicates, this is truly a "big batch" sauce. It uses three pounds (plus four ounces) of meat! You'll get at least two uses out of it, and it freezes really well. It fits perfectly into the "make it once, use it a few times" cooking philosophy that I've adopted lately.

One more thing: The sauce calls for the rind from a wedge of fresh parmesan cheese. I love the salty-cheesy flavor it adds to the background of the sauce. If you don't have a rind, you could stir in some grated parmesan at the end and the results would be just as delicious.

Big Batch Bolognese Sauce

Olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, diced
2 pounds ground sirloin
1 pound  ground Italian sausage
2 large onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 green bell pepper, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried oregano, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
Rind from a wedge of fresh parmesan cheese
Granulated sugar, if needed

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat a layer of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until slightly crisp, then add the sirloin and sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned. Add the onions, carrots, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Stir in the tomato paste until thoroughly coated and fragrant, then add the red wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and cook until wine is reduced. Stir in the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and parmesan rind. Heat to bubbling, then reduce heat to medium low.

3. Cover and let simmer for 3 to 5 hours. The longer the sauce simmers, the thicker and richer it'll be. Discard the bay leaves and cheese rind before serving. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes, if needed. If the sauce is too acidic, add sugar to taste. Serve with spaghetti or anything you want.

4. To freeze, place portions of the sauce in gallon-size plastic freezer bags. Remove all the air from the bags and store flatly in freezer until ready to use.

Meatball Sliders

The idea for these meatball sliders isn't all that original; I've seen versions of them all over the place. This version, though, is pretty darn delicious, if I do say so myself. After a sear in the skillet, homemade meatballs finish cooking in marinara sauce before being placed on garlic bread-style slider buns and topped with gooey mozzarella cheese. They're simple and delicious and, judging by my family's reaction to them, will be a go-to meal for us going forward. 

I mentioned earlier this week that I've been doing more batch cooking lately, and these meatball sliders are another great example of that. I used two pounds of meat to make the meatballs (a pound of ground beef and a pound of Italian sausage), and I simmered them in two jars of marinara sauce. Since I only needed 12 meatballs for the sliders, I reserved the remaining meatballs and sauce for another perennial family favorite: spaghetti and meatballs. But, going forward, I may freeze the rest in batches of 12 so I can use them for these sliders over and over again. You'll understand why when you try them.

The recipe below calls for freshly-ground Italian-style breadcrumbs. I make these by toasting 2 slices of wheat bread and pulsing them in the food processor with Italian seasoning and garlic powder to taste (I never measure this stuff). I like using freshly-ground breadcrumbs because they're fluffier than store-bought and give the meatballs a better texture, but of course store-bought breadcrumbs are fine.

Meatball Sliders

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground Italian sausage
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup freshly-ground Italian-style breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Olive oil
2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce
6 slices sliced mozzarella cheese, quartered

For the garlic bread-style slider buns:

4 tablespoons softened butter
Italian seasoning to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
12 slider buns

1. To make the meatballs, add the ground beef and Italian sausage to a large bowl. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat; add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Let the onion and garlic mixture cool slightly off the heat, then add it to the bowl with the meat. Season the meat with additional salt and pepper and add the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, eggs, milk, and parmesan cheese. Use your hands to gently combine the ingredients, but don't overmix them.

2. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Roll the meat mixture into balls, slightly smaller than a golf ball. Cook in batches until browned on all sides.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the marinara sauce over medium heat. As the meatballs finish searing on all sides, transfer them to the marinara, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover the pot to allow the meatballs to gently finish cooking through. Reserve all but 12 of the meatballs with their sauce for later use.

4. To make the slider buns, stir together the butter, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and cheese. Place the slider buns cut-side-up on a baking sheet. Spread some of the butter mixture onto the top and bottom of each bun. Broil until browned and crispy.

5. Place one meatball on the bottom of each slider bun. Top each with half a slice of mozzarella cheese (2 quarters). Return the bottom buns only to the oven and broil on low until cheese is melted. Top each with one of the reserved bun tops. If you have some fresh basil, throw it on there, because that would be delicious.

