The World's Best Pork Loin Roast Rub - Slow Cooker

We've been eating a lot of chicken lately, and I felt it was time to throw in a little pork.  And since we are all about the slow cooker these days, it seemed suiting 

2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
2 1/4 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 tablespoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoons paprika
1/3 teaspoon thyme

Mix all of the seasonings together in a bowl.  Sprinkle approximately 1/2 cup of the mixture over a 2- 2 1/2 pound pork roast and rub in.  Allow the pork to stand for approximately 20 minutes.  Place in slow cooker, add a little water to the bottom of the slow cooker, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

When ready, remove from the slow cooker and allow the roast to rest for 5-10 minute before slicing.  Serve, and enjoy!

VERDICT:
This was a nice tasting roast!  We all enjoyed the flavours :-)

Balsamic Roast Beef - Slow Cooker

It's that time of year - we are into hockey season, which means that our slow cooker is getting extra use.  I am happy to bring back Slow Cooker Thursday!  This is the first edition for this Fall/Winter, I hope you will enjoy!  Here is the recipe:

Balsamic Roast Beef (Source: Add A Pinch)

1 3-4 pound boneless roast beef
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced

Bring out your slow cooker,  Put the roast in the cooker.

In a bowl, mix together the balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and garlic.  Pour the mixture over the roast.  Cook for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

When the roast is ready, remove from the slow cooker.  Gently break the roast apart, baste the roast with approximately 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup of the gravy from the slow cooker.

You can keep the remaining gravy for future use, just be sure to store in an airtight container in the fridge.

VERDICT:
This was DELICIOUS.  We really enjoyed our meal - I turned it into beef dip with homemade Au Jus...so so good!

Butter Chicken - Slow Cooker

Yes, it's that time again...Slow Cooker Thursday.  You know that we love our slow cooker at our house, and that Thursday after school is hockey practice day for our oldest, and coming home to dinner ready in the slow cooker makes life that much easier.

Lately I have been craving butter chicken, and we almost went out for some the other night.  But instead, I found this recipe and upon further "investigation", found that we already had most of the ingredients at home, so I decided to make it instead!

Here is the recipe:

Butter Chicken (Source: La Vie Overseas)

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breats, cut into pieces
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons tandoori masala
6 oz tomato paste
8 oz tomato sauce
14 oz coconut milk
1 cup plain yogurt, plus extra for garnish
Cilantro
Corn starch (if needed)

In a large skillet and over medium heat, melt the butter with the vegetable oil.  Add in the onion, garlic and chicken.  Cook until the onions are soft, around 10 minutes.

Add in the curry powder, cayenne pepper, garam masala, tandoori masala, and tomato paste.  Mix well and until smooth, 1-2 minutes.

Pour the contents of the skillet into your slow cooker.  Add in the tomato sauce, coconut milk and yogurt.  Cook on low for up to 6 hours.

Approximately 30 minutes before serving, taste the sauce and check for preferred thickness.  I found my sauce was a little more runny than what we would prefer, so I added some corn starch to the sauce to thicken it.

Serve with rice and naan bread.

VERDICT:
So stinkin good!  I had tasted the sauce a few hours before serving and figured the kids would end up thinking it was too spicy for them, so I did end up preparing a quick meal just for them.  But they loved the naan bread :-)  Hubs and I devoured our Butter Chicken...I can't wait for the leftovers!

Keep Calm and Cook On - October

It's that time, time for this month's edition of Keep Calm and Cook On!  I don't know what it is like at your house, but in my kitchen, it is time to dust off my slow cooker for the fall and winter...and time to share our favourite slow-cooker recipes!


In our house, hockey season has begun, and like last year, I anticipate a weekly feature of "Slow Cooker Thursday" - coming soon!  In the meantime, I need to collect some new recipes to try, which makes for the perfect party theme for this month's Keep Calm and Cook On challenge!

I invite you to share your favourite slow-cooker recipes!  

