Meatball Grilled Cheese Goodness

Attention people!  A standard grilled cheese rocks my tastebuds!  But THIS meatball grilled cheese rocked my world.   I used leftover homemade meatballs from the previous night.  You can make your favorite meatballs or use frozen. I highly recommend putting in the effort to make your own meatballs my friends.  It's totally worth it and super simple.  I'm sure you can find a great recipe out there.  Maybe I'll share mine if you're totally nice and leave a comment on this post.

I used shredded cheese vs sliced because I feel it melts much faster.  Plus it's what I had on hand. I served with these new garlic parmesan pretzel crisps I found and they went together perfectly.

2 slices of bread (I used whole wheat)
butter
mozzarella cheese, shredded
parmesan cheese, shredded
meatballs
marinara sauce

Butter both sides of each bread slice.  Preheat skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a small pad of butter to pan and spread around until melted.   Add bread slices to hot pan.  Brown until golden.  Flip over one slice and add a few tablespoons of mozzarella cheese.  Then top cheese with sliced (cooked meatballs). I use about 2-3 meatballs each sliced 3-4 times.  Then top with more mozzarella cheese and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.  Then top with next slice of bread (hot side down over cheese so it makes the inside all warm and melty).  Press sandwich down with spatula.  Cook until golden on both sides and cheese is melty.

Serve with your favorite marinara sauce.  I like to warm it up in a small dipping bowl in microwave while the last side of my sandwich is browning.   Make sure to cover the bowl with a paper towel so it doesn't splatter everywhere.  It only takes about 20-25 seconds.  Enjoy!

Sausage and Carmelized Onion Bread Pudding

Most bread puddings I've had are sweet. They were either for breakfast or dessert. I was in the mood for something savory and it was lunch time but I still wanted bread pudding for some reason. I can't decipher the reasoning behind my stomach and tastebuds sometimes but I just go with it. So I decided to go for a savory bread pudding.

A friend was coming to visit and I wanted to surprise her with something different. I turned it into a brunch. I went with this Sausage and Carmelized Onion Bread Pudding as it was light, yet filling.



4 oz pork sausage
1/2 c water
1 1/3 c milk
1/8 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
8 slices french bread, day old, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and cook for about 10 minutes or until carmelized into a beautiful brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in water and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove onions from pan to a small bowl and set aside. Coat pan again with cooking spray. Crumble sausage into pan. Stir and cook until browned. Add onions back to pan and stir to combine. Once combined, pour onto a paper towel covered plate or bowl. This will help soak up any additional grease. Set aside.

Whisk together, milk, salt, eggs and egg white. Add bread and gently toss to coat all pieces.

Stir the sausage and onion mixture into the bread mixture. Spray a 8-9 inch baking dish. Add the combined mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Bourbon Ribs & Creamed Corn

It's been really hot so we haven't been grilling out as much as we like.  Plus my husband and I have both been super busy and working late at work the last few weeks.  (I can't wait to get a fancy stove one day that has a grill top on one side.  I think it would be used a lot.)  I decided to bear the heat and make some delicious ribs.  And I decided homemade creamed corn would be a great side.  It was my first time to make homemade creamed corn and I feel it turned out just like I had hoped.   I added bacon because it makes everything taste better and my husband loves bacon.  That's just how amazing I am as a wife. 

Everytime I think of ribs, it reminds me of our good friend, Zeus, who left us for the sunny state of California a few years ago. His rib recipe is amazing!  I think he uses Jack Daniel's or some other tasty whiskey.  It's the type of recipe that you crave.  I know it's easy but some things just taste better when someone else makes it.   When he's in town, we all plan a get together at someone's house just so we have an excuse to ask him to make his ribs.  My recipe isn't the same but it's a good alternative until he comes to visit again.  

Bourbon Ribs
1 rack of baby back pork ribs
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c bourbon
1/2 c BBQ sauce (to brush them with before you throw them on the grill)

Rinse the rack of ribs and pat dry with paper towels.  Lay out a big sheet of aluminum foil and place the ribs on it.  Rub down both sides of your rack with the salt and pepper.  Then pour the olive oil over the top and then the bourbon.  Rub everything in on both sides.  Lay the meaty side down and wrap them up carefully in the aluminum foil.  Adding more foil as needed to cover completely.  Place wrapped ribs on a cookie sheet and put in the fridge. (I like to use the cookie sheet just in case the juices drip out.) Let them sit over night.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 275 degrees F.  Place ribs and cookie sheet in oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until you can pull a piece of the tender meat off with a fork easily.  When cooked to desired tenderness, remove from oven.  If you like a charred or crispy finish, heat up the grill.   Brush both sides with your favorite BBQ sauce.  Place rack of ribs directly on the grill.  Cook until a nice grilled finished on both sides.  About 3-5 minutes per side.

