During the chilly winter,  crockpot meals are convenient, a great time saver and can turn less expensive cuts of meat into tender and flavorful dishes.  This recipe calls for chuck roast, however, a bottom round roast or eye of round will work nicely as well.  These cuts of meat have the best result with moist heat cooking methods for a fork tender outcome.  While this dish requires some planning, it can slow cook for 8 or more hours and then be finished quickly by cooking noodles for a tasty, hearty meal.  Add some steamed vegetables and a salad and you are ready to go.  If there happen to be leftovers, they reheat nicely. 

1     4 – 5 pound chuck roast
salt and pepper
1   -  10.5 can of mushroom soup + 1 can of water (If using an organic 15 ounce can of soup, add 1/3 of a can of water)
1   -  1.25 oz.  package of dry onion soup mix
2     tablespoons cornstarch
2     tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4    cup cooking sherry
1/2    teaspoon garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2        teaspoons dried parsley or 2 tablespoons  freshly chopped
1-2    tablespoons creamy horseradish or 1-2 teaspoons grated horseradish
 

1     pound of your favorite egg noodles

Season roast with salt and pepper.  Set aside.  Lightly oil crock pot and  combine mushroom soup through horseradish in crock pot and mix well to combine.  Add chuck roast and cook on low for 8-9 hours.   To serve, bring large  pot of water to boil for noodles.   Remove roast from crock pot, place on plate and cover with foil allowing the beef to rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting.  Place noodles in boiling water and cook according to package directions.  Cut roast into chunks, drain noodles, add roast and noodles to the remaining sauce in crock pot.  Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.  Makes 4-6 Servings.  Enjoy!   

 

Late summer is still grilling season with all kinds of bbq options available.  We see both beef and pork ribs on sale for bargain prices quite regularly making this favorite easy on the budget. 

Pork ribs come a few different ways.  One being spareribs and another being baby back ribs.  Spareribs are flatter in shape and have a higher fat to meat ratio.  Baby back ribs are curved and are meatier and leaner.  When baby backs are on sale, it is great to stock up and freeze them. They come in racks that are about 12-14 inches long averaging about 2 – 2 1/2 pounds in weight.

The thing to know about cooking ribs is that they require at least a few hours on a medium grill in order to be tender enough to eat.  I have also found that cooking them on low for 5-6 hours in the crock pot gets them nice and tender and doesn’t require a lot of attention.  At this point, you can finish them on your grill or you can freeze them for another occasion and finish them just before serving.  If you do not have access to a grill for finishing, then place them in a 450 F. oven on a rimmed baking tray for about 15 minutes, adding the sauce the last 5 minutes.  The sauce burns easily so adding it just long enough to heat and slightly brown is the best option. 

This recipe doesn’t require a lot of ingredients.  If this Asian variation of bbq sauce doesn’t appeal to you, feel free to use your favorite bbq sauce only with this simple cooking method.     

2  racks of baby back pork ribs, thawed
Salt and pepper
2/3  cup Asian salad dressing
1/3  cup of your favorite bbq sauce
1  teaspoon ground ginger

Cut racks of ribs in half.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.  Place in a 6 quart crock pot.  Add 1 cup water and set on low.  Cook for 5-6 hours or until ribs are fork tender. At this point, you may wish to refrigerate or freeze to serve at a later time.  To serve, preheat grill to medium high.  Combine Asian salad dressing, bbq sauce and ground ginger.  Remove ribs from the crock pot.  Place on the grill allowing them to get slightly crispy.  About 4-5 minutes per side.  (If ribs are cold, cook approx. 8-10 minutes per side.)  Brush with bbq sauce and heat through additional 1-2 minutes as sauce will burn easily.  Cut into individual ribs if you choose.  Makes 4-6 Servings. Enjoy!    

Often we will see a family pack of assorted pork chops on sale for a very decent price, anywhere from $.99 to $1.49 a pound. Because these packages are assorted, the pork chops vary in type and size. This of course, can cause havoc with certain recipes that call specifically for a certain cut of pork. I am here to share a cooking method allowing you to use these assorted pork chops and go easy on your budget. Using the crock-pot, you will be surprised at how tender this pork will become in spite of the size and thickness. So, if you have a favorite recipe with a sauce that you like and it will adapt to slow cooking, go for it and save a few bucks in the process.

3  pounds assorted pork chops, fat trimmed away
salt and pepper
cooking oil or pan spray for sauteing

2  tablespoons butter or cooking oil
1  cup chopped onion
2  apples, chopped
1/2  teaspoon caraway seed
1  tablespoon brown sugar
1 –  14 ounce can sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Lightly brown on both sides in a saute pan over medium heat. Add to the crock-pot with 3 cups water. Set on low and cook for 6-8 hours or until pork breaks apart easily with a fork.

10-15 minutes before serving, saute onion and apples in butter for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with caraway seed and brown sugar. Add sauerkraut, heat through. Serve with pork. Also, you may add the recipe, Roasted Sweet Potatoes for a balanced meal. Makes 4 Servings. Enjoy!

Talk about an American tradition. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like BBQ one way or another. BBQ sauces vary from region to region in the United States. For instance, Kansas City BBQ is traditionally a thick tomato based sauce that is slightly sweet and smoky. St. Louis BBQ sauce is a bit thinner and has more tang than the Kansas City sauce. Carolina BBQ sauces are vinegar and mustard based. In Alabama, they do a white BBQ sauce using mayonnaise as a base. This particular sauce gets added at the end to prevent separating from too much heat. People love BBQ Chicken, BBQ Beef, and even BBQ Shrimp. This recipe is for BBQ Pork.

With family pack of pork chops being on sale for anywhere from $.99 to $1.49 a pound, it is easy to do your own BBQ pork. A dinner like this becomes a bargain compared to eating out at BBQ restaurants across the country. I love to serve it with Soft Polenta that goes together very quickly.

3  pounds assorted pork chops, fat trimmed away
Salt and pepper
Cooking oil or pan spray for sauteing
1  cup of your favorite BBQ sauce or more if you like.

Creamy Polenta

3  cups water, brought to a boil in 2 quart sauce pan
1  teaspoon salt
2  tablespoons butter
1  cup coarse corn meal or grits (like Bob’s Red Mill in the natural baking section of your grocery store)
2  tablespoons sour cream

Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Lightly brown on both sides in a saute pan over medium heat. Add to the crock-pot with 3 cups water. Set on low and cook for 6-8 hours or until pork breaks apart easily with a fork. 15 minutes before serving, remove chops from slow cooker. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Remove bones and any excess fat from the chops. Cut or tear into bite size pieces. Mix BBQ sauce in with the drippings, turn the slow cooker to high and stir in the pork pieces to coat well. Allow to heat through.

To make the polenta, add salt and butter to boiling water and gently stir in corn grits. Reduce heat to medium, still stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Cover the pan and let sit for 2 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the sour cream. Serve with BBQ Pork. Makes 4 servings. Add your favorite coleslaw for a complete meal. Enjoy!