Kahlua Pork and Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie

KAHLUA PORK IN A SLOW COOKER

1-6 pound boneless pork butt

1 1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt

1 tablespoon hickory liquid smoke

1. Pierce pork all over with a carving fork. Rub salt then liquid smoke all over meat. Place roast in a slow cooker. 2. Cover, and cook on Low for 16 to 20 hours, turning once during cooking time. 3. Remove meat from slow cooker, and shred. 4. Serve.

This pork is so easy. I served it with a pineapple-marshmallow-mandarin orange salad, a green salad, rice, Rhodes rolls and maple butter. 

CRUNCHY CARAMEL APPLE PIE

Serves: 10

Pastry for a single deep-dish pie shell

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 peeled and thinly sliced applesauce (I use half sweet apples and half tart apples)

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats

3/4 cup cold butter

3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1.    Prepare pastry for a deep-dish single-crust pie. (In a hurry use a refrigerated pie crust such as Pillsbury) 2. Place in deep dish pie plate and trim and crimp the edge. 3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the 1 cup sugar, 6 Tablespoons flour, cinnamon and salt. 4. Add peeled apple slices and gently toss until they are well coated. 5. Transfer mixture to pie shell, pile high and push down a bit. 6. For Crumb Topping: Stir together brown sugar, 3/4 cup flour and oats. 7. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until topping resembles coarse crumbs. 8. Sprinkle over apple mixture and press down, covering the apples completely. 9. Place cookie sheet under pie to prevent dripping and Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes until golden and bubbly. 10. Remove from oven. 11. Drizzle generously with caramel topping and sprinkle with chopped pecans. 12. Cool on a wire rack and serve. 13. Add vanilla ice cream on the side, if desired.

  

Shared by Julie

Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken

2.5 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)

Salt and pepper

1 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

4 tablespoons diced onion

4 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoon canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water

Sesame seeds

Season both sides of chicken lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce.

Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened.

Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

Shared by Brenna

Four Recipes: Broiled Tilapia Parmesan, Fajitas, Yummy and Easy Granola, Crock-pot Black Bean Taco Soup

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
Ingredients
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 T Olive Oil
1-2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
4 tilapia fillets

Directions
Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook the fish.

I served this with rice pilaf and a fresh green salad. So yummy! - Brighten

Steak (Or Chicken) Fajitas
Ingredients
3/4 lb top sirloin steaks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 flour tortillas ( 8 inch/20 cm)
1 -2 onions depending on size ( however much you like, enough to make a good mix with the peppers)
2 small sweet peppers ( green, red, or yellow)

Directions
Slice steak/chicken into thin strips.
In bowl, mix together 1 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, cumin, hot pepper flakes, black pepper & salt.
Add beef strips and stir to coat, set aside.
Wrap tortillas in foil and place in 350° oven for 5-10 minutes or until heated through.
Cut onions in half lengthwise and slice into strips, cut your peppers into strips.
In large non stick skillet over medium high heat, heat remaining tablespoons of olive oil.
Add onions & peppers stirring for 3-4 minutes, until softened; transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Add beef to skillet, cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes or until they lose their red color.
Return onions and peppers to skillet; stir for about one minute.
To serve, spoon a portion of the beef mixture down the centre of each tortilla, top with your desired toppings , fold bottom of tortilla up over filling, fold the sides in, overlapping.

Top with salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, guacamole, etc. We even ate this on a bed of lettuce the next day. Enjoy! - Brighten

Yummy & Easy Granola
3 cups Minute Oatmeal
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup cashews
¾ cup shredded sweet coconut
¼ cup plus 2 TB brown sugar (Or less if you want it healthier.)
¼ cup plus 2 TB maple syrup (I use honey)
¼ cup vegetable oil (Or less)
¾ tsp salt
1 cup Raisins (I add craisins too)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.
Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

*This recipe is very versatile. I prefer pecans over cashews. I also add the berries 15-20 minutes before it’s finished because I like how they plump up. This is awesome with milk especially right out of the oven and ice cream. Yogurt is great too. It’s crumbly so it’s not so great as a snack by itself. Enjoy! - Brighten

Crock-pot Black Bean Taco Soup
1 lb ground beef; browned and drained (Shredded Chicken is also a favorite!)
1 can small red beans; not drained
1 can black beans; not drained
1 can white corn; not drained
1 small onion diced (I use minced dried onions)
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 pkg Taco Seasoning
28 oz can crushed tomatoes, not drained

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low 4-6 hours. Can top with grated mozzarella cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, tortilla chips.

I serve with rolls and salad. Sometimes I put it on top of lettuce for a taco salad. It’s an easy go-to meal and one of our family favorites. Hope you enjoy! – Brighten

Chile-Chicken Tacos and Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Chile-Chicken Tacos
1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 pkg (1.25 oz) taco seasoning mix
1 TBSP packed brown sugar
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles, undrained
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
taco shells

Optional ingredients:
sliced green onions
Shredded lettuce
chopped tomato

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Add chicken thighs. Sprinkle with taco seasoning mix and brown sugar, toss to coat. Mix in green chiles, corn and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Refrigerate remaining sauce for later if desired.

Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours.

Use 2 forks to pull apart chicken into shreds or chunks. If desired, stir in green onions and cook for 15 more minutes. Serve in taco shells with tomatoes and lettuce. My kids like to add shredded cheese. Drizzle on warmed enchilada sauce if desired.

We either eat these alone or serve with some sort of rice and beans. It isn't one of those meals that we put a lot of time into. It is perfect for those nights that you have a lot going on and only have 5 minutes to eat some dinner.

