Homemade Pot Stickers

One morning my son Jack and I realized that we were both home for the day without ANY PLANS!! That never happens! You know I took advantage of that! 

Jack is one of the 2 kids we have that has food allergies. Recently we had him and his sister tested to update their allergies and we found out that he is no longer allergic to fish! HUZZAH!! I decided to take him to out to lunch for SUSHI for the first time in his life.  

Then, I asked him if he wanted to learn how to make his Aunt Morgan's Gyoza (the original recipe HERE.) Jack is a great cook and was all in. 

The best thing was that we were able to enjoy and share the fruits of our labor with the rest of the family. 

The ONLY thing we did differently this time was that after we made the first batch, we decided to use the same method - but to over fill them and wrap them up like egg rolls. Delicious!

Cornbread Waffles & Chili

I watched this on Studio 5 and my mouth was absolutely watering. I knew my family would LOVE it!! The Cornbread Waffle recipe is from Alex Daynes - you can see her original recipe and her chili recipe HERE

The first picture is how my son made it - waffle on bottom, chili on top. The second picture is how I made it - chili in a bowl with waffle "chips" on the side.

Cornbread Waffles

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs *1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 
5 cups (1 per serving) homemade chili**

Preheat waffle iron to medium heat.
In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Add milk, oil, and applesauce and stir until incorporated, but don’t over-mix. Leave it a little lumpy.
Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and bake in batches.
Serve with chili over top and garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado and chopped green onion.

*I substitute applesauce for the eggs because of Jack's egg allergy

**See my AWARD WINNING Runnin' Utes Tailgate Chili HERE

Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagie's

I had my soon to be on his own son make this for dinner the other night - HUGE HIT!!! And BONUS - SO incredibly easy!!!

Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagie's

6 hoagie or sub rolls
3 bell peppers (red, yellow and/or orange), seeded and cut into large chunks
2 red onions, trimmed and cut into quarters
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 Italian sausages (hot and/or sweet)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup whole-grain mustard

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toast the rolls on a sheet pan for 5 minutes. Set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.

Spread the peppers and onions on the sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the sage, salt and some pepper and toss, breaking up the onions a bit as you do. Nestle the sausages in and around the vegetables. Bake until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, create your sandwich spread. Mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.

Transfer the sausages to a cutting board and slice into coins. Spread each roll with as much or as little sandwich spread as you want, then load up with sliced sausage and roasted vegetables.

The Perfect Pork Chop

The Perfect Pork Chop

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Place a large oven safe skillet (the gray cast iron) in the oven to heat as well. While the oven heats, prepare the pork chops.

Season the pork chops. Remove the chops from their packaging. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub both sides with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Using oven mitts, carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and set it over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Turn on a vent fan or open a window.

Place the pork chops in the hot skillet - don't overcrowd (3). You should hear them immediately begin to sizzle. Sear until the bottom of the chops are golden-brown, about 3 minutes.

Flip the chops and transfer to the oven. Roast until the pork chops are cooked through and register 140°F to 145°F in the thickest part of the meat with an instant-read thermometer. Cooking time will be 3 to 7 minutes - we like ours closer to 3 minutes.

Rest the chops. Tent loosely with foil and let the chops rest for at least 5 minutes before serving

Fall Pasta Bake

I am an avid viewer of the cooking show "The Kitchen" on the Food Network. I DVR all their episodes and watched this one today. One of the hosts, Katie Lee, made this pasta and it looked right up my familys alley. Boy howdy I was right! My husband took one of my daughters out and they walked in right as I was finishing this awesome meal. My 12 year old shouted "it smells AMAZING!" 

My picky eater (8) always needs to know what is in every meal I serve so I skipped over the kale the first time I told her the ingredients. She asked again - WHAT IS THE GREEN STUFF? I asked her to take one bite and then I'd tell her. She took a bite and as promised I told her it was kale. She shrugged and dished herself up a big ol' bowl.

This one will be going into rotation around here!

Fall Pasta Bake

Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking dish
1 pound rigatoni
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, or more as desired
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
2 cups heavy cream
2 bunches Tuscan kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 pound fresh whole-milk ricotta
1/2 cup grated fontina
1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (I omitted bc I forgot it!)

