Slow Cooker Maple & Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin

I made this pork for the family the other night, and we all snarfed it down! The sauce is unexpected, almost like a Carolina BBQ sauce flavor, but not quite. So tasty! Adapted from here.


Slow Cooker Maple & Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin

{source}

2 lbs. pork tenderloin
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. maple syrup (cut in 1/2 if using pure syrup)
1 tsp. minced garlic
4 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried thyme crumbled
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. cold water

Sprinkle tenderloin lightly with salt and pepper.
Place pork in a slow cooker sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine syrup, garlic, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, and thyme. Pour over the pork.
Turn pork to coat thoroughly.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hrs (check temp around 6.5 hours - pork should be cooked to ~150 degrees F), or on HIGH for 3-4 hrs.
Remove pork to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Pour the juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Simmer for 5 min.
Combine the cornstarch and cold water; whisk into the reduced juices and cook for 1 min. longer.
Slice the pork and serve with the thickened juices.

Serves 6.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This is the pulled pork recipe I made for the pool party... we've really enjoyed the leftovers! (Adapted from here.)

Slow Cooker Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 3-lb. pork shoulder, butt roast, or pork tenderloin
1/2 c. brown sugar, plus 2 Tbsp. for rub
1 20-oz. can pineapple rings, juice reserved
2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 c. + BBQ sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray's)
King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls for serving

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
Take 2 Tbsp. of brown sugar and rub on all sides of the roast; set roast in slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, mix together 1/2 c. brown sugar, juice from can of pineapple rings, liquid smoke, and BBQ sauce. Pour over roast in slow cooker.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
Shred roast (it will literally fall apart)

Scoop shredded pork onto individual rolls, top with a pineapple ring if desired, and serve.

Serves 6-8.

Brown Sugar & Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

I made this delicious pork recipe last weekend for the boys... and we LOVED it!  You could easily adapt it to pork chops (in the crockpot, as well), and we're already making plans to add the glaze to grilled chicken this summer.  (Recipe adapted from here.)

Brown Sugar & Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

{source}

Pork Loin:
1 (2-3 lb.) boneless pork loin
1 tsp. ground sage
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 c. water

Glaze:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast.
Place in slow cooker with 1/2 c. water.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan.
Heat and stir until mixture thickens.
Brush roast with glaze 2-3 times during the last hour of cooking.
Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Easy Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

I had never made ribs before these, but this recipe made it look so easy, I couldn't resist.  They did not disappoint!  Super messy, so have wet wipes handy!  (I adapted this recipe from here.)

Easy Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

RUB
2 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 Tbsp. ground black pepper

RIBS
5-6 lbs. baby back ribs (St. Louis-style spare ribs)
2-3 c. favorite BBQ sauce (we prefer Sweet Baby Ray's)

Combine paprika, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Rub the mixture over the meaty side of the ribs.
Place ribs in slow cooker standing them upright with the meaty side against the wall of the cooker.
Pour the BBQ sauce over the ribs.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours until tender.
Remove ribs and allow to sit for 15 minutes (cover with foil).
Cut ribs apart.
Cover with BBQ sauce left in cooker if desired.

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

This easy dinner received RAVE reviews from both boys... and it made great leftovers the next day!  (I adapted this recipe from here.)

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

6 pork chops, 0.5” thick (I used 3 thick Costco chops, that I sliced in half to get 6 thinner chops)
1 pkg. dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup (I used Healthy Request for the lower sodium)

(Instead of the suggested Parmesan Mashed Potatoes below, I just made my traditional mashed potatoes... but I used peeled and cubed yellow potatoes, 3 tsp. minced garlic from a jar, 1/2 c. Costco shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 3 Tbsp. butter, 1/4 c. milk, and 1/3 c. light sour cream... and I used my hand mixer to whip them up.)

4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes
5 Tbsp butter
1 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves roasted garlic (see below)
1-1.5 c. milk
1 Tbsp. salt, or to taste
fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Place pork chops, ranch seasoning and soup into a crock pot on low heat for 5.5-6 hours.

About 45 minutes before pork chops are done, place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stove top over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

Drain and transfer to a bowl and use an electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, Parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed.

For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consistency.

Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. Garnish with a little parsley on top.

Serves 6.

Roasted Garlic – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place bulb of garlic with skins on, wrap lightly in tin foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove from foil and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove garlic from skins, place in a bowl and mash with a fork until completely mashed. Set aside. One garlic bulb will have around 12 cloves.

Margene's Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

The classic, perfect recipe for your ham leftovers!

Margene's Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley (1 Tbsp. dried)
1 qt. cubed, cooked potatoes (4 c.)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I use medium cheddar)
1.5-2 c. ham, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook onion in butter until golden and translucent.

Blend in flour. 

Take off heat, so as not to burn. Then put back on stove when adding the milk. 

Gradually add milk to make a white sauce. Heat until it thickens, stirring constantly.  (Make sure it thickens here in the pot, because it won't in the oven later.) 

Add salt, pepper, cheese & parsley. 

Put 2-3 spoonfuls of sauce in a 2-qt casserole dish, then layer 1/2 of the potatoes and 1/2 the ham.  Pour in 1/2 of the remaining sauce, the remaining potatoes and ham, then finish with the rest of the sauce.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  (You may want to protect your oven, it often will boil over.)

Margene's Pork Chops with Apples

Margene's Pork Chops with Apples

2 pork chops (I cut off all the fat)
1/2 onion, chopped
5/8 c. water
1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 apples, peeled & sliced (I use fuji-but any apple good for baking will do)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Brown pork chops & onions. (I spray a little veg. oil in pan first)
Combine water, bouillon & pepper.
Add to meat.
Cover & bring to a boil.
Reduce heat & simmer 20 min..
Skim off fat.
Add apples & cinnamon.
Cover & simmer 15 min. more.
Serve hot.

Pork Tenderloin

This is my mother-in-law's recipe...  it's super-delicious and easy!

Pork Tenderloin

About an hour or two before grilling, rub the tenderloin with olive oil on all sides.
Sprinkle Montreal Steak Seasoning on all sides, rubbing it in as you turn it.
Add some fresh or dried rosemary - about a teaspoon of dried and rub it in too.
Wrap in either foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until grilling time.

Grill it on high for about 30 to 40 minutes, turning it about every ten minutes or so.
Most tenderloins will fall into two pieces so the grilling time can be shortened.

OR, put this in a roasting pan in the oven at 400 for about 40 minutes.

So easy and so good!

For leftovers, put either the whole piece or the chunks on a sheet of foil and pour a lot of barbeque sauce on it, wrap it tightly and freeze. It is easily heated in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes (from a thawed state). Or you can shred the leftover meat, put sauce on it and put it on buns.