Creamed Corn with Bacon
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 shallot, finely diced
2 tbsp butter
4 ears of corn, husks and silks removed
1/4 c water
1/2 c heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
freshly ground nutmeg (approx. 10-15 strokes over the microplane)

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the butter and shallots and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add the corn niblets and water and bring to a boil.  Then turn down heat, cover and cook about 10 minutes until corn is tender.   Then add heavy cream, 1/2 of the crumbled bacon, salt and pepper to taste.   Then grind the nutmeg straight into the skillet.   Stir and cook until warmed through.   Sprinkle the remaining crumbled bacon on top just before serving.  Serves 4-6.

Hawaiian Pork Burgers

We really should use our grill more often. It's just too dang hot out there right now.   I love almost anything off the grill.  And it's sad to say but my husband just showed me how to use the grill for the first time. This is my first meal where I've been the grillmaster and not depended on him.  I'm very proud of myself but shame on me for waiting so long.  There are so many possibilities for tasty meals off the grill.  

When the subject of grilling comes up, I think of grilled cheesy dogs, asparagus,  zucchini, squash, pineapple, peaches, beer can chicken, kabobs and burgers.  (In that order too.)  I have a weak spot in my heart for almost burnt cheesy dogs.  Other than that, I only eat hot dogs at baseball stadiums.  Is that weird??  Oh well. 

I've never had a pork burger until now.  I thought this would make a tasty version.  At first it was weird since I'm use to medium well meat.  So when I look down and saw the light color of the pork, it grossed me out at first.  I kept thinking it was undercooked.  I got over it.  It was delicious!!  Enjoy!

1 lb ground pork

2 tbsp pineapple juice
1/3 c red bell pepper, finely diced
1/3 c yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1/3 c green bell pepper, finely diced

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a medium bowl thoroughly combine teriyaki sauce, pineapple juice, all bell peppers, salt and pepper. Add pork and gently bring all the ingredients together with your hands; do not over-work the meat. With dampened hands, form pork mixture into 4 patties of even thickness, or make 6 smaller patties, if desired. Transfer patties to a lined baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Light the grill or preheat the broiler. Cook patties, turning each carefully with a spatula once, for about 6 minutes per side, or until just cooked through.

I served on a whole wheat bun with spicy mustard and lettuce.  The spicy mustard went really nice with the flavor.

Pork Stir Fry

Stir-fry is so easy and you can put just about anything you want in it.  I had a few ingredients on hand and decided to throw this together to see what happened.  It turned out really good and made a lot. You can play with this recipe and add your own favorite veggies.  Marinating the meat for at least 15 minutes adds flavor to the dish. You can use shrimp, chicken or beef in the place of pork.   There are so many possibilities.  Enjoy!!

1 lb boneless pork chops, sliced in strips
2 c fresh cabbage, chopped
1 c frozen or fresh asparagus, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp dark sesame seed oil
2 c white rice, prepared

In a medium bowl, combine the ginger, rice wine vinegar and 2 tbsp of soy sauce and then add the pork. Set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Add peanut oil and heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.  Add pork along with the marinade and cook until pork is no longer pink and liquid is gone.  About 5-7 minutes.    Remove pork from pan to a bowl and set aside.  Add cabbage to pan and cook until it starts to soften.  Then add asparagus and garlic, cook until cabbage is cooked down but still has some crunch to it.  Add pork back to pan with veggies and add remaining soy sauce and dark sesame see oil.  Cook until heated through.  Serve over rice.   Makes 4 healthy servings.

Japanese-Style Crispy Pork

First of all, my picture doesn't do this meal justice so I apologize. Thanks to the May edition of Food Network Magazine, I found this delicious creation.   It's basically schnitzel with a Japanese-style side. Now all I need to do is learn to make the "out of this world" creamy sauces like Jorg's Cafe Vienna and I'll have my own Award Winning Crème Schnitzel.  If you don't know what I'm talking about you must let me know and we will go immediately!  Wow, now I'm craving the Jager Schnitzel. Mmmm. But I'm so serious, if you haven't been there let me know and I will introduce you to heaven in your mouth x10.


