Taco Pork Chops

 Ingredients:
*4 bone-in pork chops (1/4" to 1/2" thick)
*1 taco seasoning packet
*1/2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
*1/2 Tablespoon canola oil

Directions:
1.  Place pork chops on a plate.  Sprinkle half of the taco seasoning on 1 side of the pork chops.  Use your fingers to press the seasoning down into the pork chops.  Flip over.  Do the same with the remaining seasoning on the other sides.

2.  In a large skillet heat butter and canola oil over high heat until very hot.  Place the pork chops in the skillet.  Let them sizzle for about 20 seconds.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Cook for about 4 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the middle.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

This is the Pioneer Woman's scalloped potatoes and ham.  I added more ham to my recipe and added time to the baking.  I also leave out the parsley that she calls for and use lower fat ingredients.  It makes a great main dish because of the extra added ham.  We like to eat this with roasted rosemary acorn squash.  It's a great fall dish.

Ingredients:
*cooking spray
*3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
*2 Tablespoons butter
*1 yellow onion, diced
*5 cups cubed ham (pre-cooked--I find this in the meat section)
*1 1/2 cups fat free half and half
*1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
*1/4 cup flour
*ground black pepper
*1 cup grated 2% cheddar cheese
*1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a deep, large baking dish with cooking spray (including the sides).

2.  Heat butter in a large skillet.  Add the onions and saute for several minutes until transparent.  Add the ham and cook for 4 minutes until hot.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

3.  In a microwave-safe container, combine the half and half and heavy whipping cream.  Microwave on high for 1 minute or until it's no longer cold.  Whisk in the flour and ground black pepper to taste.  Set aside.

4.  Slice potatoes using a mandoline.  (I use Pampered Chef's mandoline which used to be called the ultimate slice and grate.  It makes this step so easy and fast.)  The potatoes should be very thin--about 1/8 inch thick. 

5.  Mix the two cheeses together in a large bowl.  Layer 1/3 of the potatoes on the bottom of the baking dish.  Top with 1/3 of the onion/ham mixture.  Top with 1/3 of the cheese.  Top with 1/3 of the cream mixture.  Repeat this 2 more times.

6.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 30-45 more minutes, until bubbly and hot all the way through.

BLT Wraps on Wheat Tortillas

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
* 8 wheat tortillas (I use the freshly baked wheat tortillas from the HEB bakery.  They have the texture of home made flour tortillas)
*4 Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
*Romaine lettuce leaves
*1 package of bacon
*cooking spray
*salt
*black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.  Line the bacon on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake for 20 minutes or until crispy.  Remove from oven.  Use tongs to transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towel.  Baking bacon will give you crispy bacon every single time without the fuss of the bacon grease splattering everywhere.

Wrap tortillas up into a paper towel making sure all sides are sealed.  Microwave for 20 seconds or until warm.

To assemble:  Place a couple slices of bacon on a tortilla, top with lettuce and tomato wedges (use half a tomato per tortilla).  Sprinkle the tomato slices with salt and pepper.  Roll up.

Crock Pot Ranch Pork Chops With New Potatoes

This is from one of my mom's slow cooker cookbooks.  I adapted it a little bit.

Makes 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients:
*cooking spray
*6 - 8 boneless, skinless pork loin chops (3/4" thick)
*1 packet (1.3 oz.) dry Ranch salad dressing mix
*1/2 teaspoon black pepper
*2 cans (10.5 oz. each) new potatoes, drained, the big ones quartered, and the medium ones halved
*1 can (10 oz.) Campbell's French onion soup
*1/8 cup water

Directions:
Spray a crock pot with cooking spray.  Place pork chops on the bottom of the crock pot.

Sprinkle pork chops with half the black pepper and half the Ranch seasoning.  Flip pork chops.  Sprinkle with the rest of the black pepper and Ranch seasoning.

Place potatoes around and on top of pork chops.  Pour French onion soup and water over potatoes and pork chops.

Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.

*Note:  I serve this with steamed veggies.

Pulled Pork

 This is the same recipe that my husband uses for brisket.  We made this in the form of pulled pork sandwiches one year for the Sr. High Mission trip, and the kids were licking their fingers at the end and asking for more.

