Crock Pot Salsa Verde Pork

We love this meal and the fact that it's made in the Crock Pot is a huge bonus.

Crock Pot Salsa Verde Pork

Ingredients

·  2 lbs. pork sirloin or loin roast

·  kosher salt

·  1 (16 oz) jar Salsa Verde I use La' Victoria Thick and Chunky

·  1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies

·  1 tsp. ground cumin

Instructions

1. Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Gernerously sprinkle kosher salt all over pork roast. Place in slow cooker.
3. Pour jar of Salsa Verde over pork roast. Next add the diced green chilies and sprinkle the cumin over top.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
5. Shred pork and stir back into the sauce. Serve with whatever toppings you desire; cheese, sour cream, cilantro, tomato, etc.  Delicious with Avocado Salsa.

Recipe from Chef in Training

Classic Chicken Divan

Yesterday, I was craving an easy casserole.  This one fits the bill.  It's super easy and really tasty.  All of my kids liked it and that doesn't happen often!  This fed my family easily, but I would double it for leftovers or for a bigger family.  Next time I make this, I think I'll double it and make one for a freezer meal. 

Classic Chicken Divan

1 pkg. frozen broccoli

3 cups shredded chicken (I already had a bag of shredded chicken in the freezer which made this even easier)

1 cream of chicken soup

1/2 C. mayonnaise

2 T. lemon juice

1 C. Italian bread crumbs

3 T. butter

1 1/2 C. grated mild cheddar cheese

(I cannot get the font to change on this section!)

Layer broccoli in a 9x9 casserole dish and semi cook in the microwave.  Layer cooked & shredded chicken on top of broccoli.  Mix soup, mayo & lemon juice and spread over chicken.  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Melt butter and mix with breadcrumbs.  Spread over all.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.  

 

Kielbasa and Tomato Pasta

Awhile ago, I bought some Kielbasa, because it sounded good and different from the stuff we usually eat.  I found this recipe on allrecipes and made a few changes.  It was really good and I'll be making it again for sure.

Kielbasa and Tomato Pasta

• 1 pound smoked kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I don't like peppers, so I left this out)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes
• 1 (9 ounce) package angel hair pasta
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large skillet, saute the kielbasa, green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until sausage is lightly browned. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Stir in Parmesan cheese and butter. Serve with kielbasa mixture.

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Is there anything better than the crock pot?  It's definitely in my list of favorite things.  These French Dip Sandwiches were delicious and juicy.  Making them in the crock pot is an added bonus.  I skipped steps 1 & 2 and threw my roast in frozen and it turned out great. I had quite a bit extra and I froze the meat for another meal.

French Dip Sandwiches in the Crock Pot

www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com
Time: 10 minutes prep + 6-8 hours in the crock
Yield: 8 servings
Recipe from Our Best Bites

1  3-4 pound beef roast
1  T olive oil
salt and pepper
2  1 oz packages Lipton Onion Soup mix
4  C hot water
2  beef bullion cubes
8  rolls (something with a good sturdy crust on it)
Provolone, Swiss or Mozzarella Cheese Slices (optional)
softened butter

 1. Heat up a large skillet. Add the olive oil to the pan.
2. Sprinkle your roast with salt and pepper and place it in the pan. Let it get nice and seared on each side.
3. Place the roast in your crock pot. Sprinkle the Onion Soup mix over the top. 
4. Let your bullion cubes dissolve in the hot water and then pour it over the roast.
5. Put the lid on your crock and cook on high for 6-8 hours. Take the roast out and shred it up with a fork about 1 hour before you are ready to serve. Put the shredded beef back in the crock and let it cook in all those yummy juices for the last hour.
6. Spread just a bit of softened butter on your rolls. Toast them on a griddle. Then add the meat and some cheese if you'd like.
7. Pour the hot juices left in the crock into small bowls for dipping.

Crock Pot Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

I've seen these all over the web and finally got around to trying them. They were super good and really easy. Also, they're made in the crock pot which is a huge bonus!

Crock Pot Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (I used Chicken Breasts)
• 1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing
  
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons of dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns

Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Place chicken on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds, discarding any fat.

Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.

Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve.

Recipe from: Chef in Training

Easy Lemon Chicken

We had this for Sunday dinner a few weeks ago and it was really easy and really, really good! This will definitely go into the rotation.

Lemon Chicken

Melt 1/2 cube butter in skillet. (Original recipe calls for 1 cube butter and I reduced it to a half and it was fine)

Add 4 Chicken Breasts or Chicken Tenders. (I liked the tenders)

Sprinkle with 1 pkg. Italian Seasonings Salad Dressing Mix

Add juice of 2 lemons. (I just used bottled lemon juice)

Cook until tender. Put the lid on at first, then take off at the end in order to brown and absorb seasonings.

Can also be made in crock pot. After it's cooked, shred with two forks and serve it over rice with the juice from the crock pot.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

These little sandwiches are so tasty. They are even delicious heated up the next day. One of my favorites!

