Pulled Pork with Root Beer BBQ Sauce

Ladies and gentlemen, the easiest dinner recipe ever. Well, okay, maybe I exaggerated, but it is pretty darn easy and delicious. I added coleslaw to mine, feel free to omit that if you'd prefer. Recipe courtesy of one of my favorite cooking websites of all time, Mennonite Girls Can Cook.

Pulled Pork with Root Beer BBQ Sauce
Makes several servings

2-3 pound pork loin roast
1 can root beer
1 bottle barbecue sauce

1. Place pork roast in slow cooker. Pour can of root beer over the meat. Cook on low for 8 hours.

2. Drain juices. Shred pork and return to slow cooker. Stir in heated barbecue sauce and keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve.

Source: Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Pineapple Glazed Meatloaf

This one was woah-my-God good.  It is now our go-to meatloaf, that is for sure.
I tried this recipe on the recommendation of a pal over on Twitter. I never would have imagined that a fellow WoW nerd would introduce me to the best meafloaf I've ever made. The internet is wild.

Pineapple Glazed Meatloaf
Makes 6-8 servings

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg
garlic powder to taste
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup pineapple preserves (Or apricot-pineapple preserves)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well, and place into a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
  
3. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes. (I had to cook longer because my oven is older.)
  
4. Meanwhile, in a separate medium bowl, stir together the ketchup, brown sugar and pineapple preserves. Pour over the meatloaf about 20 minutes before removing from oven.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars

Big, huge and giant thanks to Egg to the Apples for this recipe. It is awesome and delicious.This was my first experience eating or baking zucchini bars, and I thought they were crazy delicious. As encouraged, I let these chill in the fridge before serving, and I thought it made them taste so much better (but they were already good).

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars
Makes about 16 servings

2 Cups Zucchini, Grated
3/4 Cups Butter
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 Cups Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

2. Add dry ingredients.

3. Add zucchini and chocolate chips.

4. Grease a 9×13 inch pan and pour the batter in. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Source: Egg to the Apples

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Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings

Words cannot accurately describe how delicious this dessert is. Not only does it make your house smell heavenly while it is baking, it tastes amazing -- and I don't use that word lightly when it comes to food. I urge you to serve this with vanilla ice cream and don't think about the calories, just enjoy it.



Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings
4 servings

2 granny smith apples
2 tubes refrigerator crescent rolls
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 can of mountain dew soft drink
cinnamon

1. Peel, core and slice each apple into 8 slices. Unroll crescent rolls. Roll an apple slice in each crescent roll and place in a buttered 8x13 inch pan.

2. Melt butter, add sugar and barely stir - you want the butter and sugar to be grainy and lumpy. Add vanilla; barely stir. Pour butter mixture over crescents. Pour mountain dew around the sides of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350-f degrees for 40 minutes. 

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman and Heritage Schoolhouse

Mom's Sit Sandwich (Squishy Sorta Muffuletta)

Why is it a Sit Sandwich? You sit on it to flatten it silly.

Well, I just flattened mine with my hands, so no sandwich sitting for me, but I'm sort of a grouch that way.

It is important to let the flavors develop while this chills in the fridge. I made the recipe as called for, but there are additional ingredients listed at the end of the recipe that you can add to give it a twist. I happened to have a butter and garlic dipping sauce leftover from a pizza order, so I dipped my sandwich in that and it was amazing. Ready for the recipe?

Mac and Cheese Dog Casserole

Made this one last night. Super delicious. It has a lot of great players: beer, cheese, hot dogs, spicy mustard and ketchup. How could you go wrong?

My sauce initially didn't thicken at all. I added a bit of cornstarch, which was mixed with a small bit of cold water and stirred, then added to the hot milk mixture. (Probably about 2 tbsp. cornstarch added to 1/4 cup water)

Note: If you'd like, you can broil or saute your hot dogs first to give them an extra crispy skin.


