BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (I've also used boneless pork loin - not tenderloin - but pork loin with good results)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 tablespoon hickory flavored liquid smoke
2 cups barbecue sauce

Rinse the pork shoulder and pat dry. Rub salt and pepper over the pork and place in a slow cooker. Add water and liquid smoke. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork is very tender.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker and discard the remaining liquid. Shred the pork using a couple of forks. Place the meat back in the slow cooker along with the barbecue sauce and continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the pork is hot again. Serve on buns with extra barbecue sauce.

Recipe From: melskitchencafe.com

Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Stacks

2 cups frozen corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 large frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 cups salsa

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the slow cooker. Pour frozen corn into the bottom of the slow cooker and place the frozen chicken breasts on top. Cover with beans and salsa. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with forks. Return to the slow cooker and stir until the chicken, corn, beans and salsa are combined.

Serve on a bed of tortilla chips and top with additional garnishes: lettuce, tomato, avocado, sour cream, cheese, etc.

Recipe Source: mykitchencafe.com

Italian Pasta Bake

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1/4 cup chopped onion or 3 Tablespoons dry minced onion
4 cups tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 Tablespoons basil
1 Tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder or one clove fresh garlic
Sea salt to taste
10 ounces whole wheat pasta, any shape (we like bionature brand)
2 cups shredded cheese (we use white cheddar, but you can use mozzarella or any combination of your favorite cheeses)

Brown meat and onion together. Meanwhile, bring tomato sauce, water and herbs and spices to a boil. Stir in pasta and boil until tender. Do not drain. The pasta should have absorbed the liquid! Mix in cooked meat. Salt as desired. Spread mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake uncovered at 350° for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through and through.

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

*Note: If asparagus aren't in season, cut 1 pound of broccoli into small spears for roasting. Toss them with 2 tablespoon oil and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes.

1 pound fresh asparagus spears
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
1 pound penne pasta
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the oil and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ of the pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

While the asparagus roasts, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the vinegar is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.

Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until just done, 11-13 minutes. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Stir in the butter and vinegar mixture. Toss to combine well. Add in the asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.

Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese for serving.

Serves 4-6

Recipe From: My Kitchen Cafe

Sweet Lime Enchiladas

4 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
1 12-15 oz. bottle salsa verde
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8-10 flour tortillas
5 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

In a large bowl; whisk together honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder and salt. Add shredded chicken to the lime mixture. Let sit 10 minutes.

In a 9×13 pan pour 3/4 of the salsa verde bottle to cover the bottom of the pan. Set aside the remainder sauce.

Take a flour tortilla and fill with a couple tablespoons of chicken and cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in to the salsa verde pan. Repeat process until all tortillas are filled. After you have removed all of the chicken, there will be remaining lime sauce in the bowl. Add the remaining salsa verde and heavy whipping cream to the lime sauce and mix. Pour mixture over the filled enchilada and cover with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is brown & bubbly.

Recipe From: Krazy Coupon Lady

Wingers Sticky Fingers

Sauce:
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 Tbs corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup Frank's red hot sauce (NOT tabasco sauce. If you want generic look for "Louisiana" hot sauce - that's what we use.) - p.s. I use more...like 1/2 cup or so.
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

Combine sugar, syrup, and water in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Heat on medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat and add hot sauce and vinegar. That's all.

Sticky Fingers:
chicken breast cut into strips (or you can use chicken tenders)
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/3 cup Frank's red hot sauce
1/4 cup water

In a large ziploc bag combine everything BUT hot sauce and water. In a shallow bowl, combine hot sauce and water. Coat your chicken in flour mixture (ps I never measure my spices, I just dump...) then dip it in the hot sauce mixture. Coat the chicken one more time in flour mixture and then fry in a fryer for roughly 5 minutes (or until they are done) We set our fryer at 355*

Once chicken and sauce are prepared, coat chicken in sauce and eat. Once they are "dipped" you can cook them in the oven at 350* for a couple minutes to sort of thicken up the sauce. My husband likes them best after they have sat for a few minutes (like ten) because the sauce gets stickier.

Recipe From: This Little Piggy

Corn Chowder

1 lb. bacon, cut into one-inch pieces (or less bacon, if you prefer, and I do)
1 onion, chopped
3 large potatoes, cut into cubes
2 c. water
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cans of canned corn, with water (I've used creamstyle corn too)
1 can evaporated milk
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. water
Paprika

Brown bacon in large pot. Let drain on paper towel. Drain all but 2 tbs of bacon grease. Brown the onion in bacon grease. Add the chopped potatoes, 2 cups water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add corn with liquid and canned milk. Mix 1/4 cup flour in 1/2 cup of water until smooth. Add to soup. Add the bacon and sprinkle with paprika.