Chipotle Cherry BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Cherry-Corn Relish

I can't believe that Labor Day weekend is upon us already! That means it's almost my favorite time of year -- fall. Even though autumn won't officially be arriving for three weeks, to me, Labor Day always heralds the beginning of my favorite season.

The produce this summer has been absolutely fantastic, and I'm really going to miss summer's bounty as cooler temperatures arrive. So, today, on what is to me one of the last days of summer, I thought I'd share a recipe that celebrates the best of the season -- cherries and sweet corn. And it's a crave-worthy one.

Since I made the peach BBQ sauce last month, I've been dying to make another fruit-infused BBQ sauce. I decided to use cherries this time around, since they're so readily available. I paired the sauce with tender shredded pork and a quick sweet-tangy-spicy relish composed of cherries, sweet corn, jalapenos, and a bit of lime juice. 

These sandwiches are phenomenal. The chipotle cherry BBQ sauce is sweet, spicy, and smoky, and the juicy pork pairs perfectly with the crisp relish. The flavors are just awesome. Joe raved about these sandwiches, and the boys both gave them two thumbs up -- and even requested the leftovers for lunch the next day. These sandwiches definitely celebrate the best of summer, and they'd be perfect for your Labor Day celebrations this weekend.

I'm including my recipe for the pulled pork, because I loved the flavor and texture of it prepared this way. But feel free to use any shredded pork recipe you like.

Chipotle Cherry BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Cherry-Corn Relish
sauce adapted from Tasty Kitchen

For the pork:

2 pounds pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 sprigs thyme leaves
2 whole cloves garlic
1 cup chicken stock

For the BBQ sauce:

4 strips bacon, diced
Half of a white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup ketchup
1 1/2 cups fresh cherries, pitted, roughly chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo puree
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste

For the cherry-corn relish:

3 ears sweet corn, kernels removed from the cob
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cherries
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste

For the sandwiches:

Hamburger buns
Mayonnaise

1. Place the pork in a Crock pot. Add salt, pepper, olive oil, and cider vinegar and rub the seasonings into the meat using your hands. Add thyme, garlic, and chicken stock. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the meat shreds easily with a fork. Remove the thyme leaves and drain the stock (I save it in the freezer for later use). 

2. To make the BBQ sauce, cook the bacon in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. When the bacon is nearly crisp, add the onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic cloves; cook and stir 30 seconds. Add the ketchup, cherries, brown sugar, maple syrup, chipotle in adobo puree, and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer over medium-low until thickened, about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and black pepper to taste.

3. While the sauce is thickening, make the relish. Stir together the corn, cherries, and jalapeno in a small bowl. Add lime juice and salt and stir to combine.

4. Add the pork to the thickened BBQ sauce and mix gently to combine. Pile the pork on the bottom of a bun. Top with relish. Smear bun tops with mayonnaise, if desired.

Southern-Style Banh Mi Sandwiches

I think I mentioned in my July recipe recap post that we hosted a pig roast at our place on the Fourth of July. Honestly, there were a lot of people involved in the process, so it was a pretty disorganized affair -- but in the end there was half a pig roasting on a spit in our back yard at 5 AM on July 4. By 6 PM that pig was perfectly cooked and smoked and ready to be shredded and devoured.

There were about 20 of us eating, but there were about 80 pounds of meat, so needless to say we had a lot of leftovers. Everyone was sent home with a gallon bag full of the pork, and Joe and I were still left with three gallon bags to use. In fact, two of those bags are still in our freezer. 

I didn't waste any time using some of the leftovers to make these sandwiches, which had been on my radar for a long time. The banh mi is traditionally a Vietnamese-French fusion sandwich, but in this recipe, it gets a Southern spin with BBQ pork and sweet-pickled peppers and onions. I was surprised to find how well the flavors all worked together, and I think I'd eat that sriracha mayo on just about anything. Maybe I'll defrost some more of that pork so we can have these again this week...

Southern-Style Banh Mi Sandwiches 
adapted from MyRecipes

For the pickled peppers and onions:

1/2 of a red onion, sliced
Ice water
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 cup white vinegar
6 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the sandwiches:

4 hoagie rolls
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sriracha hot sauce
1/4 cup sliced carrots
1 teaspoon fish sauce or oyster sauce
2 cups cooked and shredded pork
1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
Fresh cilantro leaves

1. To make the pickled peppers and onions, soak the onions in ice water for 10 minutes; drain. Place the onions and sliced peppers in a sealable jar (I used a pickle jar).