Broccoli Cheddar Soup - Slow Cooker Thursday

Hello friends, welcome to this week's Slow Cooker Thursday.  You know that I've been making a lot of soups on my slow cooking adventures, and a Broccoli Cheddar soup has been one that I have been wanting to make for a while.   I just love Broccoli Cheddar soup, and have always loved when my readers have shared their recipes with me.  I took a lot of reads though previous editions of the Scrumptious Sunday Link Party and checked out the different recipes that were shared.  I settled on this recipe from the StoneGable blog for Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup.  Here is my version:

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

6 cups fresh broccoli, washed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 cup carrots, peeled and shredded
4 cups chicken stock (I used organic)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk (I used a combination of homogenized milk, 1% milk and cream)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
 4 cups old cheddar cheese,  shredded
5-6 slices of bacon

Place chopped broccoli into the slow cooker (sorry, did anyone else just have a little Chopping Broccoli pop in your head?! LOL)

In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the onions.  Cook the onions on  medium-low, about 5 minutes (or until soft).  Add the carrots and garlic and cook for another 3-4 minutes.  Empty the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker.

Pour the chicken stock into the slow cooker, add pepper (to taste).  Stir well, cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

After 3-4 hours, remove 2-3 cups of the cooked vegetables.(try to scoop mostly broccoli) - allow to cool slightly and chop into small pieces.  Set aside.

Create a roux with the milk and flour.  Whisk or shake well.  Pour into the slow cooker.  Add the nutmeg.  Cover and cook on high for 30-45 minutes, until thickened.

Once thickened, add 3 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese.  Cover and cook until the cheese is melted (this won't take long).

Using a food processor or blender, blend the soup (in batches) until smooth.  Add the reserved chopped vegetables and stir.  Cover and allow the soup to get hot again after blending.

While the soup is heating, cook your bacon (original recipe called for pancetta).  Cook until crisp.  Cool and crumble.

Serve the soup topped with shredded cheese and crispy bacon.

VERDICT:
"One Trillion Thousand Thumbs Up" - our 5 year old's reaction to the soup.  It was pretty darn good.  I felt it was more work that I expected (especially trying to juggle a toddler while making it) - but it was pretty tasty.  My hubby and the toddler also gobbled it up (the toddler had two toddler-sized servings, two days in a row!). 

Chicken and Corn Chowder - Slow Cooker Thursday

Must be the season, but I am all over soups these days.  I was thinking about making a broccoli cheddar soup this week but then changed my mind last minute...then at daycare, they made broccoli cheddar soup for the kids for their snack...great minds think alike!  Instead I opted to try a Chicken and Corn Chowder, which I found in the Best of Bridge Slow Cookers Cookbook.  Here is my slightly amended version of the recipe:

4 slices bacon

1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups organic chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 bay leaves
3 skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups corn kernels, thawed
1 can evaporated milk, warmed

In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crispy.  Remove the bacon, put on a plate with paper towel and cool (refrigerate).  Drain most of the bacon grease from the skillet, reserving approximately 1 tablespoon (keep this in the pan). 

Over medium heat, cook the onions, garlic and tomato paste.  Cook for about 3 minutes.  Add in the flour, and slowly pour in the chicken broth.  Stir well.  Add in salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Meanwhile, in your slow cooker, put your carrots and potatoes along the bottom.  Add in the bay leaves.  Place your chicken thighs on top of these vegetables.  Take your skillet and pour the mixture into the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for 2 1/2-3 hours.  When pierced chicken runs clear, you are ready to move onto the next step.

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred the meat away from the bones.  Add the chicken back into the soup, throw away the bones.

Crumble your bacon and add it to the slow cooker.  Add in the red pepper and corn, mix well.  Slowly add the warmed milk to the slow cooker (I warmed my milk by putting the can in a bowl of hot water). 

Cover and cook on high for 20-25 minutes - or until the soup is hot and the red pepper has started to soften.

Remove bay leaves.  Season with salt and pepper according to your taste.