Preheat the broiler. Spray a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or metal baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking water. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil in the pan, then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown at the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is very aromatic, another minute. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling into small chunks with the back of a wooden spoon, until browned all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup pasta water to the pan and scrape up any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the heavy cream and cook, stirring frequently, until it comes to a simmer. Stir in the kale, then cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted and tender and the heavy cream has thickened, another 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the nutmeg and about 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper on the kale (taste here, as your sausage might have different seasonings). Remove from the heat and stir in the ricotta until just combined, followed by 1/4 cup each of the fontina and mozzarella. Add the pasta and stir until it is coated in sauce and the cheese starts to melt, adding pasta water if the mixture seems too thick. Taste and season with a little more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top it with the remaining 1/4 cup fontina, 1/4 cup mozzarella and the Parmesan. Broil the pasta until the cheese is brown and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

I served this with a caesar salad - a nice way to cut through the heavy dish.

*The ONLY thing I will change when I make it next time is double the sausage - my husband and kids are big meat eaters.

This Mom's Lasagna

We hosted family dinner for my sons 16th birthday. I was feeding 20-30 (mainly adults and teenagers) so I had to come up with something delicious to feed a crowd AND something that's easy on my budget.

My local grocery store (Harmon's) had a 5 for $20 meat sale. I got approx. $40 worth of sausage, ground right there in the store for $20. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!! So I started there and I ended up here. This is based on Michael Symon's recipe for "Mom's Lasagna," I tweaked the recipe around what I had and what I could budget. This Mom's Lasagna

1/2 cup olive oil

1 onion, chopped *the pre diced frozen onions are SUCH a good hack!

4 garlic cloves, minced or grated

Kosher salt

2 lbs ground sweet sausage

2 lbs ground spicy sausage

32 - 48 oz of your favorite marinara sauce *depending on how wet you like it. I just like the flavor - not so wet for me.

1 lb dried lasagna noodles

2 lbs whole-milk ricotta cheese *32 oz for us layman folk

1/2 c Italian seasoning (Oregano, thyme, basil, parsley)

2 large eggs *I actually use an egg replacer bc my son is allergic to eggs

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese *Fresh parsley adds a nice touch right before serving

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion garlic and a three-finger pinch of salt and sweat them until they are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage and continue cooking until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Add the marinara sauce, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to get all of the browned bits into the sauce. Season the sauce with salt and simmer for 2 hours over medium heat.  Skim any fat that rises to the surface. *Harmon's sausage isn't only made right in the store - it is incredibly low fat - so I didn't have to do that!!!

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt so that it tastes seasoned and allow the water to return to a boil. Add the noodles and cook 2 or 3 minutes shy of package directions. Drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Italian seasoning and eggs* with a pinch of salt. I incorporated these ingredients by using a hand mixer - adds a bit of air to it - which is nice. I used Michael Symon's tip here: I put it into a gallon sized Zip Lock bag and cut the corner for easy distribution.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Ladle about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch lasagna pan. Arrange a layer of noodles over followed by a layer of ricotta mixture and then some sauce, smoothing it with a spatula to the edges of the noodles. Repeat the process until the pan is full and finishing with a final layer of noodles, sauce, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes to brown and bubbly on top. Remove from oven and let cool before serving (he says slightly - I let it sit for about 30 minutes - think of it like a steak. If you cut into a steak right when it's done cooking - all the juices run out. Same thing with lasagna - if you cut right into it without letting it rest, you'll have a "mud slide" all the layers won't bind and they'll slide all over the place.) I served it with Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread - can you say YUMMMMM!!!

Korean Style Street Tacos

At least - that's what we call them in our house. There are a few random things you need to make them - but I have SIMPLE substitutes that I promise you already have.

Here is one of the random things: a bamboo steamer - super cheap - like less than $10 at the Asian market. SUBSTITUTE - your MICROWAVE.

Another: our Instapot. SUBSTITUTE - crock pot, oven, grill, Traeger...

These are AWESOME. Lotus Leaf Buns - available at your local Asian market in the freezer section. Our 4 kids aged 7 to 16 love these, They are also cheap - under $3. To steam these in a Bamboo steamer, grab a large sautee pan and fill it with water about 1" up the side of the pan. Set on your stove top on High. Set your steamer on top of that pan. Put down a sheet of parchment paper and lay 3 or 4 buns flat on top of that. Cover and steam for 5-6 minutes. 10 if they are completely frozen. SUBSTITUTE: tortillas.

