SLow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork

Ok this is a huge favorite around here. It is a slow cooker meal that takes about 5 minutes to prep then you get to forget about it for the next 8 hours



For those of you not from the south, we take our BBQ very seriously. My family is originally from Charleston, SC. Where I grew up our BBQ sauce is a mustard, vinegar, sugar, and various spices. This comes from a large German population that settled in the area. In Germany, pork and mustard are like PB&J here. Eastern North Carolina however, is a more vinegar based sauce with black pepper and hot chili pepper flakes. Their sauce has little to no sugar in it. Lastly there is Western North Carolina. Theirs is a more vinegar and tomato based sauce.

My favorite sauce is something of a mix between the Charleston mustard based sauce I grew up with and the vinegar based sauce I came to enjoy since my husband has been stationed on the coast of NC. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Ingredients

FOR THE pork:




• 2 yellow onions, quartered
• 5 lbs pork shoulder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp liquid smoke

FOR THE sauce:

• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1  1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
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utensils you will need:

• slow cooker
• cutting board
• cutting knife
• small mixing bowl
• 2 forks 
• large bowl for cooked pork

Directions

FOR THE PORK:

1. Throw 2 quartered yellow onions in bottom of slow cooker
2. Place pork shoulder on top of onions
3. Blend brown sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper.
4. Rub over roast                                                            
5. Drizzle liquid smoke over roast
6. Mix remaining ingredients together in small mixing bowl. 
7. Pour 1/4 of the mixture over the roast.           
8. Cover and refrigerate remaining mixture for later use
9. Slow cook roast on low for 8-10 hours                   
10. When timer goes off, remove pork from slow cooker **the meat will literally be falling apart so will not come out in one piece.                                    
11. Shred pork into bite size chunks. This can be accomplished by hand or with 2 forks. Be sure to remove any excess fat as you go. Nothing worse than biting into a large chunk of fat. Ewww.
12. Discard onions in crockpot but reserve about a cup of the juice to add to remaining refrigerated vinegar mixture.                                                        
13. Serve alone or as sandwiches with vinegar mixture to top per your individual taste. 
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Oven Baked Beef Tacos

I am not a particular fan of ground beef. However it is CHEAP! lol That means this momma WILL find a way to make some yummy dishes on a budget.

Oven baked tacos is my answer to the question, "what can I make tonight that is easy and quick?" Who doesn't love tacos, right? I used low sodium black beans in my tacos tonight but have also used refried beans as well as pinto beans with equal success. I also added some cayenne (to taste) and a can of diced green chilies. I don't always do so but was in the mood for a little heat. So pick you favorite and have fun!

This recipe takes about 30-45 minutes from start to your plate and makes about 25 tacos. The oldest in my family eat 3-5 tacos each and the youngest eat 1-2 each. So at most you can feed 25 toddlers or at least 5 teenagers/grown men. Plan accordingly :)

Ingredients

FOR THE tacos:




• 2 lbs Ground beef 
• 2 oz Taco seasoning
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 cup Mexican cheese blend
• 2 Boxes of taco shells
• Cayenne Pepper to taste **optional**
• 1 can diced green chilies **optional**




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utenSils you will need:




• 9x13 baking dish
• smaller baking dish (mine was @6x4)
• frying pan
• slotted spoon 




Directions

FOR THE TACOS:

1. Preheat oven to 400                                                
2. Cook ground beef in frying pan. I used 90/10 ground beef. Due to the low fat content, I did use about a table spoon of vegetable oil to keep the meat from sticking to the pan. If you are using the more standard 80/20 then you can skip the oil.  
3. Once meat is browned, add the tomato sauce, beans, and taco seasoning. If you like a little heat then add some cayenne and or green chilies at this time too. Remember to add about a teaspoon of cayenne at a time, stir, and taste before adding more.  
4. Open box of tacos and sit as many as you can in your 9x13 baking dish
5. Using slotted spoon, spoon up one spoonful (not over full) of beef mixture and shake a little to remove excess liquid.                                        
6. Spoon mixture into taco shell being careful not to overfill. It will simply all fall out when you go to eat it. 
7. Keep filling taco shells and carefully stuffing more filled shells in the casserole dishes.








1. Top with cheese                                                        
2. Place in the middle of the center rack of the oven and bake for 13 - 15 minutes
3. Tacos are PIPING hot! Give them about 5 minutes to rest before removing from dish. 

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Meatball subs

Homemade meatball subs are my favorite lunch time treat!! They are super simple and take about 25 minutes to make from start to finish.

