That time Mama made pizza and her big boy made dessert...

I've been in a major cooking slump lately. It's kind of a problem because the people in my house, including myself, still get hungry three (plus) times a day, seven days a week. 

"Imagine that?!"

 Unfortunately, my family conscience won't allow me to serve easy mac and store-bought rotisserie chicken every night so I'm having to find ways to satisfy my family conscience until I can work my way out of this slump. 

"If only I could throw something in a pot and let it do the work for me, I would totally go that route until my inner chef bounces back."

ENTER SLOW COOKER!  

(Can you hear the hallelujah chorus in the background?)

So my genius plan this week was to make a trip to the only place you can buy meat in packs too large to fit in a regular-sized shopping cart- SAM's!

"I'll take chicken and pork, please!"

Since we already had our fair share of chicken this week, I decided we would live on the edge and go pork for a few days. Loin, of course. We're still weight watching.

So I seasoned all my pork, threw it in the slow cooker, and sat on the couch to eat bonbons all afternoon completed the other million and one household tasks that need to get done everyday. When the pork was done I shredded it all and patted myself on the back. 

ENTER PROBLEM!

"What are we going to do with all this shredded pork?!"

Thankfully, my creative juices kicked in just as the children began complaining of starvation at just the right time.

I opened the pantry to discover a Mama Mary's pizza crust and an unopened jar of pizza sauce. 

"PORK PIZZA for dinner, kids!!"

And that's when this recipe was born.

Click here for the recipe!

Oh yeah, and send over all of your shredded pork recipes!!  Please and thank you!

In other news, Silas made dessert for the family last night!! He cut up strawberries (with a butter knife, of course), sprinkled them with lots a little sugar, mixed them all up, and served us after dinner!
I was SO proud of him!
And he was just a tad proud of himself to...

Crowd-Pleasing Italian Meat Sauce

As I mentioned in a previous post, we hosted a gathering for all of our church leaders last week. I have very little experience cooking for large groups so I was a little nervous going in. I decided to serve pasta and Italian meat sauce because it goes a long way, it's cheap, and it is really easy to prepare. It also goes well with simple sides like salad, garlic bread, and a veggie. I adapted a recipe I found online, and it turned out to be a great success. This recipe feeds 30-40 adults. As far as pasta noodles, 4-5 pounds should be enough. If preparing this sauce for my family, I divide everything by 4, and it turns out just as delicious. We usually have leftovers, but, in my humble opinion, spaghetti sauce leftovers are even better the next day!

**Pay attention to the ounces in this recipe. The can sizes may not be what you're used to buying. 

Crowd-Pleasing Italian Meat Sauce 

 Ingredients

• 4 pounds ground beef
• 4 large onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cans (28 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato paste
• 1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce
• 3 cups water
• 2 cans (4-1/4 ounces each) chopped ripe olives, drained
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons pepper

Directions

Cook 2 pounds of beef, 2 onions, and 2 cloves of garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Add the cooked meat mixture to a large stock pot and cover to keep warm. Repeat the process with the rest of the beef, onion, and garlic. Once all the ground meat is cooked down with the onion and garlic, add the rest of the ingredients to the large stock pot. Simmer over a low heat for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Serve over pasta. 

Ingredients (minus the ground meat)

Browning ground meat to add to the stock pot.

When I say large stock pot, I mean large.

Enjoy!

 

One Pot Jambalaya

Being born and raised in Cajun Country, I would be amiss not to have a good Cajun Jambalaya recipe under my belt, right? Right! And the jambalaya recipe I'm sharing with you today does not disappoint.

It's an extremely simple, crowd-pleasing, one-dish meal. 

It would be perfect to bring to your next pot-luck or holiday party or even to put on your regular dinner rotation. We certainly consume it on a regular basis at our house!

So, with no further adieu...

One-Pot Jambalaya 

NOTE: This dish should be prepared in oven safe pot, 5-quart or more. I use a pot similar to this Magnalite Classic 5-Quart Dutch Oven that was passed down to me by a family member. 

Ingredients:

1 Large Onion, Finely Diced
1 Stalk of Celery, Finely Diced
1/2 Bell Pepper, Finely Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Cups Cooked Chicken Breast, Diced
1 Pound Smoked Sausage, Diced
1 1/2 Cups Raw Rice
1/2 Stick Butter, Melted
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 T. Kitchen Bouquet
Dash of Tabasco
2 Cups Chicken Broth
Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, to taste
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Parsley, Finely Chopped (optional)
Green Onions, Finely Chopped (Optional)


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large, oven-safe pot, saute the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic together in a little oil or butter until veggies are softened. Add the chicken and sausage and stir. Add the melted butter and rice and stir. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, kitchen bouquet, Tabasco, and chicken broth and stir. Cover the pot and place in into the oven for 45 minutes. Pull it out and stir. Add in the parsley and green onions at this time, if you choose to. Cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning to taste. Serve with a simple side salad and maybe some cornbread if you're up for it. Enjoy!

This post is linked to Life as Mom's Ultimate Recipe Swap and the Louisiana Bride Blog's 25 Days of Christmas Link Party!