Note- These Tacos are actually only 320 calories per serving (2 tacos = serving).


Here is a fun dessert that is incredibly delicious for those cupcake lovers!

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
For the cupcakes...
5.5 oz cake flour
5.5 oz super fine sugar
6 oz unsalted butter, softened
3 large lightly beaten eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder

For the Lemon Filling...
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
3 Tablespoons lemon juice

For the Meringue Topping...
3 egg whites
3 oz caster sugar (super fine sugar...just use regular sugar and grind it a bit)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 12 paper cupcake liners in muffin tins. Place butter and sugar into bowl and crème with electric mixer until the butter changes color (about 2 minutes). Add in lightly beaten eggs to the mix a little at a time, beating on slow for 15 seconds between each addition.

Add vanilla then sift in flour and baking powder. Mix for another minute. Spoon batter into the cupcake liners until they are 2/3 full and place in the middle rack of oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove and let sit for a few minutes before removing from the muffin tins. Place on wire rack to cool.

To make the filling, mixed the condensed milk with lemon juice in small bowl. Cut a small hole in the center of each cupcake and dig out with spoon. Discard the center and fill hole with the mixture.

For the meringue, use an electric mixer and beat egg whites and cream of tartar until they form soft peaks, then beat in the sugar gradually. Load the meringue into a piping bag and pipe the top of the cupcakes.

Place the cupcakes back into the oven at 450 degrees and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown (keep your eye on it) Let cool a few minutes before serving! YUM!

Submitted by Jodi

Cranberry Chicken (Crockpot)

5 or 6 frozen chicken breasts
1 can of whole cranberry sauce
3/4 regular salad dressing bottle of French or Catalina

Put all ingredients in crockput and let cook for about 4 hours. Shred with fork while it is still in crockpot and serve over white rice.

Submitted by Brenna: Super easy to make and yummy!

Crockpot Cookin'

Crockpot Pork Chops
Pork chops (thicker cut are better)
2 cans Chicken Gumbo Soup

Put in Crockpot on low for 5-6 hours
Submitted by Anne-Marie

Salsa chicken (so easy and tasty)
1 16 oz. jar of salsa, any brand
4 frozen chicken breasts

Place chicken breasts in Crockpot. Pour salsa over the top. Cook on low 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
Serve with flour tortillas and cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream.
Submitted by Ie Mei

Italian Chicken with Vegetables
4-6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
8 oz. Fat Free Italian Dressing
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
4-5 Potatoes (cubed and pealed)

Pour some of the Italian dressing in the bottom of the crock-pot. Place the chicken in the crock-pot. Sprinkle with half of the parmesan cheese and half of the Italian seasoning. Pour potatoes on top of chicken. Add remaining dressing, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add baby carrots if you'd like more vegetable.
Submitted by Taunya

Beef Stew
2 lbs stew meat
4-5 potatoes, cubed
4-5 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 Tblsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tblsp instant tapioca
3 cups V-8 juice

Place all ingredients in slow cooker, keeping onions near the bottom so they'll cook. Cook on low 8-10 hours or High 4-5 hours.
Submitted by Gwen

Crockpot Chicken Alfredo
2-4 chicken breasts
1 cube (1/2 c) butter
1 pkg Good Seasonings Italian Dressing (dry mix)
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup

Cook chicken breasts, butter and dressing mix in slow cooker 3-4 hours on low. Remove chicken and cut into bite-size pieces. Add cream cheese, soup and 1/2 soup can of water to slow cooker. Whisk out lumps. Return chicken to Crockpot and heat until hot. Serve over cooked linguine or fettuccine noodles.
Submitted by Gwen

Cream Cheese Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cube butter/margarine, melted
1 pkg Italian seasoning mix
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese
1 (10 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

Cube chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in Crockpot. Add about 1 tablespoon water to the Italian seasonings mix and pour over chicken; pour melted butter over chicken as well and mix. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add cream cheese and soup; cook on high until cheese is melted. Serve over rice or pasta.
Submitted by Alison

Adrie’s Chocolate Mess
1 chocolate cake mix
1 (3 oz) pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
2 c sour cream
1 c water
¾ c oil
1 c chocolate chips

Spray a 4 quart Crockpot with non-stick spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and pudding mix. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the water, then add the sour cream and oil and beat until smooth. Add to the dry ingredients and beat well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into Crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until top springs back when touched very lightly with finger.
Submitted by Alison

All-purpose Beef
I wanted to just cook a roast with zero to minimal seasoning so I could freeze portions then pull it out to use for various items. When I pull it out of the freezer I warm it up and add the seasonings then, like bbq sauce for sloppy joes or taco seasoning for beef quesadillas.

Ingredients:
Beef Pot Roast
Broth
Salt & Pepper
Onion (optional)

Place roast in crock pot and add a little broth (beef, chicken, whatever), salt & pepper, and onions (optional). Cook your roast on low for 10-13 hours. Drain all fluids, pull apart meat and place on cookie sheet to cool. Place desired portions in freezer bags and place in the freezer.

Submitted by Alisha

Pulled Pork Sandwiches
1 center cut pork roast (can be strait from freezer)
1 cup any kind BBQ sauce
Half of onion chopped finely
1 can of Coke (can use most any kind of soda)

Mix all ingredients in crockpot then add roast. Cook on low for 8 hours. Or cook on high for 4. Pull pork apart the last hour with two forks. Serve on roll with any kind of cheese.

Submitted by Lyndsey