Doin' Some Cookin'... Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This Slow Cooker Pulled Pork was a lifesaver on Little Man's swim class night. He had early release from school and that meant he ended up eating lunch at school around 9:30am and got released to his after school program and they only provided a snack. Clearly lunch, a snack, and a protein bar prior to swim class was not enough food to hold him over until 6:30pm. No surprise his performance at swim class was poor since he was not properly fueled for the hour of swimming.

Poor guy came home famished and fatigued. The normal routine on swim nights is coming home to shower and while he is doing that I get dinner made and plated. Not that night. I knew the pulled pork was waiting for us and had him head straight to the table for dinner.

I opened the slow cooker, removed the pork putting it into a large plastic container, added the rest of the BBQ sauce, shredded it, and then put a thick layer of the pork between a whole wheat bun. Little Man ate two of these for dinner.

After dinner he showered, did his homework, brushed teeth and went down for bed without a fight.

Back to the pulled pork...

This recipe made enough pulled pork for approximately 10 sandwiches. That's a lot of leftovers or perfect for feeding a crowd. The meat is tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Next time I would add a dry rub prior to adding the BBQ sauce and serve this with some coleslaw and pickles. Mmmm.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

From: Thriving Home

Makes Approximately 10 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 1/2 lb pork butt roast
• 1 bottle BBQ sauce
• 1 cup water

And Action:

Put pork in slow cooker with the water and 1/2 the bottle of BBQ sauce. 

Cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 3 hours. 

Remove pork from the liquid and place in a storage container. 

Add the remaining BBQ sauce and shred the pork with two forks. Mix well to combine the meat and BBQ sauce. Enjoy!

Freezer Meal:

Cook pork fully and shred. Let cool completely and freeze in an air-tight container for up to three months. 

To reheat, thaw in refrigerator and warm gently on the stove or in the slow cooker on low. Add more BBQ sauce if needed. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is an affordable piece of meat that is easy to fix and hard to mess up, especially when prepared in the slow cooker.

The spice blend used for this recipe turns a bland piece of meat into something packed with lots of flavor. The cumin is what really stands out, which I really like.

I shredded the pork before dinner and served it with roasted potatoes and green beans. Little Man cleaned his plate which is always the greatest compliment.

This is a great make ahead recipe, see freezer instructions below.

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Adapted From: Thriving Home

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 lb pork tenderloin

And Action:

Combine all the spices in a small bowl and mix well. 

Place the pork tenderloin in the slow cooker and drizzle with the olive oil.

Rub the seasoning all over the pork tenderloin. Pressing into the meat so the seasoning adheres. 

Cook on low for 8 hours. Enjoy!

Freezer Meal: 

Make the seasoning mix, drizzle olive oil on pork, and press the seasoning into the meat. 

Place the uncooked pork in gallon-sized freezer bags, seal, and freeze.

The night before, thaw in the refrigerator. 

Place in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Roasted Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Dinner date night worthy meal you can cook at home. This pork tenderloin is stuffed with bacon and spinach and roasted to perfection creating a juicy piece of meat before getting drizzled with a lemon parsley oil. A really classy meal that is worth lighting candles and dimming the lights. Hell, if you're not following Whole30 pop open a bottle of wine and serve with a side of Greek smashed potatoes. 

Roasted Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Adapted From: Paleo Cupboard

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show for the Pork Tenderloin:

• 1 lb pork tenderloin, butterflied and pounded thin
• 3 slices cooked bacon
• dried thyme, to taste
• sea salt and pepper, to taste
• onion powder, to taste
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 cups spinach, wilted in bacon grease

Stars of the Show for the Lemon Parsley Oil:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• parsley, sea salt, and pepper, to taste

And Action:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Spread the spinach bacon mixture on the pork tenderloin and sprinkle the seasonings on top with the garlic. Roll the tenderloin and place on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. 

Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the inside reaches 145 degrees.

While the tenderloin cooks mix the lemon parsley oil in a small bowl. 

When the pork is done cooking transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes lightly covered in aluminum foil. Slice into rolls and serve with the lemon oil. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Herb Crusted Pork Chops

I admit it. I have zero willpower to fully commit to losing this effin' weight I've packed on. No shit, I have packed on ten pounds every year since I got hired at my current company which is a desk job. With the weight gain has come a loss of motivation. The reason for the loss of motivation is because I feel extremely loved just the way I am. If I felt down on myself I'm sure I'd be more motivated. Word to my coworkers: Stop loving me so much! #conceited

There are days where I plan ahead... meal planning and making time for workouts.

Monday was one of those days.

I made these herb crusted pork chops for dinner with a side of roasted broccoli and potatoes. You know, a healthy well balanced meal. This dinner was also a celebration of sorts because it was my 4 year work anniversary. Little Man loved our "dinner date" (we consider it a "dinner date" anytime we light candles at the table) and he raved about how amazing this meal was. I posted a couple of photos on Facebook and had a friend request I bring leftovers to work, he too raved about it. Success!

Grown up version of Shake and Bake except... I made it and no one helped. Haha!!

Herb Crusted Pork Chops

Adapted from: Eat Yourself Skinny

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 4 boneless pork chops
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• dried thyme, to taste
• dried parsley, to taste
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil

And Action:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Rub mustard evenly over the pork chops. Combine panko, thyme, parlsey, salt and pepper in a large bowl and dredge pork chops in panko mixture.

Heat a large nonstick oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the pork chops, saute for 3 minutes each side or until golden brown.

Turn pork oven and place in the oven for about 8 minutes. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cooking... Glazed Meatloaf

Little Man's only request this week for dinner was totally random. Meatloaf. Where the hell did he get this idea from?

"Really, meatloaf?!!" I cringed.

Serious faced and waving his hand at me, "You don't know what meatloaf is? It's just a burger patty with ketchup on it."

I have never made meatloaf and still have a bad taste in my mouth for it since my childhood. Maybe because Grandma overplayed the dried out loaf. Sorry, but the lady could not cook and it showed up on our plates every Sunday when we visited her. Nothing comforting about it.

This is much more sophisticated than what I recall. I pulled out a big girl kitchen appliance to whip this up. Hello food processor! You should have seen my counter top which had ingredients from one end to the other, but don't let the long list of ingredients discourage you from giving this recipe a try.

Seasoned ground beef and pork gets shaped into a log with the help of a small baking dish and gets basted with a slightly spicy ketchup glaze and baked for 40 minutes.

My mind has been forever changed on meatloaf. Might even live life on the edge and try a meatloaf sandwich for the first time tomorrow. Thank you Little Man for the great dinner idea!

Glazed Meatloaf

Adapted From: Eatocracy

Makes 6-8 Servings

Stars of the Show:

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce

For the Meatloaf:

• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 17 saltine crackers
• 1/3 cup 2% milk
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• splash of soy sauce
• splash of lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/3 cup dried parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste

And Action:

To make the glaze, combine all glaze ingredients in a saucepan over medium and stir until brown sugar dissolves and sauce thickens. Turn to low until ready to use.

Add all of the meatloaf ingredients in the food processor and pulse until well combined. 

Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray and spread the meatloaf mix into the dish. Broil for 5 minutes. Brush about 2 tbsp of the glaze on top of the meatloaf and broil another 2 minutes.

Turn the oven to 350 degrees, top the meatloaf with the rest of the glaze, and bake until meatloaf registers 160 degrees, about 40-45 minutes. If time permits, transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Slice and serve.