Crock Pot Parmesan Pork Roast

No picture yet, Boo!

Ingredients:

4-pound boneless pork roast
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 whole garlic clove, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Cut pork roast in half.  Put on the bottom of a crock pot.  In a bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, olive oil and salt.  Pour over the pork.  Cover and cook on low for about 5-6 hours. 

You want to be careful not to overcook this one from all the comments I read.  This is not an all-day crock pot recipe.  I actually premade the sauce mixture (minus the Parmesan cheese) before I left for work and then Andy put the whole thing together during his lunch.  By 6:00 it was perfect. 

The meat does not stay in tact to "slice" it.  It almost ends up like a pulled-pork.  We served it overtop couscous and my mom had leftovers overtop noodles and then rice.  The juices soak into the starch and YUM.  Add a green veggie and the meal is complete.

Notes on the ingredients (the variations I made):

Thanks to It's a Keeper for this recipe that my BFF added to Pinterest.  You can find the original recipe here:

http://www.everydaytastes.com/2011/05/31/slow-cooker-parmesan-pork-roast/

A couple of things to note. Many people use a plain (not flavored) pork tenderloin for this recipe. I chose to use an actual pork loin roast because it looked better at the store that day. When I purchased it, it was held together with strings in a netting formation. I removed all of that and after cutting it in half, the pork fell into 4 main pieces. The original recipe calls for 2 Tbsp of basil which I cut back to one. It also called for 2 Tbsp of minced garlic and I used a fresh whole clove instead. The original recipe also calls for cornstarch to make a gravy, but I found the juices were just fine without it.

Chicken Lasagna Roll-ups

I took this recipe from Pinterest.  Original can be found HERE.

Ingredients:

8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup Ricotta cheese

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup milk

1/8 tsp white pepper

2 cups spaghetti sauce

I baked the chicken the night before and seasoned it with Italian seasoning.  I used kitchen shears to cut it into bite-size pieces. 

In a medium bowl combine chicken, cheese, milk and pepper.  Spread about 1/2 cup of mixture onto each noodle and roll up in jelly-roll fashion.

Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce in a 13 x 9 greased baking dish.  Place lasagna rolls seam-side down.  Top with remaining pasta sauce.

Cover and bake for about 30-45 minutes at 375 degrees.  I uncovered for the last 10 minutes.

Top with more Parmesan if desired.

The recipe above made about 7 roll-ups for me.  I think I overstuffed them!  The three that are starred in the picture above had extra chicken and only an Italian blend of cheeses from Kraft.  My hubby doesn't like Ricotta!  He said they were still delicious.

Spaghetti Bread Packets

This recipe comes from inspiration from a neighbor who pinned a Braided Spaghetti Bread recipe on Pinterest.  You can find all of that HERE.  So I decided to try it and although it didn't turn out well enough to be braided, it was still yummy.  Here was my version.

Here's what you need:

• 6 oz of spaghetti
• Lean hamburger (or sausage or ground turkey)
• Chopped onion
• Mushrooms
• 1-2 cups spaghetti sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Parley flakes
• Italian seasoning
• Garlic powder
• One egg
• Frozen bread dough - I used Kroger brand; recipe is inspired by Rhodes, but couldn't find it 

The first thing you need to do is plan to allow enough time for the dough to thaw.  I thawed mine in the refrigerator all day.
 

I actually did most of my prep the night before.  I prepared the pasta, cooked the beef with some chopped onions and Italian seasoning and mixed it all up with the spaghetti sauce.  I also sauteed some mushrooms, but kept them separate.  I put all of that in the refrigerator until the next evening.

The first step in putting it all together is to roll out the dough.  This is where it went all wrong for me.  I could not get it to roll out into a large rectangle as instructed.  I apparently was not patient enough! 

So instead, I ended up dividing the dough into 4 sections and creating "packets".  On top of each dough circle I put some of the spaghetti mixture and then added some mozzarella cheese.  Due to this, there was a lot of leftover spaghetti mixture.

