Printable Recipe

1 4-6 lb ham
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup maple flavored syrup
1 T. mustard

Mix it together and spoon it over your ham, the last 1/2 hour of cooking.

1 pork tenderloin
3-5 potatoes, depending on size
2-3 carrots or a couple of handful of baby carrots
1 onion
3-5 garlic cloves

Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning. Brown the tenderloin on all sides.  I used some bacon fat which is what the original recipe called for, but you could certainly use oil.

Transfer the browned pork to your crock pot and deglaze pan with a cup of water or stock.  Using stock would add more flavor. Pour liquid over pork.

Peel and chop the potatoes and carrots.  Chop the onions.  Peel the garlic. Spread the veggies over the pork and add enough liquid to almost cover the vegetables.

Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.

When finished, transfer meat and veggies to a platter.  Pour the liquid into a pan and bring to boil to make gravy.  I make gravy by blending a tablesoon or so of cornstarch into a 1/2 cup cold water and adding it to the boiling mixture.  Let simmer for several minutes and serve.

Holly's Note:
I had a pork tenderloin in my freezer that needed to be eaten.  So, I found the original recipe at How to Cook Like Your Grandmother and like everything I do, I modified it.  I used our favorite all-purpose seasoning in addition to salt and pepper and we still thought this was a little bland.  I'm thinking of adding some chopped apple to it as well, because apples and pork go so well together.

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin
6-8 carrots
16-20 new potatoes, cut in half
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 T. olive oil
2 t. rosemary
1 t. sage

Place pork and vegetables in a greased pan. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with herbs and some pepper.

Bake at 450 for 30-40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165.

Biscuits and Gravy is one of my most favorite breakfasts, and certainly the one I order the most when eating out.  I wanted to try making it myself.

Biscuits

I didn't want a full recipe of biscuits, so I fudged one of my own.  There are tons out there and Bisquick or refrigerated work too...

1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder (probably use 1 t. next time)
1 T cold butter
1/8 tsp. salt
about 1/2 cup milk

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add milk, stirring until soft dough is formed, if it's sticky add a little more four. Turn out on slightly floured board and lightly knead it until it's smooth enough to shape.  About 30-45 seconds.

Roll about 1/2 inch thick and cut with 2 inch floured biscuit cutter or a glass dipped in flour (which is what I do). Bake on an ungreased sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 12-15 minutes. This made about 4 biscuits.  They were pretty flat, so I think I'd add a bit more baking powder next time, but they were tasty.

Sausage Gravy

1 pound bulk sausage
A couple of tablespoons of flour
Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

I'm sorry that this isn't a specific recipe.  There are tons out there.

I molded the sausage into a roll and sliced off about 4 or 5 rounds.  After I fried them up, I set them aside, crumbled up the rest of the sausage and cooked it. Remove the sausage from the pan and add some flour to the drippings to make a roux.  You want it smooth, so add a little flour at a time.  You probably need about a tablespoon or 2.  Whisk it around and let it get nice and brown.

Add some milk, probably about a 1/2-3/4 cup, and stir.  If it's still a bit dry, add some more milk.  Whisk it all together and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.  Add the crumbled sausage back into the pan and stir some more.

Let it simmer, stirring occasionally.  It will thicken up.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Some people like to add a little sage.  Mine got a bit thick.  Next time, I would add more milk, so it was creamier.

Serve over biscuits, with a sausage patty on the side.

Printable Recipe


3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2-3 T butter
6 cups cubed peeled potatoes
4 cups water
3 cups milk
4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules or 4 bouillon cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 T cornstarch
1/4 cup water
3-4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 pound cooked ham, diced
1 can corn, drained

In a large sauce pot, saute onion and celery in butter for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Stir in 3 cups milk, bouillon, salt and pepper. Add ham.  Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add cheese, stir until melted.

Serves 6-8

Holly's Notes:
I found the original recipe at Taste of Home and modified it like I do all my recipes!  It's delicious and even better in bread bowls.  It also keeps well in a crock pot.

Printed Recipe
Serves 4

1 lb ground sausage
3 slices bacon, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 packet stuffing mix or about 1 cup crushed croutons, or 1 cup bread crumbs, which you can then season to your taste (If I use bread crumbs, I season them with sage and poultry seasoning)
1 egg, beaten
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Open the puff pastry to form an oblong about 10" by 8", if it isn't already oblong shaped. When unfolded, there should be three distinct sections.

