Smoked Chipotle Pulled Pork Quesadillas ~ Recipe

As you might have noticed, I'm on a slow cooker kick lately and this recipe is no exception.  You make the Smokey Chipotle Pulled Pork in your slow cooker during the day and then make the quesadillas right before you're ready to eat.  You can also serve this pork just as it is on a hamburger bun or use it as a filling for tacos.....it's very versatile.

Smoked Chipotle Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Ingredients:

3-4 pound pork loin roast

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon chile powder

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup chipotle salsa or 1 tablespoon of chipotle in adobo sauce (sauce part only)

Flour tortillas

Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese or Mexican cheese blend

Directions:

Place pork loin roast in slow cooker and top with onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, chile powder, and chipotle.  Set on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5 hours.  

Once pork is cooked, remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Return the pork back to the slow cooker to soak up all the juices.  This recipe makes a lot of pork, so you will only use part of it for the quesadillas.  Freeze remaining pork for later use or plan your weekly menu around other recipes using shredded pork.  

To assemble quesadillas, sprinkle shredded cheese on top of tortilla.

Place some of the pork mixture on top of the cheese on one side of the tortilla.  Heat skillet on medium and melt a little butter.  Once butter has melted place tortilla, as pictured above, into pan.

When the tortilla is in the pan, fold the cheese only side over on top of the pork mixture.  We don't want to fold the quesadilla before it goes in the pan because then we won't have butter on both sides of the tortilla.

Cook for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.  Flip quesadilla and cook until other side is golden brown.  Once both sides are cooked and cheese is melted, remove from pan and cut in half.

You can make as many of these as you would like or as many as your family can eat!

I like to serve these with some chipotle salsa, but you could dip them in any salsa your family enjoys.  Would also be great with some sour cream or guacamole as well.

Personally, I think two quesadillas is a perfect dinner serving and one is probably good for lunch.  Feel free to get creative here and add in any ingredients you would like.  

This pork is SO delicious, give it a try........you're going to love it!

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Slow Cooker Green Chicken and Rice Soup ~ Recipe

I have been asked by quite a few people recently about how I manage my time.  And you know what, that's a really good question.  One that makes me stop and think, how do I manage my time?  I guess I just go about life doing what I love doing and don't really think about how I make it work. Well, I'm going to give it some more thought and I'll try create some posts on time management in the future. 

I'll tell you right off the bat, I don't get 'it all done'.  I don't think anyone does.  You can't be all things to all people all of the time.  I just don't think that is possible.  However, one of the very first things that popped into my head when asked 'how do you manage your time?' was my slow cooker (or crock pot).

The slow cooker is one of the absolute best inventions for the busy mom or for anyone, for that matter.  It allows you to prepare a home cooked meal, but it doesn't put any time constraints on you in regards to when you get it done.  Feeling motivated in the morning?  Throw in all the ingredients and set it on low.  Have a few minutes while the kids are napping in the afternoon?  Throw in all the ingredients and set on high.  You can make dinner work for you whenever it's convenient.  Plus it makes the house smell great all day!

If you like warm, comforting meals, you're going to love my Slow Cooker Green Chicken and Rice Soup.  This soup can cook all day and through the use of 'Uncle Ben's Ready Rice' (I love this stuff), your meal can be ready in minutes when you are ready to eat.

Slow Cooker Green Chicken and Rice Soup

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)

1 box chicken stock

1 can white beans (rinsed)

1 jar green salsa (I used Frontera brand ~ Tomatillo)

1 cup frozen corn

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon chile powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 package 'Uncle Ben's Ready Rice ~ Whole Grain Medley ~ Santa Fe Style'

Garnish (optional): Crushed tortilla chips, shredded jack cheese and sour cream.

Directions:

Place first 8 ingredients into your slow cooker (or crock pot).  I used frozen chicken breasts, but you can use fresh as well.  Set slow cooker on low and cook for 7-8 hours.

Before serving, remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Then return chicken back to slow cooker.  Cook your 'ready rice' according to package directions (should only take 90 seconds) and add the entire contents of the package to the soup.  Stir to combine. 

Serve topped with shredded jack cheese, crushed tortilla chips and sour cream, if you so choose.  Soup is delicious re-heated the next day.

I have absolutely no affiliation with Uncle Ben's or Frontera Kitchens, I just happen to like these products for super-easy shortcut meals.

