Canadian moms find it hard to make one homemade dinner a week, never mind seven! And with the back-to-school routine starting up again, it’s just going to get busier. As one of those moms, I know that the best way to cook dinner is to slow down! With some planning and a versatile kitchen tool – a Crock-Pot slow cooker, now with a new attached lid to make serving even easier – you can make a healthy and tasty dinner, and then use the leftovers as a base for another delicious meal. By tag teaming Tuesday and Wednesday night dinners, you’ll spend less time in the kitchen and more time doing the important things in life – like helping the kids with their homework.
Slow-cooked BBQ Pulled Pork makes for a fun, interactive kid-friendly dinner, while the leftovers become the base for Hearty Southwest Soup.
Cook, heat and serve BBQ Pulled Pork buffet-style directly in the Crock-Pot slow cooker – this makes it easy for family members to serve themselves while keeping the meat warm. By putting out a variety of different garnishes like grated cheese, sautéed onions, guacamole, sour cream, hot sauces, lettuce and tomatoes alongside whole wheat buns or tortillas, the whole family can create their own personal sandwich!
Served with garlic toast and a green salad, Hearty Southwest Soup makes for a satisfying and simple meal. Perfect for a quick dinner before rushing off to a little league game or a hot packed lunch on a rainy day.
BBQ Pulled Pork
2 3 lb. boneless pork rib roasts
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bottle dark beer, divided
3 cups BBQ sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
Buns or flour tortillas
1. Season pork roasts on all sides with salt and pepper. Brown roasts on all sides in a non-stick skillet. Place onions, carrots and celery into slow cooker; top with browned roasts.
2. De-glaze skillet with ¼ cup beer, pour liquid and remaining beer over roasts in slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours or LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
3. Remove roasts, reserve. Strain liquid into container, discarding vegetables. Reserve 1 cup pork broth. Refrigerate remaining broth for Hearty Southwest Soup.
4. Place roasts back into slow cooker, using 2 forks, shred pork until it is completely pulled apart, discard as much excess fat as possible; add reserved 1 cup pork broth and barbecue sauce; combine well; cover, set to WARM.
5. Serve buffet-style with buns or tortillas and all the fixings.
Hearty Southwest Soup
6 cups broth: pork, chicken, beef (or a combination)
2 cups BBQ pulled pork mixture
1 can (19 fl oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
1½ cups low-fat refried beans
1½ cups finely chopped carrots
1 cup celery finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
1. Place broth, BBQ pulled pork, beans, carrots and celery into slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours.
2. Add cilantro just before serving.
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