This is the last random ingredient. GOCHUJANG. It's like a Korean BBQ sauce. You can find this at your local grocery store -it's everywhere - and it's so good. I could dip the sole of my shoe in this and it would be delicious. SUBSTITUTE: your favorite BBQ sauce

This is a picture of my daughters creation. Pork, Gochujang, sour cream, cilantro dressing, salsa, Lotus Leaf Bun.
This is my version: Street Taco sized flour tortillas, melted Mexican blend cheese, refried and black bean mix, pork, Gochujang, sour cream and salsa on one, Mexican blend cheese, refried and black bean mix, pork, Gochujang, guacamole and cilantro dressing on the other.

The cool thing about this is that you can customize this to your own preferences - just like a traditional taco bar.

Korean Street Tacos
3-5 lb pork tenderloin* cooked until it's tender enough to shred with a fork
Lotus Leaf Buns or Street Taco Tortillas
Gochujang
Guacamole or avocado
Black beans
Refried beans
Pico de gallo or salsa
Sour cream
shredded cheese - your choice
Cilantro dressing** - optional

So - I'll tell you exactly what we did - and you can make substitutes as needed.

*Pork Spoon Roast - completely unpackaged. Cook in the Instapot on High for 90 minutes with water half way up the bowl to retain moisture.
Serve on a Lotus Leaf Bun (steamed or microwaved) or a tortilla and have at it with any toppings you want!!!

Great to feed a crowd - and something that will really knock their socks off.

*Our ALL TIME FAVORITE is (local) Harmon's Pork Spoon Roast - THE BEST - for so many things!

**Depending on time - I buy cilantro dressing at the grocery store - or I make my own Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Sausage & Bow Tie Pasta with Vodka Sauce

Sausage & Bow Tie Pasta with Vodka Sauce
1 - 1 1/2 lbs sausage
3/4 - 1 lb pasta (I use bow ties a lot but anything will do)
1 c heavy cream
1 c tomato sauce (I've even used pre made marinara in it's place)
1 T EVOO
1 T Butter
2 cloves garlic
1/2 - 3/4 c chicken stock
Parsley, basil, salt & pepper to taste* Fresh Parsley and basil are the best - use it if you can.

In a deep pan (like my large Creuset) crumble and brown the sausage until it is no longer pink. When you are finished - set the sausage on a separate plate covered with a paper towel to soak up some of the grease.

Using the same large pot you used for the sausage, fill with water and set to boil for the pasta.

Meanwhile, dice your onion, garlic, parsley & basil.

Sautee your onion and garlic in butter and EVOO. When the onion is nice and translucent, add the chicken stock. Now, it's probably time to add your pasta to the boiling water - do that.

Then add tomato sauce and slowly add the heavy cream. When it is all incorporated add the cooked sausage to the sauce and incorporate that. The pasta should be ready to drain. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water just in case the sauce is too thick for your preference.

After the pasta is drained, add the sauce (now including the sausage) into the large stock pot with the noodles. Add parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Serve!

*I hope this recipe makes sense - I make it all the time so it might seem all over the place - and sorry about the picture! I grabbed my sons lunch bowl with some leftovers the next day for the pic.

Enchilada Suiza

My husband and I went on a little vacation to San Diego recently without the kids!!! It was amazing for so many different reasons - one of which was eating at La Fiesta in the Gaslamp Quarter. Every time we go to a mexican restaurant I order chicken chimichangas. This restaurant didn't offer chimichangas on the menu - so I was forced out of my comfort zone. What happens when I am forced out of my comfort zone? Usually something AMAZING!! In this case INCREDIBLE. Here is the description from the menu: 

ENCHILADAS SUIZAS 16
Corn tortillas in green tomatillo sauce and stuffed with shredded chicken, topped with melted cheese and sour cream. Served with refried beans and rice. 

I asked for them to be prepared with flour tortillas instead of corn - which was pure genius.

I've been craving them ever since. I didn't have exactly what I needed to replicate their recipe - but I found an easy version that satisfied my craving AND fit the bill for Cinco de Mayo...

Enchilada Suiza
5 flour tortillas (or corn if you prefer)
1 c Herdes salsa verde
1 lb ground beef (or shredded chicken or shredded pork)
1 c Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 c Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c heavy cream

Garnish with
Sour cream
Diced tomatoes
Diced green onion

Cook ground beef, chicken or pork your favorite way. I used ground beef and added taco seasoning to it for some kick. Rotisserie chicken would be fab in this.