Mac and Cheese Dog Casserole
4-6 servings, recipe from Rachael Ray

1 pound elbow macaroni
salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 package beef or pork hot dogs, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all- purpose flour
1/2 cup beer, 1/3 of a bottle - whatever you have on hand, chicken broth can be substituted
2 cups milk
Pepper
1 rounded tablespoon spicy mustard
2 rounded tablespoons ketchup
3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar, shredded, divided (Buy pre-shredded cheese. You will need 1 1/2 sacks of 10-ounce packages.)

1. Boil a large pot of water for macaroni. Salt water and under cook macaroni, cook about 7 minutes until just under al dente.

2. Preheat broiler and set rack 12 inches from heat.

3. While pasta works, heat a large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, then add hot dogs and brown on both sides, 4 minutes total. Remove the dogs with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and the butter. When butter melts, cook onions 4 to 5 minutes, then add flour and cook another minute. Add beer and cook off completely, 1 minute. Whisk in milk and bring to a bubble, then season the sauce with salt and pepper and stir in the mustard and ketchup. Lower heat and add 2 cups of the cheese. Stir to melt, 1 minute. Adjust mustard, ketchup, and salt and pepper, to your taste.

4. Drain pasta well. Combine pasta and hot dogs with sauce and coat evenly then pour into large casserole and top with remaining cheese. Melt and brown cheese under broiler, 2 minutes. Serve.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Bake

Vintage Victuals is a great food blog with ultra comforting recipes. Whilst trolling through the archives, I came across her recipe for a Broccoli-Cauliflower Bake. Ultra yum.

I added half a package of sliced mushrooms and subbed a can of cream of celery for the mushroom soup, only because I wanted to use what I had on hand rather than buying more ingredients. The result was extremely delicious and became and instant favorite for our house.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Bake
Makes 4-6 servings

• 1 head broccoli, washed and separated into florettes
• 1 head cauliflower, washed and separated into florettes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (light version works too)
• 1 cup sour cream (low-fat sour cream or no-fat plain yogurt also work)
• 1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange broccoli and cauliflower in a greased 9 x 9 casserole dish or a 9" pie dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a bowl, whisk together condensed soup and sour cream. Pour this mixture over your veggies. Sprinkle with parmigiano reggiano cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until veggies are tender and sauce begins to turn golden brown.

Recipe from Vintage Victuals

Sangria Punch (Non Alcoholic)

Back when I was still extremely large and pregnant with my son, I started craving sangria. As you may know, sangria is an alcoholic beverage, and I am way too uptight to even take a sip of alcohol during pregnancy. I found a great substitution over at Heritage Schoolhouse.

I was pleasantly surprised at the taste of this punch. While not exactly a traditional sangria flavor (since there is no wine in it), it really did the trick of satisfying my craving. This is a perfect summer drink to enjoy at the end of a long day.

Sangria Punch
6 servings

maraschino cherries and juice
lemon slices
lime slices
orange slices
grape juice
ginger ale

1. Put cherries, juice, lemon, lime and orange slices in a pitcher. Let chill in the fridge for several hours.

To serve: Pour equal amounts of prepared punch and ginger ale over ice in a large glass.

Recipe from Heritage Schoolhouse

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Cooking for a picky eater can get frustrating. During the week is my time to experiment with a new recipe or two, and use ingredients that my husband doesn't eat (like cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, spicy foods, vegetables...ah, the list goes on).
 
This week I decided on Creamy Chicken Enchiladas from Recipegirl.com. Since it was just myself eating it for the week, I made half the recipe and baked it in a 8" x 8" pan. I used the full amounts for the sauce component as I was paranoid of it being too dry. Overall I thought it was delicious and a nice change from my standard enchiladas that I use a red sauce for. Next time I would add some sliced pickled jalapenos in with the chicken mixture for some extra heat.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Makes 6-8 servings

One 10¾ oz. can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken soup
8 oz light sour cream
1 cup Pace picante sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Ten 6-inch flour tortillas
1 large tomato, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
1 avocado, mashed and mixed w/ a little sour cream and picante sauce (quick guacamole)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

2.  Stir soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl.

3. In a large bowl, stir 1 cup of the sauce mixture with the chicken & 1 cup of the cheese.

4.  Spread about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Roll up and place seam-side-down in prepared dish.  Scoop remaining sauce over the filled tortillas.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray.  Place sprayed-side-down on enchiladas and cover tightly.

