Crock Pot Apple Pork Loin

Pin It It's apple season and I have lots of apples at my house from a recent apple picking trip.  According to my husband this pork is "lick the plate" good.  It is also probably one of the easiest crockpot recipes I have ever made.  The apples almost melt away and make a nice sauce for the pork.  I was worried that the honey would make this too sweet for a dinner item, but I didn't notice much sweetness at all.  Go get some apples and make this delicious dinner!

This recipe was shared at Six Sisters' Stuff Link Party.

Crock Pot Apple Pork Loin
2 lb boneless pork loin (mine was slightly smaller and worked just fine)
2-3 Jonathan apples, thinly sliced (or any variety of apple you want)
2 Tbsp honey
garlic, salt, pepper
water

1. Slice slits 3/4 of the way through the pork, 1 inch apart.
2. Place 1 apple slice in each of the slits.
3. Season pork with garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Lay a layer of apple slices on the bottom of your crock pot.
5. Place the pork on top of the apples and drizzle the honey on top.  6. Layer the remaining apples on top of the pork.
7. Pour 1/2 - 1 cup of water into the crock pot or until it is about 1/2 inch deep.  This will keep the pork from drying out and help create a sauce.
8. Cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. 
**I cooked mine for 8 hours on low and it was fork tender and fell apart like pulled pork

3 Ingredient Pulled Pork

Pin It Happy Father's Day!  This would be a great meal to enjoy with a crowd.  I love pulled pork and I love the leftovers for the rest of the week too.  I usually use a seasoning packet that you mix with kethcup, vinegar and brown sugar and it is always quite tasty, but I hate all of the extra salt and preservatives in those packets.  I was trying to find a homemade version of the seasoning online, but I couldn't find one that seemed normal enough.  Then I saw that you could use root beer to make tender roasts.  With the success of the Dr. Pepper tacos I decided to give root beer a try.  The verdict: success!  3 ingredients and 2 minutes of prep time equal one amazing meal!

I'm participating in a link party at http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/.  Click to check out all of the awesome posts!

3 Ingredient Pulled Pork
1 bottle BBQ sauce, any variety (I used Sticky Pig)
1 can root beer
1 4-5lb pork butt

1. Place pork in a lined slow cooker.  Pour BBQ sauce and soda over the roast.
2. Cook on low 6-8 hours or until pork falls apart when pulled with a fork.
3. Remove pork from crock pot and shred.  Return pork to liquid before serving.

Crock Pot Lava Cake

Pin It I made this for a family dessert and it was divine.  Everyone raved about the fudge sauce on the bottom.  It was amazing with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.  It only takes about 5 minutes to prep and then you turn on your crock pot and forget it.  It's an impressive dessert that looks complicated, but it is super simple.  Who wouldn't love moist chocolate cake with a thick fudge sauce?

Crock Pot Lava Cake
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups water

1. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cocoa.  Add milk, vanilla and oil.  Stir to combine.
2. Pour batter into a lined and greased crock pot.  I  used my round 3 quart slow cooker.  If you don't have liners grease your pot very well. 
3. Place sugar, cocoa and water in a microwave safe dish.  Microwave for 2 minutes or until just boiling.
4. Pour liquid on top of batter.  Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high or until a toothpick comes out clean. (It took exactly 3 hours for me).
5. Scoop out making sure to get all of the fudge from the bottom.  Serve with ice cream.

Crock Pot Dr. Pepper Tacos

Pin It Another crock pot gem.  We just got back from a trip to Mexico and had lots of delicious, authentic mexican food.  Now these are in no way authentic, but they are at least a step up from regular ground beef tacos (which I also love).  Don't be fooled by the title, these puppies are SPICY!  Slow cooked beef in a savory, spicy sauce.  These tacos are great with my Mexican beans.

Crock Pot Dr. Pepper Tacos
adapted from The Pioneer Woman
2 lbs beef stew meat or a 2-3 lb roast
1 can Dr. Pepper soda
1/2 white onion, sliced
2 whole chipotles in adobo (adjust amount depending on how spicy you want your meat)
garlic, salt, pepper

1. Season beef liberally with garlic, salt and pepper.  Put meat in a lined crock pot. 
2. Add onions and chipotles.  Pour soda over the top.  Cover and cook 7-8 hours on low or 4-5 on high.  You will know it is done with the meat can be shredded easily.
3. Shred meat and return to juices.  Serve as tacos or burritos with your choice of toppings.

My favorite toppings:
shredded cabbage
peach salsa
queso fresco (mexican crumbly cheese)
sour cream

Crock Pot Philly Cheese Steak

Pin It Albert LOVES Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches.  Whenever we go to a restaurant and they have a version of a cheese steak you can bet money that is what he will order.  I've been wanting to make cheese steaks at home for a while now and I just got this recipe from my mom.  It is incredibly simple and the result is as good as any local deli.  I think I also like this recipe because it allows me to use my crock pot.  You need to do a little bit of prep work involving your oven, but the bulk of the cooking is done in your crock pot.

Crock Pot Philly Cheese Steak
2-3 lb beef tenderloin
garlic salt
pepper
1 can beef broth
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
provelone cheese
hoagie rolls

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Season beef with garlic salt and pepper.  Place in a shallow baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.
3. Allow beef to cool slightly and slice into thin slices.
4. Place sliced beef and beef broth into a crock pot.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
5. Just before serving, slice onions and peppers and saute in a little butter for 2-3 minutes, until just golden brown.
6. Serve by slicing hoagie in half and layering beef, onions, peppers and topping with cheese.  I placed my sandwich in a toaster oven for about 3 minutes to melt the cheese.

**I do not like green peppers so I didn't use any for the picture.  You can also add mushrooms if you like.  Feel free to use whatever type of cheese you like the best also.**

Santa Fe Chicken Burritos

Pin It I found this recipe on Skinny Taste a while ago, but never got around to making it.  Well this week I had Reading Night at school and needed a low maintenance meal.  I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand.  You literally pour everything into your trusty crock pot and come home to a wonderful, fully cooked mexican meal.  I will definitley be making this gem again.  It is so versatile.  I made burritos for dinner and then made nachos for lunch the next day.  This would also be great served over rice.  There are endless possibilities.  Let me know your ideas!

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 3 large pieces)
1 onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 cup chicken broth
3 green onions, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1 4 oz can diced jalepenos (optional)
dash of hot sauce (to tasste)

1. Pour all ingredients, except chicken, in a lined crock pot.  Stir to mix.  Place chicken on top of veggie mixture.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours.
3. 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken and shred.  Return chicken to crock pot for remaining time.
4. Serve wrapped in tortillas with your favorite fixings.  For these I used a little Mexican rice, shredded cheese, sour cream and hot sauce.

The creation straight from the crock pot.

Perfect Pork Roast

Pin It As I've said before I love my crock pot.  I love knowing that I will have a delicious meal waiting for me when I get off work.  I love meals that I can prepare the night before and then just turn on in the morning.  This is my go to pork roast recipe.  You really can't mess it up. 

Perfect Pork Roast
2-4 lb pork roast (I prefer boneless, but bone in is fine too)
1 tbsp garlic
1 tsp pepper
zest of one lemon
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
half of a lemon, sliced (the one you got the zest from)
1/2 bottle of blush wine (white wine will work too)

1. I recommend using a crock pot liner.  Place your pork roast in your crock pot. 
2. Sprinkle garlic, pepper, lemon zest and Italian seasoning on roast.
3. Pour wine in the crock pot around the roast.  Arrange lemon slices on top of roast.
4. Cover and cook on low for 5-8 hours or high for 3-4.

Delicious when served with potatoes, gravy and a vegetable.

Crock Pot Sofrito Chicken

Pin It This recipe was inspired by http://www.skinnytaste.com/, one of my favorite food blogs.  It used to hurt my feelings when Albert said he didn't want to eat my cooking, but now I just ignore it because he usually ends up loving it.  Last night as I was filling my crock pot, he turned up his nose at the sight of all of the veggies I was cutting  up (and the lingering smell of garlic and onions).  However, this morning he sent a text about the delicious smell taking over our house.  The aroma of the chicken cooking is absolutely mouthwatering.  Definitely whets your appetite for an awesome meal. 

Crock Pot Sofrito Chicken
1/2 bunch of green onions, chopped (about 4)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 packet Sazon ( seasoning packets in mexican aisle)
1 can light beer
1/2 c water
4 chicken thighs, skin removed

1. Put peppers, onions, tomatoes and spices in a crock pot (I recommend using Crock Pot liners for super easy clean up). 
2. Pour water and beer over seasoned veggies.
3. Place chicken pieces on top of veggies.
4. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
5. Serve with steamed rice.