In a 9x13 pan, use 1/4 cup Salsa Verde to coat the bottom of the pan. Take each tortilla, fill with about 2 T of cheese blend and meat.. Roll up and set in casserole seam side down. Cover evenly with heavy cream, excess cheese and more salsa verde. Since I was serving my kids - I just used a little Salsa verde on top - then served some on the side for me.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Then - bc I love browned cheesy bits - I turned the broiler on and let it sit under it for a couple of minutes. Holy yum.

Just thinking about it makes me want to make them again tonight - but with chicken!!

Quick Sausage Pasta

I saw this recipe on Pinterest originally via HERE. She promised it to be delicious and quick - all in one pan in 30 minutes. I was sold. I used diced tomatoes instead of Rotel because I didn't want my kids to complain that it's too spicy. AND - I spaced the last bit where you broil it.

It was delicious and it was quick and all 6 of us ate it happily.

Quick Sausage Pasta

1 T olive oil


1 lb smoked sausage


1 1/2 cups diced onion


2 cloves garlic, minced


2 cups low-sodium chicken broth


1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream


8 oz penne pasta



1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded


Salt and pepper to taste

Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Garnish with additional cheese. 

OR top with additional cheese and broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly. Which is what I wish I would've done!!

Alice Springs Chicken

There was a phase in my life where every single time we went to Outback Steakhouse, I would order the Alice Springs Chicken. I was obsessed with it. Damn Skippy...

Alice Springs Chicken

3 chicken breasts

1/2 lb bacon

1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

cheddar cheese*

salt and pepper to taste

Schultz gourmet premium seasoning and rub** (or your fav seasoning)

EVOO

Butter

Honey Mustard Sauce

Prep chicken with EVOO, seasoning, salt & pepper on both sides. Grill - medium heat about 8 minutes a side depending on your grill and the size of your chicken breast. The internal temperature for a properly cooked chicken breast is 165 degrees.

While the chicken is on the grill, cook the bacon and sauté the mushrooms and onion in a pat of butter. Last night, we planned ahead and actually cooked the bacon on the stovetop and THEN sautéed the mushrooms and onion in the leftover bacon fat instead of butter - woah baby.

In the last minute of cooking your chicken on the grill, top the chicken with 2 slices of bacon and cover with cheese slices on top. Cook until the cheese is melted.

At Outback Steakhouse, they serve the chicken breast smothered w mushroom & onions, bacon and topped with cheese. At my house, we serve it just as I stated above with the sautéed mushrooms and onions on the side - because my kids freakin' love it that much. Yes, mushrooms. MUSHROOMS. An item that I would've rather gone to be without dinner when I was growing up - but prepared this way - my kids will eat them all day long.

*Pictured, we used both cheddar and muenster cheese (b/c that is what we had on hand). You can really use any cheese you like.

** Schultz gourmet premium seasoning and rub can be found at Costco - or online

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

WOW. wow wow wow. This was seriously delicious. When dinner was over and their plates were licked clean, my 3 kids (9, 7 & 4) stood on their chairs and gave me a standing ovation. Something that has never happened before - ever - and not to brag, I make some good food around this joint. My husband and I loved it too. Really loved it. Like - had to use major will power to keep myself from getting thirds - loved it...

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta adapted from chef in training

12 oz. penne

2 cups heavy cream
8 oz cream cheese
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 c shredded fontina cheese*
2 chicken breasts – grilled and cut into bite sized pieces**
1 c bacon cooked and chopped***
1 c diced ham

Panko bread crumbs

½ c shredded fontina cheese*

Cook pasta according to its package's directions. Drain. Add either a little EVOO or butter to the pasta – so they don’t stick together.

Heat cream cheese on stove over medium low heat until melted. Stir in heavy cream. Add onion powder and garlic salt. Stir in 1 cup cheese ¼ cup at a time until incorporated and smooth.

In a big bowl, mix together chicken, bacon, ham, pasta and cheese sauce – until thoroughly combined. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish.

Top with the ½ c remaining cheese and sprinkle with panko.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

*Swiss cheese is typically used in a Cordon Bleu - I opted for FONTINA. It's not as pungent as swiss (more kid friendly) and has this amazing melt-a-licious factor.
**I cheated and used 3 cans of chicken
***Another cheat - Kirkland's Real Bacon bits

Using the above cheats - this meal was ready in 30 minutes start to finish!!