Ingredients:
*1 whole pork shoulder
*1/4 cup black pepper
*1/4 cup paprika
*1/4 cup turbinado sugar (also called "sugar in the raw")
*2 Tablespoons salt
*2 teaspoons dry mustard
*1 teaspoon cayenne
*1/4 cup hot water
*KC Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce (it's a dark, sweet sauce and not that vinegary, which is great with this recipe)

Directions:
To make the dry rub, mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except for the pork.  Rub the pork all over with the dry rub.  Put the pork in the refrigerator overnight to marinade.

The next day, preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  Put the pork on a broiler pan with some water on the bottom part (underneath the metal tray that the pork sits on).  Bake for 7-8 hours until the temperature is between 195 and 200 degrees.  Remove from oven, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Place the meat in a very large bowl.  Using two forks, pull the pork into pieces.  Pour 1/4 cup hot water over the meat and stir.  Cover with foil, and put in the oven on warm until ready to serve.

Serve with BBQ sauce on the side or with buns and BBQ sauce to make pulled pork sandwiches.

Whole Grain English Muffin Pizzas

My mother-in-law introduced me to these years ago.  My husband grew up eating these little pizzas.  They are so delicious!  English muffins are naturally low in fat, which is an added bonus.

Makes 12 pizzas








Ingredients:

*1 package whole grain English muffins
(usually 6 per package), spit in two
*1 jar pizza sauce
*12 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
*pepperoni slices

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spoon pizza sauce on each muffin.  Spread out.  Top with cheese and then with four pepperonis each.  Over lap the edges of the pepperonis so that you can put a toothpick in the center of the muffin to keep the pepperonis from sliding off the cheese in the oven.

Bake 12 minutes on 425.  Turn the oven to broil.  Bake 2 more minutes or until the pepperoni starts to curl and is crisp.

Pork Chop Casserole

This is another recipe from one of my mom's cookbooks.  It's from Taste of Home's Mom's Best Meals.  The original recipe called for normal chicken broth and 1 teaspoon of salt, but it was too salty.  We loved everything else about it, though.  Below is my adapted version to bring down the saltiness to a normal level.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
*3/4 cup all-purpose flour
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon black pepper
*6-7 boneless pork chops (3/4" to 1" thick)
*2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
*1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of mushroom soup (98% fat-free)
*2/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
*1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
*1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
*1/2 cup fat-free or light sour cream, divided
*1 can (2.8 oz.) french-fried onions, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Rinse pork chops.  Pat dry.

In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper.  Dredge pork chops.  Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Cook pork chops just long enough to get browned on both sides.  Place pork chops in a single layer in a 13" x 9" baking dish.  Set aside.

In a bowl, combine soup, broth, ginger, rosemary, and 1/2 cup sour cream.  Pour over chops.  Sprinkle with half of the french-fried onions.

Cover and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.  Top with remaining onions.  Return to the oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

Ham, Egg, and Cheese Croissants

My husband loves to cook, especially breakfast.  It's his favorite meal.  Sometimes on Saturdays he will cook a big brunch for the family.

Makes 8 croissants

Ingredients:
*1 can reduced-fat crescent rolls
*1 Tablespoon canola oil
*1 pkg. Canadian bacon (6 pieces)
*5 eggs
*dash of black pepper
*1/4 cup non-fat milk
*cooking spray
*2% shredded cheddar cheese (2-3 teaspoons per croissant)

Directions:
Preheat oven following package directions on crescent roll can.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add the oil.  Coat pan well.

Add Canadian bacon and fry for 10 minutes, stirring and turning occasionally.  Use a splatter guard to prevent grease from popping.

Meanwhile, crack eggs in a small bowl.  Add milk and black pepper.  Whisk.  Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add egg mixture and scramble until done. 

To assemble croissants, separate dough into triangles.  Cut each Canadian bacon piece into thirds.  Use 2/3 per croissant, placing on the wider part of the triangle.  Top with scrambled eggs, dividing evenly among the crescent rolls.  Top with cheese.  Mush down.  Roll up carefully, stuffing back in whatever falls out the ends.  Place on a cookie sheet.  Bake according to package directions.