Inside two of them I also added the mushrooms and put a couple on top to note the difference.

I spread some egg whites over each one and sprinkled some garlic powder and Parmesan cheese on top.

Then they were baked on 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

They were a bit more doughy than expected since I didn't follow the "braiding" instructions.  However, I just served some more of the pasta mixture on the side (thanks to the leftovers) and everyone enjoyed!

Yes, it's basically spaghetti and bread so why put it all together?  We eat a lot of pasta at our house.  So this changed it up for us a bit and the kids thought it was funny to have spaghetti inside their bread.  Will I do it every week?  Nope.  But it was fun to add some variety to the menu.

Chicken Pad Thai

Andy makes an awesome Pad Thai.  He just follows the recipe on the back of the "A Taste of Thai" pad thai sauce.  Click HERE for the full recipe.  Below are some pictures of him cooking it.

Mushroom Sauce for Pork

Grill or bake a Hormel Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin (1st choice) or Pork Chops

Mushrooms
French Onion Soup
Brown Gravy Mix
Beefy Onion Soup Mix
Soy Sauce
Sugar
Red Wine

About 30 minutes before the pork is done:

1. Sauté one small produce container of sliced mushrooms in olive oil or butter
2. Open a can of Campbell’s French Onion with Beef Stock
3. Use a fork to puree some of the onions in the can
4. Add 2/3 of the soup to the mushrooms

5. Add a couple of TBSP of McCormick’s Brown Gravy mix (about ½ of packet)
6. Add a couple of TBSP of Lipton Beefy Onion Soup mix (about ½ of packet)
7. Add a splash of Soy Sauce
8. Add a splash of Red wine
9. Add a pinch of Sugar
10. Reduce heat and let sit; stirring frequently - it will thicken!

Make mashed potatoes from scratch or out of a box (we like the Betty Crocker garlic potatoes as a short-cut). Top the pork and potatoes with the sauce and serve with a vegetable.

Thanks to a dear friend down south who believes in semi-homemade...Donna!

Mostaccioli with Veggies

Cook the Mostaccioli - or any other pasta you prefer.

Meanwhile, saute the following in a pan on the stove with some EVOO:
Zucchini
Mushrooms (I used 4 crimini)
Red & Orange Peppers (about 1/2 each)
Garlic Clove
Spinach

Throw together in a pasta bowl and garnish with a bit of cheese - YUMMY!

Turkey Bacon, Mushroom & Zucchini Quiche

This recipe is adapted from the following on Surviving Motherhood:
http://www.motherhoodsupport.com/2011/04/turkey-bacon-mushroom-and-zucchinni-quiche/

Ingredients:
Turkey Bacon (I used half the package)
Mushrooms (I cut up 2 portobellos)
Zucchini (I used two small zucchini, sliced)
Red Pepper (I diced about 1/2 of one)
Onion (I used part of a yellow one)
Garlic (1-2 cloves)
Milk (1 cup)
6 Eggs
Half and half (1 cup)
Cheese (1 cup – I used mild cheddar)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Pie Crusts (I just bought a 2-pack frozen, let sit out 15-20 minutes first)

In a pan, saute the bacon, mushrooms, zucchini, onion and garlic on medium heat until the veggies are soft and tender (about 15 -20 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix the eggs, cream, milk, cheese and salt and pepper together.  Once the veggie mixture is tender, divide the mixture between the two pie crusts.  Then pour over the egg mixture and bake in the oven on 375 degrees for about 45-55 minutes.

You’ll know when it’s done when you can put a knife in the middle and it comes out clean.

It makes enough for two pies – one for now and the other for the freezer! 

Thanks Surviving Motherhood!

Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry

In trying to use up some of our fresh veggies from Green B.E.A.N. delivery, I put together this quick and easy stir fry.

1. Cut chicken (I used one chicken breast) into small pieces and cook for a few minutes in small amount of oil in the wok. 