Makes about 6 servings

Recipe From: Sympley Good Recipes

White Bean Chili

1 can of chicken broth
1 jar of verde sauce (its over by the Pace Picante- I like mild)
3 breasts of chicken cooked and shredded
3 cans of White beans drained
1 small container of sour cream (I think it's a 16 ounce?)
1 small can of chopped green chili's
few shakes of garlic salt and pepper
1 can of corn drained
1/3 cup of shredded cheese (like mild cheddar or mexican)
Up to1 TBS of sugar to give it a little sweetness

Throw it all in a soup pot and cook on med/low and low for about 35 minutes

French Dip Sandwiches

6 cups water
1 packet onion soup
4 Tbsp instant beef bouillon
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt to taste
2 dashes of garlic powder
2 dashes of onion powder
1/8 tsp dry ground mustard
1-2 lbs sliced roast beef
Hobo buns, rolls, or bread

Combine all ingredients, except roast beef and bread. Bring to boil. Add beef and simmer 10 minutes. Serve on buns, rolls, or bread. Dip in the "au jus."

Recipe From: Hillstead Family Foods

Honey Mustard Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If they are overly thick, slice them in half.
1/3 c butter, melted
1/3 c honey
2 Tbsp of mustard - I used just regular mustard. Recipe says you can use dijon if you prefer the taste of it.
1/4 tsp salt

Tenderize meat. Mix up sauce. Pour sauce over chicken in a glass baking dish. Bake in oven - 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Baste every 15 minutes - I actually just turned the chicken every 15 minutes. Delicious with mashed potatoes.

Baked Southwest Egg Rolls

Rolls:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow or red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 (about 1 1/2 pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 green or red pepper, diced small
1 jalapeno pepper, membranes removed, seeded and finely minced or 4 pickled jalapeno rounds from the jar
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted and liquid squeezed out (wringing through a kitchen towel works great)
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2-3 cups shredded cheese, such as Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or Cheddar
2-3 dozen small, fajita-size flour tortillas

Chipotle Dipping Sauce:
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup salsa
1 teaspoon minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (if you are opening a new can to only use 1 teaspoon, freeze the remainder in a freezer-safe ziploc bag and pull out and thaw as needed)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the dipping sauce ingredients. Mix well and set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the cubed chicken breasts and peppers and cook over medium or medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the rinsed and drained black beans, spinach, corn, cilantro and seasonings. Mix well and cook until the mixture is heated through. Add the cheese and stir well, cooking, until the mixture is hot and cheese is mostly melted.

Warm the tortillas. I place 5-6 between two damp paper towels and microwave for about 45 seconds. Place some of the filling on each tortilla and roll up tightly, egg-roll style, folding in the edges. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheets (secure with a toothpick if needed).

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, until the rolls are lightly browned and heated through. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Recipe From: My Kitchen Cafe

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese and Green Chile Chicken

I also stole this from Diana's blog.

Serves 6

3 chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded flat (so now you have 6 pieces of chicken)
1 pkg cream cheese
1 can diced green chilies
6 strips of bacon

Mix cream cheese and green chiles in a bowl until smooth. Put a big glob in the center of each chicken piece. Roll the chicken up. Wrap with bacon. Secure with toothpicks if you need to and place in a baking dish. Bake at 375 until done.

The bacon under the chicken doesn't get browned so I didn't eat it. It might be better just to lay the bacon only on top of the chicken so it all gets nice and crispy.

Recipe From: Symeply Good Recipes

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I stole this recipe from my friend Diana's family food blog. It looks delicious.

1 onion chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp oil
BIG can of green enchilada sauce (She couldn't remember the oz's)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
8 flour tortillas
3 boneless chicken breast halves,
15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
11-oz can Mexicorn, drained
3/4-lb shredded cheese
2 1/4-oz can sliced black olives, drained

Saute onion and garlin in oil in saucepan. Add chicken and cook until chicken is cooked thoroughly. (She added a can of diced green chilies during this step for fun.)

Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Place 2 tortillas in bottom of slow cooker (you may need to trim to fit). Layer one third chicken on top. Top with one third enchilada sauce, one third beans, one third corn, one third cheese, and one third black olives. Repeat layers 2 more times. Top with 2 tortillas, coat with sauce and cheese.

Cover. Cook on Low 6-8 hours.

Recipe From: Symeply Good Recipes

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Quesadillas

4 medium-sized flour tortilla shells
1 lb chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper
1/2 cup scallions, diced
8 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 avocado, diced
mild cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp butter

Arrange bacon on a cooling rack (like for cookies) and set it on top of sheet pan. If you don’t have a cooling rack, you can just put the bacon straight on the sheet pan. Or in a 9×13 baking dish. Either way will work. Place bacon in a cold oven, turn heat to 400, and cook 15 mins per side.

