Stuffed Peppers Appetizer

My husband loves a good appetizer and these really hit the spot! In fact, I almost labeled them as a main dish because he loved them enough to just eat these! And they are incredibly easy!

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 lb. breakfast sausage, cooked and drained (I used a roll of Italian sausage)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 package mini peppers, at least 25

Directions:
Blend the cream cheese using a hand mixer, add the sausage and shredded cheese and mix well. Wash peppers and slice in half and clean out the seeds. Mound cheese/sausage mixture generously on each half until you've used it all up. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and then enjoy!

Amazing Pork Tenderloin

I made this pork tenderloin a few nights ago and it turned out so good! Plus, it was really easy and took very little time to prepare. I'm thinking you could easily make this in a crockpot as well. I tend to not plan far enough in advance for my crockpot recipes though, so I'm glad this one works just as well in the oven. This is my new favorite way to do pork tenderloin so it will be making it into the rotation fairly often! I paired this with mashed potatoes/gravy and green beans.

Pork Tenderloins
1 package of pork tenderloins (2 tenderloins total about 2-2.5lbs)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon country dijon mustard (whole grain mustard)
4 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley*
1/2 cup chicken broth
freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Take tenderloins out of package. Rinse and pat dry. Spray a 9x13 baking dish and place tenderloins inside.
Make the marinade next. In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the pork. You do not have to let the meat marinate for hours before hand. 

Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour (or until your meat thermometer says its done), basting once halfway through cooking process.
Once removed from the oven, let pork rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before cutting in.
Don't forget to pour the sauce over it. The sauce is really amazing! I think next time I will actually thicken the sauce with flour or cornstarch to use as a gravy over mashed potatoes.

*The recipe actually called for Rosemary which I don't like. So I substituted the parsley and it tasted great! 

Bacon Ranch and Tomato Pasta Salad

I recently made this for a barbeque we went to with a group of friends.  It was a real hit! I did add a bit of corn to the mixture because I didn't have quite enough tomatoes and I wanted a little more color.

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 (16 ounce) package large shell pasta
1 1/2 pounds grape tomatoes
3 green onions, chopped
3/4 C sour cream
3/4 C mayonnaise
3/4 C buttermilk
1 (1 ounce) package Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix
salt and pepper

1. Cook your bacon, either on the stove top or on a large cookie sheet in your oven. When it is cooked through remove it to a plate and pat the grease off with some paper towels. Set it aside.

2. Boil your pasta according to package directions. Pour it into a strainer that you have placed in your sink. Pour cold water all over the pasta until it comes to room temperature. Set it aside.

3. Slice the little grape tomatoes in half and toss them into a large mixing bowl.

4. Chop up 3 green onions and add them to the tomatoes.

 5. Pour your cooked pasta into the bowl.

 6. In a small mixing bowl combine 3/4 C sour cream, 3/4 Cup mayonnaise, 3/4 C buttermilk and one Hidden Valley Ranch packet. Stir it well to combine, making sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.

7. Crumble up your bacon and add it to the pasta mixture.

8. Pour half of the dressing over the top of the pasta and stir it well. Cover and refrigerate for one hour, or until you are ready to serve. Make sure to refrigerate the remaining dressing as well.

 9. When you are ready to eat this tasty salad, pour the remaining dressing over the top. Stir it well, making sure all of the ingredients are covered with dressing. Taste it and add a bit of salt and pepper if needed.

I got this recipe from here.

Bean & Bacon Soup

While visiting my dad a few weekends ago he whipped up this little dish for us.  It's perfect for an easy weeknight meal, full of protein, and my kids gobbled it up like nobody's business!  It's way better than Campbell's version of Bean & Bacon soup!

1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas)
1 can corn, undrained
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup bacon, cooked and diced (I'll admit I buy the big bag of real bacon bits from Sam's Club)
1 can Rotel - optional, but it gives it a bit more "kick"

Rinse beans well then throw everything in a pot and heat through.  Easy Peasy!  

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

I tried this recipe last night.  It was really fast to put together and we all really liked it.  The kids were begging me to send it in their lunchboxes the next day!

Ingredients

• 10-12 oz. penne or ziti pasta
• 2 cups heavy cream (I used milk and it still tasted great)
• 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 1/2 cup grated swiss cheese, separated
• 3/4 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 cup diced ham
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
• bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to its package's directions. Drain. Add a little olive oil so the noodles won't stick together.
2. Heat cream cheese on stove over medium low heat until melted. Stir in heavy cream (or milk if you prefer). Stir until completely combined. Add onion powder and garlic salt. Stir 1 cup of cheese until smooth consistency.
3. In a 9x13, layer noodles, bacon, chicken, and ham. Pour sauce over top. Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup cheese and bread crumbs.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 - 20 minutes or until heated through.

