Slow-Cooker Sour Cream Salsa Chicken

I was trying to use up a huge jar of salsa that I had opened when making Cafe Rio Sweet Pork and I came across this recipe on Spark People. It's a FREE nutrition tracker/ diet plan/ healthy lifestyle website. I'd heard of Spark People, but I didn't realize the website has over 200,000 healthy recipes! Pretty cool, right? Well, besides spending over an hour adding healthy recipes to my Pinterest boards (SO addicting!), I found this super easy recipe that I've made 3 times now. I don't often make a recipe that often because there are so many new recipes I haven't tried, but this is perfect for Sundays. I can throw 3 ingredients in a slow-cooker before we go to church and when we come home, this meal is hot and on the table within 10 minutes! I never even thaw the frozen chicken first. My family all loves it too, which makes me happy:) Recipe adapted from spark people.com

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package 40% reduced sodium taco seasoning mix (or about 3-4 Tablespoons)
1 cup salsa
2 Tbs. cornstarch

2 Tbs. water
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Spray crock pot with cooking spray (or line with a Reynolds' Slow Cooker Liner) and add chicken breast. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and top with salsa. Cook on low for 6 hours. Remove chicken from pot and shred. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 Tbs. water and stir into sauce remaining in crock pot. Stir in sour cream and shredded chicken and warm through. Serve on top of rice, noodles or quinoa and sprinkle with a little cheese. Can also be served in a tortilla as a burrito.  Serves 6.

Nutritional info (without rice): Calories: 231.8, Total fat: 3.2 g., Cholesterol: 95.2 mg., Sodium: 689.7 mg., Total carbs: 12.2 gm., Dietary fiber: 1.3 gm., Protein: 36.6 gms. 

Slow-Cooker Apple Pork Roast

We LOVE this recipe and have been making it often lately because it's so easy! There are only 5 ingredients and it doesn't get much easier than throwing it all in the crockpot. It works well for burritos, salads or sandwiches and because it serves 12, we use it for 2 different meals. I hope you enjoy this one as much as my family does:) Recipe adapted from 30 Meals in One Day.

1 (4-pound) boneless pork roast
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups apple juice
½ teaspoon salt

Place pork roast in a large slow-cooker (lined with a Reynold's Slow-Cooker liner for easy cleanup). Mix Worcestershire, brown sugar, apple juice and salt and pour over pork. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Remove pork and place it in a large bowl and shred with 2 forks. Spoon remaining juice over the shredded pork and mix well. Can use for pork sandwiches, salad or burritos. Serves 12.

Skinny pork burritos

We love barbacoa-style pork burritos and make them often around here. Recently, I tried this recipe and  loved it! The chipotle chiles give this pork such a good flavor. Recipe from skinnytaste.com (I just added a bit more cumin:)

Step #1- MARINADE:

2.5 lbs. pork loin roast, all fat trimmed

Salt & pepper

Garlic powder

6 oz. Coke Zero (could sub Diet Coke or Diet Dr. Pepper)

1/4 cup brown sugar

Season pork with salt, pepper and garlic powder and place in crock pot. Add Coke and brown sugar. Marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, turning meat at least once while marinating.

Step #2- COOK:

1/4 cup water

8 oz. Coke Zero

8 oz. tomato sauce

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeds discarded and finely chopped*

7 oz. can diced green chilies, drained

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/8 tsp. chipotle chile powder (to taste)

salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup brown sugar

Remove crock from refrigerator, add water and cook on high for 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily). Remove pork from crock and discard any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork with 2 forks and place it back into the crock pot. 

Mix the remaining ingredients (Coke Zero, tomato sauce, diced chipotle chile and adobo sauce, green chiles, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle chile powder, salt and pepper and brown sugar) and pour on top of the shredded pork in the crock pot. Cover and cook on high for another hour. Makes about 10 servings.

*NOTE: I'm loving chipotle chiles lately, but most recipes only call for 1 or 2. There's a great little tutorial on these chile peppers over at Ourbestbites.com, if you're interested!

"Cafe Rio" Pork

**This is my version of one of our SLC favorites! I have experimented and combined many different recipes, and this seems as close to Cafe Rio's as I could get!

**This is the party-sized recipe... it will serve a crowd! Halve it for a family-sized serving, or make the whole recipe, eat what you need and freeze the rest for another day! My kids are always begging for more!!

5-6 pound boneless pork roast
2 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper- Not DIET!!
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 cup water
1 large (7 oz) can diced green chilies
1 large (28 oz) can red enchilada sauce
1 1/2-2 cups brown sugar

After trimming excess fat, put the pork roast in a tupperware or heavy duty ziploc bag to marinate. Add 2-3 cups of Dr Pepper and about 1/2 c. of brown sugar. Marinate in fridge overnight.

