#2,788: Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches

Sometimes it's hard to make chicken in the crockpot if you are going to be gone ALL day because it doesn't need as much time to cook all the way through.  This is a great recipe you can make on the weekend (or even after work if you cook it on high) and reheat it the next day for dinner.  We ate these on toasted Hawaiian rolls with some cheese (as you can sort of tell from the picture), but you could eat this over rice or cauliflower rice as well!  If you do eat this as a sandwich, I strongly suggest toasting your rolls or getting crusty bread because the sauce on this chicken soaks into the bread a bit and can make your rolls a bit soggy if not toasted.  

My kids loved this recipe and we've already eaten it twice already.  I'm sure this will be part of our regular rotation.  

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c. chopped onion

2 c. pineapple juice

1/2 c. brown sugar *edited from the original recipe, which called for 1 cup

3/4 c. ketchup

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

4 garlic cloves minced

1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. ginger

Combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and spices in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated, then set aside.

Place chicken in slow cooker and add diced onion.  Pour pineapple juice mixture over the chicken to cover completely.  Cook on low heat 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. 

*If sauce is not as thick as you'd like it to be, you can prop open the lid and let some additional liquid evaporate before shredding and serving.

Shred chicken and then add it back to the sauce. 
See note above on how to serve this.

#2,675: Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Mmmmm.....look at how good that sandwich looks!  The only thing missing from this sandwich was more cheese.  LOL  You probably should put cheese on both sides of the bread AND maybe some on top of the meat too.  But I only put cheese on half of the bread to make it just a tiny bit healthier.  This recipe was super, super easy.  The hardest part (which wasn't hard at all) was cutting the meat into small strips.  After that, I threw this into my Instant Pot in 5 minutes!  

My family (including my mom and sister) loved this recipe!  The meat was so tender and I wasn't sure I was going to like the peppers but as soft as they were, they were still so good.  Everyone but Matthew was a big fan, and even he at least ate the meat (who doesn't want/like the bread part of a sandwich!?).

This is a huge keeper recipe and I will definitely be making this again...soon.

The original recipe I found said to put this in the instant pot for 40 minutes...yeah I knew that was too long for the steak to cook, so I decided to take a chance and cook it for 23 minutes.  After the 23 minutes I did a natural release for 10 minutes.  It was perfect!  

2 sliced green peppers

1 sliced onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 - 2½ lbs. thinly sliced steak (I used sirloin steak cut into thin strips against the grain)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix

1 cup beef broth

6 slices of provolone cheese, sliced in half

6 hoagie rolls

Add the vegetables, steak, seasonings and beef broth to the instant pot.  

Seal and cook on high pressure for 23 minutes.  Allow the instant pot to depressurize naturally for 10 minutes. Then release the steam manually the rest of the way.

In the meantime, slice the hoagie rolls open and place on a baking sheet. Top each with with two slice cheese halves.

Broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly.

Top each roll with the meat and veggies. You can also used the juices in the pot with the meat to dip the sandwiches in if desired. 

#2,047: Pizza Sliders

My family likes any form of "pizza" and I have been really enjoying Hawaiian roll sandwiches, so when I found this recipe which combines them both, I was very happy!  This filling was enough for us to have this for two dinners, so that made it even better!  (I got 9 sandwiches the first night, and made 12 the 2nd night).  You could easily adapt this to the flavors that you like the best (adding in some chopped veggies or pepperoni!), but my crew prefers just sausage and cheese.

1 package dinner rolls (we used Hawaiian rolls)Small package pepperoni slices (I omitted)

1 lb bulk pork sausage, cooked (I also added some sauteed onions)
1/4 cup tomato sauce (We used a jar of pizza sauce)

About 1 cup of shredded mozzarella (we used thin sliced mozzarella squares)
1/4 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoons oregano
I also added a few shakes of garlic powder

Preheat oven to 325F. Slice the sheet of rolls across the middle, resulting in a top layer and bottom layer of 12 connected rolls.

If using sausage, cook it first then mix with the pizza sauce. 

Apply a layer of pizza sauce to the bottom half of the bread. Top with a generous handful of cheese to encourage the pepperoni (or other toppings) to stay in place. Cover with a layer of pepperoni. Place the remaining mozzarella cheese in an even layer over top of the pepperoni and top with the top of the sandwich rolls.(I did a layer of the meat mixture since the sauce was already mixed into it, then topped it with cheese)

Melt the butter in the microwave, heating for 20 seconds and then stirring to dissolve any milk solids. Add the oregano and garlic powder. Pour or brush it on the top of the bread.