VERDICT:
My husband and I both really enjoyed this soup!  At the time of typing, our kids still haven't tried it - both are fighting a bug and both slept through dinner.  I will have to update once we have their verdicts too!  This is one that we wil make again :-)

Check out the Best of Bridge Slow Cookers Cookbook and other great titles over at Robert Rose!

Tuesday Tortilla Soup - Slow Cooker Thursday

Wow, I cannot believe that November is nearly over!  Are you getting a little anxious about Christmas?  I am...even though I am fairly organized and a lot of our shopping is already done (we don't go all out), there are the little details that I fuss about that I haven't started yet.  I'll get there!

In the meantime, I am sure you know (but I am going to tell you again!) that I just love my slow cooker.  I love Slow Cooker Thursdays.  It makes our lives so much easier after school/work/hockey each Thursday.  And, you've already read about my newest addition to my cookbook collection - my Best of Bridge Slow Cookers Cookbook - and today's recipe is from that cookbook (ps - this would make a great Christmas gift...just sayin'!).

Thanks to Robert Rose for providing the recipe and photos for today's post.

Quick to assemble — ideal for mad midweek mornings. It cooks all day; just add the finishing touches when you get home.

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes, with juice

2 cups chopped cooked chicken 

1 cup corn kernels (no need to thaw if frozen)

1 tbsp ground cumin  

1 tbsp dried oregano            

Salt and pepper

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups crushed corn tortilla chips, divided

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp chipotle chile powder (see tip)

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice 

Shredded Tex-Mex cheese blend or Cheddar cheese

Sour cream

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine garlic, onion, tomatoes, chicken, corn, cumin, oregano, 1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) salt, 1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) pepper and broth. Cover and cook on Low for about 8 hours or on High for about 4 hours, until onions are tender and soup is bubbling. Stir in half the tortilla chips and the cilantro. In a small bowl, combine chipotle chile powder and lime juice until smooth. Stir into soup. Cook on High for 20 minutes, until tortilla chips are softened and soup is thickened. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired. Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream. Serves 4.

Tip: Jars of chipotle chile powder are available in most supermarkets. The reddish-brown powder is made from dried smoked jalapeño peppers. It lends an authentic Mexican touch to soups, stews and chilis. Regular chili powder can be substituted if you prefer to not have a smoky flavor.

VERDICT:

Yet anouther slow cooker hit at our house!  We all really enjoyed this soup - to be honest, this was my first time adding sour cream to a soup, and I just loved it.  Oh my goodness - for sure this one is a keeper!

Excerpted from Best of Bridge Slow Cooker Cookbook by Sally Vaughan-Johnston & The Best of Bridge © 2012 www.robertrose.ca May not be reprinted without publisher permission.

Best of Bridge - Slow Cooker Cookbook Review

Recently I was provided a copy of the new Best of Bridge Slow Cooker Cookbook to review.  Oh my goodness, how excited was I?!  Seriously...we all know how much I love cookbooks and recipes (addicted!)...and well, Best of Bridge is a CLASSIC!  To have the opportunity to review the latest book in the collection is just plain awesome!  Thanks Robert Rose for the opportunity.

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I have been on a slow cooker kick lately, and I have already tested a few of the recipes from the cookbook.  Check out my post on Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and my post on Beef Barley Soup.

My first impression of the book itself...I love the red binder, very eye-catching.  I also love that it is coil bound - makes turning the pages so much easier, and the spine of the book won't get wrecked from being opened or having to put something heavy on it to keep it open.

There is a great variety of recipes inside the cookbook.  While my cooking focus lately has been dinner related, I am intrigued and curious to try some of the desserts like the Blueberry Upside Down Ginger Cake and the Peach Cinnamon Brown Betty.  The book arrived when my Mother-in-Law was visiting, and she too enjoyed reading through all the recipes.  She recognized some of the recipes from previous Best of Bridge publications, and commented on the ones she remembered (all good!). 