2. Bring vinegar, sugar, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the vegetables in the jar. Let stand uncovered for 1 hour, then seal the jar and refrigerate until serving (the longer they refrigerate the better they'll taste).

3. To make the sandwiches, toast the hoagie rolls in the broiler. Meanwhile, combine the sriracha and the mayo and set aside. Add the fish sauce to the carrots and set aside. Heat the pulled pork with the BBQ sauce in a medium saucepan, if needed.

4. To assemble the sandwiches, layer the bottom halves of the rolls with pulled pork, pickled peppers and onions, carrots, and cilantro leaves. Spread the roll tops with the sriracha mayo. Serve immediately.  

Sweet and Spicy Pork and Asparagus Stir Fry

I know I’ve talked about this before, but Andrew really loves asparagus. Up to this point, Will hasn’t really cared for it -- but the recipe I’m sharing today is the one that made him an asparagus convert. He took a bite and his eyes literally lit up as he told me, "Hey Mommy, I like this! I like asparagus!"

Honestly, it would be really, really hard not to like this meal. My friend Sarah has never steered me wrong, and this recipe definitely delivers. It has such a perfect balance of sweetness and spice, and the flavor of the ground pork works perfectly with the asparagus and the sauce. I adapted the recipe slightly based on what I had on hand, and I was so happy with how this dinner turned out. This was a no-leftover night, which is always a sign of a great meal!

Sweet and Spicy Pork and Asparagus Stir Fry

adapted from A Taste of Home Cooking

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon chicken stock

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 pound ground pork

3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 bunch thin to medium asparagus, trimmed, cut diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces

1 jalapeno, minced with seeds

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal

Salt and pepper

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, chicken stock, and cornstarch. Add the pork and toss to blend.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy large wok or deep skillet over high heat. Add asparagus, jalapeno, and ginger. Toss until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer asparagus mixture to plate.

3. Add remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 tablespoon olive oil to wok. Add pork mixture and stir-fry until browned, using wooden spoon to break up pork into small pieces, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Return asparagus mixture to wok. Add honey and rice vinegar. Stir-fry until pork is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add water by tablespoonfuls if it becomes too dry. Add green onions; toss to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve over steamed rice.

Pineapple BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pineapple Coleslaw

It's March!! Yay!! Not only is this my birthday month, but it's also the month when spring officially arrives -- and I couldn't be more excited about that. I'm certainly ready for the warmer weather for many reasons. I'm going to be honest here: one of the main reasons is that I can send my children outside to play when they're driving me nuts. Love them as I do, I think we're all going a little bit stir-crazy after being cooped up together in the house for so long.

One of the other reasons, of course, is food-related. Since I've been longing for warm weather lately, I thought I'd make something that reminds me of warm weather: pulled pork. And since pork goes so well with pineapple, and I always top my pulled pork sandwiches with slaw, I decided to make a pineapple coleslaw to top them off. The result is so delicious, I don't even know where to begin. The pork is sweet and smoky, the slaw is creamy and tangy. Basically, it's Heaven on a bun.

Pineapple BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pineapple Coleslaw

For the pork:

1 2-3 pound pork roast

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup pineapple juice (use the juice from the can you use for the slaw)

1 bottle BBQ sauce

For the slaw:

4 cups shredded cabbage

1 can pineapple rings, finely chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Sandwich buns, for serving

1. Combine brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub generously over the pork and place in a Crock pot. Pour the pinapple juice over the pork. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the meat shreds easily with a fork. Shred the meat, add the BBQ sauce, and continue cooking on low for 30 minutes.

2. To prepare the slaw, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar in a large bowl. Add cabbage and pineapple and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Serve the pulled pork on sandwich buns with a generous scoop of the slaw.