Ingredients

FOR THE Subs:




• 1 jar Marinara or Spaghetti sauce
• 1 pack frozen Italian meatballs
• 2 cups Mozarella cheese
• Pack of sub rolls
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Utesils you will need:

• Medium pot
• Baking dish or stoneware
• Tongs
• Stirring spoon
• Steak knife 







Directions

FOR THE SUBS:




1. Pour jar of marinara in medium pot and turn burner to medium heat
2. Add frozen meatballs to sauce. About 6 meatballs per sub. 
3. Preheat oven to 350                                                    
4. Stir sauce frequently to keep from burning to the bottom of the pot
5. Once sauce is boiling good the meatballs should be defrosted and cooked through. 
6. The rolls do not normally come pre cut so you will need to cut it open like a hot dog bun. 
7. Spoon up your meatballs into the bread keeping the sauce to a minimum. I love the sauce on there but too much will leave you with soggy bread 
8. Top the subs with as little or as much cheese as you like. I like a LOT of cheese lol
9. Place in baking dish and bake on center rack for 10 minutes
10. When timer goes off the buns will be lightly toasted and the cheese nice and melts but we want browned cheese                                                     
11. Turn on the broiler and broil until the cheese is nice and brown. This won't take but 2 minutes so stay close. 
12. Once done, remove baking dish from oven, use tongs to plate.
13. Enjoy!!

Southern Fried Catfish

My kids and I LOVE seafood of all kinds! Catfish is a particular favorite in our house though because it is fried I try not too have it too often. Catfish is also a muddy fish that can have a strong odor and taste is not cleaned well that is a big turn off to some. If you aren't a big fan of catfish then you may want to try some other substitutes like Swai (bigger fillets for less money).

Of course fresh fish is best but not always practical for a family. I buy all my meats and proteins at the beginning of the month and freeze them. In order to defrost fish the packages will generally tell you to place in the fridge. That works great if you have a few hours.  I put my fish in the sink with the stopper in and turn the water on tepid (Luke warm). You don't want the water to be too warm/hot or else you will start cooking the fish. Inside 15 minutes your fish will be defrosted and ready to start cooking.

Whether pan seared, deep fried, or baked cooking fish is a fairly simple and fast process. Fish takes minimal time to defrost and cook. Here is my favorite way to pan fry catfish.

Ingredients

FOR THE Fish:

• Catfish filets
• 1/2 box of Zatarans fish fry seasoning mix
• Salt
• Pepper
• Old Bay
• 1-2 cups vegetable oil 
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Utensils you will need:

• Frying pan
• Tongs
• Cutting board
• Shallow bowl/ Tupperware for cornmeal mix
• Plate 
• Tea towel/paper towels

Directions

FOR THE Fish:

1. Pour about an inch to an inch and half of vegetable oil in frying pan and turn to medium heat 
2. Open defrosted fish and run under tepid water to rinse that fishy smell/taste
3. Pat dry with paper towel/tea towel
4. Place on cutting board 
5. Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper and one side with old bay seasoning. This part isn't so much measured amounts but rather until fish is lightly coated with seasoning
6. You don't want to bread the fish until it's ready to fry. So first, test the oil to make sure it is hot enough to fry. Easiest way is to run a couple fingers under the water real quick and flick the water on your fingers into the oil. If the oil bubbles and pops, it's ready. If no reaction then wait a bit longer. If the oil isn't hot enough then the fish will simply soak up the oil and won't get crisp. 
7. Once oil is ready dredge the fish through Zatarans cornmeal seasoning until lightly but thoroughly coated on both sides                                                                                      
8. Immediately place fish in hot oil. Don't drop it in but rather holding onto one end gently place the other end in the oil. Let the fish gently drop into pan to avoid splatter.
9. Repeat the breading process until your crying pan is full without being so crowded that flipping the fish will be difficult. 
10. Once the last fish has been placed in the pan. set the oven timer to 4 minutes so you don't loose track of time. Fish cooks really fast. Over cooked fish is like sawdust. 
11. While your first batch of fish is frying get your second batch ready (rinse, pat dry, and season)
12. After 4 minutes use your tongs and check to see if it underside is a nice golden brown.
13. If it's nice and brown then go ahead and flip. If not cook for an additional minute or 2.
14. Once brown, using tongs, flip and cook second side for an equal amount of time. Remembering to set your timer!!                                                  
15. Once fish is cooked, remove with tongs and place on plate covered in paper towels or a tea towel to drain excess grease. 
16. Repeat with subsequent batches of fish.          

Tips:

• After your first batch is done and resting, take a fork and test the center. If it is cooked all the way through then it will be white and flaky. 
• If it is still mushy on the inside and the outside is a nice dark brown then your oil is likely too hot. Turn the burner down a hair and cook your fish for a minute longer on each side.