Dinner Fit For Winter

Every family has their list of favorite dinners. They are usually indulgent. They might require a bit of planning ahead and maybe even a little more effort in the preparation department. As I write this post I happen to be listening to The Shirelles' song "Mama Said" on repeat and thinking back to the January day my 19 year old self copied this recipe down into my recipe book.

The recipe I'm sharing today is for those winter days when you want comfort food, but need it to be quick and easy. I've been making it for years and I think it is responsible for helping my sister to come around when it comes to stuffing.

It's a weird combo, but you've got to try it at least once. Trust me.
 

You can go one of two ways with this recipe! You're going to need three things: 4-6 pork chops, one can OR one recipe of apple pie filling, one box OR one recipe of stuffing. That's it!!!

Whether you choose to go the easy route or the homemade route, you'll get no judgment from me because I've done both.

My Mom taught me everything I know about cooking. One important lesson I learned from the years I spent shadowing her in the kitchen is to pace yourself. If you need to take shortcuts, take the shortcuts. My Mom is one of those women who doesn't apologize for every little thing. She just goes for it. That's what this recipe is about: if you've got time, go for it. If not, go for the shortcut.

The first and most important step is to trim and debone your pork chops. Everything is layered and melds together as it cooks. Those bones will disappear into the stuffing and you DO NOT want to have to deal with that.

So, trim the fat and remove allll the bones from those chops. Then, lay them in the bottom of your crock pot so that they are touching.

Next, scoop your prepared stuffing out onto the pork chops. You want to keep as much of it ON the pork chops as you can. Easy, right???

Then, you'll scoop your apple pie filling out onto the stuffing, put the lid on the crock pot, and set the timer for 3 - 4 hours. My crock pot only has a low and high setting, so I end up cooking them for about 3 hours on high.

The key is making sure your pork is DONE, but not overcooked. If you do this recipe right, you will have the tenderest pork chops EVER.

Here you have it, your pork chop dinner alllll ready to dig into! I serve it straight from the crock pot so that everything stays nice and toasty, but you could separate each layer in individual serving bowls if you wanted to. By the time the food makes it onto my plate, I separate it out. My sister, on the other hand, likes hers to stay all piled together! 

The best family dinners include CHOICES. This is one of those from start to finish.  

 

When I made this a few weeks ago, I challenged my family to take pictures of their plates. ^ Here ^ is my sister's prize winning picture! I told you she likes hers in one big heap. :)

Special thanks to my brother for jumping up from his homework to take some pictures over my shoulder for me!

Ready for the recipe?

Crock Pot Pork Chop Dinner
adapted from cooks.com serves 6

4-6 pork chops, trimmed and bones removed
1 recipe stuffing, prepared
1 recipe apple pie filling, prepared


Layer pork chops in the bottom of the crock pot so that they are touching. Cover with stuffing. Top with apple pie filling.

Place lid on crock pot and set the timer for 3-4 hours, just until pork is cooked through and still tender. My crockpot only has high and low, so I end up cooking mine for about 3 hours on high. 

Remove lid and dig in!!!!

If you need stuffing and pie filling recipes, click HERE.

What are some of your family favorites?

What's one piece of cooking advice your Mom taught you?

 

Summer Style Pork Roast

This summer, I put together a four week long meal plan that we've been using more often than not. I tried to come up with recipes that were heavy on seasonal fruits and veggies, the use of the grill, and the meats I already have stored away in the freezer.

I have plans to tell you more about building your own plan, but for now, I've got to share this recipe that is PERFECT for summer before any more of it gets away from us!

When it's hot out we want to avoid heating up the kitchen. We want food that fills us up and yet feels more like a snack than a full on feast. I love putting a hunk of meat into the crock pot and deciding what to do with it later - you can shred it up and wrap it in a tortilla OR put it in a bun OR just serve it up with a few sides and you're good to go. The thing is...I've never actually used a recipe or turned out a PERFECTLY juicy roast. That is, until Tracy showed me the ropes.

I'm calling this summer style pork roast because that's exactly what it is. During the summer, I lean more towards pairing my pulled pork with BBQ sauce, buns, coleslaw, and beans. When the weather cools back down, I might heat up the oven to make  cornbread or I might change up the seasonings and turn on the stove top for mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and the whole Sunday Dinner style roast. 

It's summer and we know what we want! Let's get it cooking!

When one of your favorite food bloggers tells you this recipe begins with a rub...You listen up! Grilling has taught me that rubs can accomplish A LOT. This roast is no different. Make the rub.

Garlic and onions are two things I've ALWAYS paired with crock pot cooking. They're going to go in first. Big chunks are just fine, you won't be serving them up with the meat. 

Onion and garlic are in. The roast is rubbed. Take a moment to admire your work!

Here's the SECRET: MORE THAN 3/4 CUP OF LIQUID. For whatever reason, I've had it in my head that 3/4 cup is enough...It's not. I'm telling you, you'll be taking this roast out with tongs because it's going to be soooo tender that it will literally be falling apart. That's exactly what we're going for.

Up the liquid. You'll be glad you did!

Last but not least, diced tomatoes are going to add a lot to this dish! Diced tomatoes are something I've added to my pantry over the last year or so. I've only been using them for pizza sauce and now this roast, but that's enough to warrant having them on hand!

We put the lid on. Set the temperature to LOW and the timer for 6-8 hours. Then, we walk away and feel the freedom that comes with knowing that dinner is already going!

The roast comes out pretty and nice and ready for a million possibilities. Slice it or shred it. Eat it the way it is or dress it up with a favorite sauce. Serve it with fresh melon, your go-to salad, beans, rice...Whatever you're in the mood for!

Tracy says to save the stock you've created, but I'm a little unsure of what to do with it. I redenered off the fat and stuck the stock in the freezer. I'm thinking a mexican soup would be PERFECT, but I'm not sure if I can bring myself to add chicken to it. I'll keep you posted!

In the mean time...I've got a bit of the meat left over and it's going to be turned into pork fried rice tonight.

Summer Style Pulled Pork
slightly adapted from Tracy Benjamin

2 1/2lb pork roast
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
smidge of ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 c. chicken broth (more if you have a larger roast)

Combine salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, paprika, and garlic powder. Rub all sides of the meat with this rub.

Place the pieces of garlic and onion into the bottom of your crock pot. Set the roast on top of them. Pour the tomatoes and the chicken broth into the crock pot, avoiding the meat itself and making sure that everything is evenly distributed around your roast.

Place the lid on the crock pot and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours. (If your roast is larger, you may need to cook it longer. Tracy cooked her 4 lb. pork shoulder on HIGH for 8 hours.)

Take the roast out of the crock pot and process the meat however you want. Shredding it with two forks and topping it with BBQ sauce is my personal favorite. You can also skip the shredding and serve it in slices if that's more your style!

Skim the fat off of the cooled stock and use as a base for soups.

What's your summer cooking style?

What are you favorite ways to use a roast?