There are so many things to like about this book.  One of my favourites...still in this book, but not as often as in previous cookbooks - are the little jokes and funny tidbits that are after the recipes.  The practical side of me also likes the tips and tricks that are shared with us home cooks.  There are many recipes that can be prepped the night before (hello...easier morning, especially when trying to get the kids and yourself out the door for school, daycare and work!).  Even on the mornings that I do need to do a little prep for the meal before heading out the door, it's always really easy, which is so nice.  Makes our dinner "rush" not so "rushy" and way more relaxed.  Helps to set the tone for the evening!

Overall, I am REALLY happy with the book - the layout, the scope of recipes, and the ease that goes into preparing most of them.  A keeper for my collection!

You can find this cookbook and many other great books (under the topics of cooking, baking, health & wellness and parenting) over at Robert Rose.  Go check them out!

Disclosure: I received compensation as a thank you for participating and sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Coconut Beef Curry - Slow Cooker Thursday

Hello friends! Welcome to this week's edition of Slow Cooker Thursday!  If you have missed my other slow cooker posts, you can check them out:

• Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes
• Beef Barley Soup
• French Canadian Split Pea Soup
• Remarkable Ratatouille

And, don't forget about the SLOW COOKER LINK PARTY that is running all month!  If you haven't had a chance to link up or check out some of the great slow cooker recipes, you can do so below!

Today we are giving another interesting flavour a try.  I found this recipe for Coconut Beef Curry in my Canada's Best Slow Cooker Recipes book.  I liked the idea of having the meat and vegetables all in one pot - like a stew but with different flavours.  Here is the recipe:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 lbs stewing beef
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons red curry paste or 1 tablespoon red curry powder
4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces (original recipe called for a 1 lb bag baby carrots)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (398 mL) coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
Chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high.  Add the stewing beef and cook until browned on all sides, approximately 2-3 minutes.

Add in the onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, cinnamon and curry paste or powder.  Saute for approximately 2 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the mixture from the skillet into the slow cooker.

Add the potatoes and carrots to the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste, coconut milk, water and salt. Whisk to combine, mix well.  Add to your slow cooker.  Stir to combine the liquids with the saute mixture (Note - I needed to add a little milk to the mixture to ensure that the meat and veggies were more covered).

Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours.  Dish is done when the vegetables are tender and the stew is bubbling.  Serve over rice with cilantro sprinkled on top.

VERDICT
This was a tasty meal.  Not overly colorful, but still tasty.  We did feel that there might be a bit too much cumin (it was quite fragrant) but the taste was still really good.  We ate this for dinner for a few nights, and for a few lunches too!

Now is your chance to link up your SLOW COOKER RECIPES!  Thanks so much for helping me out :-)

Beef Barley Soup - Slow Cooker Thursday

Welcome to the second installment of "Slow Cooker Thursday!"  If you missed last week's post and story why I've implemented "Slow Cooker Thursday", just click over here :-)

When I picked the "Busy Day Beef and Barley Soup" recipe from my new Best of Bridge Slow Cookers cookbook, I had no idea that day would be a "beef" day everywhere I looked!  I say that because a friend from work and I had lunch together, and because she didn't have time to make her lunch before leaving for the office, she needed to grab lunch from the cafeteria/culinary training facility.  I was laughing because at the sandwich station, the special was "Roast Beef Sandwiches".  At the main course/hot food station, one of the specials was "Beef Stroganoff," and at the soup station, one of the soups was "Beef Barley Soup".  Apparently the Chefs/Instructors were in a beefy mood like me!  I do have to say though, my soup looked way better than the students' soup...just sayin'!

