Smothered Pork Chops

These pork chops were fabulous.  They require a few more steps than many of my other crockpot pork chop recipes, but they were worth it.  I do wish that I would have thickened the gravy a bit more.  I also forgot to put the bacon that I had cooked on the chops.  I hid it so well so that my family wouldn't see it and eat it that I completely forgot about it!

Smothered Pork Chops

Serves 6

*Note from Mel: I like to serve these smothered pork chops over rice or mashed potatoes. Also, if the gravy in the last step doesn’t thicken well, mix another tablespoon of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons cold water and add it to the hot liquid. Let it come to a boil to ensure it thickens properly. Finally, I have doubled the pork in this recipe and kept all the other ingredients the same and there was plenty of gravy to smother the doubled pork.

5 slices bacon, chopped

6 bone-in pork loin chops, about 3/4-inch thick (I used boneless this time)

Salt and Pepper

2 yellow onions, peeled, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch thick half moons

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan. If you have more than 2 tablespoons drippings, drain the excess. If you don’t have quite that much, supplement with canola oil. When the bacon is cool, transfer to a small bag or tupperware and refrigerate until later.

Heat the skillet with the drippings over medium or medium-high heat until rippling and hot. Meanwhile, pat pork chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook pork chops until they are golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side, cooking them in batches in the skillet if your skillet isn’t big enough to hold all six at a time in a single layer. When golden on each side, transfer the chops to the slow cooker and repeat with remaining pork.

Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet; add onions, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water to empty skillet. Using a wooden spoon, scrape browned bits from bottom of the pan and cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour onion mixture over chops in the slow cooker. Add broth, soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar to skillet, bring to a boil and add bay leaves. Pour mixture over onions in slow cooker.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low until pork is tender, about 8 hours (or cook on high for 4 hours).

When ready to serve, carefully transfer chops to serving platter with a large spoon and tent with foil. Discard bay leaves and pour liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan, reserving the solids. Transfer solids to a food processor or blender with 1 cup liquid and blend until smooth. Stir the blended mixture back into remaining liquid in the saucepan. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl and stir into sauce. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, season with salt and pepper, pour over chops and sprinkle with reserved bacon and parsley. Serve.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

San Fransisco Pork Chops

Is your mouth watering yet?  I know mine is, and I just got done eating these!  The sauce is just fantastic.  Please, make it exactly as the recipe states!  You should know, the original recipe's 4 pork chops is just NOT enough to feed my family.  I bought 7 chops, picture below, and doubled the sauce for my family.  It was perfect!  The recipe that I recorded below is the original, NOT doubled recipe.

Please make these!  You will not regret it!  Not to mention, we all need those delicious slow cooker recipes for busy days!

Here is what you will need:

San Fransisco Pork Chops

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick

Salt and pepper for seasoning

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

Hot Cooked Rice, for serving

In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. Transfer the chops to the slow cooker. Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!). Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours until the meat is tender. If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened. If you want a super duper thick sauce, once you remove the chops from the slow cooker, pour the sauce into a pan and place it over medium heat on the stove. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the pork and heat through.

Serve the tender chops over rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Mouthwatering Beef Dip Sandwiches

Today it is horrifically cold here in ND.  My Pilot registered a frigid -15 this morning on my way to drive the kids to school.  I always feel for the teachers on those days, because you know the kids won't be going outside which means (at least for my kids) that they will be a bit off-kilter (a.k.a. hyper;).  There are so, so many reasons that I love ND...this is not one of them.  Don't get me wrong, I love the 4 seasons and the snow.  I don't even mind colder weather!  When the temperature dips well below zero though, I start to dream of tropical vacations.  

This sandwich is a perfect winter meal.  Hearty, easy, and delicious (my favorite beef dip recipe to date).  In my opinion, this is best slow cooked for at least 10 hours on low & refrigerated over-night.  When it is nice and cold, the hardened fat (I know, so appealing) will rise to the top and you can easily remove it.  Then you can just reheat it in the slow cooker and enjoy!  Let me add, this is not necessary.  We had this for Super Bowl Sunday and I just cooked it for 10 hours.  We ate it and it was delicious.  I did this for the leftovers last night though and I thought it was even better.