5. Bake for 40 minutes or until enchiladas are hot and bubbling.  Top individual servings with tomato and onion.  Add a dollop of guacamole, if desired.

Recipe from Recipegirl.com

PB and J Cookies

I went nuts over these cookies. They are a perfect balance of soft peanut butter cookie, a dab of jam and an amazing but simple peanut butter frosting. They are YUM-O and I don't care who knows it.

PB and J Cookies
Makes 20-25 cookies

1/2 c. AP flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
Strawberry Jam
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 f degrees. In a small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of your mixer, blend 3/4 of the peanut butter with the room temperature butter on medium speed. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat till smooth, approx. 5 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.

3. Using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop the dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookies sheets. Using your thumb, gently dent the center of the cookies. Spoon 1/2 tsp. of the strawberry jelly into each center. Bake until lightly golden, about 12 minutes. Remove to a cookie rack and cool.

4. In a small bowl, beat together the remaining 1/4 cup of peanut butter and the confectioners' sugar. With a fork or whisk, stir mixture while adding the milk, a little at a time, until the frosting reaches a good consistency for piping. Using a resealable bag with a tiny corner cut off, pipe the frosting over the cookies.

Recipe courtesy of Everyday With Rachel Ray magazine.

Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies

Soft and chewy, with a rich spicy flavor. I can't get enough of them.

Bookmark this one for the holidays. Trust me. These are in my top 3 favorite cookie recipes of all time category. 

Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies
Makes about two dozen

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe from Allrecipes

Tangy Sauced Ribs

I had always had it in my head that ribs were very difficult to cook. This was my first rib recipe and luckily it was very easy to make and turned out quite tasty. I tend to like sweeter sauce recipes, so I will still be searching for the perfect recipe, but this is a good recipe nonetheless.


Tangy Sauced Ribs
Makes 2 servings

2 pounds country style pork ribs
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1-3/4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 dash hot pepper sauce, or to taste
2-1/4 teaspoons steak sauce, (e.g. Heinz 57)
1/2 clove garlic, minced
  
1.   Place the ribs in a large stock pot with enough water to cover. Bring the water to a boil and cook over medium-high heat for 1 hour.
  
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  
3. In medium saucepan, combine ketchup, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, steak sauce and garlic; blend well. Cook the sauce over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. (Original recipe author notes: Please note that the above ingredients are all to taste. Use more or less of anything you like.)
  
4. Cut the ribs between the bones and place in a baking pan. Pour sauce over ribs, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Sweet Fried Corn

If you have a sweet tooth I am betting you will enjoy this side dish. We enjoyed it so much that we made this twice in one week. Now, given the ingredients you won't want to eat like this on a regular basis, but for comfort food to indulge it, it hits the spot.

The original recipe called for frozen corn (16 oz.), but many reviewers remarked that the frozen corn turned out tough and to try using canned corn instead. I did use canned corn, and it was so good, I won't even worry about making a special trip to buy frozen corn for this.

Sweet Fried Corn
Makes 2 servings

4 tablespoons butter
1 can of corn,drained
2 tablespoons white sugar or honey (I used honey)
1/3 cup heavy cream (I used Whole Milk)
Salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. When butter is foamy add the corn stirring to coat with the butter. Cook stirring frequently for 1 minute. Add sugar or honey and cook for 2 minutes more. Increase heat to high and add heavy cream-continue to stir so corn won't stick to pan. Add salt and pepper. Cook corn until most all of the cream has absorbed about 5 minutes more. Remove and serve hot.