Best Ribs You'll Ever Eat

My husband and I consider ourselves RIB CONNOISSEURS. We have had ribs at every single restraunt we've ever been to (A LOT!) and have tried just about every recipe we've found in search of the perfect ribs. The last couple of years, my husband has been perfecting his recipe and while all of the ribs he has made in the past were lip smackin' good - the last 4 times we've made ribs, we struck gold. Since we were just going on methods and measurements that only exist in our heads, I wanted to make sure we made them the same way a few times before publishing the recipe.

Patrick's Perfected Ribs
2 racks pork ribs
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Schultz's Gourmet Premium Seasoning & Rub*
Your fav BBQ sauce (optional)

Using your biggest stock pot (we bought a cheapy 12 QT stock pot that we use just for ribs - or potato salad for a crowd:) Fill the stock pot 1/2 of the way with water and bring to a boil.

Cut rib racks into 3rds. When the water is boiling, put the racks in. Boil for 30 - 40 minutes (you want a full rolling boil. Patrick says as big of a boil as you can get without making a mess).

Heat up your grill.

Take the ribs out of the water and onto a large cutting board (or aluminum foil). Drizzle one side with EVOO and use your fingers to ensure the oil gets on every part of the rib. Then add seasoning - to taste. Flip them over and repeat the process.

Grill for about 15 minutes a side on low so you are just crisping them up a bit (bc they are already cooked).

Tent with aluminum foil and let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes - try not to drool.

Serve them w your fav BBQ sauce if you want. I like them with just the dry rub on them, but my kids really love them w BBQ on top!

*Sold at Costco - or find here at www.schultzsgourmet.com
If you can't find this seasoning (seriously worth ordering - we've had it on chicken, fish, ribs, EVERYTHING - it's just that good!) you can use pepper, a little garlic powder and Emeril's original BAM.

**We've been boiling then grilling our ribs for several years - you can't go wrong with that method.

Runnin' UTE Tailgate Chili

I've been making this chili for a few years and it's always a hit. I took it last night to a "Chili Cook Off" and it won another award!!

It's another one of those easy peasy - even your kids can do most of the work recipes (my girls are only 6 & 3!)

The ingredient list is a long one - but they are basics - you probably have all the ingredients in your house right now!!

Runnin' UTE Tailgate Chili
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 lb mild italian sausage
2 15 oz cans kidney beans, rinsed
2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed
2 15 oz cans pinto beans, *SW pinto chili beans - not rinsed
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (with juice)
2 15 oz cans Original Rotel w juice
1 large yellow onion, diced
15 oz can tomato sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
4 cubes beef bouillon or 1 T better than bouillon
1/4 c chili powder
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T minced garlic
1 T dried oregano
1 t dried basil
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t paprika
3 t white sugar

In a large stock pot cook the ground beef and sausage until evenly browned. Pour all of your canned items in. Add all seasonings and stir to blend. Cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Top with sour cream and shredded cheese and serve with tortilla or frito chips!

Slow Cooked Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I got this recipe from my friend, Stathi - who is a tremendous cook and an over the top entertainer. He throws some of the best parties I've been to. He was adamant about using ciabatta rolls - and I figured out why - the bread doesn't get too soggy!
Slow Cooked Pulled Pork
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 c ketchup
1/3 c cider vinegar
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c tomato paste
2 T sweet paprika
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T yellow mustard
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/4 t ground black pepper
4 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 pieces
12 soft sandwich buns or ciabatta rolls, warmed

In 4 1/2- to 6-quart slow-cooker pot, stir onion, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, paprika, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, and pepper until combined. Add pork to sauce mixture and turn to coat well with sauce.
Cover slow cooker with lid and cook pork mixture on low setting as manufacturer directs, 8 to 10 hours or until pork is very tender.
With tongs, transfer pork to large bowl. Turn setting on slow cooker to high; cover and heat sauce to boiling to thicken and reduce slightly.
While sauce boils, with 2 forks, pull pork into shreds. Return shredded pork to slow cooker and toss with sauce to combine. Cover slow cooker and heat through on high setting if necessary.
Spoon pork mixture onto bottom of sandwich buns; replace tops of buns. Serve sandwiches with pickles, potato chips, and hot sauce if you like.

*I couldn't find 'sweet paprika' so I used regular paprika instead.

Cafe Rio Pork

This is the main component in the Cafe Rio Pork Salad - my kids also love to eat this meat on a hamburger bun topped with crispy coleslaw.


