Chicken Ranch Tacos

I made this awhile back. I used a pork tenderloin instead of chicken. It was quite tasty. I am not sure why I never think about doing the simplest things when I cook.

Here is what you need (as it is written):
3 chicken breasts (i used a 1 lb pork tenderloin)
1 pkt. taco seasoning (chicken or beef)
1 pkt ranch dressing mix
1 can chicken broth
taco shells
lettuce
cheese
Any other taco topping

1) Place frozen chicken or pork in the slow cooker. Add the taco seasoning and ranch mix. Top with the broth.
2) Cook on low all day or on high for 3-4 hours.
3) Shred the chicken.
4) Use the taco shells or tortillas and form your taco.

Enjoy!!!

Pulled Pork Enchiladas

I know that I have mentioned before that we love Mexican food at our house and I am always a fan of trying something new.  These are super easy to make and are similar to other enchiladas that I normally make.  I just never would have thought of using the pork or seasoning it the way this recipe does.  Quite tasty and yummy.  Thank you Better Homes and Gardens for the wonderful idea! Another great thing about this recipe is that it is adaptable to your family's taste buds.

Here is what you need for these:
3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (I used a 2 pd pork roast and it made 11 enchiladas)

1-14 ounce can chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ground cumin

2-3 tsp ground chipotle chile pepper or hot chili powder

1 tsp salt

3-10 ounce cans enchilada sauce (here is where you can alter to suit your family.  I used 1-10oz can medium and 1-29oz can mild)

1 Tbsp snipped fresh cilantro

4 ounce can diced green chile peppers

8 ounces cotija cheese, shredded (2 cups) (I used normal shredded cheese)

8-12 8 inches flour tortillas

Snipped fresh cilantro

Diced tomato or quartered grape tomatoes

Sour cream (optional)

 

1.Trim fat from pork. In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine pork shoulder, broth, onion, garlic, cumin, ground chipotle chile pepper or chili powder, and salt. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 11 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove pork from slow cooker, reserving cooking liquid. Using two forks, pull meat into coarse strands.*

3.

4. In a medium bowl combine the remaining enchilada sauce, 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid (discard any remaining cooking liquid), and the diced green chile peppers. Spread about 1/2 cup of enchilada-green chile pepper mixture in the bottom of a 3-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside.

5. Divide pork mixture and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese among tortillas, placing meat and cheese near the edge of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas. Place filled tortillas, seam sides down, in the prepared baking dish (place tortillas close together); top with the remaining enchilada-green chile pepper mixture. Cover with foil; bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or until heated through and cheese is softened and starts to brown slightly.

6. Sprinkle with additional snipped cilantro and tomato. If desired, serve with sour cream. Makes 6 servings.

 

It looks like a lot to do, but it is so simple since the majority of it is done in the crockpot.  The flavor was great and the meat was so tender.  Definitely a keeper and a repeat at our house.

 

PS...if there ends up being a weird a bullet point in the middle of the ingredients, I am sorry.  I tried very hard to remove it.

Tangy Pork Chops...

...or beef or chicken...your choice!

If you like tomatoes, green peppers, and onion with a "tangy" homemade BBQ sauce, then this simple recipe is for you! If you don't, well then, you better skip past this and keep browsing. We LOVED it!!! I cooked ours with pork chops, but use your choice of meat that you want to eat :)

Here's is what you need:
4 pork chops
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 medium onions, chopped (I used 1/2 of one large)
1 large green pepper, sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1-14.5 oz can Italian stewed tomatoes
1/2 Cup Ketchup
2 Tbsp cider vinegar (I didn't have, so I used regular)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 beef bouillon cube
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water

1) Line or spray crockpot. Place pork chops in the bottom. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
2) Add onions, celery, pepper, and stewed tomatoes.
3) Combine ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and bouillon. Mix well and pour into crockpot.
4) Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours. (Mine were in for 5 hours on low. Next time I am only going to cook them about 4 hours on low, or I will switch it to warm. 5 hours was just a bit too long...Just know your crockpot.)
5) Combine cornstarch and water. Stir into the crockpot mixture. Cover and cook another 15-30 minutes , or until sauce thickens.
7) Serve over rice or noodles.

**Warning!! This one makes your house smell delicious forever!

Sesame Pork Ribs

Here is another simple, easy crockpot meal. It is technically "Chinese" food, but I LOVED it and I really dislike Chinese food. Regardless, it was a win-win for all of my family. Sorry, no picture again. I didn't think I was going to post this one, so we ate without taking a picture of our food.

Here is what you need.

1 medium onion, sliced (I used minced)
3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup soy sauce
1/4 Cup honey
1/2 Cup ketchup
2 Tbsp white vinegar
3 Garlic cloves, minced (I used powder)
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
5 lbs country style pork ribs (I think any kind will do and I only used 2 really really LARGE ones since I only have 2 eaters in my house)
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp chopped green onion (optional)

1) Line or spray crockpot. Place sliced onions in the bottom. Then add the ribs.
2) Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and pepper in a bowl and mix well.
3) Pour sauce over ribs.
4) Cook on low for 5 or 6 hours. Sprinkle with Sesame seeds 10 or 15 minutes before serving.
5) Serve and Garnish with green onion (optional).
Enjoy!

***Note: If I were to cook more than my couple LARGE ribs or if I was going to be gone for 6 or 8 hours, I would double the sauce recipe. The given one was enough for what we did, but I personally don't think that it is enough for all day cooking or for a greater quantity of ribs. I guess it depends on how "saucy" your family is.

Also, if we have this again in the summer, I am going to make the sauce and try them on the BBQ grill :)

Chili Verde

So, I admit, I copied this from a friend's blog. She calls it Chili Verde, but if you were to actually order Chili Verde from a restaurant, there is ALOT more to it. Anyway, this is another crockpot meal. It is super yummy and super easy.

1-3 to 5 lb pork loin
1-can diced tomatoes

1-can Rotel (mild, original, or hot--your taste)

1-small can diced green chilies

Put everything in the crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred pork loin before serving and mix it all together. Serve on tortillas with cheese, sour cream, and/or guacamole. Serve with rice or another side of choice, if you desire.

Super yummy and easy burrito. My 2 year-old even LOVED this. :-)

-- from http://craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com.