Hearty Ham Salad

If you have leftover ham in your refrigerator this is the ideal recipe for you. My dad loves ham and even when he was cooking for our family of eight he would make sure he had enough leftover to make ham salad the next day. Growing up I was never that fond of ham salad. Then I was introduced to the following recipe and all of sudden I became a devoted fan. No offense to my dad (who happens to be an incredible cook), but his ham salad was rather bland and uninspired. (Sorry Dad!) It wasn’t until I was … Continue reading →

Layered Pork Chops with Potatoes and Onions

This is a great week night meal because it’s easy to prepare and simmers on the stove for quite awhile. Not quite as good as throwing it in the oven, but the simmering will yield meat that’s super tender. The layered parmesan adds complexity and just plain good taste to the dish. Yukon gold potatoes are especially known for their buttery flavor. Add a salad or some green vegetables and you essentially have dinner made! I’ve also discovered that once fully cooked, this dish makes a great freezer meal to pull out later for homemade t.v. dinners. You will need: … Continue reading →

Pepsi Makes Meat Taste Better?

I don’t know what it is about adding cola to a marinade that makes the meat turn out better. I had recently discovered this trick when I started making my mother in law’s pot roast and adding cola to the liquid instead of water. Maybe I’m just biased towards Pepsi. But if you try it, you won’t regret it. (And my kids favorite part about when mom buy soda to marinade the meat is then there’s some left over for everyone to have a rare treat.) Since I’ve started doing adding Pepsi to my beef cuts in the crock pot, … Continue reading →

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

This delicious fall/winter dish combines sweet and salty for a fantastic flavor. Marinating is optional, but it yields a more tender finished product. I originally found this recipe online and altered it to include marinade and to increase the amount of sauce. (Otherwise my kids would’ve fought over the sauce.) Despite the many steps this is a great week night dish as the meat and sauce cook quickly. We especially like this paired with acorn squash and some home made bread with honey butter. You will need: 4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup apple … Continue reading →

Sweet Barbecue Pork Chops in the Crock Pot

Barbecue sauce seems to me to be a personal issue. There’s a dozen different ways to make it and each barbecue chef is convinced that his way is the right way. For our family, I make our barbecue sauce a little sweet with extra brown sugar to appeal to the taste buds of my kids. If you prefer a more savory sauce cut down on the brown sugar a little. And of course if you want more ‘kick’ to your sauce, add more chili powder, and a whole onion, finely chopped. It’s important to note that the “sauce” really is … Continue reading →

Mouth watering breaded pork chops

I have to admit, it’s been way too long since I’ve dived into a juicy pork chop. When I saw this recipe today, I just had to share it. It’s simple but absolutely divine. Serve this recipe with a simple salad (spinach and cherry tomato would be lovely) and a big loaf of crusty bread. What more could you possibly need? For this recipe you’ll need: 1-cup vegetable oil (less if you’re using a smaller pan) 2 (½ pound each) pork chops 1 egg ¼ tsp. dried oregano Salt Pepper ½ tsp Dijon mustard To make this recipe: Heat the … Continue reading →

North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

I will be the first to admit that I am a bit of a barbecue snob. When you are raised in Memphis, home of the world’s best barbecue, it is hard to move other places and enjoy their barbecue. Different areas of the country have very different ideas on what exactly to barbecue (pork or beef) and how to barbecue it. I’ve been disappointed with barbecue I’ve had everywhere outside of Memphis with the exception of North Carolina. It is pork (which is important to me – Memphis barbecue is always pork). For this recipe, you will need a pork … Continue reading →

Orange Pork Roast

Orange Pork Roast If you don’t have a crockpot you could easily make this in your oven. INGREDIENTS: 4 lb pork shoulder roast, trimmed 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 1 can frozen orange juice concentrate 1/4 cup honey 1/8 tsp ground cloves 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg DIRECTIONS: 1. Season roast with salt and pepper and place in the crockpot. 2. In a small bowl, combine orange juice concentrate, honey, cloves and nutmeg, then pour over pork. 3. Cover and cook on high 2 hours; reduce heat to low and cook another 6 hours. Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 8 hours … Continue reading →

Old West Pork Chops

Old West Pork Chops Great dish to freeze and just pop in the oven. INGREDIENTS: 6 medium pork chops, trimmed of fat 1 large onion, sliced thickly 3 tbs chili powder 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped 1 cup rice, uncooked 8 oz tomato sauce 1 1/2 cup water 2 tsp salt DIRECTIONS: 1. Brown pork chops in vegetable stock. Remove and refrigerate. Brown onion slices on both sides. 2. Remove and refrigerate. Cook chili powder for 2 minutes then add remaining ingredients. 3. Pour into casserole. Put pork chops on top of rice and put a slice of onion … Continue reading →

Maple Spareribs

Maple Spareribs To die for rib recipe. Everyone will be asking for this one! INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups maple syrup 2 tbs chili sauce 2 tbs cider vinegar 1 1/2 tbs chopped onion 1 tsp salt 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp dry mustard 1/8 tsp pepper 3 lbs spareribs, cut into pieces DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 350. 2. Combine maple syrup with all ingredients except meat. 3. Brush sauce on both sides of ribs. Place ribs in single layer on rack in roasting pan. 4. Roast 1 1/2 hours. Brush frequently with sauce, turning occasionally to glaze. Prep: … Continue reading →