Homemade Breakfast Sausage

I don't think I'll ever bother to buy pre-made breakfast sausage again.

2 lbs ground pork*
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well.  Shape into 2 1/2" patties, about 1/2" thick.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Cook half of patties until well browned and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes per side.  Transfer to paper towels to drain.  Wipe out skillet and repeat with remaining butter and patties.  Yield: 16 patties.

*You can usually find ground pork next to the ground beef.  Do NOT use lean or extra lean ground pork--it won't have enough fat in it to cook up properly.  You can also check the butcher's counter in your grocery store for ground pork breakfast sausage, which usually has just sage added; reduce the sage in the recipe to compensate.

Crockpot Pulled Pork

1 pork tenderloin (1 lb)
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cut the tenderloin in half; place in crockpot.  Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over tenderloin.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours, until pork is cooked through and tender.

Remove pork from crockpot and use two forks to shred.  Stir sauce in crockpot, then add pork back to pot.  Toss well and allow to heat through.

Serve on hamburger buns or split kaiser rolls.

Pork Chops with Roasted Red Pepper Cream

I serve this over rice to soak up all the cream sauce.

4 bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick
Salt and Pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 onion, sliced thin
6 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 (8 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering and just smoking. Add chops and cook until well-browned and meat registers 145* on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

Add onion to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes; add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, cream, roasted peppers, and sugar, and simmer, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add any accumulated pork juices back to the pan and stir in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chops.

*If you don't have fresh basil, substitute a couple teaspoons dried, adding to the pan with the broth. It won't look as pretty, but it will taste as good.

Crockpot Babyback Ribs

I've been using this method (scroll down), which a friend introduced to me, for a few years. It's good, but I always felt like there was something missing, and I wanted to get the ribs even more tender. I came up with this tonight, and it turned out wonderfully. It's already my husband's favorite way to have ribs!

1 rack of baby back ribs
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Kansas City-style smokey barbecue sauce (I used a jar of Trader Joe's brand)

Rinse ribs under cold running water, and then pat dry on both sides with paper towels. Cut rack in half. Season liberally with salt and pepper all over. In a large skillet, heat approximately 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until very hot -- oil should shimmer and just begin to smoke. Brown ribs on both sides for 1-2 minutes; when done, meat will release easily from the pan. (If it sticks, your pan isn't hot enough; increase the heat and wait until the ribs release without tearing meat.)

Place browned ribs in the bottom of crock pot, meaty side down. Add enough water to achieve about a 1/2 inch depth. Whisk vinegar and honey together; add to crock pot. Cover and cook on high for approx. 3 hours or on low for 6 hours. (I actually did mine for two hours on high and then two hours on low.)

Preheat oven to broil. Place ribs meaty side down on a wire rack inside a shallow baking dish (for easier cleanup, line dish with foil.) Slather top with barbecue sauce and broil about 4-5 inches from heat for 3-4 minutes. Flip ribs and repeat on meaty side.

Sweet and Sour Pork (or Chicken)

Dip chunks of pork (or chicken) in egg, then in a mixture of 1c. flour and 1 tsp. baking powder. Cook in oil.

Add:
2 c Ketchup
1/4 c vinegar
3/4 c sugar
chopped onion
2 chopped green peppers
1 can pineapple tidbits w/ juice

Steam until vegetables are tender. In needed thicken with cornstarch (I never do). Serve over rice.

*I never do the egg, flour step. I just brown the meat in oil. It saves a little time, and still is REALLY good!

Balsamic Pork Loin morphed into pulled pork sandwiches on Day 2

The pork loin recipe comes from Robin Miller of Quick Fix Meals. I really love balsamic vinegar, so this is a great way to add some rick flavor. You could also do this with pork chops.

Balsamic Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:
Two 2 pound pork tenderloins trimmed of silver skin if necessary.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme or about half as much dried.

Directions:

Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Place the pork in the pan and season the top and sides with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, and thyme. Spoon the mixture over the pork then roast for about 45 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached. Baste every 15 minutes if possible.

Let the pork stand for 10 minutes before slicing enough for your dinner, I think this will feed 4-6 people.

The leftover pork can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 3 months.

Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches:

Ingredients:
The 2nd pork loin from the above recipe and any leftovers
a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce, I like KC Masterpiece
Kaiser rolls

Take the pork tenderloin and with 2 forks, pull apart the pork so it is shredded. Take the port and put it in a pot, empty the bottle of barbecue sauce in and mix. I would probably add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to thin it out a little if it seems too thick. Cook until warmed through and the pork is coated in the sauce.

Warm Kaiser rolls in over or toast them. Serve the BBQ pork on Kaiser rolls, I would add mustard and a pickle, but that is just me.

And there you go...2 meals and basically just one prep and a warm up!

YUMMMMM!

Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin

I got this recipe from a ward cookbook my sister in law gave me from Houston. It was super easy, and tastes pretty good... but the best part - completely ready and waiting for you when you get home from church at 5pm!