Mr. Roark's Jambalaya

I grew up in a little Texas town near the Gulf of Mexico and near the Louisiana border where there is a lot of Cajun influence in the cooking.  This jambalaya recipe is the real deal.  A family friend named Mr. Roark at the church I grew up in created this recipe.  He grew up in Louisiana.  It is so good that my husband and I asked him to make it for our rehearsal dinner for our wedding.  We have friends that still talk about that jambalaya, and it's been 10 years ago!  He is known for this recipe all throughout my home town.

Below are two recipes:  one for beef and sausage jambalaya and one for shrimp or crawfish jambalaya.

BEEF AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA (Pictured Above):
Makes 8 cups

Ingredients:
*1 1/2 - 2 lbs. ground beef
*1 lb. Hilshire Beef* Sausage Links, sliced into circles & then halved
*1 teaspoon steak seasoning (I used Adam's)
*1 stick unsalted butter
*1 can beef broth
*1 large yellow onion, chopped
*1 green bell pepper, chopped
*1 bunch green onions, chopped
*3 ribs celery, chopped
*water (1 1/2 cans full using the empty beef broth can)
*2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
*2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning
*white rice, uncooked (1 1/2 cans full using the empty beef broth can)

Directions:
In a skillet brown ground beef and sausage until ground beef is no longer pink.  (The sausage is already fully cooked, but the juices rendered flavors the ground beef.)  Do not overcook the ground beef since it will cook more with the other ingredients.  Drain.  Set aside.

In a large stock pot, melt butter.  Pour in beef broth.  Add ground beef, sausage, and vegetables.  Fill the beef broth can 1 and 1/2 times with rice.  Pour into the pot.  Fill the beef broth can again 1 and 1/2 times with water.  Add to the pot.  Add Worcestershire sauce.  Add Cajun seasoning.  Stir well.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the bottom does not burn.

*Note:  I used Hilshire Turkey Sausage in this photo to cut down on fat, and it was delicious.

SHRIMP OR CRAWFISH JAMBALAYA (Pictured above):
Makes 8 cups

Ingredients:
*1 1/2 - 2 lbs. raw peeled and deveined shrimp or crawfish tails
*1 teaspoon steak seasoning (I used Adam's)
*1 stick unsalted butter
*1 can chicken broth
*1 large yellow onion, diced
*1 green bell pepper, diced
*3 ribs celery, diced
*water (1 1/2 cans full using the empty chicken broth can)
*2 Tablespoons soy sauce
*2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning
*white rice, uncooked (1 1/2 cans full using the empty chicken broth can)

Directions:
In a large stock pot, melt butter.  Pour in chicken broth.  Add raw shrimp or crawfish and vegetables.  Fill the chicken broth can 1 and 1/2 times with rice.  Pour into the pot.  Fill the chicken broth can again 1 and 1/2 times with water.  Add to the pot.  Add soy sauce.  Add Cajun seasoning.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the rice doesn't burn on the bottom.

Jalepeno Apricot Pork Tenderloin

This is one of my favorite pork tenderloin recipes, which is weird since I'm not a big apricot fan.  We had an extra pork tenderloin in the freezer from a buy one get one free sale a few months ago when I made this.  This recipe is from Taste of Home: Comfort Food Diet Cookbook.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
*2 teaspoons olive oil
*1 garlic clove, minced
*1 teaspoon dried oregano
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
*1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
*1 pork tenderloin

Glaze:
*1 cup apricot preserves
*3 Tablespoon lime juice
*3 Tablespoon jalapeno pepper, seeded, and diced
*3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
*3/8 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, 1/2 tsp. cumin, and coriander.  Seal bag and turn to coat.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.  Drain and discard marinade.

Preheat oven to 400.  In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients.  Set aside.

I usually cut up the pork tenderloin into chunks, but this is not necessary.  Put the pork in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 15 minutes.

Spoon the glaze over the pork.  Bake 15 minutes longer, or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing so the sauce can thicken.

Breakfast Tacos

Breakfast tacos for breakfast or dinner is always a good idea!  These are the breakfast tacos we make on mission trip every year also.