1 lb thin-cut boneless pork chops or cutlets, trimmed
kosher salt
2 tbs rice wine, sake or sherry
1 1/2 tsp finely grated peeled ginger
2 medium cucumbers
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 large eggs
2 c panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3/4 c cornstarch
Peanut oil, for frying
1/4 c tonkatsu sauce ( a sweet-spicy Japanese dipping sauce, sold near the soy sauce; or follow my recipe below to make your own)

If your pork is a little thicker than 1/4 inch, pound it thin with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer.  Season the pork with salt.  Mix the rice wine and1 tsp ginger and spread onto the pork.  Set aside.

Peel, quarter and seed the cucumbers; cut into 4-inch spears.  Toss with the sugar and vinegar.  Then toast the pepper flakes with 1 tbsp salt in a skillet over medium heat, about 4 minutes.  Set aside.

Beat the eggs with 1/2 c water in a shallow bowl.  PUt the panko and cornstarch in 2 separate plates or shallow bowls.  Dredge each piece of pork in cornstarch, dip in egg, then coat with the panko.  Heat 1/4 inch of peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Fry the pork in batches until golden, 3-4 minutes each side.  Place on papertowel-lined plate.

Sprinkle the cucumbers with some of the pepper flake salt. 

Tonkatsu Sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp water
remaining 1/2 tsp ginger

Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl.

Serve the sauce with the pork and cucumbers. 

Carnitas and Margaritas

It was too hot to get out so we decided to stay in and make Carnitas and Margaritas. Oh my goodness!! I fell in love with my husband all over again. Over MEAT!! LOL This is a very simple recipe but you wouldn't think so by how good it tastes. There are a lot of dishes out there that take extra time to prepare due to so many steps in order for something to turn out perfect. This takes some time but not many steps. Put it on while you go run some errands, clean the house or just lay around and watch tv while drooling. I promise, you WILL salivate while this is cooking as the smell fills your house. It's worth the wait. The Van Doren Margarita recipe is below after the Carnita recipe.

(1) 4-5 lb bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt)
kosher salt
3 c chicken broth or water (or half of each)
1 white or yellow onion, quartered
1 tbsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp paprika

An hour before you start cooking, remove the meat from the fridge, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Let it sit.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place pork in a 5-7 quart Dutch oven and add the broth, onion, oregano, cumin and paprika. We used half broth, half water. Add generous pinch of salt. Place over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Spoon some of the hot liquid over hte top of the meat, then cover again and transfer to oven. Cook until meat is literally falling apart, about 4 hours, spooning liquid over meat once or twice during cooking.

Remove pot from oven and place on stove top. Transfer meat to a platter. With a large sppon, push meat off the bone in chunks; discard bone and any large pieces of fat. Put meat back in pot and turn on heat to medium-high heat; cook, stirring to break it up with a sppon, until liquid in pot has almost entirely evaporated and meat begins to sizzle, 5-10 minutes. Ready to serve.

We served on warm tortillas with shredded Monterrey jack cheese and dollop of sour cream. Just the meat by itself would be great on a bun. Other options: Use as filling in enchiladas or tamales or add your favorite BBQ sauce and serve on a bun.



VAN DOREN MARGARITA'S

2 c tequila
1 c sweetened lime juice
1/2 c triple sec

Pour all ingredients into a pitcher. Stir together. You can take a sip and add more of what you need to suit your taste. Serve over ice in salted margarita glasses with a lime. Makes 2 servings. Enjoy!!

Lemon Caper Pork

This reminds me a lot of Lemon Chicken but with Pork. We both loved it!!

WW Points: 4

1 lb pork tenderloin or boneless chops, trimmed of fat
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 c fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp capers
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, thinly sliced

If using tenderloin, cut into 8 slices, place pork slices between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound to a 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle pork with pepper and salt. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned.

Add broth and remaining ingredients to the pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2-3 minutes until liquid is reduced by half. Transfer pork to a serving platter. Spoon sauce and lemon slices, if desired over pork. Serve over a bed of whole wheat thin spaghetti or linguine for a complete meal.

Garlic Soy Pork Chops

This is one of our favorite quick dinners. The pork is so full of flavor and very simple to make. Marinate it overnight and it will be more tender and flavorful. The thinner the pork, the better. We like to use the breakfast chops.