Chipotle Pork Tostadas with Pine-Apple Salsa

I know I've mentioned this here before, but my absolute favorite cookbook is Cooking Light's Annual Recipes from 2008. So many instant family favorites have come from that cookbook, and here is yet another. Joe said that this is one of the best things I have ever made and, obviously, I make lots of things. And since he likes a lot of the things I make, I'm considering that very high praise.

The original recipe from the cookbook was for soft tacos rather than tostadas, but I love the crunch of tostada shells, so I decided to adapt the recipe a bit. These are crazy good, you guys -- spicy and sweet and crunchy and creamy and tangy and just mouthwaterningly delicious. The pineapple-apple salsa was fantastic, savory and sweet at the same time, and it perfectly balanced out the spicy pork mixture. Although I have made apple salsa and pinapple salsa on separate occasions, I never thought about pairing them together. I loved the fresh crispness of the tart apple paired with the sweet pineapple. The roasted red pepper added a level of smokiness that worked so well with the chipotles. This meal was just a winner on all fronts, and it will definitely become a part of the regular rotation.

Chipotle Pork Tostadas with Pine-Apple Salsa

adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2008, also available on MyRecipes

For the salsa:

2 cups minced pineapple

1 cup minced apple

1 roasted red pepper, patted dry and chopped

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

Pinch of cumin

Generous pinch of salt

For the tostadas:

6 corn tortillas

1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into thin strips

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo

Shredded Mexican-blend cheese or queso fresco

Sour cream

1. To prepare salsa, combine all salsa ingredients in a medium bowl; stir until well blended. Cover and chill.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray the tortillas lightly with cooking spray and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned and crispy.

3. Meanwhile, to prepare the tostadas, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes or until pork loses its pink color, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in tomatoes and next 7 ingredients (through chipotles). Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is nearly evaporated.

5. Spread a thin layer of sour cream on each tortilla. Top with pork mixture, shredded cheese, and salsa.

Shredded Pork Po' Boys

Lately, I am just absolutely obsessed with Cajun flavors. I tend to go through phases like this with certain ingredients. Crescent rolls and pesto are good examples of some of my past phases; currently, it's cajun seasoning. I've been putting it on everything, and I'm constantly dreaming up new ways to use it.

I'm also always trying to find new ways to use leftovers so they don't go to waste. Now that my husband is no longer working third shift (hallelujah!), he doesn't eat a big dinner-type meal in the mornings like he used to -- which means that our leftovers have a tendency to just sit there. When I found myself with some leftover shredded pork recently, I spent some time brainstorming what to do with it, and this is what I came up with. A juicy, delicious shredded pork po' boy, smothered in remoulade sauce. This sandwich is fan.freaking.tastic. It's so fantastic, in fact, that we ate it two nights in a row.

I'm listing the shredded pork recipe I used below. I made the pork for another recipe so the seasonings are pretty basic, but if you want to make it specifically for these sandwiches you could add some Cajun seasoning to the meat.

Shredded Pork Po' Boys

For the pork:

1 2-pound pork shoulder or butt

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

For the remoulade:

1 cup mayonnaise

2 scallions, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped pickles

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

2 teaspoons hot sauce

For serving:

4 hoagie rolls, split and toasted

Shredded lettuce

Sliced tomatoes

1. To make the pork, combine garlic, pepper, oregano or marjoram, olive oil, vinegar and salt. Rub pork with this mixture and refrigerate overnight. Cook in a Crock pot on low for 8 hours.

2. To make the sauce, blend mayonnaise, scallions, pickle, hot sauce and Cajun seasoning in food processor or blender. Cover and chill until serving.

3. To assemble the sandwiches, arrange pork on the bottom of a hoagie roll. Top with shredded lettuce, tomato, a generous drizzle of remoulade, and the roll top. Devour.

Pork Loin Chops with Prosciutto Cream Sauce

It’s Tax Day, a dreaded day in the lives of so many Americans. Hopefully you’re all on the receiving end of funds from our friends in the federal government, rather than on the giving end. If you are on the giving end, though, have I got a recipe to cheer you up. It won’t soothe your pocketbook too much, but it will definitely soothe your soul.