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

Trying to figure out what to do with that after Christmas Ham? Or that After Thanksgiving Ham? Or that after Easter Ham? Or that after My-Husband-Just-Loves-Ham Ham?  This is a great recipe for thinking outside of the ham sandwich box!

8-10 slices of ham
8-10 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 of one large onion, sliced
1 C. grated cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss the sliced potatoes in 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1 cup of water.  Drain.  Put half of ham, potatoes, and onions in a crockpot (I like to spray the crockpot with cooking spray first).  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cover this layer with one can of the cream soup (not diluted) then half the cheese.  Repeat with the remaining half of your ingredients.  You can also sprinkle this with paprika if you want.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4 hours or until the potatoes are cooked through. 

Pork Loin Alfredo

This is such an easy recipe and it's so, so, so good!

Ingredients:

Pork Loin, 2-3 lbs.
1/2 to 3/4 cup Italian dressing
1 Jar alfredo sauce

Put pork loin in crockpot and pour Italian dressing over it. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low all day until pork is cooked through. Take pork out and shred it, then put it back in the crockpot. Add alfredo sauce and stir it all together. Turn crockpot on High until alfredo sauce heats up. Serve over rice or pasta.

Cafe Rio Burritos

Sweet Pork:
3lbs pork roast (boneless)
16 oz salsa
1 can Coke
1 Cup brown sugar (I like it less sweet so I only put 1/2 cup)
water

Put roast in crock pot and fill half way with water. Add salt and cook on high for 4 hours. Drain the liquid and remove the roast. Shred the roast and put back in crock pot. Pour the salsa, coke and brown sugar in and mix with pork. Cook on high for 2 more hours.

Creamy Tomatilo Dressing:
1 pkg dry Ranch dressing mix
1 cup milk
1 cup mayonnaise
2-3 green tomatillos
1 jalapeno (seeds removed, or leave this out if you don't want it too spicy)
1/2 bunch cilantro
juice from 1 lime

Put chopped up tomatillos and jalapeno in a glass dish with a splash of olive oil, salt and garlic salt. Roast for 25 minutes at 350. Then place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Burrito prep:
Get large tortilla and add black or pinto beans (or a mix of the two) then add sweet pork. Roll it up and top with plenty of Tomatillo dressing and then Mexican blend cheese. Put it in the microwave just long enough to melt the cheese and then add tomatoes, onions, sour cream, or guacamole according to your own personal tastes.

Ham Fried Rice

Ham Fried Rice


2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 cup sliced green onion (regular onion works fine too)
1 C. Ham or bacon
3 Cups rice, cooked (if it's chilled it doesn't stick together as much)
1/4 C. soy sauce
2 eggs
1 C. frozen peas

Directions:
1) Saute onions and ham in oil until onion is soft
2) Add rice to the pan and mix well
3) scrape all the mixture to one side so you have one side with the bottom of the pan showing. Pour soy sauce there. hold the pan at an angle over burner so only soy sauce is cooking. Let the soy sauce bubble for about a minute. You may think it's burning but its not. This step is important for getting the right flavor.
4) stir rice mixture and soy sauce together
5) make a hole in the middle of the mixture and scramble the eggs inside it. When eggs are cooked mix them in with the rice mixture.
6) Add the peas and warm them through.

I know I made it sound sorta difficult, but it's really not. Give it a try and you'll see!

Egg Rolls

Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1/2 lb ground lean pork
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 medium onions, minced
* 2 green onions, finely chopped
* 5 cups cabbage coleslaw blend
* 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* salt
* pepper
* 15 egg roll wraps - or follow this recipe to make your own like I did.
* water

Directions:

1. Heat oil in skillet.
2. Sauté garlic and onions until tender.
3. Add pork and sauté until browned.
4. Add coleslaw blend and stir-fry on high heat about 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and add seasonings, and salt and pepper to taste.
6. To assemble, place 2 tbs filling near corner towards you. Then fold over left and right sides. Dampen edges of the corner that is away from you, and finish rolling.
7. Deep fry at 350°F (or just use a fry daddy), until golden brown.
8. Drain on paper towels and enjoy!
9. These can also be frozen and fried later. Some people like a dipping sauce for egg rolls. But these are so tasty, they really don't need one.

Pork Chops

PORK CHOPS AND POTATOES


4-6 Pork chops
1 Can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 C. Sour Cream
1/4 C. Water
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
4 C. sliced potatoes

Brown porkchops (or bake on top of the potatoes). Mix soup, sour cream, water and parsley. In casserole dish alternate layers of potatoes, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and sauce. Top with pork chops. Cover and bake at 375 for 1 hr. 15 minutes. You can also do this in the crockpot.

I generally double this meal for my family of 6.