Makes 8 tacos

Ingredients:
*4 baking potatoes, scrubbed, skin on,
and chopped into cubes
*1 large yellow onion, chopped
*at least 6 Tablespoons
margarine
*10 slices thick-cut
bacon (2 1/2 slices per person)
*cooking spray
*1 lb. lean, low-fat, pork sausage
*8 eggs (2 per person)
*salt
*black pepper
*1/4 cup fat-free milk
*8 flour tortillas (2 per person) (at home
we use HEB fresh baked wheat tortillas
from the tortilla bakery)
*shredded 2% cheddar cheese
*salsa

Directions:
Prepare home fries.  This is my husband's specialty.  I have tried to make these before, and because I have to stir the potatoes instead of flipping the potatoes in the pan, they end up mushy. They still taste great, but they're not as crisp as when my husband does it.  To make home fries:  Heat 3 Tablespoons of margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Heat the other 3 Tablespoons of margarine in another large skillet.  (Using two skillets will help keep the potatoes crispier.)  Once the margarine is melted and hot, add the potatoes.  Cook until a little over half-way done, stirring the potatoes frequently by flipping them in the pan.  Add more margarine or a little water if the potatoes start to stick.  You want them to be a little brown, though.  Add the onions.  Continue flipping and cooking until the potatoes are cooked through and the onions are browned.  Keep warm.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400.  Spray a large cookie sheet with shallow sides with cooking spray.  Place the bacon on the cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  (Cooking bacon this way will give you just as crispy bacon as frying it in the pan, if not better.  It's less messy also.)  Place the cooked bacon on a plate lined with paper towel to help get the grease off.

Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat.  Drain.  Place on a plate lined with paper towel.  Place a paper towel on top.  Dab to get the extra grease out.  Keep warm. 

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl.  Add a couple dashes of salt and black pepper.  Pour in milk.  Whisk.  Scramble eggs in a skillet on medium heat, stirring continuously once they start to cook.

Warm flour tortillas in the microwave by wrapping them tightly on all sides with paper towel to retain moisture.  Heat for 15-20 seconds.   Or wrap tightly in foil, and heat in the oven on 350 until warmed through.

To assemble tacos, place cheese, eggs, sausage, bacon, home fries, and salsa in a flour tortilla.

Allegro Pork Chops

I had Allegro for the first time at my Aunt Kathy's house when she served fajitas over Thanksgiving weekend.  I thought they were the best fajitas I have ever had.  Her daughter, my cousin Kristen, told me that I could cook pork chops that way as well.  She and I came up with this recipe together one weekend when she was visiting.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:
*4-6 boneless pork chops
*Chop seasoning
*Allegro marinade
*2 yellow onion, sliced into strings

Directions:
Two hours before cooking, sprinkle both sides of all pork chops liberally with seasoning.  Place in a tightly closed zip lock bag, and let sit in the refrigerator for two hours marinating.  Place sliced onions in a seperate zip lock bag.  Pour about 2 Tablespoons Allegro seasoning into the bag.  Let all the air out of the bag, close the bag, and shake so that all the onions are covered in the Allegro liquid marinade.  Let sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Two hours later, preheat the oven to 350 F.  Heat an oven safe skillet on high.  Once hot, pour the onions with the marinade into the pan.  Saute until tender, stirring frequently--several minutes.  Push the onions to the sides of the skillet, and pour about 2 more Tablespoons of Allegro into the skillet.  Add the pork chops, browning them on each side about 1 minute on high.

Cover the pork chops with the onions.  Place an oven-safe lid on the skillet.  Bake on 350 F for 20 minutes.

Bacon, Caesar, and Mozzarella Panini

This is a recipe out of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Prize Winning Recipes, Collector's Edition, Volume 2 magazine, but I changed some things in the ingredient section to better suit our taste.

Servings:  4 sandwiches

Ingredients:
*1 can refrigerated pizza crust (regular or thin crust--it doesn't matter)
*4 teaspoons store bought basil pesto
*about 1/4 cup Cardini's Light Caesar dressing
*8 oz. container of water-packed fresh mozzarella cheese, drained, and sliced (most containers come with 4 hunks--use 1 hunk sliced up per sandwich)
*black pepper
*14 slices bacon
*2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
*16 fresh basil leaves (must be fresh)
*1/4 cup margarine, divided
*cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.  Spray a large metal cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Arrange bacon in a single layer on the cookie sheet.  Bake 20 minutes.  Remove bacon from cookie sheet, and place on a plate lined with paper towel.  Cover bacon with paper towel to remove excess grease.  Set aside.  Lower heat of oven to 375 F.

