Sweet and Spicy Shredded Pork

Pretty basic recipe to get your mock Cafe Rio/Costa Vida sweet pork.

5 - 6 pounds pork tenderloin or roast
21 oz Dr. Pepper or Coke
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 7 oz can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
6 oz medium red taco sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Optional: 2 small cans green chilies

Using Dr. Pepper or Coke and over a blender, rinse all the chilies to try to get all the adobo sauce off of them. Discard chilies. With the adobo sauce and Dr. Pepper or Coke combo, add remaining ingredients (except pork roast) in blender. Blend. Place pork roast in crock pot and pour sauce over pork roast. Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours.

This pork can then be shredded and used for delicious taco meat, enchiladas, tostadas, burritos, or chimichangas.

Spicy Country-style Ribs

This is an excellent quick and easy way to make ribs. My friend used to make this in his dutch oven when we went camping.

Country-style pork ribs
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup Frank's Hot Sauce

Cut pork ribs into serving sizes. Combine brown sugar and hot sauce. Adjust quantities of hot sauce versus sugar to adjust the heat/spiciness of the ribs. Pour into crock pot over ribs and cook on low for approximately 6 hours.

Crock Pot Baby Back Ribs

This is my favorite recipe for crock pot baby back ribs.

1 rack baby back ribs

Rib Rub:

1/4 cup white or brown sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp celery salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Mix all ingredients of rib rub in bowl. Peel membrane off of the bony side of the baby back ribs. Cut rack in half. Rub rib rub all over all sides of the ribs. Wrap both pieces into aluminum foil. Place side by side in large crock pot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. I find that closer to 8 hours is better for fall-off-the bone consistency. I also use tongs to switch sides of ribs about halfway through cooking if I'm home.

Serve after cutting pieces apart like that, or if you want to caramelize sauce on the outside, brush both sides of ribs with barbecue sauce and caramelize in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.

Pot Roast in a Crockpot

I got this recipe from my friend Bubba. It's a quick and easy dinner to get ready when you're busy all day.

Chuck or rump roast (approximately 3 pounds)
1 1/2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 potatoes, cubed
1/4 onion, sliced
4 stalks celery, chopped
6 - 7 carrots, chopped
1 packet Lipton dried onion soup mix

Add all ingredients into crock pot. Cook for about 9 hours or until done. Times vary, depending on size of roast.

Breakfast Casserole

This is a breakfast casserole that I started making after dating a guy because he made it, and I liked it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 pkg hash browns, thawed
1/3 c melted butter (optional)
1 lb country sausage, cooked
Bite-sized sautéed vegetables (optional)
12 eggs
1/2 to 2/3 c milk
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 c cheese (or more if layering)

Place hash browns in baking dish. If wanting to make a more cheesy casserole, layer in some cheese. Pour melted butter over top. Sprinkle sausage (and vegetables) over hash browns. Mix milk, eggs, and spices. Pour mixture over hash browns and sausage. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Top with cheese so it melts.

This recipe can be made in a crock pot by layering potatoes, sausage and cheese in three layers. Don't top with cheese until after it's completed cooking. Pour egg mixture over the top of the layers and cook for 7 hours on low overnight or until the egg is thoroughly cooked. Top with final layer of cheese a few minutes before serving until it melts. If your crock pot doesn't cook evenly, it may be best to use a crock pot liner to prevent burning or hardening on the sides or bottom.

Zuppa Toscana - Crock Pot

This is one of my favorite crock pot soups of all time.

1 lb country-style sausage

3 russet potatoes, cubed

1 onion, diced

3 Tbsp minced garlic

32 oz chicken broth

1 c heavy cream

2 Tbsp flour

3 or 4 stalks of kale, cut off the rind into bite-sized pieces

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Garnish: Grated Parmesan cheese

Brown sausage in frying pan. Add to crock pot with potatoes, onion, garlic, and chicken broth. Fill with water to cover meat and vegetables, if necessary. Cook on low for 5 - 6 hours or high for 3 - 4 hours. 30 minutes before serving mix flour into cream. Add cream mixture to crock pot. Also add kale and seasonings to taste. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

V8 Stew

The "V8 Stew" that we had as children came originally from the Betty Crocker cookbook with some adjustments. It's in there as Old-Fashioned Beef Stew. This is the recipe as adjusted by Cardine.

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 lb beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups of carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 cups V8 juice
1 Tbsp or 1 cube beef boullion
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp pepper

Cook beef in oil in a pan for 4 to 6 minutes, until browned on all sides. Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Add all ingredients to crock pot. Cover. Cook on low for 9 to 10 hours.