Ham and Cheese Sliders

From- The Girl Who Ate Everything

24 good white dinner rolls (I like the King's Hawaiian Rolls)

24 pieces good honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup miracle whip

Poppy seed sauce (you probably could half this...I had plenty extra)
1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit at least 10 minutes (I like it to sit for a few hours) or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

** sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Coconut Chicken Salad with Warm Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

I love a good salad. This one was so good that even the hubby liked it. I will remake this often.

Coconut Chicken Salad with Warm Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 3 • Serving Size: salad with 2 chicken tenders • Points: 8 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 397.6 • Fat: 11.0 g • Protein: 26.8 g • Carb: 32.5 g • Fiber: 4.4 g • Sugar: 10

• 6 (about 12 oz) chicken tenderloins
• 6 tbsp shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup panko crumbs
• 2 tbsp crushed cornflake crumbs
• 1/3 cup egg substitute or egg whites
• pinch salt
• olive oil spray

• 6 cups mixed baby greens
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 1 small cucumber, sliced

Vinaigrette

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp white vinegar (balsamic would work too)
• 2 tsp dijon mustard

Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine coconut flakes, panko, cornflake crumbs and salt in a bowl. Put egg whites or egg beaters in another bowl.

Lightly season chicken with salt. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the coconut crumb mixture. Place chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for easy cleanup. Lightly spray with olive oil spray and bake for 30 minutes turning halfway, or until chicken is cooked through.

Place 2 cups baby greens on each plate. Divide carrots, cucumber, tomato evenly between each plate. When chicken is ready slice on the diagonal and place on top of greens. Heat dressing in the microwave a few seconds and divide equally between each salad; a little over 1 tbsp each.

Cowboy Quesadillas

I am so far behind on posting recipes. I don't want to forget this one, because it was delish and so easy. I used a rotisserie chicken to save even more time.

Cowboy Quesadillas
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 C white rice (I didn't add this)
1/3 C black beans
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/3 C fresh frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
2/3 C diced tomato
3 Tbs sliced green onion
1 1/2 C shredded cheese (any type or combo you like)
1/4 C bbq sauce
6 small tortillas (fajita size, about 6″)

Dipping Sauce
equal parts bbq sauce and ranch dressing

Combine rice, beans, chicken, corn, tomato, green onion and shredded cheese. Add bbq sauce and stir to combine. Place about 1/3 C of mixture on half of each tortilla and fold over to close.

Heat a skillet to medium heat on the stove top. When hot, spray lightly with cooking spray, or drizzle with canola or olive oil. Place quesadillas in pan and cook for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp. Flip and repeat on opposite side. Cool for a few minutes and then serve with BBQ-Ranch dipping sauce.

Turkey and Cheese Melts

I had some leftover hamburger buns (good buns, not cheap $1 buns!) that I needed to use up so I put these together for a quick dinner. Everyone enjoyed them!

Turkey and Cheese Melts

Good Hamburger buns or other roll
Sliced Turkey
Cheese
Mayo

Spread mayo on buns, top with sliced turkey and cheese and broil in oven till desired crispness.

Crock pot Teriyaki Chicken

We tried this last week and it was a good and easy crock pot recipe.

Teriyaki Chicken

1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp. ginger

2-3 chicken breasts or I used about 10 chicken tenders

Combine all ingredients (except chicken) and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens. Pour over chicken tenders or chicken breasts in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken and return to crock pot. Stir it up and serve over rice.

Crock pot Fiesta Chicken

I have a serious love for the crock pot. This is a good and easy recipe that even my picky eater loves.

Crock pot Fiesta Chicken

4 chicken breasts (the chicken I buy is big, so I only use 2)
1 jar salsa
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz. cream cheese

Add the first four ingredients to the crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add cream cheese and let sit for 30 minutes. Stir it up, shred the chicken, and serve over rice, tortilla chips or in tortilla's.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

One of my favorite meals is Fettuccine Alfredo from the Olive Garden. That dish is so incredibly bad for you, so I only splurge there a couple times a year and I never make it at home. I found this recipe on Our Best Bites. It is amazing. You don't even miss all the extra fat and calories. My hubby doesn't get too excited over his food and he said this is the BEST pasta dish he's ever had! I can't wait to make it again!

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese (softened)
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves or 1 tsp. minced garlic
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Blend milk, flour, salt and cream cheese together. Set aside. Melt 1 Tbs. butter in saucepan. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds on medium heat. Add milk mixture to pan and stir constantly until mixture comes to a simmer. Simmer for a few more minutes (keep stirring) until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese and let sit for ten minutes.

Add sliced, grilled chicken and steamed broccoli. Toss with your favorite noodles. If eating as leftovers, add a little milk before reheating and it's as good as it was the first day!

***Notes: To cook the broccoli, I just add the chopped broccoli to the pot of noodles during the last four or five minutes of cooking time.

--To make this even easier, we ate grilled chicken a couple nights before making this, so I just threw on a couple of extra chicken breasts to use for this meal. So easy!

