Ode To Fall Crockpot Roast

For some, fall has come. Yesterday it was 103 degrees F. YUCK. Too hot. Way too hot. One of my co-workers had her husband pull out her fall harvest decorations. She is ready to decorate and make her house FALL-tastic. I am still trying to cool off from yesterday. At LifeasMom.com she is having her Thursday Ultimate Recipe Swap. You must check it out. This happens each week and you won't be disappointed. Last week's swap was featuring FOOTBALL foods. This week is Favorite Fall foods.

Ode To Fall~ Crockpot Roast

4 small Russets potatoes
4 small yukon gold potatoes
1 cup chunks of carrots
1/2 purple onion cut in sixths (wedged)
3 Celery stalks chopped in bite size pieces
2 pounds pork butt or Beef Round Roast or One whole chicken
Lawrys Seasoning Salt, Lawrys Garlic Salt, Fresh cracked pepper
Sweet Baby Ray's Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce

Take the Crockpot out of your cabinet or storage facility. Rinse it off or clean it. Season the bottom of your crock pot. Season your choice of protein by rubbing it with dry seasonings. Then massage it with some barbecue sauce and place that in the bottom of the crock. Arrange potatoes, carrots, onion and celery around that. Put the top on the crockpot. Set it for the right amount of time and heat according to when you start preparing your dinner. I usually put mine on in the morning before I go to work, set on low for 10 hours. Everything is perfectly cooked when I get home. Oh and does the house smell amazing.

Serve with a crusty baguette and a little lettuce salad.

CROCK POT Pork Tenderloin Spaghetti Sauce

Say that fast a few times, never mind. I picked up a pork tenderloin from Sam's Club a while ago and froze it. I left it in the 'fridge to thaw. I opened the package and realized there were two tenderloins. Last night, with one of them, I made Rob's Pork Chops and Rice. I altered the recipe a bit by using chicken broth instead of water in the rice. It was good. With the other, I made CROCK POT Pork Tenderloin Spaghetti Sauce! The meat cooks all day in the sauce and WOW is it ever good. Very tasty, meaty and just plain delish!

CROCK POT Pork Tenderloin Spaghetti Sauce

One 28 oz can Diced tomatoes
One 28 oz can Trader Joe's Marinara Sauce
1 Tbs. Italian herbs
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbs. Minced Garlic
1 Tbs. Lawry's Garlic Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
A few shakes Red pepper flakes if you'd like
One Pork Tenderloin (trim fat)

Sprinkle Garlic salt on the bottom of your CROCK. Place tenderloin on garlic salt, sprinkle remaining garlic salt on pork. Crack some pepper on the tenderloin. Dump diced tomatoes and marinara sauce on top pork. Add remaining seasonings and stir. Set CROCK POT on low and cook for most of the day. Tenderloin will break apart when you stir sauce after a day worth of cooking.

Boil Pasta of your choice and serve pasta with your delicious CROCK POT Pork Tenderloin Spaghetti Sauce! We had it over Spaghetti tonight and it was FANTASTIC!

Rob's Pork Chops and Rice

I am fortunate enough to have a man who will cook for me once in a while. Monday night he made his favorite family dinner and his specialty... Pork Chops and Rice. I purchased the ingredients and helped dice up the green onions but he created the amazing dinner. He only complained once that I bought a pork tenderloin, instead of pork chops with the bones. (Silly me, I hate to dissect things from bone)

Fiello Family Pork Chops the Rob Way

One Pork Tenderloin or 6-8 pork chops with bones
one bunch green onions, sliced
1 stick butter
salt and pepper
celery salt
1 1/2 cups white rice
3 cups water

In a large skillet, melt half of the stick of butter. Take a handful of the green onions and saute them a bit in the butter. Add the pork, season with salts and pepper and cook until pork is done. Remove pork from the skillet and place on a plate. Wrap with aluminum foil and place in the microwave or oven so pork stays warm.

Pour the water into the skillet that you cooked your pork in. Stir and scrape bottom of the skillet until broth turns brown. Add remaining butter and green onions and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add rice and cook for approxiamately 20 minutes. Allow rice to cool for 5 minutes. Serve pork over a bed of buttery pork flavored rice. Enjoy.