2. Meanwhile, cut up the following vegetables in bite-size pieces:
Portobello mushroom
Red pepper
Yellow pepper
Onion
Snow Peas
Add other things that you LOVE or have on hand

3. Remove chicken and saute all of the vegetables.  Add 1-2 garlic gloves and a can of water chestnuts and baby corn.

4. Add chicken back to the mix.  Add stir fry sauce or soy sauce.

5. Serve over rice.

YUMMY!

Egg Salad

I decided to give this a try since we have TONS of hard boiled eggs after Easter.  There are many variations of egg salad online...here's the one I put together:

Eggs
A couple of spoonfuls of Miracle Whip
A few squirts of spicy brown mustard
Fresh diced chives from our backyard
Diced onion

Turkey (or Chicken) Tetrazzini

I changed a few things, but here is a link to the original recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-or-Turkey-Tetrazzini/Detail.aspx

Ingredients:
12 ounces spaghetti
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
3 cups shredded American cheese
4 cups cooked and cubed turkey or chicken
1 small can of peas

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, add oil and salt to cooking water. Drain.
3. In large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Add soup, broth, seasoned salt and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Cook and stir until cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Add spaghetti , peas, and chicken or turkey. Mix well. Transfer to 9x13 baking dish. Cover with foil. (At this point you can put in the fridge for later or divide and freeze)
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  If it has been refrigerated, it takes about an hour to warm through.
5. Remove foil. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups. cheese. Continue baking 2 minutes or until cheese melts.

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

From Campbell's: http://www.campbellskitchen.com/

Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 ounces)
6 flour tortillas (6-inch), warmed
1 small tomato, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 green onion, sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 avocado
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl.

Stir 1 cup soup mixture and chicken in a large bowl.  (At this point you can put both bowls in the fridge and finish later.  I did this in the morning before work and then after work there wasn't as much to do to prep for dinner.)

Add cheese to the chicken and soup mixture.  Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas.

Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side up in a 2-quart shallow baking dish.

Pour the remaining soup mixture over the filled tortillas.  I added a bit of extra cheese on top.

Cover the baking dish and bake for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling.

Top with the tomato, avocado and/or green onion.

Salsa Chicken

I found this recipe in a magazine article titled "Sick of the Same Old Chicken?"

Ingredients:
Chicken Breast(s)
Salsa
Shredded Cheese (I used a Mexican blend)

Put chicken breast(s) in a dish and cover with your favorite salsa. Bake on 350-375 for about 30 minutes or until cooked-through. Add shredded cheese to the top and bake another 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I served it with Spanish rice, black beans and asparagus...yum!

Crock Pot Shredded BBQ Chicken

2 Chicken Breasts
1 Bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Spray crock pot with oil to prevent sticking. Put enough BBQ sauce in to cover the bottom. Place 2 (mostly thawed, if frozen) chicken breasts on the sauce. Cover chicken with the rest of the sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 4-5 hours in, remove the chicken breasts and shred with a fork and then return to the crock pot.

Serve with green beans, mashed potatoes and rolls or on a bun with some chips!

I'm not sure I'd leave this one on all day while I was at work. It was starting to get a bit crispy on the edges and I think 10-12 hours would be too long for it to cook. Plus you want it to cook 2-3 hours once shredded to really get it juicy and flavorful. So unless you could find a way to start it on your lunch hour, I'd stick with preparing this one when you are home.

Velveeta Tex-Mex Beef & Potatoes

Recipe is from www.kraftfoods.com

prep time 10 min
total time 45 min
makes 6 servings, about 1-1/3 cups each

This one is NOT healthy, but a good casserole to throw in the mix every once and awhile. I think it's about 400 calories a serving.

1 lb. ground beef
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup water
4 cups frozen Southern-style hash browns (cubed not shredded variety)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Brown meat with peppers and onions in large skillet; drain. Return to skillet.
3. Stir in taco mix and water.

4. Add potatoes, corn and VELVEETA; mix well.

5. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish; cover.
6. Bake 20 min.; stir. Bake, uncovered, 15 min. or until heated through.

When I made this, I did steps 1-3 the night before and put it in the fridge.