Cafe Rio Pork
5-6 lb pork roast
1 T cumin
1 c packed brown sugar
12 oz bottle La Victoria Red Taco sauce (mild)
20 oz Coca-Cola (I've also used Dr. Pepper)

Cook roast on low for 12 hours (I do overnight) in crock pot with water added half way up the roast. After 12 hours, drain water off roast and add remaining ingredients and continue cooking on low for 4 more hours. Then shred the meat and cook on Low or "Keep Warm" setting 2 more hours.

*I made this recipe many, many times using the method above. But there have been times that I didn't stick it in the crock pot the night before. In that case - I just cook it with all the ingredients (no water) on HIGH for 6 hours and then check it - then turn it down when it's tender enough to shred. Shred it, put it back in the juice and keep it at low or keep warm until you're ready to eat.

The Perfect Pork Chop

I wanted to make a special dinner for my husband tonight. I called him and asked him if he could have anything in the world to eat - what would it be. This happens pretty regularly, so he tries to mix it up. He requested Scalloped Potatoes and a Pork Chop. Usually I delight in the challenges he presents me. Not this one.

He was raised on this meal. He luuuuves his pork chops. Me, on the other hand have never met a pork chop I liked. My Mom made pork chops all the time when I was growing up but they were waaay over cooked and took 25 minutes to chew one bite - stupid pork chops...

I have recently learned the importance of premium meat. So, first thing first. I went to my local organic butcher and bought 2 pork chops. Premium pork chops baby. Since I have never cooked a pork chop in my life, I did some research. I googled "how to cook pork chops" and read on several different sites - several different methods/ideas and I settled on this one on Wikihow HERE. I edited the verbage and didn't use rosemary as in the original recipe.

The Perfect Pork Chop
Pork chops
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper
EVOO
Butter
Chicken Stock

Use a heavy pan - cast iron, anodized aluminum, or a good stainless steel pan is best. Non-stick pans will suffice, but they won't give you as good of a crusty caramelized exterior.
Heat the pan on the stove top on medium high. Season the chops with salt and pepper.
Add the oil. Don't add oil to a cold pan.
Add the chops gently. Be careful not to splatter yourself with hot oil in the process!
Leave the chops alone for 3 to 5 minutes. Once the edges of the chops start to come up slightly from the pan, it's time to flip the chops. DO NOT use a fork, only use tongs or a metal spatula. If you try to flip too early, the pork could be stuck to the pan and tear, making the pan very hard to clean and ruining the caramelization.
Cook the chops on the new side until the edges come up from the pan, like before - about 5 minutes.
*MY NOTE You can tell they are done with the "touch test." They should be firm. If you are unsure, use your knife and make a slit in the middle of the chop to make sure it is no longer pink.*

When they are done, take them out of the pan and set aside on a warm plate.
Add some water, wine, or broth to the pan and scrape up the browned bits on the pan. This will deglaze the pan. The liquid will boil shortly and begin to evaporate off. In cooking terms, this is called "reducing". In fat guy terms, this is called "making gravy". Once the liquid has boiled almost all the way off, you'll notice a new sound. Now is your time to spring into furious action!
Grab a couple pats of butter and start swirling the liquid around the pan to combine. Add the chops back to the pan with the juices that have run out. Flip the chops and coat the other side.

*MY NOTE Make sure you drizzle that delicious pork chop with that heavenly gravy.

So, Mr. Pork Chop Expert finished his dinner and said "Top 3 best meals I have ever had in my life" TOP 3!! AND guess what! I ate that pork chop with all that delicious gravy and thought to myself - Oh. My. Gosh! Where have you been all my life!?! AND all 3 of my kids loved them. I am officially adding pork chops to the Vietti household 'regulars'.

Sweet's Ribs

My hubs (who I call Sweetness/Sweet's) and I were talking about the (NFL) playoffs this year. After this weekends games - we are left with America's teams. Teams that have been in the hearts and homes of Americans for generations. The Jets, Packers, Steelers - and of course, my Bears. This years playoffs are unequalled in the recent past.
Anyway... because of the games (I assume) my Sweetness wanted to make some "Man Food" some good ol' football watchin' man food. He decided on ribs. He is the greatest breakfast short order cook - and the best grillin' man I know - but it's been a while since he's had to cook - so he asked me for tips (if you knew us 10-15 years ago you would be laughing your head off). I gave him some tips (based on my go to rib recipe) and then let him go hog wild - pun totally intended...

