Simplicity of Oven Roasted Pork and Chop Suey

I think one of the real benefits of pork (and chicken) is that they have very little flavor and can pull off just about any combination of seasonings and marinades that you throw on them. It's a major benefit if you cook the pork one day and use in leftovers later that week. That's precisely what I did with a pork roast earlier in the week and it worked out great.

Our barbecue was not hooked up for the holiday weekend so I made the pork roast in the oven on Monday. It was marinating for a couple days which is always helpful but not necessary if you don't have the time. I was a bit nervous when cooking the roast because I found a lot of contradictory information when searching for a guide on how long to cook that 4 pound roast.

One thing that is consistent that I'll share right off the bat. You need to cook pork to an internal temp of 170 but you take it out of the oven when it's about 165 because it continues to cook after you remove it from the oven. Pork is so lean these days that it has a real tendency to dry out if you aren't careful.

I ended up going the slow and easy route and just started early enough so I could cook as long as it needed. Not quite as slow as a crock pot but I allocated 3 hours on 325. It only needed 2 1/2 hours to reach 165 and then we let it set for another 15 minutes before carving.

You can really use any combination of ingredients that you like but I usually use at least one oil (or butter). Here's the scoop:

OVEN ROASTED 4 LB. PORK ROAST
Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours (then let stand 15 minutes)
Prep Time: 5 minutes

Marinade Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 T. lime juice

Rub Ingredients:
2 T.Italian Seasoning
1 T. Coarse Ground Salt
1 T. Coars Ground Pepper

Instructions: Cover the roast with the marinade and then rub with the rub ingredients. Let set for 1/2 hour to 2 days. Bake at 325 for about 2 1/2 hours (oven temps vary so just keep checking with a meat thermometer).

We ate leftovers the next day and then had an entirely different meal yesterday when we chopped up the remaining pork and added some La Choy chop suey vegetables. The pork chop suey was yummy and kept it interesting.

Here's that recipe in a nutshell:
- leftover pork chopped (I had about 1 lb. left)
- 2 cans Chop Suey Vegetables
- 1 can chicken broth
- 2 T. soy sauce

Heat them up in a pan and serve over rice. You can also add those crunchy things (from La choy on top)

Quick Crockpot Tip

This one's for you Lynda! You can convert any of my easy oven recipes to crock pot or crock pot recipes for oven using these simple conversion tips. Of course, all crocks cook a bit differently and so do all ovens so these are just approximate. Use whatever method works best with your timing that day.


Crock Pot to Crock Pot:
Crock pot for 8-10 on low is the same as on high for 3-4 hours.

Oven to Crock Pot:
350 for an hour is about the same as 6-8 hours on low
300 for 30 minutes is about the same as 3-4 hours on low

And you can always cook longer in a crock pot as long as you add plenty of liquid. So, if you've got the whole day, use the crock pot; just an hour or two, use the oven. Either way, throw together a few ingredients and you'll feel like your mom was there cooking for you today.

A 3 Ingredient Crock Pot Garlic Chicken Recipe
1 package boneless, skinless chicken
1 bottle ranch dressing
2 t. minced garlic

Thow in the crock pot and cook on low 8-10 hours. I usually rinse the ranch bottle half full with water and put the water into the crock pot too since my current one cooks on the hot side.

Whip up some 90 seconds Uncle Bens rice (the pilaf is to die for!) and some canned vegies and you've got yourself a home cooked meal. How simple is that?

Entertaining for the Masses - You'll Flip Over this Summer Party Menu

Summertime is a great time to celebrate simple fresh food with great friends. Even better is pairing it with a birthday or anniversary celebration and adding a simple, festive decorative element. Here’s a simple menu for entertaining 30 guests with flip flop flair.

Flip Flop Decorations:
Choose flip flops in all colors and sizes at any Dollar Store for $1 per pair. We celebrated a 50th birthday combined with a 40th birthday with 90 sandals attached to our tent. They really stood out because we attached them to the sides of a tent using fishing net. We also hung some behind the food tables and at the entrance. Also sticking with them theme, you can make flip flop sugar cookies and prominently display them on each table. Finish it off with a banner using the simple flip flop design. Even the kids can make it since it’s basically a distorted oval with the plastic strips drawn on. Use bright disposable table cloths and serving items.

Bonus:
- Use permanent markers and write the guest of honor’ name on the back of the flip flops and then send each guest home with a pair.
- At the end of the night, let the guests find pairs of flip flops to take home with them. Especially fun if kids are at the party too.

Summer Picnic Menu:
There’s a great assortment here with something for everyone. And the real beauty is that no one is stuck at the grill because there is plenty of meat between the ham and the smoked turkey breast. The cheddar cheese scones are perfect with the salad and make great little sandwiches with the ham. Several of the items can be made the day before so the party day is a celebration for all. Since the broccoli slaw and the turkey salad both have a dairy based dressing, we chose sides with oil and vinegar based sauces for the other two.