Add 1/2 tbsp bacon drippings to a skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and saute about 2-3 mins until softened. Add the chicken in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 mins or until chicken is golden and cooked through, flipping just once during cooking. Remove the chicken and scallions to a plate and rinse out the skillet.

Add about 1/2 tbsp butter to the skillet over medium heat. When foamy, add a tortilla and swirl it around to get it nice and buttery. Layer one side of the tortilla with chicken, bacon, avocado, and a little cheese. Use tongs to flip the other half of the tortilla over and press down. Cook the tortilla for about 1-2 mins on each side or until golden brown and crispy. Or cook on griddle, which is how I make quesadillas.

Makes 4 quesadillas.

Recipe From: Kevin & Amanda.com

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
12 corn tortillas
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa
2 c. sour cream (16 oz.)
1 c. olives
1 c. shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a nonstick skillet, cook meat. Add beans, oregano, cumin and garlic powder and heat through. Place 6 tortillas, overlapping, in a 9 x 13 pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with 1/2 of the meat mixture. Sprinkle 1/2 cup olives on top. Pour half jar of salsa over meat mixture. Spread 1 cup sour cream over top. Repeat with tortillas, meat, olives, salsa and sour cream one more time. Bake, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle cheese over top, cook for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Recipe From: Krazy Coupon Lady

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

4 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced
1 pound Penne Pasta, Cooked Until Al Dente
½ sticks Butter
4 whole Lemons, Juiced
½ cups Heavy Cream
½ cups Half-and-half
1-½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano)
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
20 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped

Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander.

In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 4 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and half-and-heat. Whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.

Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. Serve immediately!

Recipe From: Pioneer Woman

Easy Mac & Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni (or penne)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups lowfat milk
1 large egg
12 oz shredded cheddar
salt & fresh pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Boil pasta in olive oil to al dente (about 6 or 7 mins) and drain. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium pot and whisk in the flour. Keep it moving so it doesn’t get lumpy. Begin to stir in the milk and let it simmer for 10 mins. Crack an egg in a separate dish. Temper the egg by taking a spoonful of milk mixture out of the pot, adding it to the egg and whisking. Do this a few more times until you’ve brought the egg to the same temperature as the milk. Then pour the egg (which now has 3 or 4 spoonfuls of milk in it) into the milk mixture. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Mix the macaroni (or penne) in with the cheese. Pour it into a 2-quart casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes and then let it rest before serving. Serves 8.

Recipe From: Cooking with my kid

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

Marinade:
½ c. fresh lime juice
¼ c. soy sauce
¼ c. vegetable oil
1 T. honey
2 tsp minced garlic
1 ½ tsp chili powder

Tostadas:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 small corn tortillas (or flour tortillas)
1 ½ c. shredded Monterey jack cheese

Serve with:
monterey jack cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, tomatoes, lettuce, Spanish rice

Slice chicken breasts in half width-wise (so they are not quite so thick) and place in marinade overnight. Grill until no longer pink in the middle. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into ½ inch strips.

Lightly brush tortillas with vegetable oil. Grill on each side until slightly brown. Before removing, sprinkle with 1 T. cheese and let melt.

Serve with additional toppings listed.

Recipe From: Sisters' Cafe

Spinach Bacon Penne Pasta

16 oz package of penne pasta, cooked al dente
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 large handfuls fresh spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan, toss all ingredients in and cook on medium-high heat until fresh spinach is cooked. Season with salt and pepper.

This was good! We all liked it, although Nate said it could use some breadsticks or something to go with it.

I just made this again, and this time I added some zucchini from the garden. I cooked the zucchini with garlic and bacon grease, thinking this might encourage Nate to eat it. It was delicious!

Recipe From: Sweet Savory Life

Enchiladas de Joyce

3 c. shredded monterey jack cheese (or mozzarella)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
approximately 1/2c. chopped scallions
3/4 c. sour cream
2 tbs. cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cans tomato sauce (15 oz each)
2/3 c. water
1/3 c. chopped green bell pepper
1 tbs. chile powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breast boiled or baked and diced into small pieces
8 large tortillas
1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese for top

Mix cheeses (except for topping), scallions, sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper in one bowl. Heat tomato sauce, water, bell peopper, chile powder, oregano, cumin and garlic to boil. Reduce heat once boiling and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into ungreased pie plate. Dip each tortilla into sauce to coat both sides. Remove and put on a plate. Spoon about 1/4 c. cheese mixture into each tortilla, add chicken, and fold up. Arrange in rectangular 9X13 baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. ake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until bubbly. Garnish with additional sour cream, olives, whatever you like.