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Crock Pot Recipe: Jamaican Jerk Pork Chops

Yesterday afternoon I was digging through my freezer and pantry trying to figure out what to make for dinner.  My family is trying to be very budget conscious lately so I have been trying to make the most out of whatever ingredients we have on-hand rather than making another trip to the grocery store.

So, this is what I came up with - Jamaican Jerk Pork Chops.  The Cottage Mama's Mama had made a version of this for me when she was here after I had my second daughter, Matilda.  She always makes the most delicious food when she stays here after I have a baby - reason enough to have another one (just kidding)!  Her recipe was done on the stove-top and used some pineapple, so her jerk pork chops were my inspiration for this recipe.

Crock Pot:  Jamaican Jerk Pork Chops

Ingredients:

5 pork loin chops (frozen or fresh..doesn't matter)

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 can black beans, drained

1 cup tri-colored bell pepper strips (I used frozen, but fresh would work well too).

1/2 onion, sliced

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

Directions:

It doesn't get much easier than this - add all ingredients to your crock-pot, sprinkle liberally with Jamaican Jerk seasoning and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Enjoy!

Cottage Mama's Note:  I served this with Uncle Ben's Ready Rice - Wholegrain Vegetable Medley (only takes 90 seconds to cook!) or it would be great with regular brown rice.  I buy tri-colored bell pepper strips in the frozen foods section of Trader Joe's - I always have one or two bags on-hand.

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Slow Cooker Thanksgiving

So November is upon us - can you believe it's already here? What does November make you think of?  It makes me think of Thanksgiving!  I love Thanksgiving!  I am a traditional girl and I love all the classics - turkey, gravy, stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and the list goes on....

So today I had the taste for Thanksgiving, I just can't wait another three weeks.  So I decided to make "Thanksgiving" in my crock-pot.  It's Thanksgiving minus the turkey (I had chicken breasts on hand).  But right now I have the aroma of warm cornbread stuffing, and juicy chicken and gravy circulating throughout the cottage home.  Just makes me feel all warm and cozy!

So if you want a preview of what's to come later this month - give "Thanksgiving" in your crock-pot a try - you'll thank me later!!

Thanksgiving

(in the Crock-Pot)

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (I used corn, carrots, peas, green beans and broccoli)
1 can cream of chicken soup (or whatever you have on hand)
4 frozen chicken breasts
1 box cornbread stuffing
1 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Empty frozen mixed vegetables into your crock-pot.  Lay frozen chicken on top and then the sliced onion on top of that.  Pour cream of chicken soup on top and sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.  Prepare stuffing according to package directions and spread the stuffing on top of your frozen chicken.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

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Creamy Chicken Chowder

Well the verdict is in and I have to say that "Creamy Chicken Chowder" is a proven winner!!

I have written several blog posts involving slow-cooker meals and I'm sure you are starting to learn that I think the slow-cooker is a busy Mom's best friend!  My fellow Mommy friend, Danica (http://floradanicaphotography.com/ ), read one of my blog posts and was inspired to get out her slow-cooker cook book and see what tasty recipes she could find.  She decided to give the "Creamy Chicken Chowder" a try and said it was awesome!  So, I thought I would give it a whirl and I think you should too!!

Creamy Chicken Chowder

Ingredients:

4 frozen chicken breasts

1 11oz. can whole kernel corn with sweet peppers, drained

1 10oz. can condensed cream of potato soup

1 4oz can diced green chile peppers

2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro

1 package taco seasoning

3 cups chicken broth (or water)

4 oz pepper jack cheese, cubed

Garnish: Sour Cream, Cilantro, Crumbled Bacon, and Tortilla Chips

Directions:

-In a 4 quart slow cooker combine frozen chicken, corn, soup, undrained chile peppers, cilantro, and taco seasoning mix.  Stir in chicken broth (or water).  Cover, cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.

-30 mins. before serving, remove chicken breasts, shred and return to slow cooker.  Stir in pepper jack cheese and allow to melt.

-Serve with a dollop of sour cream, fresh snipped cilantro, crumbled bacon and tortilla chips.

Enjoy!!

Cottage Mama's Note:

-I very rarely follow a recipe exactly.  I guess it's my creative nature, but I always like to give a dish my own flare.  I have given you the recipe exactly as I cooked it, which deviates from the original recipe.

