Pulled Pork and Sweet Potato Casserole

 

 

  

  Lately I've been seeing Youtubers and Tiktockers participating in a month-long collaboration known as the "pantry challenge." Have you heard of it? Basically, it means you're being challenged to use what you already have in the pantry, for an entire month, instead of constantly ordering take out, or running back and forth to the store a million times a week. This way, you won't spend as much money, and hopefully you won't waste as much. Frankly, I think it sounds like a GREAT idea. (A much better one than "Dry January" if you ask me, but I digress).  It also gives you a chance to clean out the fridge, rearrange or reorganize your pantry shelves, and rediscover what canned or packaged goods are hiding on the shelf in the back where no one can reach. 

 So I took idea and ran with it, just to see what kind of new something I could come up with, just from leftovers and pantry items. And this recipe is where I landed! It's basically a spin on a Cottage or Shepherds' Pie, only instead of beef or lamb, I added shredded pork, and I used sweet potatoes instead of white ones. It turned out great!! It's hearty, comforting, feeds a crowd, and hits the spot on a chilly February night! And I used up a bunch of items that were leftover. It was the perfect round two!

 So, whadya think? Are you up for the Pantry Challenge? Go for it! I'll bet you'll be glad you did! Also, try this recipe. I know you'll love it! (I think I ate half of it on the very first night! lol) 

Great then! Good times.

 

 

 

 

1 stick butter

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

A small bag frozen peas and carrots, or as much as you like

1-2 lbs shredded pork 

1 tbs roasted chicken flavor Better Than Bouillon (optional)

A slurry made from 1 small can cold chicken broth plus 3 tbs flour

1 tsp dried thyme leaves or poultry seasoning

a shakes of Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp kosher salt 

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

3 or 4 medium sized sweet potatoes, boiled, peeled, and mashed

 1/2 cup EACH of Panko bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese

 

 

 

In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter. Add onions and apples. Saute until softened. Add frozen vegetables and pulled pork. Give everything a good stir and bring the pan back up to heat. Now add your bouillon and slurry of chicken broth and flour, dried thyme leaves, and salt and pepper. Stir well until it begins to thicken. Pour skillet into large casserole dish. Top with large spoonfuls of mashed sweet potatoes. Use a spatula to spread the potatoes across the entire casserole. Sprinkle with Panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese on top. Bake in a preheated 350ºF oven until everything is well heated through and bubbly. 

Tops:

Be sure to season everything well enough. The potatoes, apples, peas, and carrots are all very sweet, so you need enough of the savory ingredients to balance everything out. For a little extra savory note, you can add shredded sharp Cheddar cheese to the mashed potatoes before spreading them on top. 

Don't like peas and carrots? Use green beans. Not a fan of green veggies? Try some adding some corn. Don't have any sweet potatoes? Use white potatoes. Better yet, use your leftover mashed potatoes or even white rice. The point is to use up what you have leftover!

 

 

Coca Cola Braised Chicken

 

Ok, I have a question for you. 

Do you know what it is to BRAISE? 

Braising is a cooking technique where you fry something then cover it and slowly stew it in just a little bit of liquid. It makes for the MOST tender fall-off-the-bone meats you've ever tasted and I'm a huge fan, especially when it comes to chicken or ribs or tough cuts of beef. I love cooking things this way so much that I even have a wide shallow cast iron pot and it's called a braiser!

 And that brings me to this recipe! I happened to be watching videos from my favorite Youtubers, and I found this one from Miss Lori over at Whippoorwill Holler. It looked so good, I immediately went to the store to get some chicken thighs (which are my favorite) and made it that very night. It's absolutely DELICIOUS and it smells SO good while it's cooking. It turned out great! The chicken was so tender and OMG can we talk about the sauce???? I poured it over some mashed potatoes but it would be equally good over rice. It has such a great flavor!