Crock Pot Chicken Stroganoff

6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 can 98% fat free Cream of Mushroom or Chicken soup
16 ounces fat-free sour cream
1 envelope onion soup mix, Lipton - dry

Put frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot. Combine soup, sour cream and onion soup mix in a bowl. Pour over the chicken. Cook on low all day (at least 7 hours).

Makes 6 servings at 4 WW points each.

I only used 2 chicken breasts and chose the Cream of Mushroom soup. I also served mine over whole wheat egg noodles and added peas to the side (I actually mixed them in on the plate for the kids so that the peas were not separate). You will need to calculate the extra points for the noodles and peas.

From http://www.dwlz.com/

Chicken Salad

1 12.5 oz. can chicken (rinsed, drained & shredded)
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
Sweet relish or finely chopped gerkin pickles
Miracle whip (at least 1/2 cup)

Mix all of the above. Add chopped pecans or walnuts. Add cut grapes. Add more miracle whip if necessary. Add pepper to taste. Serve with crackers or on bread/rolls.

For a large crowd, I use 3 cans of chicken and 1 onion. Then I just increase the rest of the ingredients as necessary.

I use Hormel premium chicken in water, Miracle Whip light, sweet relish, pecans and red grapes.

Toffee Crusted Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

1 egg (beaten)
1/2 cup syrup
1/2 tsp. cajun seasoning

1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 chopped heath bar

Dip chicken breasts into egg mixture and then into bread crumb mixture. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Note:
I only did this with one large chicken breast. I used 1 egg, 1/4 cup syrup and 1/4 tsp. cajun seasoning. I used 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs and 1 whole heath bar (no pecans). We had it with steamed carrots and mashed potatoes. It turned out really yummy! THANKS Kimberly!

Crock Pot Ham

No real recipe for this one. This is NOT the good southern way. This is quick and easy. Cut up potatoes and put in bottom of crock pot. Place already cooked boneless ham on top. Pour 2 cans of green bean juice over top (save green beans until later). Heat until potatoes are soft and ham is hot. Time will vary depending on size of ham. If ham is pre-sliced, it will overcook and get crispy...beware!! Dump green beans from the can on top close to serving time (if you add them too early, they will turn to mush). Leave until warmed. YUMMY.

Crock Pot Chili

Andy's Recipe:

2 lbs. ground beef
2 16-oz cans chili beans – undrained
2 14.5-oz cans chili style diced tomatoes – undrained
2 jalapeno peppers
1 large white onion - diced
2 cloves of garlic (or more/less to taste)
Cayenne pepper to taste
Chili powder to taste
½ cup water, for thinner chili
Carroll Shelby’s Chili Mix (in chili aisle in a brown box)
You may not need the mix if you have the following ingredients it contains:
· Packet masa flour (add only to thicken if necessary)
· Packet salt
· Packet cayenne pepper (Andy uses entire packet plus some more!)
· Packet of spices (ground chili peppers, masa flour, cumin, oregano, garlic, onion, paprika, and salt)


Brown the ground beef with the diced onion, garlic, chili powder, and one diced jalapeno pepper. Put ½ beef mixture in the crock-pot. Pour in one can of the chili beans and one can of tomatoes on top of mixture in crock-pot. Stir. Add the packet of spices from the Chili Mix and stir. Add rest of the beef mixture and cans of beans and tomatoes. Add salt, other jalapeno (sliced), and cayenne pepper to taste and stir. Cook all day on low. Add masa flour at end of day to thicken the chili if necessary, or add water for thinner chili. Serve with crackers, cheese, and sour cream.


Optional - Add macaroni for last hour. For hotter chili, use habanero peppers or more cayenne.

Spaghetti Sauce

Jude’s Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb. beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
Mushrooms
14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
Packet of spaghetti seasoning
1 can water
1 tbsp. brown sugar
Diced onion
Oregano
Italian seasoning

Brown beef with the onion. Add remaining ingredients and simmer. Freeze leftovers.