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Creamy Chicken, Black Bean, Corn and Pepper Soft Tacos

If you have been following my blog lately, you will start to notice a recurring theme - I LOVE southwestern food and cook it quite often.  I've been getting a lot of feedback on my crock-pot recipes, so I thought I would throw another one your way.  This is a recipe inspired by my friend Maggie (www.smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com) and I think it turned out pretty tasty.

Creamy Chicken, Black Bean, Corn and Bell Pepper Soft Tacos

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
1 jar salsa
1/2 bag of frozen corn
2 small cans green chiles
2 bell peppers (any color), sliced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 green onions, sliced
1 brick cream cheese
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 flour tortillas
Lettuce

Place chicken breasts, salsa, corn, green chiles, bell peppers, black beans, green onions, cumin, chili powder, and salt in a crock-pot and cook on low for 8 hours.  Prior to eating remove chicken and shred, return to crock-pot.  Add 1-brick cream cheese and allow it to melt into crock-pot mixture.  Once all ingredients are combined, place a a half cup of the mixture in flour tortilla, add fresh lettuce and fold in half.  Serve with Uncle Ben's Ready Rice - Santa Fe Style for a complete quick and easy meal!!

Cottage Mama's Note:
*If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, I love to use their frozen, sliced tri-color bell peppers.  They are super cheap for a full bag and you can add them to anything (I used half a bag in this recipe).  If you don't have this option, then just follow recipe accordingly.
*Feel free to use 1/3 less fat cream cheese for a slightly more calorie friendly meal.
*Roll mixture up in tortillas, lay in casserole dish, top with cheese and canned green enchilada sauce.  Bake at 375 for 3 mins. for easy creamy chicken enchiladas.
*Also can be served as a wonderful warm dip at parties - just scoop up with tortilla chips!! Pin It

Crock Pot Recipe: Taos Taco Soup

My Grandparents (Marge and Bill) have lived in Taos, New Mexico for as long as I can remember.  My Mom was influenced the the hatch green chiles that come from New Mexico and we ate many southwestern meals in my house growing up.  Unfortunately I can't find fresh "hatch" green chiles where I live, but the canned variety does the trick just fine.  I think I could eat green chiles every day - they are just SO tasty!!

Anyway, this is a recipe from my late Grandma Marge that was given to my Mom and was since given to me.  This is one of mine and my husbands absolute favorite Fall/Winter soups and is super easy.  If you're reading this up in heaven, Grandma Marge, just know I think of you every time I eat a green chile!!

Taos Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef

½ large onion, chopped

1 can (16oz) whole tomatoes

1 can (16oz) pinto beans

1 bag (16oz) frozen corn

1 can (8oz) tomato sauce

1 can (8oz) green chile

1 package taco seasoning mix

Optional garnish: Sour cream, cheddar cheese, black olives (sliced), green onions, and crushed tortilla chips

Cook meat and onions in soup pan or skillet.  Drain any grease.  Add to crock pot with rest of ingredients.  Do not drain juice from cans.  Add more water, as necessary for correct level in crock pot.  This mixture can be heated together on low for 8 hours.

Makes 8-10 servings (great as leftovers or you can freeze half for another meal)

Enjoy!!

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The Busy Mom's Best Friend: The Crock-Pot

The crock-pot is one of the most convenient inventions of all time!  If you don't have one or don't find yourself using yours often, you must start feeling the crock-pot love.  There are so many things you can do with your crock-pot from cooking meat, making soups and stews, making hot dips for parties, keeping food warm - it's just wonderful.  You can take the toughest piece of meat and by cooking it low and slow in a crock-pot, you will get a tender and flavorful piece of meat every time!

One of the most simple meals EVER that I love to make is, what I call, Crock-Pot Chicken (creative name, I know).  There are only two ingredients involved in making this dish: a whole chicken and one onion.  It doesn't get much more simple than that.  So here's how to make it:

Crock-Pot Chicken
Slice onion and spread around the bottom of your crock-pot.  Then place whole chicken on top of onions.  Using whatever spices you like, season the chicken liberally.  I like to use Montreal Steak Seasoning and some Cayenne Pepper (my family likes things spicy), but another great idea would be  Lemon-Pepper Seasoning or make it more mexican style and use Chile Powder, Cumin and Oregano.  Then set your crock-pot on low and let the chicken cook away for the next 8 hours (if you have less time, set it on high for 5 hours).  What you will end up with is the most incredibly moist, fall off the bone chicken EVER!

Serve the chicken with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.  Spoon some of the delicious onions and juice over your potatoes and chicken.  YUM - Enjoy!! Pin It