 Now, I know you must be thinking that it's gotta be pretty sweet with all that coco cola and brown sugar, right? Trust me when I tell you... it's not overly sweet. It's just the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Looking at the ingredients, I originally thought it would be like a sweet and sticky BBQ sauce, but it's more savory than that. The paprika gives it an almost chili like flavor. It made me picture a cowboy cooking it over an open fire. So I ran with that idea and served it up with some potatoes and baked beans! 

Absolutely delicious. I will surely be making this one again!

So, Thanx to Miss Lori for another great recipe. This just might be my new favorite!

1 whole chicken, cut up into individual parts
2 tbs oil
2 cans Coke or Dr.Pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
2 to 3 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tbs smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped

In a wide heavy pan, heat your oil. Place your chicken pieces, skin side down, and brown on all sides. 

Remove chicken pieces to a side plate. Add remaining ingredients, making sure to scrape up any browned bits in the pan. Place chicken pieces back in the pan including any accumulated juices. Cover. Place in a 300ºF oven for a good hour or until chicken is tender and falling off the bone. Remove lid, place the pan back on the stove top, and cook over low for an extra 15-20 minutes or until the sauce reduces. 

Note: You can also do this in a slow cooker. Literally follow everything as directed, and then throw everything in the slow cooker and cook on high for about 6 hours. 

Another cooking option is just to add the chicken back to the pan as directed, cover it and let it simmer on the stove top over low heat for about an hour. Be sure to turn the chicken pieces over about every 15 minutes. 

Tips:

Be sure to use regular Coke and not any variation of Diet Coke. It's the sugar that you want and it makes for a deeper more caramelized flavor. 

Miss Lori used a whole chicken, cut up into pieces, but I just used thighs. Why? Because I like them best!

This recipe is conducive to tweaking and making your own. Would you like it to be more savory? Add cumin and/or chili powder. Would you like some heat? Add minced jalapenos or crushed red pepper flakes or a few shakes of Tabasco or Sriracha. Would you like it to be more sweet and sticky? Add some more brown sugar or maple syrup or molasses. 

You do you!

Caramel Pumpkin Oatmeal Squares

  

 Here's an easy dessert that is perfect for all your little ghouls and goblins. Firstly, it's what I call a "picky uppy" dessert, which means you can just grab it and go. And secondly, the recipe uses one of my favorite techniques: one dough is used for the bottom crust as well as the topping! That just makes things so much easier. And they're delicious! Sort of like a cross between a pumpkin square and an oatmeal cookie. It comes together pretty easily too. 

Definitely keep this recipe readily available the next time you're feeling like a picky uppy pumpkin treat!

 

2 c. flour

2 c. old fashioned oats

1 1/2 c firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup (2 stick) butter, melted

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla extract

7 oz (1/2 of 14-ounce package) caramels, unwrapped

2 tbs milk 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Mix flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices in large bowl. Add butter; stir until mixture is well blended and forms coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 (about 2 1/4 cups) for the topping. Add pumpkin and vanilla to remaining mixture in bowl; stir until well blended. Press evenly into bottom of greased foil-lined 13x9-inch baking pan. Set aside.

Microwave caramels and milk in medium microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 to 3 minutes or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after every minute. Let stand 1 minute. Pour over pumpkin mixture in pan, spreading to within 1/2-inch of edges. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Lift from pan. Cut into bars.

Tips:

This recipe is from McCormick. Ya know, the spice people. And I'm sure they're very excited to have you use cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. But I like to just use a tbs of pumpkin pie spice blend. It's just easier. Usually I make my own, which also includes allspice, but you can also buy it already blended. And I always add more than the recipe says. But you do you! 

Sausage and Spinach Skillet Supper

 

 Usually, when I'm trying a new dish, my first rule is to always follow the recipe. That was my original plan when I saw a certain recipe from Taste of Home. But then I thought of a bunch of changes I would want to make.. so I thought, ok, lets just improvise this one and see where it goes. 

Do you every do that? 

I just sort of decided what direction I wanted to go, and then started throwing things into the pan. 

