Tag: pulledpork

Pulled Pork Pasta

I very loosely consider myself the queen of leftovers. I really enjoying having a bit of a “Chopped” competition with myself to see what I can come up with based on the leftovers in the fridge.

Last week I had about two servings of pulled pork left in the freezer, onions and garlic, and leftover pasta and crushed tomatoes (from my tuna and asparagus pasta). So I worked with what I had and made the BEST pasta sauce I’ve made in awhile. There’s not much more to say other than that haha so here it is, my pulled pork pasta sauce:

Pulled Pork Pasta

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • 2 servings of pulled pork (make sure you have some grease)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/3 large can of crushed tomatoes
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Basil
  • About 8 ounces of pasta, cooked
  • Cheese, shredded (mozzarella, parmesan, etc.)

Instructions

  1. In about 2 tablespoons of grease from the pulled pork, sauté the onions and garlic on medium heat, seasoning with salt and pepper, until translucent about 7 minutes.
  2. Add the pulled pork and cook for about 7 minutes until warmed through.
  3. Add the tomatoes and season with red pepper flakes and basil to taste, and cook for about 10 minutes until steaming and thick.
  4. Add the pasta to the pan and cook until pasta is warmed through and everything has combined (get those flavors melding!)
  5. Top with cheese and serve!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

One of the things I miss most about home is my parents’ cooking. Both my mom and my dad are excellent cooks (and bakers!) and I’m SO lucky I grew up getting to eat so many different things. But man do I miss my dads sausages with peppers and onions or sautéed mushrooms and my moms peanut butter cookies or spaghetti and meat sauce.

Before I moved into my apartment, as a birthday gift (since my birthday is in July) my mom gave me a recipe book full of all of our favorite family recipes as well as some of her easy go-to’s when she was in her 20s. It was the most thoughtful gift and now I can make her peanut butter cookies whenever I want 🙂 (although let’s be real they’re never as good when you make them yourself).

One of the recipes in this book is my mom’s pulled pork recipe. Since my roommate and I had kind of been in a food rut of eating the same things every week, I decided that I’d pick up a pork butt at the grocery store and we’d have pulled pork this week.

Now I feel like the phrase “homemade pulled pork” may be intimidating, but I promise it’s not! This was pretty much the easiest recipe ever because you make it in the slow cooker! All you do is season and brown the meat, cut off the twine that may be tied around it, and then stick it in the slow cooker with some stock. THE easiest meal prep.

It’s difficult to tell, but this is pulled pork atop tater tots and cheese. AKA life changing

I will say, I’ve only used a slow cooker once before and now that I’ve made this pulled pork I am a slow cooker convert. There’s nothing better than dumping a bunch of things in a pot and letting it cook for 6 hours while you get on with life.

The recipe my mom wrote calls for 3 pounds of pork butt, which feeds 9-10. I intended to buy 1-2 pounds to feed us for the week but all they had at ALDI was 5 pounds… so now we have plenty of pulled pork in the freezer 🙂

Lemme know what some of your favorite slow cooker recipes are, I’m on the hunt now that I’ve seen how easy it makes meal prep!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (butt)
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Rub mixture over all sides of meat, pressing to adhere
  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the pork and brown on all sides, 6-8 minutes. Transfer meat to the slow cooker.
  3. Add broth to the skillet, scraping any browned bits. Add broth to slow cooker, cover, and cook until pork is very tender, 6-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
  4. Once finished, shred and serve: on its own, with barbecue sauce, as a sandwich, in a taco, or on tater tots!
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