Easy BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 pork shoulder roast (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1 bottle (about 14 ounces) BBQ sauce (I usually add a little more because we like it saucey)
1 T. Fresh lemon juice
1 T. Brown sugar
1 medium onion, chopped
8 buns

Place roast in the crock pot and cook for 10-12 hours on low or 5 to 6 hours on high. Remove the pork and shred. Discard any liquid in the crock pot. Return the shredded pork to the crock pot and add in the BBQ sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar and onion. Cover and cook on low for 2 more hours or on high for 1 more hour. Serve on the buns.

Candied Pretzel and Apple Salad

In this recipe the term "salad" should be used loosely. It is more of a dessert and reminds me of a version of snickers salad. But I really liked the salty, candied pretzels in it instead of the candy bar. It is super easy and my kids gave it two thumbs up. 

Sugared Pretzels:

• 1 cup chopped pretzels 
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup butter, melted

Cream Cheese Mixture:

• 8 oz softened cream cheese
• 3 cups diced apples (I used 2 large apples Braeburn apples, I think Granny Smith would be good too.)
• ½ cup caramel sauce, plus some for presentation 
• 8 oz tub cool whip

For the candied pretzels, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the brown sugar and butter together until combined. Then mix in the chopped pretzels and chopped pecans. Spread the mixture on a large jelly pan (or baking sheet with sides). Bake for 7 minutes.  Let the mixture cool and then break into small pieces.

For the cream cheese mixture, beat the cream cheese until it's smooth. Then beat in the caramel sauce. Fold in the cool whip. Stir in the sugared pretzels and chopped apples. Drizzle some caramel sauce over the top for presentation. 

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Makes 12 Taquitos

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 T. Lime juice
1/2 t. Cumin
1/2 t. Chili powder
1/2 t. Onion powder
2  cloves garlic, minced
3 T. chopped cilantro
3 T. Sliced green onion
2 cups of cooked chicken, shredded
1 cup shredded cheese
12 tortillas

Preheat oven to 425. Combine all ingredients (except tortillas) in a mixing bowl. Warm tortillas in the microwave if needed to make them easier to roll. Spoon 2-3 T. of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla and roll the tortilla up tight. Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on a baking sheet. Continue with the remaining tortillas. Much sure the tortillas are not touching each other and spray them with a little cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp and lightly brown. Serve with sour cream, salsa and/or guacamole.

Monkey Bread

2/3

cup granulated sugar

2

teaspoons cinnamon

4

cans Pillsbury™ Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits

10

tablespoons butter

1

cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup fluted tube pan or bundt pan. 
•  Mix the white sugar and cinnamon in a 1-gallon bag. Separate the dough into biscuits and cut each biscuit in quarters. 
• Shake the biscuit quarters to throughly coat each piece.  Place 1/3 of the biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle half of the butterscotch chips over the biscuits. Place the second 1/3 biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining butterscotch chips over the biscuits and top with the last 1/3 of the biscuits. 
•  In a small saucepan, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil the mixture for one minute while stirring constantly. Pour over the biscuit quarters in the pan. 
•  Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool for 5 minutes and then turn over onto a large plate. Pull apart to eat. Be careful, the biscuits may be very hot. 

Crock Pot Mexican Noodles

1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small can diced green chilies
1 t. Garlic powder
1 t. Cumin
1/4 t. Pepper
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
4 frozen chicken breasts
3-4 cups shredded cheese, divided
1 lb. pasta

The beauty of this meal is that it's both a freezer meal and a crockpot meal. If you want to do the freezer version, mix the first 9 ingredients and 1 to 1 1/2 cups cheese to a freezer safe container or bag. Then defrost it the night before and place it in the crock pot for 8-9 hours on low the next morning. Cook the noodles and shred the chicken.  Add in the remaining cheese and mix in the cooked noodles.  Let the cheese melt by letting it continue in the crockpot for 10-15 minutes.  If you want to do the crockpot version mix the first nine ingredients and 1 to 1 1/2 cups cheese and place directly in the crock pot.  Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Shred chicken and cook noodles. Add in the noodles and remaining cheese and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes. Easy Peasy.

Gingered Ground Beef

1 T Sesame Oil
1 lb. Ground Beef

(I usually 1 and a half these ingredients because I like things extra flavorful)
3 Cloves Minced Garlic
1 t. fresh minced Ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar

Brown the beef in a skillet with the sesame oil. Once it's cooked through, add all the remaining ingredients. Stir well while cooking for a few minutes. Then cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Serve over rice. Super easy and super flavorful!

Cranberry Jello Salad

Jello Mixture:
1 1/2 cups boiling water
6 ounce package of cranberry jello
16 ounce can whole cranberry sauce
2- 11 ounce cans mandarin oranges, drained

Graham cracker crust:
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (about one sleeve)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Cream cheese middle layer:
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
8 ounces cool whip, thawed
5 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

Jello Mixture:  In a large bowl mix the jello and boiling water until jello is completely dissolved.  Add in the cranberry sauce and stir until it is combined.  Add in the mandarin oranges and stir lightly.  Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator until slightly set up.

Graham Cracker Crust:  In a bowl mix the cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.  Press the mixture firmly to the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Cream cheese middle layer:  In a bowl beat the cream cheese until it's smooth.  Add in the sugar and beat until it is nice and fluffy.  Add in the pineapple and beat until incorporated.  Then fold the cool whip into the mixture.  Then pour the cream cheese mixture onto the graham cracker crust and spread to cover the crust.  Cover it and place in the fridge until the jello mixture is slightly set.  Once the jello mixture is ready, pour it over the cream cheese mixture.  Spread and smooth the jello layer, if needed.

Refrigerate the jello salad for several hours or overnight.  I like to make it the night before to make sure everything is set.  This is a sweet salad and could be a salad or a dessert.