Pork & Sauerkraut

1 pork roast (1/3 lb. per person)

1 bag (or jar) sauerkraut, drained

garlic salt

4 t. black pepper

Crockpot: In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and brown the roast. Place roast in crockpot. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Add sauerkraut around the sides. Add 1-2 cups of water and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Oven: Preheat oven to 425. Place pork roast in a roaster. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Brown uncovered in oven for 15 minutes. Remove roaster from oven and lower temperature to 350. Place drained sauerkraut around the roast in the pan. Add 1-2 cups of water. Bake 40 minutes per pound.

This is our traditional New Year's Day dinner for good luck for the new year. I always do the crockpot method, but the oven baking instructions could come in handy so I'm including them. We love this so much that I try to make it a couple other times each year and homemade mashed potatoes are a must to go along with the pork and sauerkraut.

Crockpot Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

1 small to medium turkey breast
1 stick of butter
salt

Wash and pat dry turkey breast. Season lightly with salt. Place in crockpot with 1 stick of butter. Turn on low and cook for 10-12 hours.

Heat up a jar of turkey gravy and make some stuffing or potatoes and you have a delicious meal, any day of the week.

24-hour Italian Beef

Ingredients:

Beef roast (3-6 lbs)
2 c. water
1 pkg. au jus gravy mix
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix
1/3-1/2 of a 16oz. jar peperoncini


Combine water, gravy mix and dressing mix. Pour over roast in crockpot. Add peperoncini to taste, the more you add the spicier it will be. Cover and cook on low 12-15 hours - put it on before you go to bed. In the morning, shred beef with forks, forming strings. Cook on low an additional 10-12 hours. Serve on crusty Italian rolls. Top with shredded mozzarella or provolone.

My friend Renee' makes a version of this that I love. I decided to try to find a similar recipe. I found this and added the peperoncini for the added spice I was looking for - it is so delicious! It is great for a dinner when everyone is on the run, or when you're having a get-together with friends. It has such a home-y, slow-cooked taste - everyone loves it!

Triple Chocolate Mess

Ingredients:

1 pkg. devil's food cake mix
1 pint sour cream
1 pkg. chocolate instant pudding & pie filling mix
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 c. water

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth. Pour mixture into crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve in a bowl with vanilla ice cream.

I found this recipe online a long time ago. I love the consistency, the combination of the pudding, cake and chocolate chips. When you scoop it into a bowl and add vanilla ice cream, the ice cream starts to melt and mix with the chocolate. So yummy, chocolate-y and rich - you'll want to dive right in!

Crockpot Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 28oz. can peeled, diced, tomatoes
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 6oz. can tomato paste
2 15oz. cans kidney beans (I use one dark red and one light red)
1 packet chili seasoning mix
1 large onion, chopped

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet on stovetop. Put all ingredients including the prepared ground beef and onion into the crockpot and stir together. Cook on low 8-12 hours. Serve with saltines or oyster crackers, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, even hot dogs - whatever else you like with your chili.

Fall weather is upon us and I'm planning to make chili in the morning for Beggar's Night. It makes trick or treating so easy - dinner is ready when you walk in the door at the end of the workday, each person can eat as they're hungry and still get costumes and make-up on and everything ready for the all the little goblins that will be stopping by. Everyone has their favorite chili and this is my own take on it. It is very similar to what my mom used to make and my family loves it. It's even better reheated the next day.

Hash Brown Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 32oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. onion, chopped
1 stick margarine, melted
1 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pint sour cream
cornflakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine potatoes, soup, onion, cheese, margarine, and sour cream in large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour in greased 9" x 13" pan. Top with crushed cornflakes. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes, uncover and bake 45 minutes more.

This is an old stand-by - no potluck is complete without them. I have made these as a crockpot recipe as well: place in crockpot instead of the 9" x 13" pan and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Some recipes use crushed Ritz-style crackers instead of the cornflakes but I prefer the flakes. I make cheesy potatoes to go with ham for dinner some nights. These are great for brunch too.

Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1 large red onion
1 large vidalia onion
1 med-large yellow cooking onion
1 10.5oz. can onion soup, plus 2 cans of water
2 large cans beef broth
pepper

Rough chop all the onions. Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 8-12 hours. Serve in individual bowls with a slice of provolone melted on top. Make your own croutons or serve with crusty french bread.

There used to be a restaurant downtown that my husband and I would go to for lunch. This is my attempt to recreate their yummy onion soup. My creation is one of my husband's favorite meals! It's another easy meal that is ready for my busy family to eat whenever their schedules give them a minute to sit down and eat it.