Freezer Meals // The Wad's

 

Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Pot Roast

By Christina

https://thewholecook.com/garlic-herb-pot-roast/#wprm-recipe-container-10365

Ingredients 

• ▢3 – 3½ pounds boneless beef chuck roast
• ▢2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
• ▢1 pound baby carrots, Can use large carrots cut into 3-inch sticks if preferred.
• ▢1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped in large chunks
• ▢2 cups beef stock or beef broth
• ▢1 cup apple juice
• ▢1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• ▢2 tablespoons dried parsley
• ▢2½ teaspoons salt
• ▢1 teaspoon black pepper

Optional: 1 lb medium gold potatoes, quartered (omit if serving pot roast over mashed potatoes)

Optional: Fresh chopped parsley or thyme for garnish

Save this recipe

Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Email *

Instructions 

• Add oil to a skillet and heat to high heat. Once oil is hot, place your pot roast in the skillet and brown on both sides. Approximately 3-4 minutes per side.
• Place your browned beef in the bottom of your 6 or 7 qt slow cooker. Add onion, carrots, potatoes (optional), beef stock, apple juice, tomato paste, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.
• Use two forks to shred finished pot roast and add back to the slow cooker. Taste. Add extra salt or pepper if desired. Serve over Light & Creamy Mashed Potatoes and top with fresh chopped parsley or thyme.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pulled Pork

Mixed Spices

• 4-5 lbs boneless pork shoulder (pork butt) trimmed of excess fat
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 TBS EACH chili pwdr, garlic pwdr
• 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp EACH salt, onion pwdr, smoked paprika, cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper

Slow Cooker Phase 1

• 3/4 cup Coke, NOT diet
• 1/2 cup mild salsa
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chilies

Slow Cooker Phase 2

• 3/4 cup enchilada sauce
• 1/2-3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chilies
• All remaining Mixed Spices
• salt to taste
• Hot sauce to taste

Serving Suggestions

• Cilantro Lime Rice <click for recipe
• Cilantro Liime Dressing <click for recipe

Instructions

• Mix all of the Mixed Spices together in a resealable container. Set aside. Lightly grease slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Using tongs or 2 forks, sear pork on all sides until browned.
• Transfer pork to slow cooker. Ladle a spoonful of the pan juices over the meat so the spices will stick. Separate out 1 ½ tablespoons spices to use after the pork is cooked. Rub all remaining spices evenly over all sides of pork (it will seem like a lot but use all of it).
• Add all Slow Cooker Phase 1 Ingredients to the pork. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or until pork is tender enough to shred. Shred pork into larger sections in crock pot and continue to cook on LOW for 30 minutes.
• Transfer all of the slow cooker contents to a strainer to drain off excess liquid from pork. Transfer pork to cutting board and shred into smaller pieces and discard any excess fat.
• Add pork back to slow cooker (along with any accumulated green chiles, etc.) then stir in all of Phase 2 ingredients starting with just ½ cup brown sugar. Cook another 15-30 minutes on LOW or until heated through OR just keep on the warm setting if you aren’t serving immediately. Taste and add additional brown sugar for sweeter, hot sauce for spicier or more enchilada sauce for saucier.
• Serve in tacos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, etc. with Cilantro Lime Dressing or Tomatillo Avocado Ranch along with Cilantro Lime Rice.

Notes

 

1. Sear Meat:   When searing, the pork will naturally release from the pan once it is properly seared. If it is sticking to the bottom of the pan, it is most likely needs more time. It will take 2-5 minutes per side and longer if using a nonstick pan.
2. Do I have to sear the meat?  As Gordon Ramsey says, “color  – flavor.”  Searing the meat creates the Maillard reaction resulting in rich, deep, complex flavor which cannot be achieved in any other way.  It also helps the inside of the meat from drying out.  You can skip this step, and your pork will still be good – just not as good.
3. Spice Rub:   If you skip searing your pork, you will need to rub it with some olive oil first so the spices stick.
4. Cook until tender but not fall apart tender.  When your pork is tender enough shred but not fall apart tender, shred it into larger sections in the crock pot and continue to cook on LOW for 30 minutes until it is practically fall apart fork tender.  This allows the flavorful slow cooker contents to seep into every pork crevice without it becoming overcooked.
5. Drain pork.  Once pork is tender, and ready to shred, I place my strainer on top of a large bowl to catch the slow cooker contents so the fat doesn’t go directly in my sink, then refrigerate the bowl and skim the fat later and ditch the rest in the sink sans fat.
6. Add enchilada sauce and brown sugar to taste.    Taste buds vary widely when it comes to how sweet people like their pork.  This Cafe Rio is supposed to be sweet – but just how sweet is up to you.  I recommend starting with ½ cup brown sugar and adding more to taste.  You can also add additional chipotle chili powder or hot sauce if you would like it spicier.  You also add more or less enchilada sauce depending on how “saucy” you want your pork.

HOW TO MAKE PULLED PORK AHEAD OF TIME

You can make this pork mostly the day before if that’s easier and then you don’t have to worry about cooking times and it turns out just as good – or better.  If making ahead, make the recipe through step 5 in which you shred the pork into large sections.  After you do this, let slow cooker sit at room temperature for a bit so the crockpot ceramic insert can cool down and then cover and place ceramic insert into fridge (PORK AND ALL THE LIQUID).  The next day, skim off the hardened fat from the top and heat on LOW for about 1- 1 ½ hours to heat through, then continue with the rest of the recipe as written.