Recipe from Food Network

Old School Porky Top Casserole

If you are an adventurous eater with a taste for old school, retro recipes, try out this delish little dish I found from Delectable Dining. I made a few changes to the recipe in the preparation to streamline things. I also added in quite a bit more of the veggies to the dish, but only because I had a ton of leftover bell peppers and onions sitting in the fridge ready to be eaten.

The original recipe didn't specify what size dish to use, and I'm having some trouble remembering if I used an 8x8 or a 9x13. Use your best judgment and if you do make this, let me know what size casserole dish worked for you.

Old School Porky Top Casserole

Makes several servings

2 cans tomato soup
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup up to 1 cup green, red and yellow bell peppers and half an onion, cut up and sauteed until very soft
Velveeta cheese
Brown and Serve Sausage, cut into chunks (It comes already cooked)
2 cups uncooked macaroni

1. Cook the macaroni noodles according to the directions on the box. Add the tomato soup and water. Mix in the green peppers, some of the cheese, and the sausage. The amount of cheese you choose to add varies, depending on taste.

2. Smooth the top of the casserole mixture. Bake in a oven preheated to 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. (You can save half of the sausage and make a pinwheel design, but I just mixed it all up and called it a day)

Recipe from Delectable Dining

Toddler Meal Tip

Some days I just don't feel like having a huge clean up after my son eats a meal.  After a notable mess consisting cut up pieces of a hot dog with bun, cheese and condiments, I came up with this idea.

Protein cut up (any kind you like, be it chicken sausage, kosher dogs, etc.) with a half sandwich on the side. I use a multi grain bread with a little ketchup and cheese, cut into cubes. Not only was it an easier clean up, it was easier for him to eat, as the pieces weren't as big.  I did not heat up the sandwich, but that is a preference as he likes his cheese cold.

Here is the proof.

Relatively clean hands and face. A step up from the ketchup and cheese caked face and nails we experienced before.

Hot Chocolate Mix

The rain and storms are already moving in for a lot of us as Fall approaches. A great treat to have on hand is a do it yourself Hot Chocolate Mix. If you are a marshmallow fan I recommend keeping them separate from the mix when storing, otherwise they will get stale.

Hot Chocolate Mix
Makes many servings

8 qt. box of dried instant milk
1 small jar powdered coffee creamer
1 c. powdered sugar
1 med or large box of Quik

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. A large plastic ice cream container is good to store this in.

2. Fill cup about ⅓ full of mix and add hot water. Stir and serve.

Recipe from my mom

Swiss and Bacon Dip

Not long ago I was craving some comfort food and turned to this recipe for Swiss and Bacon Dip.  Though it has many strong flavors they all work well together to make a delicious dip. I toasted a baguette that had been brushed with butter to use as my dippers.

Swiss and Bacon Dip
Makes many servings

8 slices center cut bacon, chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 rounded teaspoons prepared Dijon style mustard
2 rounded teaspoons horseradish (optional)
1 1/2 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped
Baby carrots and a selection of breads or crackers for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Brown bacon in nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Drain crisp bacon bits on paper towels.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish (if using), Swiss cheese, and scallions with cooked bacon. Transfer to a shallow small casserole or baking dish and bake until golden and bubbly at edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Top with chopped smoked almonds. Place dip on a platter and surround warm casserole with breads and carrots for dipping.

Recipe from Susi's Kochen Und Backen Adventures

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Normally I'm not a pound cake fan, but this is my exception. This pound cake is more and more delicious by each passing day. On the third or fourth day it was absolutely delicious served with a bowl of fresh strawberries and whipped cream. If you can manage to have a bit of patience, let it sit for a day or two, at least after initially trying a slice. It just gets better and better.

Grandmother Paul's Sour Cream Pound Cake
Makes one pound cake


1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add to the creamed mixture alternating with eggs, beating each egg 1 at a time. Add the vanilla and pour the mixture into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.

Recipe from Paula Deen