Bake the pizza sliders for about 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and heated through.  If the rolls start to brown too much before the meat is hot and the cheese is melted, cover with foil and continue cooking.  Cut and serve.

#2,033: Breakfast Sliders

Ok, this seriously may be my new favorite (current) meal!  My mom makes a similar version of these sandwiches for parties that are called "Hammies" or "Turkeys" (depending on the type of deli meat she uses).  I've never had them for breakfast with eggs though before.  I figured I'd give this recipe a try, and 2 of my kids (not surprisingly) wouldn't even try them.  However, my oldest (and most willing to try a food) LOVED these.  I made just a few for dinner last night, and I'll be making more again for lunch for the two of us today.  They are SO good! 

1 pkg (12 count) Hawaiian Rolls

8 - 10 eggs (depending on how much egg you want on your sliders)

6 large slices provolone cheese (thin slices)

sliced ham (at least 6 large, thin slices)

¼ cup butter (melted)

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

1 Tbsp brown sugar

Scramble up your eggs however you like to do them. (I cook them in some melted butter, with salt, pepper, and a bit of milk). 

While the eggs scramble, cut the entire package of rolls in half, separating a top and bottom layer.  

Place the bottom sheet of rolls in a pan and top with a thin layer of provolone cheese.  Top with cooked, scrambled eggs, a layer of ham slices, and then another layer of cheese, if desired.  Add the top layer of Hawaiian rolls.

(If making ahead of time, stop at this point, and refrigerate until ready to bake).  

In a small bowl, combine melted butter, mustard and brown sugar. Stir until well combined, and the sugar is at least mostly dissolved.  Using a pastry brush, coat the tops of the rolls with the mustard/sugar mixture. 

Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes (until cheese gets nice and melt-y).  Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes before cutting into individual sandwiches.  

#1,812: Lasagna Bread

I was honestly not sure my family would totally enjoy this recipe, but they proved me wrong (once again) and went ga-ga for it!  Honestly, this is super good.  I was a little nervous about the ricotta mixture making this too soggy, but it didn't.  I also only made half of a loaf initially, and had to make the other half because my family was eating this so quickly.  That is a very good sign!  I would (and will) definitely make this again for my group. 

1 large loaf of French bread 

olive oil

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste (I omitted)

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley

6 oz fresh mozzarella

fresh basil, torn (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Add in the onion and garlic and cook for a minute or two. Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, thyme, and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Stir together, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolk and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside. 

Heat oven to 375F. Cut French bread in half lengthwise. Pull out some of the bread from the center of each half, creating a well for the meat mixture.  Place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven until lightly toasted, just a few minutes.

Spread the ricotta mixture over the toasted bread. Top with the meat mixture, then a layer of fresh mozzarella. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15-18 minutes. Top with fresh basil, if desired.

#1,753: Sloppy Moussakas

I know this isn't the greatest photo but my family was hungry and I just had to get it on the table...family wins out over a better photo.  :)

This recipe was also supposed to be made using a homemade cheese sauce/roux type sauce, but 1. I knew my family probably wouldn't like it and 2. Using cheese slices was SOOOOOOO much easier and faster.  So that's what I did.  My family loved this recipe.  I loved the different flavor with the seasonings used in this recipe, and the cheese and crusty bread gave it a great texture combination.  I would definitely make this recipe again.  

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 pound ground lamb or beef (I used ground turkey)

Salt and pepper

About 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 onion, finely chopped

2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken or beef stock

I omitted these ingredients because it was used for the cheese sauce.  Instead I used thinly sliced provolone.
2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

Freshly grated nutmeg

A small handful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

4 ciabatta or other rolls, split and toasted (I toasted mine after filling with the meat mixture)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, over medium-high heat. Add the lamb or beef and cook, crumbling the meat, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Add the onion, garlic, crushed red pepper and oregano, and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute then stir in the stock and simmer over low heat until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

I omitted this: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook until thickened slightly; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the cheese.

To serve, spoon the meat mixture onto the rolls. Top with the cheese sauce (I topped with the provolone).  I also placed mine in the oven for about 10 minutes to melt the cheese and crisp up the bread a bit.  

#1,721: French Toast Roll-Ups

Well my kids went crazy for this recipe!  I had to cut them off after four each!  Of course they couldn't make my time in the kitchen simple by all eating/wanting the same filling for their roll-up, but each kid likes a different sandwich filling: Allison-peanut butter; Chloe-grape jelly; Matthew-Nutella.  I tried a bite of each of theirs and although I liked the jelly one the least (I don't love jelly though) they were all very good!  I made this with texas toast and with whole wheat bread and that came down to personal preference.  2 kids and I liked it better with the texas toast; 1 kid prefered the whole wheat sandwich bread.  To each his own!  I plan on making this for my niece and nephew this coming weekend as well...I think it's going to be a big hit!  

