Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork

Ingredients 

• 1 (2 pound) pork shoulder roast (doesn't have to be exactly 2 pounds; I made it with an almost 3 pounder)
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer 
• 1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce
• 8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

Directions

• Place the pork in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. (I left mine on low for about 9 hours, and it turned out just fine. I think it depends on how much root beer you put over the top) Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.

This is some deeelicious pulled pork. Serve with oven-baked potato wedges or other potatoes and corn.

p.s. You'll have plenty of leftovers. ;)

Adapted from this recipe at allrecipes.com

Skillet Chicken Cordon Bleu

It doesn't really photograph well . . .

I was surprised how much this tasted like the real deal. It was super quick and easy, so try it out. I would give it about 3.75 stars. We served it over rice, but I'm sure it would be good over egg noodles too.







Ingredients

• 1 T butter
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1/4 C chicken broth
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 C shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/2 C diced ham
• 1/2 C Italian cheese blend (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• few dashes of garlic powder

Directions

1. Cook chicken in butter over medium-high heat until browned. Remove chicken; set aside.
2. Glaze pan with chicken broth. Add soup, ham, cheese, garlic powder; stir together; heat to boiling, stirring often to avoid burning.
3. Add chicken; stir. Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until chicken is fully cooked. Add salt and pepper if necessary.
4. Serve over rice or egg noodles

Makes 4 servings

Adapted from this recipe from allrecipes.com.

Some notes:
I just used sliced deli ham Swiss that I cut up and mixed in. It was cheaper that way. I used 6 slices of Swiss and about 6 slices of ham. The original recipe calls for white wine instead of chicken broth. I didn't have any wine, so the chicken broth worked fine for me. If you have white grape juice, you could substitute that, as well.

Chicken Tarragon (or Rosemary)

I love making this dish, and I have my mother-in-law to thank for that. She introduced me to it, and it's a great go-to recipe for a dinner that looks great but doesn't take a ton of effort.

Ingredients

• 3 T butter
• 3/4 C chopped onions (I just chop up half of a medium-sized onion.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I use a few shakes of garlic powder.)
• 1 1/2 C diced chicken
• 1 1/2 C sliced carrots
• 1/3 C fresh parsley (if you have it; it'll work just fine if you don't)
• 3/4 t tarragon (or rosemary)
• 1/4 t black pepper (or to taste)
• 1 3/4 C chicken broth (1 can)
• 1 3/4 t lemon juice
• 1/2 pkg. pasta
• 2 T flour
• 2 T water

Directions

1. Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan; add onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute.
2. Add chicken, carrots, parsley, tarragon and pepper; cook until chicken is lightly browned.
3. Add 2-1/2 cups water, chicken broth and lemon juice; bring to a rapid boil.
4. Cook pasta according to package directions.
5. Blend flour with remaining 2 tablespoons water; gradually add flour mixture to chicken mixture, stirring until mixture is smooth and thickened.

I would suggest adding more salt if desired, as well as other spices. I've added more pepper, basil, Italian seasoning, etc., with success. Enjoy! :)

Sautéed Broccoli Florets

Ok, so I love broccoli. I was one of those weird kids that liked vegetables more than candy--even chocolate! I know, I know. I grew up eating broccoli with cheese or with butter and salt, but this recipe is different and fabulous. I never thought to add Parmesan cheese and brown sugar! When I saw this on allrecipes.com, I had to make it. Needless to say, the two vegetable-lovers (me and my husband) in the house loved it! I didn't change anything, which is weird because I always change about half the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 pound broccoli florets
• 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl or pot with half ice and half water. When the water comes to a boil, add the broccoli florets using a strainer with a handle if possible. Allow the broccoli to cook for 1 to 2 minutes until just tender. Immediately remove from the boiling water, using the strainer or draining, and transfer to bowl of ice to stop the cooking process. Immerse the broccoli completely in the ice water for a minute or two. Remove and place in a dish that has been lined with paper towels. This part can be done up to two days in advance.
2. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese and brown sugar; set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in the broccoli and season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to coat the broccoli, then cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and dust with the Parmesan cheese mixture

Serves 6

So, this recipe takes about 25 minutes to make, which I know is a long time to make a side dish. This is what a reviewer on allrecipes.com said (paraphrasing): You could also sauté the broccoli with the spices over medium heat with the saucepan lid on--stirring occasionally, then add the cheese and brown sugar mixture, then turn the heat off and keep covered until steamed. It will be done in about 5 minutes, with no need to pre-steam.

I like pre-steaming, though, because it keeps the bright green color.

Oven-Baked Potato Wedges

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into eighths

Feel free to adjust spices as needed. Sometimes instead of garlic powder and salt, I just use garlic salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons). Or you can use seasoning salt and omit the salt and powders in the recipe.

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Place, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and potatoes into a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag, then shake to coat the potatoes with the seasoning. Spread the potatoes over a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, take out, turn over potatoes (or just mix them around a bit), put back into oven until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 15 more minutes.

These are easy to make and a lot cheaper than the bagged french fries that you can buy at the store. We serve them with hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, etc. They are really good. 

If you don't have a whole 30 minutes, you can boil the potato wedges for a little while (5 to 7 minutes), season them, then bake them in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Makes 8 servings

Adapted from this recipe at allrecipes.com