Let’s talk about being a “busy family”, which I think includes just about everyone on the planet. We are all busy in our own ways and want to enjoy good food that isn’t complicated. Am I right? Meal planning has saved our family greatly. It takes some work, but having practiced it week after week, it has truly saved us a lot of time and helps us eat healthy all week long.
On the weekend we pick 3-4 dinners that we want for the next week and we go shopping for all of the ingredients. We don’t stop there, we will also buy the needed items to have 2-3 healthy snack options, back-up items needed for nights things fall apart— like soup, and stuff for lunches (turkey, salad fixings, yogurts). So we make a list, always make a list, and then the little one and I head out for our 8:30am trip to the local grocery store. She loves it, everyone tells her how cute she is and she gets to sit up high in the cart, so she really feels like she is helping. Oh, and she usually gets to have a snack from the produce section or something from the dried fruit section (don’t worry, we pay for it).
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So with all that meal planning and shopping done, then comes the prep. I cut up everything I can when we get home from the store. I also boil eggs and package snacks like raw carrots for quick go-to during the week. Because all this prep happens on Sunday, part of the meal planning is what we will eat for dinner that night, so I love to make something that takes a little longer or something that will yield us some leftovers.
Enter the crock pot. This glorious contraption has “make my life easier” written all over it. It is a great way to do some batch cooking and develop great flavors. You can make SO many different things in a crock pot, sweet or savory, and it is quick cleaning. Cleaning is my husband’s duty, so he likes it when only one item has to be hand washed.
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Today’s recipe uses a simple pork loin roast and it doesn’t have many ingredients. It always amazes me how much it all cooks together to create a great sauce you can reduce down or use as a liquid to keep the meat moist after you have shredded it. I also feel that, because the flavors are mild, this recipe lends well to being re-purposed in other dishes. I chose this recipe specifically for this week given there won’t be time to come home and cook after all of the Easter festivities.
I make this recipe, slice it to be a traditional roast dinner for Sunday, and then shred the remaining meat to repurpose for the rest of the week. I usually will use the shredded leftovers for tacos one night and then BBQ pork sandwiches another night. It holds really well and makes for great slow-cooked flavors in all of the dishes.
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I usually serve the pork loin slices with green beans and potatoes that have either been roasted separately or cooked in the crock pot with the rest of dinner. By dinner time, the entire house smells amazing.
Pork Loin Roast {Slow Cooker}
Ingredients
- 2 ½ -3 pounds of boneless pork loin roast
- 4 whole cloves of garlic
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 2 cups of carrots
- 2 granny smith apples, quartered
- 3 sprigs of rosemary
- 1-2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ pound of small yellow potatoes (optional)
Instructions
- Season the pork well with salt and pepper, set aside.
- Layer the bottom of the crock pot with the onions, carrots and garlic.
- Place the pork on top of the vegetables and then surround it with the apple quarters.
- Top the pork with the rosemary, cover with lid and cook for 6-8 hours on low. It really depends how hot your cooker is, mine is pretty hot so it usually only needs the 6 hours. You could always check the meat and ensure a meat thermometer reads 160F degrees.
- Remove the pork and slice for service. Spoon out the carrots and onions to serve with the meat.
- Remove the rosemary springs and larger pieces of garlic and discard.
- With the remaining liquid you can make a gravy by adding a corn starch slurry** or flour to thicken the liquid, whisking well to avoid clumps and to desired thickness.
Notes
- I have also added potatoes to this recipe to make it a one pot meal.
- Another option is to use a hand mixer with the liquid and cooked apple mixture, after you remove the meat and vegetables, and blend this mixture until it is a sauce. Then add to pan over medium heat and thicken with either corn starch or flour like mentioned above.
- ** To make slurry: mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch with 2 tablespoons of water until combined and smooth.
Pork Tacos
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas
- Olive oil
- 1 medium bell pepper, sliced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lb shredded pork
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1-2 teaspoons Mexican seasoning
- 2-4 tablespoons chicken broth
Directions:
- In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil.
- Add bell pepper, onion and salt and pepper and cook until softens, 5-7 minutes.
- To pan of vegetables add shredded pork, tomato and seasoning and mix.
- Loosen mixture with chicken broth, starting with 2 tablespoons.
- Spoon mixture into warmed corn tortillas and top with favorite taco toppings.
BBQ Pork Sandwiches
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 hamburger buns
- ½ cup of favorite BBQ sauce
- 1lb shredded pork
Directions
- In a large pot, heat BBQ sauce slightly.
- Add shredded pork and cover to let steam.
- Heat until mixture heated through and sauce coats all the meat.
- Spoon pork on-top hamburger buns and add your favorite toppings.
- Topping options: coleslaw, pickles or radishes.
Happy Easter weekend and cheers to meal planning!