The BEST pulled pork tacos

The BEST pulled pork tacos

Bonus: They're also crazy easy!  

You'll need:
3 lb pork roast, this is pretty forgiving - I usually get my hands on a shoulder... I'm confident that whatever you have on hand will suffice.
1 16 oz jar Herdez Mild Verde Salsa
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp granulated garlic
dash each salt and pepper

To serve:
corn tortillas, 3-5 per person
diced tomatoes
diced cilantro
crumbled Cotija cheese

Hardware:
Crock pot
1 large or two smaller cookie sheets
Broiler oven

Pour a little of the salsa in the bottom of your crock pot, place the roast on top, then cover with remainder of salsa.  Sprinkle spices over the top and cook.  4-5 hours on high, 6-8 on low.  Use a thermometer to make sure you're at or above 145F in the middle.

Once the roast is cooked, use two forks to shred it.  Return shredded pork to crock pot and stir it around in the sauce.  Use tongs or a large slotted spoon to move shredded pork to cookie sheet in a nice single layer.  You'll leave a good portion of the liquid behind in the crock pot, that's ok. 

Broil shredded pork on high for 5-7 minutes or until dark and crispy on the edges - just shy of burning, so watch closely!  This creates magic, caramelizing the sauce and the meat together into savory "meat candy".  It's practically irresistible.  I like to use two cookie sheets so that I can start building tacos while the second is in the oven. 

This will serve our hungry family of 4 two meals, generally dinner and lunch.  I like to make cilantro lime rice and a green salad to serve on the side. 

Huge thanks to Erin Woodward who taught me the value of broiling this dish and introducing our family to "meat candy". 

Taco Soup

We call this chili in our household.  It's a great addition to a baked potato bar, turns into nachos on day 2, and is super easy to make (you can even freeze it)!

Taco Soup

In a large pot:
Brown 1 lb ground beef with 1 packet Taco Seasoning, drain excess grease

Add following and simmer for 20 minutes or more:
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
2 28oz cans diced fire roasted tomatoes (I love Muir Glenn brand)
1 can chili and lime Rotel
1 can cream corn (and sometimes some extra corn from a bag of frozen)
1 can dark kidney beans, drained
1 can white kidney beans (cannellini), drained
2 cans black beans, drained
2 cans pinto beans, drained

We like to top this like it's a taco... sour cream, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro.  It's a lot of fun to serve buffet style, letting everyone top their own bowl.  You can even make it vegetarian, or add TVP to stretch your meat.

Because I can keep the ground beef frozen and the cans always on hand, this is a go-to recipe, especially in the winter.  I keep all the cans for a single batch tied up in a grocery sack in my pantry and I toss the empty cans back in the bag as I make the recipe for easy clean up.

Enchilada Lasagna

I just shared this recipe with a friend and as I pressed the SEND button it dawned on me that there are probably a lot of friends out there who would love a new recipe. This one is a favorite in our house. No rolling required! :)

Enchilada Lasagna
Preheat oven to 350F
Makes one 9x13 pan

1 19oz can Old El Paso Mild Enchilada Sauce
1 15oz can HyVee Mild Enchilada Sauce
1 10oz can Old El Paso Mild Green Chili Enchilada Sauce
(You'll have some sauce leftover, but they each taste different and blend to make it just right.
If you can't find these brands, just pick any 2 red and 1 green... it's a forgiving recipe!)
4 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or a cheddar blend)
36 +\- white corn tortillas, cut in half
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can black olives, sliced
1 can sweet corn (or frozen)
1 small can diced mild green chilies

Brown ground beef, using directions on taco seasoning packet (also yummy as plain cheese enchiladas).

Cut tortillas, slice olives, open & drain green chilies and corn. Use can opener key to open pour spouts in enchilada sauces. Open/prepare cheese.

Begin with a layer of enchilada sauce on bottom of pan, enough to coat the pan bottom (this will keep your tortillas from sticking).

Then the tortillas, with flat edges along outside of pan - arrange 3 along the sides, 1 on each end, and 3-4 down the middle.

Then 1/3 each of all other ingredients, and ~1 cup cheese. Another splash of sauce, tortillas, ingredients... repeat until pan is full - usually about 3 layers. Finish with a final layer of ingredients and cheese. Cover with foil, shiny side down, and bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.

Serve with sour cream, chips & salsa. Enjoy!

It's so easy to double this recipe and make the whole thing assemly-line-style that I usually make 2 pans at a time and freeze generous portions in quart ziplock bags. They reheat beautifully!