In the morning drain marinade and put pork, 2 cups Dr Pepper, 1/2 cup water, and 1-2 tsp garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours or on low for 8 hours (I do mine on high until lunch-time). Remove pork from crock pot, scrape off excess fat and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork with two forks. Return pork to crock pot.

In blender combine chilies, enchilada sauce and 1 1/2 to 2 cups brown sugar (you can add a little more or less to taste) and blend until smooth. Pour over shredded pork in crockpot and then mix in 1 1/2 to 2 cups Dr Pepper (add more if sauce is too thick). Cook on low for at least 2 hours. I usually let it simmer on low until dinner-time! Serve with tortillas, black beans, cheese, cilantro-lime rice, salsa, guacamole and lettuce for a deluxe burrito, or with the same toppings over lettuce, topped with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch and garnished with cilantro and crushed tortilla chips, for a fabulous salad!

Café Rio Sweet Pork

          1 boneless pork loin roast
          1 (7 oz.) can diced green chilies, drained
          12 oz. salsa (1 1/2 cups or about 3/4 of a 16 oz. bottle)
          1 Tbs. dried onion
          1 1/2 cups brown sugar
          1 pkg. taco seasoning (about 3-4 Tbs.)
          1/2 cup water

          Tortillas (We love the uncooked ones from Costco)
          Sides: tomatoes, lettuce, olives, avocado and sour cream, if desired

Place pork in crockpot (I use a Reynold's Slow Cooker Liner to make clean up easier). Mix all other ingredients and pour over pork. Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6 hours.  Remove meat to a large serving bowl and shred with 2 forks. Add several ladles of juice to the meat until it's moist. Serve in warmed tortillas with tomatoes, lettuce, olives, avocado and sour cream, if desired. Can also serve on hamburger buns or top a salad. Serves 8-10, depending on size of pork loin.

This recipe makes enough for 2 meals for my family of 5, so I make this with the leftover pork for a different meal:

SMOTHERED BAKED PORK BURRITOS:

          Café Rio Sweet Pork
          Warmed tortillas
          1 (10 oz.) can green chile Enchilada sauce
          Shredded cheese
          Sides: tomatoes, lettuce, olives, avocado and sour cream, if desired

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Warm tortillas and fill with shredded pork. Place filled tortillas in baking dish and top with Enchilada sauce. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with shredded cheese. Return to oven to melt cheese. Serve with tomatoes, lettuce, olives, avocado and sour cream, if desired.

For a low-carb option, serve as a salad with sweet pork, lettuce, olives, tomatoes and avocado...

Teriyaki Turkey Burritos

*from Alli Elggren

10 raw tortillas, cooked
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 garlic clove minced, or 1/8-1/4 tsp. garlic powder
16 oz package broccoli coleslaw mix (my store carries smaller bags so I use two)
1 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. teriyaki sauce (I use closer to 1/2 c.)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

*Cook tortillas and wrap tightly in foil. Warm in oven at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Meanwhile cook turkey, onion, and garlic in a large, deep skillet until turkey is no longer pink; drain. Pour into bowl and set aside.
In the same skillet, stir-fry the broccoli slaw mix in oil for 10 minutes. Add teriyaki sauce & pepper; cook & stir for 1 minute. Stir in cheese and turkey mixture and heat through. Spoon 1/2 c. filling in each tortilla and roll up.

*5 servings, with 2 burritos each

Crock-pot Chicken Burritos

My husband requests these more than anything else I make. I won't complain since they are so easy! It's a recipe I made up one day using what I had in the house already.

4-6 chicken breasts

1 jar salsa verde (green)

1 can black beans

3-4 fresh limes
uncooked-tortillas

Combine in crock pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Cook tortillas according to directions. Use forks to shred chicken then fill tortillas. Squeeze fresh lime on the burrito mixture then top with anything else you like on burritos (sour cream etc). Quick, easy and delicious. Don't forget the lime it is a must!

Chicken & Rice Burritos

*This is one of my staple meals.

2 Tbsp. butter
1 6.8 oz. box Spanish rice (Rice A Roni)
1 jar salsa (16 oz.)
3 chicken breasts, cubed
2 c. water
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained (can substitute pinto beans)
1 c. frozen corn
10 flour tortillas (I like the uncooked Costco ones)

* Brown butter & rice in a large skillet about 2 minutes, or until golden.
Add water, salsa, chicken, and rice seasoning. Bring to a full boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in beans and corn. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.

*Serve in tortillas. Top with lettuce and sour cream. Makes 10 burritos.