Here is the recipe I used (Source: Best of Bridge Slow Cookers)

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 lbs stewing beef
1/4 cup barley, rinsed
4-5 cups beef broth
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

In a saucepan, saute oil, garlic, onions, oregano, salt, pepper, tomato paste.  Saute until the onions are softened.  Transfer to 4-6 quart slow cooker.  Add in the carrots, bay leaves, beef, barley and 4 cups of the beef broth.  Stir well.  Cover and cook, on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, or until the beef and barley are tender.  After cooking, if the soup is thicker than you would like, add in the remaining 1 cup of broth.  Stir in the frozen peas, vinegar and parsley.  Cover and cook on high until the peas are hot, about 20 minutes.  Remove bay leaves.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tips directly from the Best of Bridge: 
- They use tomato paste in many of their slow cooker recipes because it boosts flavour and richness.  A dollop or two of tomato paste makes a significant flavour difference with onions, garlic and herbs as these aromatic ingredients dull when cooked for long periods.
- If you cannot find stewing beef, look for other cuts such as boneless cross-rib, blade or chuck in the form of steaks or pot roasts.  Trim off excess fat and cut into cubes.
*Great tips!
VERDICT:
Hubs LOVED this soup. Kept commenting how much he enjoyed it.  I really liked it too...as did our kids.  The oldest complained a bit (apparently he doesn't like soup for dinner) but he still ate it a few times LOL.  Even our sometimes fussy toddler was gobbling up his meal...I'd call this one a success!

You can purchase the Best of Bridge Slow Cookers cookbook through Robert Rose.  Go check them out!

Excerpted from Best of Bridge Slow Cooker Cookbook by Sally Vaughan-Johnston & The Best of Bridge Publishing Ltd. © 2012 www.robertrose.ca All rights reserved: May not be reprinted without publisher permission.

Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes - Slow Cooker Thursday

Well, it's upon us!  Hockey season that is.  I know, not the NHL (yet!?)...but this year is the first of what could be many years of minor hockey in our home.  Our 5 year old started playing this season...and so far so good!  We are happy that he is active and wants to try new sports, and we will see if he enjoys hockey (it won't be forced upon him though!).  So...with hockey season here, that means practices and games each week.  He has a practice every Thursday after school, which makes things just a little crazier for us come dinnertime.  So...I've decided to make Thursdays "Slow Cooker Thursdays".  Makes perfect sense to me, to get our dinner started before I leave for work, so that everything is ready once we get home from work/school/daycare/hockey. This week is our first installment!

I was ever SO lucky to receive a copy of the new "Best of Bridge Slow Cookers" cookbook...ummm, hello...soooooo excited...not only is it a cookbook (love!) it's also Best of Bridge (classic!).  I'll have a review up on the blog very soon, but in the meantime I just had to start trying new recipes!  For our first "Slow Cooker Thursday" I decided to make the "Saturday Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes" - here is the recipe and what I did (very slightly amended from the original Best of Bridge recipe):

1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 bay leaves
6 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (note, as per the Best of Bridge suggestion, you will more likely find the chicken thighs with skin on...just remove the skin using a piece of paper towel to grab the skin at one end and pull off firmly - it worked well!)
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
1 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper (I used a little more)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup unsweetened apple juice (I used Sun-Rype)
1 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Wash and prepare your vegetables.  Add the sweet potatoes, carrots, celery and bay leaves to your slow cooker.  Place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables.  Next, heat oil over medium in a skillet.  Add your onions, garlic, thyme or oregano, salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Mix in the flour, then add the chicken broth and apple juice.  Bring to a boil (approximately 5 minutes).  Pour over the chicken and vegetables.  Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours on low (which is what I did) or for 2.5 - 3 hours on high.  Juice will run clear when the chicken in pierced.  15 minutes prior to serving, turn crock pot to high.  Add in the peas and vinegar.  I also added in a little roux at this time.  Add more salt and/or pepper if needed.  Cover and cook (on high) for 15 minutes or unti the peas are hot.  Remove bay leaves, stir in parsley.

VERDICT:
My husband said that (besides chili), this was one of the best slow cooker recipes he's had.  We both agreed it could have used a little more seasoning to kick it up a bit, but we all enjoyed the meal.  Our 5 year old LOVED it.  He also really loved the tea biscuits that I made to go with the stew.  And the sweet potatoes were a nice change of pace for us.  This is one that we would make again!

