Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
4 lbs pork butt or pork shoulder
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp ground cumin
Put the pork butt (or shoulder) in the slow cooker and place onions around the pork. Mix all seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and pour on pork, rubbing into all sides of the meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours. Once cooked through, remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred with a fork. Drain all but one cup of the liquid from the slow cooker and place pork back in and mix before serving.
Potato Salad
2 lbs small potatoes
1 cup celery, chopped
½ cup dill pickles, chopped
½ cup red onion, chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until they are tender. Once the potatoes are cool, peel the skins off and cut them into bite-sized chunks. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, yellow mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add the potatoes to the dressing and gently toss to coat. Then, fold in the chopped celery, pickles, red onion, hard-boiled eggs, and fresh herbs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Classic Coleslaw
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp celery seed
2 tsp sugar
½ head green cabbage, thinly sliced
½ head red cabbage, thinly sliced
3 large carrots, grated
salt and black pepper to taste
Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, celery seed, and sugar to combine; season with salt and pepper. Add green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Roasted Green Beans
1 lb fresh green beans
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wash and trim the ends of the green beans and pat them dry. Toss the beans with olive oil, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Spread the beans in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway, until tender and slightly charred. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over the beans and roast for 2-3 more minutes until melted and golden.
Baked Mac and Cheese
2 ¼ cups elbow macaroni
4 Tbsp butter
¾ cup whole milk
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375℉. Cook the macaroni al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and return the cooked pasta to the pot. Add the butter to the hot pasta and stir until the butter is melted and then add the milk. Add salt, pepper, and 1-½ cups of the freshly grated cheese to the pasta mixture. Lightly toss to combine the pasta, cheese, and seasonings. Pour the mac and cheese into a 2-quart casserole dish, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.
Banana Pudding
1 (11 oz) box Vanilla Wafers
4 to 6 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5 oz) box Instant French Vanilla pudding
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
To the bottom of a 9×13 dish, cover evenly with half of the vanilla wafers. Add the bananas, sliced into ¼ inch thickness, to the top of the wafers. In the medium bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together until smooth and then fold in the whipped topping. Fold the pudding into the cheese mixture until well incorporated. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas, covering with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.