Sweet's Ribs

Rack pork ribs*

Fav BBQ Sauce

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Put ribs in a large pot with enough water to cover them. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.

Take your ribs out of the water and season them. Sweet's seasoned half of the ribs with his go to dry rub - salt, pepper and garlic powder - enough to cover the ribs. The other half of the ribs he brushed with our fav BBQ sauce. Then he took them out to the grill and grilled them for about 15 minutes. Boiling them cooks them thoroughly, grilling (or broiling) them gives you that crispy factor and helps the seasoning do it's job.

Tonight's dinner was hands down the single most relaxing, quiet, peaceful dinner we have had since my oldest was born. Seriously.

There was no whining, no complaining, no burping, no talking about burping, no giggling incessantly about burping, no poking, no bugging, no "how many more bites do I have to take before I can be excused?" no tears, no rambling on and on and on and not eating - it was (almost) COMPLETE SILENCE.

The only noise at the table was lip smackin'. At one point during dinner, Sweets turned to me with honest to goodness tears in his eyes and said "this may be the best day ever. You watched football w me all day AND we had the most pleasant, peaceful dinner in the history of our family." They really were that good...

*We get our ribs at Costco - now that I've typed that for the millionth time - I'm thinkin' Costco needs to give me a free membership and do a fun giveaway for all my readers for all the free advertising I give them! LOL.

Meatballs

My daughter had her birthday this week. In our family the birthday honoree gets to choose what the family eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This year she requested Spaghetti and Meatballs for dinner.

Everytime I make meatballs - I just kinda wing it - I mean how hard can it be? It's meat and you roll it into a ball!! LOL. This time, I decided to write down the recipe for my own knowledge and I'm sharing it with you!

This makes A LOT of meatballs - but with my family of 5 (all 3 kids are under 8) there were NO leftovers...

Jen's Meatballs

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

1 1/2 lbs ground italian sausage (I use mild b/c of my kids - but feel free to go crazy!)

2 c Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 T Emeril's Essence (original Bam)

2 t parsley

2 t oregano

EVOO

Fav Marinara sauce

Get your hands in there and mix all those ingredients together. Use your Tablespoon to help you eyeball your meatballs size wise. I use a generous, heaping Tablespoon full for each meatball.

Fill the bottom of a large pan - about 1/4 inch full - of EVOO. Heat the oil on medium for just a minute or two before adding your meatballs. Cook a couple of minutes on all sides (you know when one side is done - it'll be nice and brown.

Make sure your pan isn't too hot - if it is, you will end up with nice browned meatballs and all sides - but they will be raw in the middle. You want to really let those meatballs take their time to cook so that the outside and insides are cooking evenly. I have a very large pan, so I only had to do 2 batches. I poured out the oil in between batches - just out of preference. If you do swap out your oil, make sure to clean up any oil that dripped over the side/bottom of your pan. If you don't carefully check that - that oil will catch on fire. Are you scrred? Don't be - I'm just giving you a few tips to make everything easy peasy and have everything run smoothly.

Meanwhile, in another pan (large enough to include the meatballs) heat your fav marinara sauce. When all of your meatballs are finished, add them to the marinara and let simmer just a few minutes - you don't want your meatballs to get too soggy. SERVE!!

Ham & Broccoli Bake

I am in the middle of moving from one side of town to the other - so when I heard little stomach growls from my kids - I knew I needed to whip up something FAST! This is what I whipped up...
This recipe is so versatile. You really can use any protein, veggies and cheese you like.

Ham and Broccoli Bake

2 cups Diced Ham

1 cup Velveeta cheese, diced

1 cup sauteed onions

2 cups broccoli (steamed or frozen and thawed)

Salt & pepper to taste

Pillsbury "pizza crust"

Sautee your onions, add ham, broccoli and cheese. Mix. Spread out pizza crust on a baking sheet (rectangular). Spoon mixture onto the middle of the pizza dough. Bring opposite corners of the dough together and pinch. Fill in the gaps by pinching the dough together so that the the mixture is completely enclosed (we don't want any of that goodness oozing out).

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until the dough is nice and browned. Pull out of the oven and brush with melted butter. Let rest for about 5 minutes and slice into servings. Serves 2 adults and 3 little ones...

*I always have a pack of Farmland diced ham in my fridge - awesome in a pinch