4 lb. pork tenderloin
package fajita seasoning mix
ground pepper
2 red peppers, sliced
large onion, sliced in rings
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 medium or 4 small red potatoes, cut into bit size pieces
large zip lock bag

Put all ingredients into Ziploc bag, mix... then add the pork. Dump contents into a Pam sprayed crockpot and put 1/4 to 1/2 cup water in the bottom. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. The longer, the more tender the tenderloin.

It was good for how fast and easy it is! And for sure works when you want dinner as soon as you get home!!

Pork Roast with Cumin/Mixed Berry Sauce

Heat oven to 400 degrees
2-3 lb. pork loin
salt and ground black pepper
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
1/2 cup other berry preserves like boysen, black, or raspberry (can mix 2)
1 t. ground cumin
2 parsnips, peeled and cut in large cubes
Olive oil

Put pork in baking dish with a little olive oil on bottom. Season the pork with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries, preserves and cumin. Mix well and pour over the pork. Arrange the parsnips around the pork, rolling them in the olive oil. Roast 45 minutes in the oven. Remove and let the pork rest for 10 minutes (so doesn't lose juices) then slice and serve with sauce to pour over. Yes, the parsnips make a difference and they are very tasty, too.

Pork Chops Italiano

This is another Michelle original and a new Sunday favorite at the Kotter household.


4 chops, 1 inch thick (season with salt & pepper on both sides)
½ lb sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 green pepper, cut into strips
23 oz. tomato sauce (one 15-oz and one 8-oz can)
1 bay leaf
2 T lemon juice
1 tsp sage
1 tsp oregeno
1 tsp basil


Season pork chops and lay in bottom of crock pot. Layer mushrooms, onions and green pepper on top. In separate bowl, combine tomato sauce, garlic lemon juice and seasonings, and pour over pork and veggies. Cook 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.


This is fantastic served with {real} mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.

Inside-Out Sausage Chops

2 large onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless pork loin chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick (ask your butcher for these)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (I use more because I love them!)
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, shaved


In a large skillet over medium-high heat, preheat 2 tablespoons EVOO, about two turns of the pan. Season the pork chops with salt and freshly ground black pepper, transfer to the hot pan and sear until brown on both sides, 3-4 minutes per side.

Transfer the chops to a sheet pan and allow them to finish cooking in the oven about 10 minutes (if using thinner chops, reduce your cooking time). Once the chops are cooked through, cover them with foil to keep them warm until ready to serve.

In the same pan the chops were cooked in, heat the remaining tablespoon EVOO, about one turn of the pan, over medium heat. Add the sliced onion, fennel seed, garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté until tender. Tent the onions with a piece of foil as they sauté so they slightly caramelize.

To serve, place one pork chop on each plate and top with caramelized onions and a sprinkling of shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Serve the roasted peppers alongside.

{I cooked this in the crockpot - replacing the oil with broth and it turned out SO good and tender.}

Rachael Ray
Yields: 4 servings

Balsamic Pork & Tomato

4-6 thick cut pork chops (I buy the fat Costco ones)
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup stock (beef or chicken)
1 beef bouillon cube1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup (or more) balsamic vinegar
2 crushed cloves of garlic

Throw it all in the crock pot and cook on low for 7 hours... all depending on how tender you want it. Another way to do it is substitute beef onion dry soup mix for the bouillon and onion-- you still need the stock.I always shred the pork a little & serve it over rice since it is very saucy.

From my friend Amy Pearson

Cumin and Lime Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Creamed Corn

This is SO good, and one of our new favorites. A bit spicy with the jalapenos - but really good!!It's a Rachael Ray and I've changed things up a bit but feel like I need to give her credit and write it how she cooks it... though I've inserted my little notes.

Cumin and Lime Roasted Pork Tenderloin
2 ¼ lbs. pork tenderloin (sometimes sold 2 tenderloins per pkg.)(I use pork chops)
Juice of 2 limes
4 T. EVOO (Extra-virgin olive oil for all of you Rachael Ray lingo impaired)
2 T. ground cumin
1 T. ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, cracked

Preheat oven to 500 F.
Trim the silver skin or connective tissue of the tenderloins with a very shark, thin knife.
Place the tenderloins on a rimmed non stick cookie sheet (I just use a glass dish and line with foil because while in the oven the EVOO makes some pretty cool stains that are hard to get off).
Coat them with lime juice, rubbing the juice into the meat. Drizzle EVOO over the tenderloins/chops, just enough to coat. Season the meat with the cumin, coriander, salt and pepper (I mix all of this together so I don't have portions where there is more of one season then the other). Cut small slits into the meat and disperse chunks of the cracked garlic cloves into the slits.
Roast for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes, tented loosely with foil.