  I was originally going to use a smoked Andouille sausage, but then decided it might be too spicy. So I used mild Italian sausage instead. Then I thought of using my home canned collard greens, but decided fresh spinach would be the better way to go. And I had originally planned to include baby red potatoes, but then decided to smash them into a chunky mash and then serve the meal on top.

 You taste as you go, you decide what it needs, and you adjust. Needs salt... needs a little acid.. needs a more savory note.. needs a little sweetness... And then all of a sudden, a new dish is created! 

How fun is that?

 And OMG I'm thrilled with the final result!! It turned out SO good and it came together in a snap! And without realizing it, I made the most perfect meal for this time of year... it's warm during the days, but cooler at night... this dish is made entirely on the stove top, so it doesn't require turning on the oven, but it'll hit the spot and fill you up at night. Perfect!

 So, thanks, Taste of Home, for the inspiration, even though I made a completely different dish! Maybe next time I'll follow the recipe. In the meantime, hope you like this one!

 

 

 

 

 

1-2 tbs olive oil
2-3 lbs mild Italian sausage links
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tb apple cider vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
3 tbs butter
1/2 cup water plus 3 tbs flour
2 big handfuls fresh baby spinach

 

 

 Place olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Over medium heat, brown sausage links on all sides. Remove from pan and slice into coins. Places sausage coins back into skillet along with diced onions and garlic.
Continue to sauté over medium heat while adding brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
Add a few tbs butter and let them melt right into the sauce.
Make a slurry of 3 tbs flour plus a half cup of cold water. Stir it into the skillet until thickened and well combined.
Add a few handfuls of fresh spinach and place a lid to cover. It will only take a few minutes for the spinach to wilt. Stir well. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve with some warm crusty bread.
If you are feeding a crowd, serve it over rice or mashed potatoes. It'll go a lot further!


Tips:
When you are browning the sausage links, you don't have to cook them all the way through..just brown them on the outside and cook through enough to be able to slice them.
Not a fan of spinach? Try another type of green, such as collards or kale.
For an extra added touch, try crumbling some crisp bacon over the top as a garnish!

Joey's Salisbury Steak Casserole

 

Ok this is an EASY one! 

One of my favorite comfort foods is a Salisbury Steak. It's just a hamburger that is browned on both sides and smothered with caramelized onions and brown gravy. Sounds delicious, right?  It's perfect with mashed potatoes and a side dish. Boom, dinner's ready.

So then I thought instead of doing mashed potatoes, how about some extra wide egg noodles? Perfect!

I made it as easy as possible. Frozen hamburgers, jarred beef gravy, And then, once assembled, I melted  some mozzarella cheese over the top. How does that sound?

Omg it turned out so good, I ate two bowls of it. It just seemed to hit all the right notes. And now that the nights are starting to get a little cooler, this one easily hits the spot. You don't even need to serve anything else except maybe a crisp side salad. 

So give this one a try. 

Beef and noodles. Easy, right?

 What's not to like? 🙂

1 lb bag extra wide egg noodles

6 frozen hamburgers, thawed

2 large onions

2 large jars beef gravy

Splash Worcestershire sauce

Splash soy sauce

Salt and lots of black pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

A handful of snipped fresh chives (for garnish)

Heat oven to 350F. 

Place egg noodles in a large pot of aggressively salted boiling water. Give them a stir. Boil 8 or 9 minutes. Be sure not to overcook them. Drain. Pour into a large casserole dish. 

In the meantime, cut each defrosted burger into several large bite sized chunks. Place in large skillet with a little oil over medium heat until brown on all sides. Resist the urge to move them about. Just let them alone so they can brown. Do this in batches if needed. As the pieces of beef brown, remove them from the pan and add to the casserole dish. 

While the beef is browning, roughly chop the onions. You want nice big chunks, just like with the beef. 

When all the beef is browned and added to the casserole,  drain the pan, add a little more oil (or even butter) and sauté the onions until they begin to caramelize. This step can take a good 10 minutes or more. When they are caramelized to your liking, add them to the casserole dish. 