Mix the sausage, bacon, onion, and stuffing mix together with about 3/4 of the beaten egg to bind.

Spread the sausage mixture down the center of the pastry, leaving about 1 to 1/2 inch at each end. Cut diagonal strips, about 1" wide down the length of each side of the pastry (see diagram below). Plait the strips across the sausage mixture, sealing well. (A little water will seal the pastry edges together.) Glaze with the remaining egg.

Place on a baking tray and bake at 375 for about 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

Holly's Note:
This is one of my husband's favorite meals from his British childhood. My father-in-law wrote out recipes for me. This one included the hand-drawn diagram for cutting the puff pastry. I always called it a Sausage Plait, but my husband calls it Armadillo Pie!

And before you ask, it's like a meatloaf, you don't cook the sausage ahead of time.

Printable Recipe
Serves 4

4 pork chops (I use bone-in)
1 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. pepper
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 t. hickory-flavored liquid smoke

In a bowl, combine the garlic powder, pepper, ketchup, brown sugar and liquid smoke. Pour some sauce into the bottom of your crock pot. Place the pork chops in the crock pot and cover with the remaining sauce.

Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with baked potatoes.

Holly's Note:
I went searching for a BBQ pork chop recipe and found several variations of this recipe. I didn't brown the chops in oil first, nor did I add extra salt. The chops were fall-off-the-bone tender. The sauce is really good and not too strong. It would be very easy to spice it up to your own tastes though. The liquid smoke is essential, do not omit it! I think this would be a good, versatile BBQ sauce for beef or chicken too. The sauce is awesome on baked potatoes.

Do you ever need a really good, really easy side dish? This one is about as easy as they come.

Rice Pilaf.

It's easy and versatile. You can use beef or chicken broth and bouillon, depending on the main course. It simmers on the stove top and is simply delicious. Pair it with a Roast Chicken for the perfect complement.

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs
1 t. parsley
1 t. thyme
1 t. season-all or additional seasonings of your choice
4 bone-in pork loin chops
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. oil or butter for browning
2 T. butter
2 T. all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
2 T. cornstarch, mixed in 1/4 cup cold water, optional
Additional beef bouillon to taste

Whisk egg and milk together. Combine the bread crumbs, parsley and thyme in another shallow bowl. Sprinkle pork chops with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Dip chops in egg mixture, then crumb mixture.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook pork chops in oil for ~2-4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Transfer to an ungreased baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for about 10-15 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.

In the same skillet, melt butter. Stir in flour and remaining salt and pepper until smooth; gradually stir in broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the cornstarch/water mixture if necessary. Add additional bouillon or other seasonings to taste. Serve gravy with pork chops and mashed potatoes.

Holly's Note:
I found the original recipe at Taste of Home. I modified it significantly, mainly because the original recipe called for a milk gravy made with whipping cream and it wasn't as good as a broth-based gravy. I also only had dried herbs, so I played with the measurements there too.

Do you ever need a quick and easy recipe that can simmer in your crock pot all day?

Here it is: BBQ Pork Chops.

This one take 5 minutes to put together and makes your house smell divine. Serve it with a baked potato and you will think you've died and gone to heaven! It's good for summer time cooking, but it's wonderful for fall and winter. True comfort food!

Serves 4

1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
1 T dried rubbed sage
1 t grated lemon peel
2 large eggs
1/4 cup flour
4 bone-in center-cut pork loin chops (each about 1 inch thick)
2 T (1/4 stick) butter
2 T olive oil
Lemon wedges (optional)
Orange wedges (optional)
Preheat oven to 425°F.


Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, sage and lemon peel in pie dish. Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend. Place flour on plate; season generously with salt and pepper. Coat pork chops on both sides with flour; shake off excess. Dip chops into eggs, then coat on both sides with breadcrumb mixture.

Melt butter with oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet with pork to oven. Bake until pork chops are crisp on the outside and meat thermometer inserted into pork registers 150°F, about 20 minutes.
Transfer pork chops to plates. Garnish with lemon wedges and orange wedges, if desired, and serve.

Holly's Note:
This is another Epicurious recipe. I thought it was way over-rated. The crust was too thick and quite flavorless. I won't make it again. If you make it and like it, let me know. Serve it with Roasted Sweet Potatoes.