I’ve posted a lot of recipes here on this little blog of mine. Like, about 850 of them. And I’m not fooling around when I say this: This is quite possibly the best dinner recipe I have ever posted here. I first made it years ago and hadn’t made it since. Joe took one bite of his dinner and promptly asked me, “Um, why don’t you make this more often?” And after my first taste, I responded, “I have no idea.”

I will certainly be making this often, monthly if not weekly, in the future. Pork chops are nestled in a creamy, flavorful sauce of prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes, and sage. Serve them with mashed potatoes on the side so you have another element to soak up the delicious sauce. This tastes like something that came from a restaurant, and it’s ready in well under 30 minutes. You are going to love this recipe!

Pork Loin Chops with Prosciutto Cream Sauce

1 1/2 pounds pork loin chops, about 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons butter
4 ounces chopped imported prosciutto
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 small red onion, minced (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork. Cook on both sides, turning once, until browned. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.

2. To the same skillet, add prosciutto, sage, and onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Add sun-dried tomatoes. Add wine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits, and let the wine reduce. Stir in heavy cream, pepper, and salt.

3. Return the pork chops to the skillet, along with any juices. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the pork is no longer pink and the sauce is slightly thickened.

Crock Pot Ranch Pork Chops

Every time I look at this picture, it makes me laugh. Can you guess why? It's because of that massive pile of mashed potatoes! This is my plate, you guys. I remember glopping them on there with a big old spoon, and then, when I realized how much I spooned out, shrugging my shoulders and saying, "Oh well." I can't remember if I managed to eat all of them, but I guess it wouldn't surprise me if I did (she says, lowering her head in shame). I love me some mashed potatoes.

What do mashed potatoes need to make them taste even better? A really delicious gravy! And that's exactly what this pork chop recipe produces: a rich, flavorful, creamy gravy that is perfect for spilling down over a gigantic pile of potatoes. And don't forget the pork chops, which are tender and moist. Including the pork chops themselves, you are only three ingredients and one Crock pot away from a really delicious plate of food.

Crock Pot Ranch Pork Chops

from Picky Palate

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick

1 packet dry ranch dressing mix

1 10-ounce can cream of chicken soup

Place pork chops, ranch seasoning and soup into a Crock pot. Cook on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Swedish Meatballs

As promised, here’s my favorite thing (so far) to serve with those delicious egg noodles I wrote about last week. I love Swedish meatballs, and this version is the best one I’ve ever tried. I’ve never been to IKEA (the closest one is two hours away), so I don’t know how these compare to the version they’re supposed to emulate. But they are amazingly delicious, and that’s all I really cared about.

I loved the balance of flavor in these. The allspice added that wonderful spicy flavor and aroma, and the white pepper added the perfect amount of heat to balance it out. And the gravy – oh my word, the gravy. Next time, I’m doubling it.

Incidentally, I didn’t have allspice in my pantry, so I googled it to see if there was anything I could use in place of it, which led me here. The combination of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves really did provide a flavor very similar to allspice.

Swedish Meatballs
from Food Network Magazine via Carrie’s Sweet Life

For the meatballs:

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup minced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and white pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 large egg plus 1 egg white, beaten

For the gravy:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Put the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Pour the milk mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir to make a thick paste; let cool. Add the beef, pork, egg and egg white to the bowl and mix until combined.

3. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll the meat into 1-inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

4. To make the gravy, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth. Whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the cream and meatballs. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Sweet Pork Tacos with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

It’s hard to find the words to describe a meal this good. I’m being completely serious. I cannot tell you enough how delicious these tacos were, and how perfectly they paired with the cilantro ranch dressing. Just sitting here typing this post is making my mouth water. I think I’m going to have to put this meal on our menu again next week. I actually would love to put this meal on our menu every single week.

What I love about Crock pot cooking is that it’s so incredibly easy. You can throw everything together the night before and turn the Crock pot on in the morning – and this is a meal that actually requires that. Letting the pork marinate in the Coca-Cola, brown sugar, and seasonings overnight really intensifies the flavor. The pork is sweet and spicy, with a welcome molasses undertone from the Coke. The cilantro ranch dressing (which is very, very similar to this) brightens up the tacos and adds a whole new level of flavor. I ate these tacos as leftovers for days, and was a little bit sad when they were all gone. They’re so delicious.

Sweet Pork Tacos with Cilantro Ranch Dressing
adapted from Just Cook Already

For the pork:

2 to 3 pound pork roast
3 cans Coca-Cola
1 cup brown sugar
2 cloves garlic
1 can diced green chilies
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 packet taco seasoning

For the dressing:

1 cup salsa verde
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1/3 cup cilantro
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup sugar

Tortillas and shredded cheese for serving

1. The night before you want to serve, place pork in the bottom of a slow cooker. Mix together all other ingredients for the pork and pour over the roast. Cover the slow cooker and refrigerate overnight.

2. Cook pork mixture on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the pork shreds easily with a fork.

3. Blend all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Serve drizzled over pork.

Two-Packet Pork Chops and Ranch-Roasted Potatoes

I love having seasoning mixes on hand for cooking. I know it’s much healthier and cost-effective to make my own, but, honestly, that just doesn’t always happen in my house. What can I say – I like the convenience of just being able to rip open a packet.

I heard someone mention this technique somewhere online a few months ago. I can’t remember if it was on Twitter or if it was on Facebook, and I can’t remember who posted it, but the content of the message stuck with me. She said she coated pork chops in onion soup mix and ranch dressing mix and pan-fried them, and that her husband loved them. They sounded like something we would really love, too, so I finally decided to put them on our meal plan.

Joe sometimes gets (playfully) irritated with me for trying different pork chop recipes since he has a definite favorite version that I make, but he turned out to be happy that I made these. He really enjoyed them – we all did, in fact. The ranch dressing and onion soup mixes gave them great flavor, and a dredge in some flour made them crunchy and kept all the juices in.

I used a couple of tablespoons of ranch dressing mix for the pork chops, and the remaining tablespoon for some baby red potatoes. I used my normal method for roasting the potatoes, with the addition of the ranch mix, and I loved the flavor it gave them. Together, the pork chops and potatoes were a satisfying, flavorful, and delicious meal.

Two-Packet Pork Chops and Ranch-Roasted Potatoes

8 baby red potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 boneless pork loin chops
1 packet onion soup mix
1 packet ranch dressing mix, divided
1/2 cup flour

1. For the potatoes, preheat oven to 475 degrees. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Melt butter and mix with olive oil. Add to potatoes, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing mix, and toss to combine. Roast in the oven, stirring frequently, for 20 to 30 minutes to desired crispiness.

2. Meanwhile, heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork chops on both sides with salt, pepper, onion soup mix, and remaining 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing mix. Coat each pork chop in flour, shake off the excess, and fry until browned and cooked through.

3. Serve pork chops alongside potatoes.

Spicy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese

I just finished reading a book that takes place in post-zombie-apocalypse society. In the book, any living creature over 40 pounds is subject to zombification. (I promise, I have a food-related point, stick with me.) In one part of the book, the main character eats soy bacon. In another, he eats soy sausage. And you guys, I don’t know if I’ve ever been more thankful to live in a world where zombies don’t exist*, because I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t able to eat pork. No bacon? No sausage? Oh my goodness...Feed me to the living dead!

But since we’re talking about the real world, I’m thankful to have available to me the perfection that is spicy sausage. One day I was randomly thinking about food (which I do a lot), and thought about how delicious spicy sausage would be in mac and cheese. And since I love the flavor combination of sausage and tomatoes, I decided I’d add some of those in there too. The result was creamy, cheesy, spicy perfection.

I chose to leave the flavoring of this mac and cheese pretty simple, but you could jazz it up lots of different ways. Add cumin and chili powder to give it a Mexican spin, or garlic and Italian seasoning to make it taste more Italian in nature. The possibilities are limitless, and when you’re starting with a base as delicious as this mac and cheese, there’s no way you can go wrong.

Spicy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese

1 pound macaroni or other short pasta
1 pound spicy sausage
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ground mustard
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until no longer pink. Set aside on paper towels to drain.

3. Heat cream cheese and milk in a medium saucepan until smooth and slightly thickened. Season with ground mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted.

4. Combine pasta, sausage, cherry tomatoes, and cheese sauce. Serve immediately.

*yet...