Easy Lasagna

We love lasagna around here, but truthfully, I'm usually too lazy to make it. I found this recipe that said you don't need to boil the noodles before you cook them, and you don't need to buy the more expensive "no boil" noodles either. I finally got around to trying it and it was so delicious! I was skeptical the whole time it was cooking, but it turned out wonderful. This is my new "go to" recipe from now on.

Easy Lasagna

1lb. lean ground beef

1-2 cloves garlic

26 oz jar of spaghetti sauce (I never use a super cheap brand)

3/4 cup water

24oz container cottage cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 Tbsp dry parsley

3 cups mozzarella cheese

9-10 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Brown hamburger with garlic. Drain fat. Add spaghetti sauce and water. Heat through. Combine cottage cheese, parmesan, egg, and parsley. In a 9×13″ pan, layer a third of the sauce, half of noodles, half of the cottage cheese mixture, and a third of the mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with the remaining sauce and mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for about an hour. I like to take off the foil the last few minutes so the cheese browns on top. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

***Recipe from: Creations by Kara

Vegetable Beef Soup

I got this recipe from my ward cookbook. It was a delicious soup and the kids gobbled it up. Even Katelyn, who is very picky! Yummy!

Vegetable Beef Soup

1 lb. ground beef
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 can corn (undrained)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 cup water (I added quite a bit more, it wasn't "soupy" enough for me)
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 can tomato sauce
2 cups macaroni noodles
1 bay leaf

In a deep pan, brown ground beef and onion and drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer, covered, 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender and noodles are cooked. Stir occasionally. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

These enchiladas are AMAZING!!! I got the recipe from The Sister's Cafe, but have made a few changes. They have the yummiest recipes! This is one of our favorite dinners.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

3 cups pork or chicken, cooked and shredded

Sauce:

1/2 c honey

1/4 c lime juice

1 Tb chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce (I use about 1 1/2 cans)
1/2 cup half and half (optional; I don't use it)

4 cups Colby Jack cheese, shredded

8-10 flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the meat marinate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for a couple hours.

Pour a little green enchilada sauce into a 9x13 pan or two 8x8 pans to coat the entire bottom of the pan. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour more sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy! Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy. Enjoy!

Mom's Macaroni and Cheese

I love "comfort food" and this recipe is definitely that! My kids gobble this up! I also like that I always have the ingredients to make this.

Mom's Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz. macaroni noodles
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (divided)
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook and drain macaroni. In 1 1/2 qt. dish, alternate noodles (2 layers) with 1 1/2 cup cheese (2 layers). Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare sauce...melt butter in saucepan; remove from heat. Blend in flour; gradually stir in milk, then seasonings. Put back on heat and bring to boil. While stirring boil for one minute. Pour sauce over macaroni and cheese in casserole dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Let stand several minutes and serve. If you have leftovers, it helps to add a little milk to it before you reheat it in the microwave. Then just stir it up when it's done and it's delicious!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I love Chili's Cajun Chicken Pasta...so when I came across this recipe, I knew I had to try it! We loved it! So good and really it's easy. Just don't put on too much Cajun seasoning if you're feeding it to your small children. Mine are pretty good with spicy food, but I put on too much this time and they didn't love it.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2 chicken breasts, seasoned with Cajun and grilled
1/2 lb. Penne pasta
1 jar Alfredo sauce
Cajun seasoning
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Season and grill your chicken breasts till done. While chicken is cooking, boil your noodles according to package directions. When the noodles are cooked, drain and put back in pot. Pour the Alfredo sauce in and mix together. I added a little Cajun to the noodle mixture, but once again, be careful if you're feeding your kidlets. Put a scoop of noodles on each plate and top with sliced chicken strips, chopped tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.

Crock pot Chicken Cordon Bleu

I came across this recipe and it was so easy that I had to give it a try. The results were fabulous! I will definitely put this in the rotation at my house. It's also a perfect summer recipe since you can make it in the crock pot.

Crock pot Chicken Cordon Bleu

3-4 frozen chicken breasts (my crock pot only fit 3 large breasts)
deli sliced ham
sliced Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 box stuffing, made according to directions

Place chicken in crock pot. Next layer each chicken breast with ham and sliced cheese. Pour soup over all the chicken and top with stuffing. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Moist and Delicious Pork Chops

I found some pork chops on a really good sale last week so I began a search for a delicious way to cook them. This marinade and grilling them made them so delicious and moist. Tyler has never been a pork chop fan, until I made these! We are having them again this week, because they were so yummy!

Marinated Pork Chops

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oil (I use Olive but any would work)
3 T. lemon pepper seasoning (or use 2 tsp. Montreal Steak seasoning)
2 minced garlic cloves (or you could use garlic powder)
4-6 pork chops (I like the thicker chops)

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a shallow dish, or I use a Ziploc bag so I can just toss it when I'm done. Marinade at least 2 hours. I started mine in the morning and let it marinate all day. Cook over medium high heat on grill. After chops have been on grill for 2 minutes, rotate 45 degrees for even cooking. If your chops are less than 3/4" thick, grill for about 5-6 minutes per side. If they are 3/4" or thicker, grill for about 6-7 minutes per side. DO NOT overgrill. They will become tough. ENJOY!