8 slices white sandwich bread (I used whole wheat and texas toast)

peanut butter, jelly, cream cheese, dulce de leche, cajeta or nutella (personal choice)

2 eggs

3 tablespoons milk

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon

butter, for greasing the pan

maple syrup, for serving (It doesn't need it!  I omitted)

Trim the crust from the bread and flatten it out with a rolling pin.

Place about a teaspoon or 2 of your chosen filling an inch from one end of the bread spread out in a strip. Roll the bread up and repeat until they're all filled.

In a shallow bowl whisk the eggs and milk until well combined.

In a separate bowl mix the sugar with the cinnamon.

In a skillet set over medium heat melt a tablespoon of butter.  Add the rolls to the egg turning to coat on all sides then place them in the pan seam side down. Cook in batches until golden brown, turning them to cook and brown on all sides. Add butter to the pan as needed.

Add the hot rolls from the pan to the cinnamon sugar and roll until completely covered in sugar.  Serve with maple syrup for dunking.

#1,703: Asian Chicken Salad

So this recipe was supposed to be wrapped up in a thinly sliced piece of cucumber, but I don't love cucumber that much to take my time to make it that way.  The closest I would have gotten was to eat it in a raw bell pepper or lettuce leaf.  But I was in a mood for a sandwich, so I pulled out some pieces of Ezekiel bread from my freezer and toasted it up.  This is DELICIOUS!  I ate it for dinner two nights in a row and I will most likely make a batch of it again tomorrow for lunch.  Love, love, love!

For the Ginger Marmalade Dressing:

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

3 Tbsp sweet chili sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp soy sauce

4 Tbsp orange marmalade (I used the juice of 1 orange)

2 tsp fresh ginger

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp lime juice

½ tsp kosher salt

For the Chopped Asian Chicken Salad:

1 cup diced yellow or red bell pepper

1 cup carrot, diced

1 cup red cabbage, diced (I omitted)

6 medium green onion, thinly sliced, white and green parts (I used red onion)

2 cups diced rotisserie chicken breast (I used canned chicken)

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

¼ cup sesame seeds

½ cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped (I omitted)

For the Ginger-Marmalade Dressing:

Combine all dressing ingredients in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously until well combined. Set aside.

For the Chopped Asian Chicken Salad:

Combine all salad ingredients, except peanuts, in a large bowl and stir to combine.

Drizzle with ½ cup of the dressing and toss to coat veggies and chicken with the dressing.

Transfer to a serving platter or divide between 4 dinner-size plates. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and pass extra dressing at the table.

#1,698: Shredded BBQ Beef Sandwiches (Crockpot meal)

This recipe was easy, quick and the flavor was overall good, but I didn't love the texture of the roast.  So I'm thinking I maybe got the wrong cut of meat!  I don't think this one was as good of a cut for shredding.  And, after being in my crockpot for 10 hours one day, I ended up putting most of it back in the crockpot and cooked it on high for another 3 hours to help tenderize it even more.  

I did really like the flavor of the sauce though, so I'd love to try this with cooked ground beef or turkey and use more like a sloppy joe sauce.  I should probably put that on my January menu...

1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 4 pounds)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke, optional
24 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, split

Cut roast in half; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with onion. Combine the next eight ingredients; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until the meat is tender.

Remove roast and cool slightly; shred meat with two forks. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Return meat to slow cooker; heat through. Using a slotted spoon, place 1/3 cup meat mixture on each roll. Yield: 24 servings.

#1,695: Slider-Style Mini Burgers

I really wasn't sure my non-mayo loving family would like this recipe (especially since I made it wrong!!), but they loved it!  Shocked.  I may not have read the directions well and mixed the ground beef (turkey), onion soup mix, cheese and mayo BEFORE I ground the meat.  So it was this big mushy mixture.  But I figured I'd try cooking it to see what would happen.  I ended up adding a little more mayo and cheese since most of it cooked out.  Turned out great!

PS: Look at the amounts below..it says it serves 24!  But I halved this recipe and only got 8 sandwiches out of it.  

2 pounds ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) envelope onion soup mix
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used mozzarella)
24 dinner rolls, split (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup sliced pickles (optional, I omitted)

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Mix together the ground beef and onion soup mix in a large skillet; cook and stir over medium-high heat until the beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease. Remove from heat. Stir the mayonnaise and Cheddar cheese into the ground beef mixture.