Now empty the jars of gravy into the pan along with the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer until well heated through. Add a few pats of butter, if desired, just to make it rich and velvety. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Pour gravy over everything in the casserole dish and toss well until everything is evenly coated. Top with mozzarella cheese, then Parmesan cheese. Bake in oven for 30 minutes until heated and bubbly. Sprinkle with snipped chives. 

Tips:

As I was enjoying my SECONG helping, I realized I had missed the opportunity to add sautéed fresh mushrooms and maybe even some frozen peas just before baking. That would take it even higher, dontcha think? I think I need to try that next time. 

This can be made and assembled a day or two in advance and then covered and refrigerated until time to bake and serve. 

Ham and Pea Pasta Salad

Here's a recipe I saw Miss Lori making on Whippoorwill Holler, (one of my favorite youtube channels.) Of course, I kind of tweaked the amounts here and there, and I may or may not have added a little extra seasoning, but it's basically the same as it was written. It's really the perfect recipe for a big BBQ because you can make it the day before, and it feeds about a million people. Tweak it however you like, add more/less or omit any of the ingredients as you prefer, and season it to taste. Easy peasy. Literally! 

Thanx again, Miss Lori!

1 lb box elbow macaroni, cooked
3 hard boiled eggs, diced
2 green onions, minced
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 large rib celery, finely diced
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 cup diced ham, or more if desired
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 cup mayo, or more as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
Sprinkle of fresh dill
1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
Crumbled bacon on top, if desired

After you prep all the ingredients, just place everything in a big mixing bowl and give it a good toss. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Top with bacon just before serving, if desired.

 

 

 

 Tips:
If you make it the day before, just store it covered in the fridge, and then give it another stir before you serve it, adding a little more mayo, if needed.
No, you do not have to cook the frozen peas. Just thaw them. Since they're flash steamed before they're frozen, they're ready to eat!
For a little extra zing, add one or two tbs of brown mustard. You wont really taste it, but it will make everything taste brighter!

 

 

Joey's Easy Sauteed Parmesan Veggies

 

  I was recently taking inventory of the contents of my fridge, and quickly realized I had the makings of an easy fabulously delicious side dish. I had already planned to bake some chicken cutlets in the oven, so this simple little veggie saute seemed like just the thing to go with it. 

 I started with a few pieces of bacon, because bacon makes everything better, then I threw in a couple veggies, just to use up what was in the crisper drawer. In this case, it was broccoli, red bell peppers, onions, and some crushed garlic. What's not to love, right? And after they finished cooking, I just tossed the whole thing with grated Parmesan cheese. And that's literally all there is to it! It was heaven in a pan!!! What I had originally thought of as just a little throw together user upper turned out to be a side dish that goes with anything from a piece of grilled chicken or a summer burger to a holiday meal or a roast dinner. Use whatever veggies you have. It will all work! Be creative and enjoy!!

4 strips of bacon, cut into lardons

2 pats butter

1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets

1 medium onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Splash of soy sauce (optional)

1/2 cup (or more) grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, place your bacon and butter over medium heat. Let the fat render, stirring quite often until it starts to crisp. Add the veggies and stir until coated with bacon fat and butter. After a few minutes of stirring and sautéing, add about 1/2 cup water to the pan along with soy sauce, if using. Cover. 

Let it steam for about 10 minutes. Now remove the pan, turn up the heat a little, and continue to cook until almost all of the liquid is evaporated. Top with grated cheese. Toss gently. Serve immediately.

Tips:

The best thing about this dish is that you can change it from season to season. Use whatever is fresh! Add some asparagus in the spring, some zucchini in the summer, some butternut squash in the fall.

Use any veggies you like! Carrots, cauliflower, and sugar snap peas would be awesome!

The soy sauce I used was just one little packet leftover from take out. It just adds a little umami to the dish, but you can't really detect that soy sauce flavor.