Unroll dough onto a large rectangular stoneware cookie sheet.  If using a metal cookie sheet, spray with cooking spray first.  Press the dough into a 16 x 11-inch rectangle, pulling dough gently as necessary.  Bake 9-16 minutes or until light brown.  Cool about 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

Cut the cooled pizza crust in half lengthwise.  Then cut in half crosswise to make 4 rectangles.  Cut each rectangle in half crosswise to total 8 rectangles.

On 4 slices, spread 1 teaspoon of pesto.  Set these aside.  On the remaining 4 slices, spread 3/4 Tablespoon Caesar dressing.  Place 1 hunk worth of mozzarella slices onto each Caesar slice.  Top each with a dash of black pepper and then 3 1/2 slices cooked bacon.  Cover each sandwich with tomato slices and 4 basil leaves.  Top with the pesto slices, pesto sides down.

Heat a grill pan or 12-inch skillet over medium heat until hot.  Use a grill pan if you want the grill marks.  Melt 2 Tablespoons of the margarine in the grill pan or skillet.  Place 2 sandwiches in the pan.  Place a smaller skillet or saucepan on the sandwiches while they cook to flatten them slightly.  Cook 1 minute on each side or until the bread is golden brown and crisp and the fillings are heated.  Remove from the pan.  Cover with foil to keep warm, and repeat with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of margarine with the other sandwiches.*

*Note--I only cooked 2 sandwiches at a time.  I baked the entire pizza crust, but I stored 4 slices in the refrigerator in a zip lock bag for when we had these sandwiches again later in the week.  I also only cooked half of the bacon because I wanted the bacon to be crisp for the next time.  I cut all the tomatoes and stored them in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator.  I did not cut all 4 hunks of mozzarella cheese.  I only cut 2--enough for 2 sandwiches.  The next time we had these sandwiches later in the week, I just had to cook the other half of the bacon, slice the remaining mozzarella cheese, assemble the sandwiches, and cook.

Serve with baked sweet potato fries (found in the freezer section).

Pizza Bubble Ring

This is a recipe out of Pillsbury Bake-Off Prize Winning Recipes, Collector's Edition, Volume 2 magazine.

Servings: 20

Ingredients:
*6-8 Tablespoons margarine, melted
*1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
*1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
*2 cans (12 oz. each) Pillsbury Grands! Jr. Golden Layers refrigerated flaky biscuits
*40 slices pepperoni or turkey pepperoni
(about 3 oz.)
*8 oz. mozzarella cheese slices (not shredded), cut into 20 pieces (I cut the slices into fourths, so I had just a few more than 20 pieces.  The more cheese the merrier.)
*1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
*1 1/4 cups pizza sauce, heated
* Ranch salad dressing (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray a bunt pan with cooking spray.  In a small bowl, mix the melted margarine, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.

Separate 1 can of dough into 10 biscuits.  Hold one biscuit in your hands, and use your fingers to press and stretch it out into about a 3-inch round.  Place 2 pepperoni slices in the center, one on top of the other.  Top each with a slice of mozzarella cheese.  Bring edges of dough up around the filling, and press the edges to seal.  Roll in the butter mixture, and place in the pan.  Repeat with all the rest of the biscuits in that can.  When you are finished with 1 can, it should look like this:

Sprinkle with half the Parmesan cheese.  Separate the other can of dough into 10 biscuits and repeat the above process.  Place them on top of the 1st layer.  Sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan cheese.  If there is any butter mixture left over, pour it on top.  When you are done with the 2nd can, it should look like this:

Bake 33 to 38 minutes or until deep golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes.  Gently loosen the bread from the side of the pan.  I used a butter knife.  It should loosen fairly easily.  Place a large plate upside down on top of the pan.  Holding the plate firmly onto the pan, flip the pan so that it is upside down, and the plate is now on the bottom facing up.  Remove the bread from the pan.

Pinch off pieces to serve.  Serve with warmed pizza sauce or cool Ranch salad dressing.  This goes great with a green salad.