Paleo Carnitas

I have always liked carnitas but never made them before. This was so delicious. Huge hit with the family. We had nachos, salad, so many options! And leftovers too!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork tenderloin
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 jalapeño chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Juice of one lime
• Juice of one navel orange

Pork Tenderloin Rub

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

To Serve

• olive oil

Instructions

1. Pat dry pork tenderloin with paper towels. Combine rub ingredients and rub all over tenderloin then place in your Crockpot.
2. Top with remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. When done, the meat will be cooked through and very tender, easily separated with a fork.
3. Remove the tenderloin from the Crockpot and shred the meat with two forks. Do not discard juices.

To Serve

1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add enough carnitas to cover the surface without crowding and ladle a little of the carnitas juice over. Cook until juice has evaporated and bottom of carnitas is crispy and browned. Flip and cook briefly, but not until too brown.
2. Remove from skillet and drizzle with a little more juice. Serve.

   
   

   Recipe:40aprons.con

Slow Cooker Pepper Jack Cauliflower

I will start by saying that I have tried lots of cauliflower recipes since January and typically the response is not favorable. Cauliflower is just a difficult vegetable for us, it seems. But this one....WOW! The kids loved it, my hubby went for seconds, and there were zero leftovers! I'm certain it was the cream cheese. That stuff is a miracle ingredient :) 

*And a note- I will most likely double this or 1 1/2 it next time if I want leftovers or to serve for a larger party.

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into 1 inch florets
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 ounces Pepper Jack, shredded
• 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Instructions

1. Grease the inside of a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.
2. Add the cauliflower, cream cheese, whipping cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Cook on low for 3 hours.
3. Add the Pepper Jack and stir to combine. Continue to cook another 30 minutes to an hour, until cauliflower is fork tender.
4. Add bacon crumbles and serve.

Recipe: https://asweetlife.org/slow-cooker-pepper-jack-cauliflower/

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

I'm always a sucker for a good slow cooker recipe, but what really drew me to this was the added garlic and lime juice.

Ingredients:

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts- cut in half
• 2 tbsp. taco seasoning
• 4 cloves garlic- diced
• 1 lime
• 1 can Rotel- drained

Add half the peppers and onions to your slow cooker. Layer the chicken and coat all sides with taco seasoning. Top with garlic, drained tomatoes, and lime juice from one lime.
Add the remaining peppers and onions, cover, and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
Remove chicken and cut/shred into slices. Return the sliced chicken tot the slow cooker to marinate in the juices for about 10 mins on LOW until ready to serve.
(If there is too much liquid, you can remove until there is a desired amount before serving.)

Serve with:
Tortillas, Cheese, Sour Cream, and Guacamole

Recipe: buzzfeedtasty.com

Mozzarella-Stuffed Slow Cooker Meatballs

This recipe came from one of those amazing videos off of Facebook. Before this, I had never "cooked" meatballs in the crockpot...only warmed them up, so I was a little hesitant to try it. I'm so glad I did because not only were they delicious, they were cooked perfectly and a huge hit with the family.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. Italian sausage (hot or mild depending on preference)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chopped parsley (I used 2 tbs. of dried instead)
1 block mozzarella cheese- cut into 3/4" cubes
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Roll golf ball sized balls with the meat mixture. Squish mozzarella cube into the center and pull the edges of the meatball around it until it's a new ball again.

Arrange meatballs in slow cooker and cover in spaghetti sauce.

Cook on high for 2 - 2.5 hours.

Recipe: buzzfeedtasty.com

Honey Sauced Chicken- Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound chicken (of your choice)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbs. chopped onion (or 1 tbs. onion flakes)
• 2 tbs. ketchup
• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Season both sides of chicken 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 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. Chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve over rice or noodles.

To bake chicken as a 30 minute meal:

Dice chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper, place in 8x8 pan. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

Serves 2.

Recipe from: Crock Pot Recipe Card Collection

Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 bag tater tots, frozen
• 1- 8 oz. carton sour cream
• 1- 8 oz. package cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 stick butter (or margarine)

Throw all ingredients into a crockpot and cook approximately 1 hour (on high heat) or until all ingredients are melted together. Stir together a few times while cooking.

recipe from Ricky Lalicker- Mason Elementary PTA Recipes to Remember 2001-2002

Pineapple Salsa Chicken (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients:

• 6 fresh or frozen chicken breasts
• 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained*
• 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, like Great Northern, rinsed and drained*
• 2 cups mild or medium salsa

*Note: this recipe is so adaptable. These beans can be substituted to your preference.

Tortillas or tortilla chips and garnishes, like sour cream, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.
Place the chicken in the crock pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Using tongs, remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred into bite-size pieces. Mix the chicken back in with the rest of the ingredients. The mixture will be fairly soupy – I like to drain off some of the excess liquid before serving, especially if we are eating it in tortillas, so it doesn’t make everything soggy. Serve with tortilla chips and garnishes, like tomatoes, cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc.
*Freezable Option: I freeze the leftovers in freezer-safe ziploc containers and either place the frozen portion in my crockpot for a few hours the day I want to serve it or thaw the night before in the refrigerator and reheat on low in a saucepan.
Serves: 6-8
recipe from www.melskitchencafe.com