1 lb boneless pork chops (4-6)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp pepper

In a glass dish, mix the dijon, soy sauce, garlic and pepper. I use a 9-inch glass square baking dish. Place pork chops in a single layer in dish and coat both sides with mixture. Cover dish with saran wrap and refrigerate from 1 hour to overnight.

Place aluminum foil on baking sheet and put a wire rack over pan. Spray with cooking spray. Move oven rack to the top closest to broiler. Preheat broiler to high heat while you put pork chops on wire rack and baking sheet. Place in oven for 4-6 minutes. Turn pork over and broil another 4-6 minutes or until browned. Serve with your favorite vegetable or wild rice.

Spicy Pork Stir Fry

Quick, tasty and healthy meal for any day of the week. I've made this before and like it more and more each time.

WW Points: 5 per serving (4 servings total) *I served with white rice so that adds to the points but you can have plain for super healthy meal or serve over brown rice.

2 tsp chili oil (*if you don't want it to be spicy, use peanut oil)
1 lb lean pork tenderloins, cut into thin strips (*I use the Pork Top Loin, boneless)
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed
2 tsp cornstarch
1 lb frozen mixed vegetables (Asian stir-fry mix)
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp orange marmalade

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the chili oil. Cook pork until it begins to brown and is just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Heat remaining oil in the same skillet over high heat; add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook stirring constantly until golden and fragrant; about 1-2 minutes.

Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water. Add vegetables to pan; cook, stirring frequently, until just tender; 4-6 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, vinegar and marmalade. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in pork and heat through. Serve immediately.

Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloins with BBQ Drizzle

We had our monthly dinner party at Doug & Tori's tonight. The theme was Caribbean food. Chris found an awesome recipe on Food Network for Jerk Pork Tenderloins with BBQ Drizzle. Ohhhh myyyyy god it was amazing!! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. It consists of a lot of ingredients but is really easy to prepare. We served with fried plantains and it was a good accompaniment.
















2 (1 - 1 1/2 lbs) pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat
1/2 cup lime juice
1 cup jerk marinade, recipe follows
2 tsp kosher salt
vegetable oil
BBQ Drizzle, for serving, recipe follows

Rinse meat well and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the lime juice all over the meat, place in a nonreactive bowl and set aside in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Add the jerk marinade and turn to coat meat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat a grill to medium-low. Remove the meat from marinade, leaving some of the marinade clinging to the surface of the meat. Season the meat with kosher salt and lightly oil the grill grates. Place the tenderloins on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until the pork is just cooked through and nicely browned on the outside and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 145-150 degrees F. (about 28-30 minutes). Remove the tenderloins from the grill and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. When ready to serve, slice into 1/2 inch thick slices on a slight diagonal and serve fanned out on a plate, drizzled with BBQ drizzle.

JERK MARINADE:
1/2 cup chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup minced onion
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 crushed bay leaves
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
2 Scotch bonnet chiles, seeded (habanero)
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp vinegar

In a bowl of a food processor combine the thyme, green onions, parsley, onion, brown sugar, bay leaves, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander seeds, chiles, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and vegetable oil and process to a smooth paste. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl (glass) and stir in the soy sauce, lime juice, and vinegar. Refrigerate with a lid or plastic wrap until ready to use. Any unused marinade will keep for up to 1 month.

BBQ DRIZZLE:
6 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp vinegar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tbsp Tamarind pulp
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 Scotch bonnet chile, seeded and minced (habanero)

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 10 minutes). Serve the sauce either warm or room temperature, drizzled over the Jerk Pork Tenderloins.

Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce

I found this recipe on a winery site that sounded delicious. It was created by their executive chef. I changed it up a bit. I brought out the nice dinner plates and lit candles for this one. I hope you enjoy it!

4 center cut pork chops, 1 1/2 - 2 inches thick (I used them on a bone for flavor, you can use boneless if you wish)

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

14 oz. chicken broth

3 tbsp stone ground mustard

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp dried dill

In a large saute pan add olive oil over med-high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and add to the saute pan. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until brown. Add the white wine, let reduce to a glaze. Then add the chicken broth and cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the chops from the pan to a plate and cover. Turn up the heat and add the mustard, garlic and dill then boil for a minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Optional: You can add a tablespoon of butter to enrich the sauce. If you want it thicker, mix 1/2 cup of the sauce with a tablespoon of cornstarch. Whisk into pan until creamy.

Serve with noodles, wild rice or steamed vegetables. The sauce is really good so you'll want to mop it up with something.