Spicy Creamed Corn
2 T. unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 10 oz. boxes frozen corn kernels
1 T. flour
1 ½ c. chicken stock/broth
½ c. heavy cream
¼ c. fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat skillet over medium-high heat with 2 T. of EVOO and butter.
Add the onions, jalapenos, bell peppers, chopped garlic, corn, salt and pepper.
Cook for 4 – 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender.
Sprinkle with the flour, and continue to cook for 1 minutes.
Whisk in the chicken stock and heavy cream.
Bring the corn up to a simmer and then lower the heat to medium low and cook until it is thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. (I for some reason have to cook it longer and add more flour to get it thickened)
Finish the spicy creamed corn with the parsley and cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

4 servings, Rachael Ray - 365: No Repeats

Tomatillo Burritos

MEAT
3-5 lb. pork loin/roast
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. salsa
1 c. Dr. Pepper (optional – makes it a little sweeter)
Cook in crockpot on low for 7+ hours.
Shred when done.

RICE
1 c. rice
1 t. butter
2 cloves of garlic
1 t. grated lime zest
1 can chicken broth
¾ c. water
Cook 15-20 minutes or in a rice cooker.
MIX and pour over rice when done.
2 T. lime juice
2 t. sugar
3 T. fresh cilantro

BEANS
2 cloves garlic
1 t. cumin
2 T. olive oil
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1/3 c. tomato juice
½ t. salt
Simmer over the stove until heated through.
2 T. fresh cilantro (add just before serving)

TOMATILLO SAUCE
1 c. sour cream
½ fiesta ranch packet
1 ranch packet
6 tomatillos husked and halved
1 clove garlic
2 limes juiced
¼ c. cilantro
In a blender mix.

Serve on tortillas with pork, rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and drizzle tomatillo sauce over.

This is a lot of steps, but can totally be simplified. I usually cook the meat and mix up the sauce as is... but the rest I simplify. For the rice I throw all that in a rice cooker, and then I just heat up a can of black beans seasoned with a little cumin and garlic powder. You still get the overall jist an yumminess of the recipe, but not all the work. The tomatillo sauce alone provides enough flavor!

P.s. The meat and sauce makes a lot, so if you're feeding a small family (even for Shayne and I who eat A LOT) I half the sauce and the meat. Though the meat freezes really well. The sauce is also REAL good for taco salads also.

Cranberry Pork Roast

I can't take credit for this yummy dish (Thanks Michelle), but it is dang tasty!

Cranberry Pork Roast

2-3 lbs. boneless rolled pork loin
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
1 cup sugar
1 cup cranberry juice
1 tsp dry mustard
2 T corn starch
2 T cold water

Place pork loin in crock pot. In bowl, mash cranberry sauce, sugar, juice and mustard. Pour over pork. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until meat is tender.
After pork is cooked, measure 2 cups of liquid, heat and add combined cornstarch and water. Cook until thickened. Season with a little salt. Serve with meat. (This is great with mashed potatoes!!)

Simple BBQ Sauce (Amy)

2 cups ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1 medium onion sliced
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp paprika
½ tsp salt

Mix all together. Pour over 4 to 8 chicken breasts in a crock pot. Cook for 6 hours on low. Serve over rice or shred the meat and serve as BBQ chicken sandwiches. (This is also fantastic with pork, I use the shoulder, and served with Hawaiian rolls)

Three Bean and Pork Crock Pot Chili (Amy)

1 chopped onion
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder, medium-hot
1 tsp dried oregano
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds lean pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch chunks
15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
29 oz canned diced tomatoes, with green pepper, celery and onion, undrained
6 oz canned tomato paste

Combine onion, garlic, carrots, chili powder, oregano, chilies, salt and pepper in a 5-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Stir. Add remaining ingredients. Stir again. Cover and cook at HIGH setting for 6 to 8 hours. Yields about 1 cup per serving. (Note: Start the chili at a HIGH setting so the ingredients quickly reach a safe temperature. You can reduce the heat to LOW after 3 to 4 hours, if you prefer.)

Ribs (Emily)

Sprinkle with salt & pepper and then put them on a rack under the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes on each side (so they’re browned.) Put them in a crock pot and slather them with whatever BBQ sauce you like and let them cook all day. If you have 9 hours, start them on high heat for the first 3 or 4 hours, then reduce to low heat for the remaining time. If you only have 6 hours, cook them on high heat the entire time. Turn the pieces a couple of times in the crock pot.

Pot Roast

1 3 lb boneless chuck roast
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 bay leaves
3 or 4 beef bullion cubes, crushed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (10 ¾ ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
½ cup Chardonnay

Sprinkle roast on all sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Using a skillet over high heat, sear roast until brown in oil. Place roast in a crock pot and layer onions, bay leaves, crushed bullion cubes, garlic and cream of mushroom soup. Add the Chardonnay and cover with enough water to cover all the ingredients. Cook on low setting for 8 hours.