HOW TO COOK LARGER COSTCO PORK

I often purchase my pork shoulder from Costco.  Each pork shoulder package is approximately 16 pounds and contains 2 7-8 pound halves. For convenience I like to cook the entire half so I wanted to include instructions for Costco pork.  It is generally the same with these exceptions (and below measurements).

• You will separate out 2 tablespoons (instead of 1 1/2) Spice Mix to add to the pork in Phase 2.
• The cooking time might increase by one hour.  My Costco pork generally takes 8 hours.
• To cook one of these halves, the adjusted measurements are as follows:

COSTCO PORK

• (7-9 pounds) boneless pork shoulder/butt (half package from Costco)

Mixed Spices

• 2 TBS EACH chili powder, garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
• 2 tsp EACH salt, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Slow Cooker Phase 1

• 1 cup coke – NOT DIET
• ¾ cup mild salsa
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (4 oz.) can mild diced green chilies

Slow Cooker Phase 2

• 1 10 oz. can mild red enchilada sauce
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (4 oz.) can mild diced green chilies
• All remaining Mixed Spices (2 tablespoons)

Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 6 thick-cut boneless pork chops
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 cup water or broth (4 cups if use VM7800-5, 6 qt models)
• 1/2 cup ketchup (1 cup ketchup if use VM7800-5)
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce (1 cup if use VM7800-5)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 - 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Add broth or water in your Vitaclay pot.
2. Season pork chops generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Transfer pork chops to your VitaClay cooker.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, ketchup, soy sauce, and honey. Pour the sauce over the pork chops. Set on “Stew” to cook for 1 hour.
4. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the VitaClay slow cooker 10 minutes before cooking time is finished and let the sauce has just thickened and pork chops are tender.
5. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Pepper Steak Stir-Fry (EatWell101)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz (225g) flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup  low sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha (or your favorite hot sauce)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

1. To make the pepper steak stir-fry: In a small bowl, whisk the garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, Sriracha, and cornstarch.

2. In a skillet over medium-high heat add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the diced bell peppers and cook 1-2 minutes until tender. Remove the bell peppers and set them aside on a plate.

3. Turn the heat to high and add the flank steak on one layer and cook on each side to sear the beef and reduce heat to medium-high and continue to cook until no longer pink and brown on each side.

4. Add the peppers back to the skillet and add the sauce. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and sesame seed

Chicken Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients 

Servings: 12 people

Chicken Lasagna Ingredients:

• 9 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
• 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, or cooked from 2 lbs chicken breast

Spinach Cream Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups half and half, (or equal parts of heavy cream and milk)
• 5 oz fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

Ricotta Cheese Sauce:

• 15 oz ricotta
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese, 12 oz by weight, divided (reserve 1 cup for topping)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Cook Noodles & Prep:

• Preheat oven to 375˚F. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente according to package instructions then drain hot water and add cold water to the pot to stop the cooking process and prevent noodles from sticking together. Shred 4 cups of chicken.

Make the Belachamel (Spinach Sauce):

• Place a pot or large saucepan over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and saute onions for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add 4 Tbsp butter and whisk in 1/3 cup flour. Continue whisking 3 minutes or until flour mixture is golden.
• Add 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 1/2 cups half and half, 2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Whisk until smooth and simmer 5 minutes until thickened to a light gravy consistency.
• Add minced garlic and chopped spinach, and stir to combine then remove from heat.

Make the Ricotta Cheese Sauce:

• In a large bowl, whisk together: ricotta, egg, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan, and 1/4 cup parsley.

To Assemble Chicken Lasagna:

• Add a little bechamel sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish, add 3 noodles, Add 1/2 ricotta sauce, 1/2 shredded chicken then ladle 1/3 of spinach sauce over the chicken.
• Add 3 noodles, 1/2 ricotta cheese, 1/2 shredded chicken, and 1/3 spinach sauce
• Add 3 noodles, remaining 1/3 sauce, and sprinkle on reserved 1 cup cheese.
• Cover and Bake: Arrange 10-12 toothpicks over the top to keep the foil from touching the cheese then cover with a large sheet of foil. Bake on the center rack in a preheated oven at 375˚F for 45 minutes then uncover and broil 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese. Rest at least 10 minutes uncovered before slicing.

Nutrition Per Serving

337kcal Calories24g Carbs

Easy Homemade Lasagna

Ingredients  

• ▢12 lasagna noodles uncooked
• ▢4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
• ▢½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese shredded and divided
• ▢¾ teaspoon salt more to taste

Tomato Sauce

• ▢½ pound lean ground beef
• ▢½ pound Italian sausage
• ▢1 yellow onion diced
• ▢2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢36 ounces pasta sauce *see note
• ▢2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Cheese Mixture

• ▢2 cups ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
• ▢¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ▢1 large egg beaten

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente (firm) according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet or Dutch oven, brown the beef, sausage, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
• Stir in the pasta sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Taste and season with additional salt if desired.
• In a separate medium bowl, combine 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ricotta, parsley, egg, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
• Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce in a 9×13 pan or casserole dish. Top it with 3 lasagna noodles. Layer with ⅓ of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup of meat sauce. Repeat twice more. Finish with 3 noodles topped with remaining sauce.
• Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. 
• Remove the foil and sprinkle the top of the lasagna with the remaining 2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Broil for 2-3 minutes if desired.
• Rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting.