Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork

This is a easy pork dish that your whole family will enjoy.

Ingredients

• 2 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

• 4 (8 ounce) boneless pork loin chops

• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup chopped green onions

• 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Coat a slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the bell pepper strips and pork chops into the slow cooker. Pour the teriyaki sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and garlic over the pork chops.

2. Cover and cook on Low until the pork is very tender, 8 to 9 hours. Once tender, remove the pork from the slow cooker, and whisk in the peanut butter until smooth. Return the pork to the slow cooker, and cook 10 minutes more.

3. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with green onions and peanuts to garnish. Decorate with lime wedges to serve.

Pollo Bianco

Caramelized onions create a glazed chicken with a mellowed bite. It is simple and tastes delicious! If desired, serve with roasted potatoes which have been coated with the sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 4 chicken thighs

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 large onion, diced

• 2 cups water

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the chicken, browning both sides of each piece. Saute for approximately 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Add the diced onion to the skillet and stir together with the chicken pieces for approximately 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and let simmer on medium high heat until the onions caramelize and create a sauce.

3. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes. You may need to add more water so that the sauce mixture doesn't dry out. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove and set on a plate.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Cajun cooking is a combination of French and Southern cuisine. It is robust, country style cookery - and so is this dish!

Ingredients

• 4 ounces linguine pasta

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced

• 1 green bell pepper, sliced

• 4 fresh mushrooms, sliced

• 1 green onion, chopped

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Place the chicken and the Cajun seasoning in a plastic bag. Shake to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the chicken in butter or margarine until almost tender (5 to 7 minutes).

3. Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, mushrooms and green onion. Saute and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat.

4. Add the cream, basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Heat through. Add the cooked linguine, toss and heat through. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

In the depths of winter we need a little bit of summer flavor. This recipe will bring back memories of warm summer days. Yum!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

• 1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast

• 1 cup barbeque sauce

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup chicken broth

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 extra large onion, chopped

• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

• 8 hamburger buns, split

• 2 tablespoons butter, or as needed

Directions

1. Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir in the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours.

2. Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices.

3. Spread the inside of both halves of hamburger buns with butter. Toast the buns, butter side down, in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Spoon pork into the toasted buns.

Image via Pxhere - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0) Public Domain

Sausage, Veggie, and Apple Sheet Pan Dinner

This Sheet Pan Dinner is the perfect way to use those seasonal veggies and herbs. It's an easy recipe to throw together and it has the perfect flavors to make you feel warm and cozy on cold winter nights.

Ingredients

• 12 oz. smoked turkey sausage, sliced into 1/3-inch thick slices

• 16. oz sweet potatoes,* peeled and diced into 3/4-inch cubes

• 16. oz. brussels sprouts, halved

• 1/2 medium red onion, diced into chunks

• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 tsp each dried thyme, sage and rosemary (crush rosemary)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 crisp baking apples, cored and diced into 1 1/4-inch chunks (I recommend honey crisp.)

• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  

2. Add sausage, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, apples, onion and garlic to sheet pan.

3. Drizzle everything with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme, sage and rosemary then season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. 

4. Roast in preheated oven 15 minutes then remove and toss.  

5. Return to oven and continue to roast until veggies and apples are tender, about 15 minutes longer.

6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

Mini Philly Cheesesteaks

Miniaturized sandwiches don't usually float my boat, or submarine, as they're almost always not as good as the full-sized versions, but these mini Philly cheesesteaks really captured everything I love about the classic.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, or as needed

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed

• 1 cup cold milk

• 2 ounces shredded provolone cheese, or more to taste

• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

• salt to taste

• 1 (12 ounce) skirt steak

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, or as needed

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/3 cup diced onion

• 1/3 cup diced sweet peppers

• 2 baguettes, or as needed, cut into 48 1/2-inch thick slices

• 1/4 cup shredded provolone cheese, or as needed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil.

2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk flour into hot butter and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is pale and flour taste cooks off, about 1 minute. Pour milk into flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is hot and thickened, 3 to 6 minutes. Add 2 ounces provolone cheese, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and salt; stir until cheese is completely melted. Remove from heat.

3. Season steak all over with salt and ground black pepper.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steak in hot oil, turning occasionally, until meat is slightly firm and pink on the inside, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate.

5. Return skillet to heat and pour water into the skillet; bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Pour liquid from the skillet over steak. Cool steak to room temperature; dice meat and place meat and accumulated juices from the plate into a large bowl.

6. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; saute onion and peppers in hot oil until softened and slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.

7. Stir peppers and onions mixture into diced meat; season with salt and pepper.

8. Spread bread slices out on prepared baking sheets and drizzle remaining olive oil over the top. Turn slices over so that the oiled-side is facing down. Spread a thick layer of cheese mixture onto each slice. Spoon meat mixture over cheese. Sprinkle provolone cheese over the top of each slice.

9. Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cheese is melted, 12 to 15 minutes.