Mouthwatering Beef Dip Sandwiches

4 lbs. beef chuck roast

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. dried rosemary (I like to use the crushed variety)

3 bay leaves

1 c. soy sauce, preferably low-sodium

1 can French onion soup, condensed

1 can low-sodium beef broth

3 c. water

Crusty Rolls

Provolone Cheese Slices, optional

Horseradish Sauce, optional

Banana Peppers, optional

Place roast in slow cooker.  Season with garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves.  Pour in soy sauce, French Onion soup, beef broth, and water.  

Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours (if you have the time, longer is better).  

I like to pile my shredded beef on a crusty roll and top with provolone cheese.  Next, I like to pop in under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and the bun begins to brown.  Finally, I like to top it off with horseradish sauce and banana peppers.  

Serve with bowls of au jus.

**Note: If you have left over au jus, it is a great base to make French Onion soup!


Cooking on Today's Date 2010: Champagne-Feta Risotto (Still my favorite Risotto.  This post also proves that my food photography, while leaving much to be desired, has markedly improved.  At this point, I think I just need a better camera.)

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Last night I finally got around to trying out this delicious Spinach & Artichoke dip recipe.  It comes from a great friend, who is also a great cook.  With the start of football season, I am sure I will be making it again very soon.  We love to have delicious appetizers handy for those lazy football-watching Sundays.

Here is what you will need to get started.  I actually ended up adding basil to mine, but that is purely optional.  I liked the flavor of basil in this dip, but the original recipe does not call for it and it is still extremely good.  I guess it all depends if you are a lover of basil:)

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

3-6 oz. jars of marinated artichoke hearts, drained & coarsely chopped

10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed, water squeezed out

8 oz. cream cheese, softened (reduced-fat is fine)

1/3 c. grated Parmesan (I think I actually added 1/2 c.)

1/4 c. sour cream (light is fine)

1/4 c. mayonnaise (light is fine)

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2-1 tsp. basil, optional

Place all ingredients in a small slow cooker.  Heat on high for an hour, or low for longer, stirring as it heats up to combine the ingredients.  

Serve hot, with pita chips, crackers, or whatever you like!  Although you *can* substitute regular canned artichoke hearts, I think the marinated ones make this dip something special, so I don't recommend it.  

Source: My fab friend, Jen

Slow Cooker Shredded Buffalo Chicken

This morning, I made a delicious topping for these nachos pictured below.  I was hoping to make it more of a salad than nachos, but my garden lettuce looked too pathetic to use today:-(  Next year, I think I am going to space my lettuce planting out by a few weeks so I can enjoy it for more of the summer.  As a result, I had to use some shredded iceberg that I had picked up for tacos in a bag for Friday night (that is really the only time I use iceberg since there are tastier and healthier options out there).

Anyway, the buffalo chicken that I made to top this with was SO SO easy & very delicious.  It can also be a fairly healthy way of getting your wing "fix" depending on what you do with it.  You could also easily make a "sloppy" version of a buffalo chicken sandwich!

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts (frozen is fine!)

6 oz. Frank's Hot Sauce

Place frozen chicken breasts in slow cooker.  Pour Frank's hot sauce over the top.  Cook on low heat for 7-8 hours.  Shred with 2 forks and mix into juices.  

Great to use as a salad topping, nacho topping, to make a buffalo baked potato, wrapped in a tortilla, or on a bun.  

For my nachos, pictured above, I layered, in this order: Mission Tortilla Chips, Shredded Chicken, Shredded Sharp Cheddar, Shredded Iceberg Lettuce, Thinly Sliced Red Onion, Dollop each of Bleu Cheese Dressing & Guacamole.  

Sweet & Spicy Chicken

Hi all!  I hope everyone is enjoying their last day of June!  I can hardly believe it is already nearly July!  I have a couple great and easy recipes to get up today that would be great for over the holiday weekend!  

I thought I would try out a cast of character shot.  2 chicken breasts, brown sugar, petite diced tomatoes, crushed red pepper, and adorable 7 year old.

Sweet & Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken

Serves 4 (This was *just* enough for my family of 2 adults 3 kids.)

1 lb. (about 2 breasts) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes (last time I didn't drain, but next time I will drain most of the juice out, as you can see, my chicken is a little TOO juicy)

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (add more if you want extra heat. This was mild enough that even my spice hating 4 year old ate it)

Lightly spritz your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.  Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker.  In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes.  Pour over the chicken.  Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-9 hours.  

Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with 2 forks.  Return to the slow cooker and mix the chicken with the juices from the tomato/brown sugar sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Serve in Flour Tortillas with topping such as: Lettuce, Avocado, Shredded Cheddar, and/or Sour Cream

Freezable Meal: You can freeze the leftovers in a freezer safe container and let thaw in the fridge overnight before serving the next day.  Reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove top.

Source: Prudence Pennywise 

Crockpot Baked Beans & Sausage

Today I am playing catch-up.  I had several recipes I planned on posting this week that I didn't get around to.  My pictures are building up, so I made a commitment to myself to get everything that I photographed from March up today.  I really can't let myself get so behind!  There is actually one delicious looking recipe that I can't for the life of me remember how I made it or where I got the original recipe!

This one is a winner.  My entire family loved it.  It is so quick and easy to throw in the crock for those evenings that you have activities and won't have time to cook.  It think it would be a fantastic addition to a BBQ potluck.  

Crockpot Baked Beans & Sausage

1 lb. kielbasa type sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

1 c. ketchup

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. sugar

2 Tbsp. white vinegar

2 Tbsp. molasses

2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

3 cans (15 1/2 oz. each) Great Northern beans, rinsed & drained

Mix together ketchup, sugars, vinegar, molasses, mustard.  Set aside.

Cut kielbasa into bite-sized pieces.

In a crockpot, mix together the kielbasa, onion, and beans.  Add ketchup mixture and stir well.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Source: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures 

'Bootylicious' Buffalo Chicken Dip

Let me just start by saying, last night was a sad, sad night.  At least, it was if you are a Vikings fan.  This household was so excited for the game.  We made sure we got homework/chores done so we could spend our evening on the couch cheering for the Vikes.  I made this wonderful Buffalo Chicken Dip to munch on during the game, which I will be sharing shortly.  Then, we discover that we, for the first time EVER.  Are.  Not.  Getting.  Fox.  ARGH!  The hubby quickly runs to Wally World to buy a new outdoor antenna.  Still.  Does.  Not.  Work.  Hubby calls our local Fox and finds out that ice took down their tower and it won't be repaired until Monday.  MONDAY?!?!  Don't these people know we have a Very Important Football Game to watch? 

We didn't mess around, we ditched my game snacks and headed to Buffalo Wild Wings with our 3 kids in tow to watch the game.  (And yes, the hubby called ahead to make sure THEY were getting the game.)  By the time we got there, the game was a few minutes into the first period and we had to sit and wait to be seated for a bit.  We didn't care though, we had a nice big screen in the waiting area:)  We enjoyed drinking our beer, eating our wings, and watching the game.  At least until the fumbles started UGH!  We did end up having to head home in the 4th quarter (a certain 4 year old got a little antsy) and we had to finish listening to the game on the radio.  Last night was a sad night, but in the light of a new day, I can say that I am happy that they had such a good season, maybe it will work out for us next year.  

Enough football talk, onto the football munchies.  The football munchies that I still have sitting in my fridge, mostly uneaten;p  I'm sure most of you have heard of this popular dip, but I do love this version the most (and I have tried a few).  It is prettier if you layer it in a baking dish and bake it, but not nearly as convenient.  I apologize for the pic, it is much better than it looks!       

Bootylicious Buffalo Chicken Dip

20 oz. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 2 breasts)

pinch seasoning salt

pinch garlic powder

16 oz. cream cheese (I use Neufchatel, which is lower in fat/calories and we can't tell the difference)

1 c. ranch or bleu cheese dressing (In my opinion, bleu cheese is a must, but I like bleu cheese)

1 c. Frank's hot sauce

1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar, shredded

Celery, Crackers, or Chips for dipping- we prefer tortilla chips around here

Fill saucepan with water, add a pinch of seasoning salt, a pinch of garlic powder, and chicken breasts. Boil until chicken is done. Drain, allow to cool, and shred with forks. (You can skip this step and use 2 10 oz. cans of chicken instead if you prefer.) 

Return shredded chicken to pan, add in hot sauce. Heat over medium heat until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch/blue cheese dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the cheddar cheese. *Very important step: You must now sample it to make sure it’s got enough buffalo kick; add more hot sauce as needed. You want it to taste more buffalo than chicken.) 

Transfer to a crock pot. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top (I just mixed all the cheese in so it would be evenly distributed), cover and cook on low until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks, crackers, or tortilla chips.


Found this particular version on Tasty Kitchen, the Pioneer Woman's awesome recipe sharing site!