Ham Barbecue

This is an easy, low-fat recipe that is great for potlucks - sliced deli ham in a tangy barbecue sauce. It's made in the crock pot, and only takes a handful of ingredients. It's also a nice change for lunch - the leftovers are delicious! Recipe was adapted from Taste of Home.

Here's what you need:

• 2 lbs. thinly sliced deli ham
• 1 c. water
• 1 c. ketchup
• 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar if you don't have it)
• 2 tsp. mustard
• kaiser rolls

Coat the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray. Place the ham slices inside it. In a bowl, combine the water, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and mustard.

Pour over the ham, and mix well to make sure all the ham slices are coated.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or high for 2 hours - or until heated through. Serve on toasted kaiser rolls. Serves 12.

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Pulled Pork BBQ with Cole Slaw

With the upcoming Super Bowl in mind, I'll be posting "Game Day" recipes all throughout this week! This pulled pork BBQ is a great one for Game Day (or any other gathering) because it's cooked in the crock pot and can be made in advance. The pork cooks up nice and tender, and the sauce is tangy and flavorful. I love the creamy cole slaw on top of the BBQ because it balances out the tang of the sauce perfectly. I know there are lots of versions of cole slaw out there. Where I live (in PA Dutch territory), this cole slaw is a popular one. It's sweet and creamy, and the recipes comes from one of my favorite cookbooks: From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens by Phyllis Pellman Good. The Pulled Pork recipe is my own.

Here's what you need:

• 3 to 3-1/2 lbs. of pork tenderloin - (I had 2 small ones in my freezer that equalled 2.5 lbs.)
• 1/2 c. ketchup
• 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. tomato paste
• 2 tbsp. smoked paprika (If you don't have it, regular paprika is fine.) 
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp. yellow mustard (If you don't have yellow, just use what you have.)
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1-1/4 tsp. pepper

Place the pork in a crock pot lightly coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together to make a sauce:

Pour the sauce over the pork. Cook on low 8 - 10 hours, or high for 3 to 5 hours (depending on your crock pot).  Remove pork, let rest for 15 minutes. Using 2 forks, pull the meat apart so it is in shreds:

If you have any animals in the house, they will be at your heals right about now : ) This is Tucker...staring me down for a piece of pork. (Yes, I gave in.)

So while you're shredding pork and shooing animals away, bring the sauce to a boil. Once your pork is completely shredded....

...add it back into the sauce. Keep warm in the crock pot.  It will keep in the fridge for several days, and it freezes well too.  This recipe should serve 10 - 12. Serve on hearty, toasted kaiser rolls with a side of creamy Cole Slaw.......

Creamy Cole Slaw

You need:

• 6 c. of shredded cabbage (I used a bag of pre-shredded cabbage with carrots mixed in.)
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. vinegar
• 1 tsp. mustard
• 1/2 tsp. celery salt

Blend the mayo, sugar, vinegar, mustard, and celery salt together.

Pour over the cabbage and mix well.

This recipe serves 12 to 14. (Note: The pictures show a half-recipe here because I just needed enough for my family - not a large crowd.)

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Parmesan Pork Roast

Happy New Year! I'm not a fan of the pork & sauerkraut dish that is traditionally eaten on New Year's Day in my area. So I opted for this meal instead. I love this recipe because it's so flavorful, it's VERY easy (made in the crockpot), and it looks beautiful. It's perfect to serve when you have guests. This recipe comes from an old Simple & Delicious (Taste of Home) magazine - March/April, 2010.

My only caveat about this recipe is that it can be easy to overcook pork in the slow-cooker. I've overcooked this roast more times than I care to admit. You get busy with making your side dishes or dessert, and you forget to check on it.  I highly suggest inserting a digital meat thermometer into the roast right from the start and watching it closely after a few hours of cooking. When it gets to 160 degrees, it's done. The upside to this recipe is that if you do accidently overcook it, you have lots of wonderful sauce to pour over it. It won't be perfect, but it will still be delicious, and probably no one will complain. : )

Here's what you need:

• 1 lovely, boneless whole pork loin roast as pictured above (approximately 4 lbs.)
• 2/3 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 Cup honey
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons dried basil
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 Cup cold water

Cut the roast in half or in thirds so it fits into your slow-cooker. Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray and transfer the roast pieces to it.  In a small bowl, combine the cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, and olive oil.......

Pour this deliciousness over the pork, cover, and cook on low for approximately 5-1/2 to 6 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Remove meat to a serving platter, cover with foil, let it rest and keep warm.

Meanwhile, strain the lumps from the cooking liquid and transfer to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Gradually add the wet cornstarch to the saucepan. Bring to a boil again; cook and stir for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice the roast, and serve with the sauce. It's perfect served with mashed potatoes and your favorite veggie.

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