Lay the bottoms of the dinner rolls on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cheese and beef mixture on the bottom half of each roll. Replace the tops. Cover with another sheet of aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake in the preheated oven until the burgers are heated through and cheese melts, about 30 minutes. Serve with sliced pickles.

#1,675: BBQ Brisket

I found this recipe at Taste of Home and shockingly was the first time I ever made a brisket.  The kids didn't totally love this recipe, but Brian did.  I liked it, but don't like how stringy this got ad personally needed to chop it up even more (beyond shredding it).  The flavor was good though, it was just the texture I didn't love  This tasted best on some lightly toasted bread for the texture. 

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 fresh beef brisket (3 to 4 pounds)

3 tablespoons liquid smoke, optional

1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

1 bottle (18 ounces) barbecue sauce

12 sandwich rolls, split

Combine the celery salt, garlic powder and onion powder; rub over brisket. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine liquid smoke if desired and hot pepper sauce; pour over brisket. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove beef and cool slightly. Discard all but 1/2 cup cooking juices; whisk barbecue sauce into cooking juices. Shred meat with two forks; return to slow cooker and mix well. Heat through. Serve about 1/3 cup meat mixture on each roll. Yield: 12 servings.

#1,664: Italian drip beef

My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe!  It was SOOO good.  The kids had mixed reviews, but the general consensus was that it was too spicy and I only used a little bit of the pepperoncinis and juice (about 1/4 of the jar IF that).  So for my family I will cut back on that even more, or maybe not add the juice, just the pepperoncinis.  But this was great!  I did not sear the roast, and just dumped everything into my crockpot.  One less pot to clean up and a way easier way to make this!

One 4-pound chuck roast

Salt and black pepper

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

One 16-ounce jar pepperoncini, juice and all

2 yellow onions, sliced

10 to 12 toasted, buttered deli rolls

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and the canola oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Sear both sides of the chuck roast until very browned, about 5 minutes in all. Pour in the beef broth and 1 cup water. Add the rosemary, and then pour in the pepperoncini with their juices. Now cover the pot and simmer until the meat is tender and falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add the onions and saute until light golden brown. Set aside.

Remove the roast from the pot and shred the meat completely using two forks. Return the meat to the cooking liquid and keep warm.

To serve, slice wedges out of the tops of the deli rolls. Heap a generous portion of meat on each roll, and then spoon some of the cooking liquid over the meat. Top with a few peppers from the pot and plenty of caramelized onions. 

#1,608: Cheater's Cheesesteak Sandwiches

This is one of my worst pictures of a recipe, but my family was literally almost done eating their dinner before I realized I missed this photo op/recipe.  Chloe was the last one to take a bite so I could only get a picture of her half sandwich!  I added some steak seasoning for more flavor and I think it definitely needed it.  It made the steak so much more flavorful!  The picture does not do this sandwich justice...it was really, really good.  

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup sliced onion
1/2 pound ribeye steak, thinly sliced against the grain
1 pound cremini mushrooms, chopped (I omitted)
I also added about 1 tsp of steak seasoning
4 4-inch whole-grain Italian rolls, split
2 ounces sharp provolone, shredded

Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high; add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion begins to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the steak; cook, stirring often, until browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the steak and onion to a plate. 

Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the steak to the skillet and season with salt and pepper; stir until heated through, about 1 minute.

Place the rolls on a baking sheet. Divide the steak mixture evenly among the rolls. Top with the cheese and broil until melted, about 2 minutes.

#1,517: Stuffed French Bread

I was a little nervous about this recipe, but my family LOVED it.  It was SOOOOO simple to make and I got it on the table in a little under 30 minutes.  Love quick meals.  This would also be a great thing to partially make ahead of time (the meat mixture/filling anyways) and then just warm up the meat, place in the bread and bake when ready to eat/come home from work.  This is definitely going on the make again list!

1 loaf French bread

1 pound lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)

2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery (I omitted)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used light cream of celery)

2 Tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 Tablespoon chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350° F. Slice the French bread in half, lengthwise, so you have two equal pieces. Scoop out the bread in the center of each piece. Place bread in a large bowl and tear into small chunks. Set the two halves of French bread onto a large baking sheet. Set aside.

Brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Drain any grease. Add the celery and garlic to skillet. Cook a few minutes until celery is tender. Next, add soup, milk and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook mixture until heated; another 5 minutes or so.

Add the beef mixture to the bread in the large bowl. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into the center of one half of the French bread. Spread out evenly. Top the mixture with the shredded cheese. Top with the other half of bread.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving. 