Did you know that you can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter?!

Excerpted from Best of Bridge Slow Cooker Cookbook by Sally Vaughan-Johnston & The Best of Bridge Publishing Ltd. © 2012 www.robertrose.ca All rights reserved: May not be reprinted without publisher permission.

Scrumptious Sunday Recipe Link Party #33

It's been a great week for us...my MIL was here, and as always, it was a wonderful visit!  We always enjoy our time with her, though we were sad that my FIL couldn't make the trip this time. 

Our week was busy with company, school, day jobs, our business (aka the evening and weekend job), hockey, swimming, a surprise 40th birthday party, etc etc...all good fun!  I did get a little behind with the blog...my apologies, but I think you understand
;-)

Speaking of hockey, our son has hockey practice on Thursdays, which will make for a busier Thursday in our home.  So, I'm starting a new feature on the blog,  "Slow Cooker Thursdays" - I think I might even host a "Slow Cooker Thursday Link Party"...what do you think?!

I've already got a few new slow cooker recipes to try, recently I received a copy of the new Best of Bridge Slow Cooker Cookbook and I have been happily tagging new recipes to try :-)  Watch for the cookbook review coming soon too!

By the way...did you happen to catch the post earlier this week about my nomination for "Best New Blog" in the "Canadian Blog Awards"?!!  Check it out here!

AND...I have my AD SPACE on sale for the month of October, 25% off!  Promo Code is FALLINTOSALE25...would love your support!

That's the update on my end! I sure hope the weekend has been treating you fabulously!! Now... It's time to share your fabulous recipes HERE for Scrumptious Sunday #33!

Don't forget, all featured recipes will be shared on my blog, and on my Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages!

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Sandwiches

A while back, Live Gorgeously shared her recipe for Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Sandwiches.  I KNEW that my husband would LOVE LOVE LOVE these, and I featured her recipe that week from my Scrumptious Sunday link party.  I've now made this recipe twice, once for my hubby and then recently for our baby's first birthday (for around 25 guests).  Verdict is below...here is the recipe:

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Sandwiches

3 pound pork roast - not frozen (I used pork tenderloin)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Montreal Steak Spice

3-4 cups of Dr. Pepper (Coke can also be used, I only tried Dr. Pepper)
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoons liquid smoke

1/2 onion , minced

1/2 green pepper, minced

1 1/2 - 2 cups BBQ Sauce

Heat oil in large skillet.

Generously season the pork with the Montreal Steak Spice.  Rub the seasoning into the roast using your fingers.

Brown the pork on all sides.

Poke the pork on all sides several times, and place into a large crock pot.

Pour the Dr. Pepper over top of the meat.  Add in the minced onion, minced green pepper, worcestershire sauce and the liquid smoke.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours.

Once the meat is cooked, remove from the crock pot and shred with a fork.  The meat should shred quite easily at this point.

Drain all the juices from the crock pot, but keep the onion and green pepper.  Place the shredded pork back into the crock pot and add the BBQ sauce over top.  Cover and cook on LOW for another hour.

Serve the pulled pork on toasted buns (we fired up the grill, buttered the buns and grilled them).  Serve with coleslaw, either on top or on the side.  On top adds an extra tasty crunch to the sandwich, and really does kick it up a notch.

VERDICT:

So, the first time I made the pulled pork, it was just as I suspected, my husband LOVE LOVE LOVED it.  Like seriously...he said it may be one of his new favourite meals.  If you have read my blog for a while, you may be sensing a trend here...many of my new recipes become his new favourites!  I decided to serve it again at our son's birthday party - changed it up slightly as I was cooking for 25 people - more pork, two crock pots, cooked and shredded the meat on Saturday and then did the BBQ sauce portion and served on Sunday.  And it was a HIT at the birthday party too!  It made for an EASY meal to prepare (crock pot = LOVE!) and we had nice leftovers for the next day!  This one will get made again...and maybe next time I will try with Coke, just to see the difference.