Half Glazed Baked Ham
Smoked Turkey and Strawberry Salad Sensation
Cheddar Cheese Scones
Broccoli Slaw
Green Bean and Tomato Salad
Simply Satisfying Potato Salad
Flip Flop Cookies
2 large Watermelons

Recommended Schedule:
Day Before:
-Make and Chill the Turkey Salad Dressing
-Make and Chill the Broccoli Slaw Dressing
-Make and Decorate Flip Flop Sugar Cookies
-Make and Chill the Potato Salad

Morning of Party:
-Decorate with Flip Flops
-Make the Scones
-Cut up the turkey and strawberries

An Hour Before the Party:
-Make all the salads
-Keep the two dairy based salads chilled
-Cut up the watermelon

20 Minutes Before The Meal:
-Reheat the scones
-Take the ham out of the fridge

Broccoli Slaw Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Serves: about 30

Broccoli Slaw Recipe Ingredients
-3 bags broccoli slaw (easiest!) or 3 large bunches of broccoli (chopped using tree top parts)
-1 package pre-cooked bacon, microwaved for 30 seconds and crumbled
-1 ½ cups sunflower seeds
-1 cup raisins
Combine ingredients and add sauce.


Broccoli Slaw Sauce Recipe Ingredients
-2 cups mayonnaise
-½ cup sugar
-4 T. vinegar
Combine in a lidded plastic container and shake.

Chill until serving. If serving outside, be sure to place in a bowl filled with ice and stir occasionally since it contains mayonnaise.


Flip Flop Sugar Cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: about 30

Sugar Cookies Ingredients
-4 ½ cups flour
-2 sticks butter
-2 eggs
-2 cups sugar
-½ cup milk
-½ t. vanilla
-4 t. baking powder

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375. Butter multiple baking sheets. Combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder). Thoroughly mix together the butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk and vanilla to butter-sugar mixture. Slowly add dry ingredients in while beating well.

Important Step...Wrap the dough and chill in fridge for at least an hour before baking.

After cooling, roll out dough to ½ inch thick and cut with flip flop or (Easter) egg shaped cookie cutter. (www.cookiecutter.com is one source) Place cookies onto buttered baking sheets. Combine scraps and repeat until all the dough is made into cookies. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Once cooled, decorate the flip flops using bright colored icing. The thicker end is the top of the foot and the smaller side is the heal. Decorate by starting the icing at the big toe spot and making one side go to the base of the big toe and the other side go toward the pinky side. (Check out your own flip flops for a quick and easy model).

Click on the links above for homemade easy recipes and one really great ham.

Simple Appetizer is Great for a Potluck

Sometimes I get tired of the same old thing at potlucks. I brought this appetizer and some tortilla chips (Tostitos) to our last neighborhood party and it was devoured in no time. Even though it seems a bit (spicy) hot for kids, they seemed to enjoy it as much as the adults. This is another one where the sum of the ingredients tastes much better than it sounds on paper. It originated with Mike who used to have a variation of it at a restaurant in his college town.

Mike's Appetizer Dip with a Kick!
2 cup cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Monterrey jack (shredded)
½ cup chopped green onion to taste
1 T. minced garlic
Chopped jalapenos and ¼ cup juice to taste

Mix and chill.

If you are serving it outside, make sure to keep it chilled by putting it into another bowl filled with ice. It usually goes fast but it's always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to dairy products outdoors.

Baked Chicken in a Snap

I believe half of my cooking is done by throwing several things from my pantry into a dish and enjoying the results. You can almost always be assured you'll like the results when you use your favorite ingredients. I have a few personal favorites that you'll see again and again in these pages and one of them is chopped green chilis. Today's chicken recipe includes that favorite, a standard cream of (anything) soup and some cheese. That's it! Serve with tortilla chips, rice and a green vegetable. I happened to have some leftover corn on the cob (first of spring) that tasted just awesome with it. So, here you have it...

Baked Chicken with Chilis and Cheese
1 package boneless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom, celery, chicken or anything soup
1 small can chopped green chilis
1 cup cheddar cheese
Combine soup and chilis in 9 x 13 pan. Add chicken. Spoon some of the mixture on top of the chicken. Cover with cheese. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

In my case, I had to run out for my sons guitar lessons so I just turned it down to 325, added about 1/2 can of water and cooked for 2 hours.

Great either way! Enjoy the simplicity.

Tater Tot Casserole Recipe is a Favorite Leftover Ham Recipe

Kids love this one and the grown ups find it surprisingly tasty as well. You can also leave out the ham and serve as a side dish with your ham on the side. Whip up a quick green salad and you've got yourself a meal. As with all recipes, feel free to substitute other ingredients you may have on hand. You can absolutely substitute cream of mushroom, cream of celery, cream of chicken or cream of just about anything; they all taste the same once baked into a casserole. The different types of cheeses would also be an interesting twist. Have colby jack? Use that. And if your kids are as picky as mine, you'll probably want to leave out the onion or only place it in one area.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Tater Tot Casserole Recipe Ingredients

1 32 oz bag frozen tater tots

2 cups of chopped ham

1 can cream of mushroom soup (cream of anything really)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 med onion (chopped)

2 T. butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Brown onion in butter. Once browned, add in order and stir after each ingredient: soup, milk, sour cream and 1 cup of shredded cheddar. Then add peas and ham. Stir. Place mixture in a 9 x 13 pan or 2 qt covered casserole dish. Put tater tots on top and bake covered for one hour at 350. Remove from oven and put remaining 1/2 cup cheddar on top. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

If you like this tater tot casserole recipe, check out our other leftover ham recipes here and our side dish recipes here.