#1,451: Hearty Italian Sandwiches

I'm kind of surprised that this recipe got mixed reviews from my family...and I'm more surprised by who liked it and who didn't!  I expected my husband to balk at these because of the addition of the peppers (I only used one and I diced it fine, so it was basically mush) and I figured Matthew (age 2) wouldn't eat this at all.  I also thought Allison (age 7) would love this.  However, Allison did NOT enjoy these, and Brian and Matthew did!  Who knew!  I can't predict with this group.  I tried hard not to eat these but kept sneaking bites off the kids plates (the ones who didn't like it didn't care!).  I thought it was great and we will be eating these again next month since we had leftovers.  (Sorry kids who didn't enjoy it!)

This is a recipe you might want to have cooking in the crockpot when you are home!  It does not say to add water to this, but it was really drying out, so I added about 3/4 of a cup or so to mine about 2 hours in.

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1-1/2 pounds Mild Italian Sausage Links (casings removed)

2 large onions, sliced

2 large green peppers, sliced (I omitted)

2 large sweet red peppers, sliced (I diced)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

I also added some minced garlic and a few shakes of Italian seasoning

8 sandwich rolls, split

Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, optional (I used mozzarella)

In a Dutch oven, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Place a third of the onions and peppers in a 5-qt. slow cooker; top with half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers; top with remaining vegetables. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and pepper flakes.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. With a slotted spoon, serve about 1 cup of meat and vegetables on each roll. Top with cheese if desired. I put mine open faced in the oven and toasted the bread and let them cheese melt!  Yum.  

#1,276: Pizza Burger

My family absolutely loved these pizza burgers.  They were so simple to make and really require very minimal ingredients, and most you probably already have on hand.  I ended up eating mine on top of shredded kale and cabbage and more like a salad.  I think we will be eating these again very soon!  

1 lb. lean ground turkey or ground beef

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher or sea salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
6 Whole Wheat Buns

Cook ground turkey, onion and garlic in a large skillet, breaking up meat with a fork up as it cooks.

Drain ground turkey thoroughly and add remaining ingredients, mix well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Serve on toasted 100% whole wheat buns or small rolls.

Update 01/18: I made these again, and this time we toasted our rolls and added some mozzarella to it prior to toasting (so it got all melty).  I liked this version even more (tastes more like "pizza" that way too. 

#1,230: Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This truly was a super, super easy pulled pork recipe that my family enjoyed not only once, but for leftovers as well.  This makes a ton of meat.  I only used HALF of the pork I had gotten and we still got 2 meals out of it for our family.  Big thumbs up from this crew. 

2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (also known as pork butt)
2 cups barbecue sauce (optional) (We DID use BBQ sauce)

Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and return the solids to the slow cooker. Set the strained liquid aside.

If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce, if using, and mix to combine. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed.

#1,207: Tuna Salad with Artichoke Hearts and White Beans

I love when I rip a recipe out of a magazine to make later, and then realize I have all of the ingredients on hand to make it right away.  Those are the best recipes!  With tomorrow being a Friday in Lent, I was looking for a tuna recipe when I stumbled upon this recipe in my recent issue of Cooking Club.  If you do not subscribe to this magazine you really should consider doing so.  I pull out SO many recipes to save/bookmark each time.  This time, I pulled out a ton of recipes that will be on my Easter menu (if my family will let me host!). 

The recipe below was supposed to be eaten as a salad, but I really love tuna on bread, so I ate mine on gluten free bread instead.  AND since I love tuna with pickle relish and peas, I added that to the recipe.  The picture at right is the original recipe except with butter beans used instead of cannellini. And I used a lot more tuna to bean/artichoke ratio.  The tuna salad was very good and I definitely enjoyed it as is, but then you can see from the photo below that I added pickle relish and peas.  Now it was even better!!  I seriously had to stop myself from eating more than one sandwich because I was enjoying it so much. 
 

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (15- to 19-oz.) can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed (I used 3/4 of a can)
1 (14-oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained (I used about 3 artichoke hearts)
1 (5-oz.) can solid white tuna in water, drained (I used a 12 oz can)
1 cup chopped unpeeled seedless cucumber (I omitted but will add in next time)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
4 large leaves Boston lettuce  (I omitted)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (I omitted)

 Whisk vinegar and oil in large bowl; toss with beans, artichokes, tuna, cucumber, onion and oregano.

 I skipped this step and ate on bread instead: Arrange lettuce on platter. Top with bean mixture; garnish with tomatoes.