Sloppy Joe From Scratch

2 lbs ground lean hamburger

4 cloves garlic 

15 oz tomato sauce

2 Tble BBQ sauce

1 cup ketchup

4 Tbls brown sugar

4 Tbls Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp prepared yellow mustard 

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2-1tsp ground black pepper

Brown hamburger is a large pot. Once cooked, add garlic and cook a few minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredient to the hamburger. 

Simmer until thick. Around 20-40 minutes.  

Serve on a toasted bun with pickles, cheese or jalapeño's. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

 GET A DEEPER POT TO COOK IT IN SO IT DOESN'T BUBBLE AND SPLASH AS IT SIMMERS.  

Refrigerator Pickled Jalapeños

1/2 pound fresh jalapeño peppers

1 3/4 cups white vinegar

1 large clove garlic

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/8 tsp turmeric 

Wash peppers, cut off the stems and slice into 1/8 rings.

Place jalapeños in a bowl of water and swirl them around.  I do this to get rid of some of the seeds.  Home grown jalapeño's have a lot of seeds.  

place one clove of garlic in the jar.

Add sliced jalapeños to a jar, as much as you can.

Mix the vinegar, salt and turmeric in a small saucepan and slowly bring to near boiling.

Pour the warm brine over the peppers in the jar, seal with the lids.

Allow the mixture to cool then store in the refrigerator.

Let the Chile peppers marinate for several days before using them.  

With refrigeration, the peppers will keep for several months. 

NOTE: I don't measure my jalapeño's, I just slice up however many I grow from my garden, I make a batch of brine and pour it over.  If I don't have enough brine, I make another batch or 1/2 a batch depending on how much more I need.  

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Jumbo Shells With Red Sauce

20 Jumbo shells

Traditional Red sauce

1 Tbls olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chipped

100g fresh spinach leaves

salt and pepper 

pinch of nutmeg

15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese

1 egg

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Filling:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent, add garlic for 1 minute.  Add the spinach and cover with a lid.  Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, then season with nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from the heat and let cool.  Transfer to a cutting board and chop the spinach.  

Mix the ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Add in the spinach filling.

Put in a zip lock bag or piping back. Place in refrigerator to firm up.

Boil Noodles for 6 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Add a splash of olive oil on them while they cool so they don't stick.

Once cool, Stuff with filling. Add some traditional red sauce on the bottom of a baking pan, Add in the stuffed shells, don't over crowd.

Top with some more red sauce if you want and add some mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake 350 for 20-40 minutes until bubbly or cheese golden brown. (depends on how many shells you are cooking) just keep checking it after 20 minutes. 

Let rest for 10 minutes before eating.

NOTES:

You can stuff the shells, freeze on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Once frozen put uncooked shells in a freezer ziplock bag.  You can cook as many as you want with red sauce.

Or you can cook them and put some with red sauce in an individual freezer container and heat in microwave when ready to eat single servings.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

I used 3/4 of a bag of fresh express baby spinach  in a bag. I'm sure you could use the entire bag it shrinks up and wouldn't hurt if you like spinach. 

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 100gr fresh spinach leaves
• a pinch of nutmeg

Pork Butt

CROCKPOT  METHOD

4 Lbs boneless pork butt/shoulder

1/2 TBls sea salt

1/2 Tbls garlic powder

1/2 TBls onion powder

1/2 TBls onion flakes

1/2 TBls chili powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or more

2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried chipotle pepper or equivalent
1 TBls brown sugar

2 TBls worcestershire sauce

1/4-1/2 CUP WATER

Rinse and dry off the pork roast.

Mix all the dry spices. Then add Worcestershire sauce to make a paste.

Rub the paste all over the pork butt. 

Put in a zip lock bag for overnight.

Next day put the pork butt in the CROCKPOT with 1/4c-1/2cup of water.

Cook on High for 6-7 hours.

Take the roast out of the crockpot and cut the fat off and shred..

Add back to crock pot with juices and cook another 1-2 hours.

NOTE: you could try and smoke this as well.


ROASTER OVEN METHOD

same recipe above.

Take the roast out of the zip lock bag that has been marinating overnight or 2 nights.

Add 1 cup of water on the bottom (I only added 1/2 c and it was dry after 3 1/2 cooking)

Place in the pork butt.

Turn the temperature to 300 degrees and place lid on

check on it in 3 hours (I checked it on in 3 1/2 hours and the liquid was almost gone and it was able to shred)

Take the roast out of the roaster and cut the fat off and shred.

If you need to add more water to the roaster do so at this time deglazing the pan.

Place the shredded pork back into the roaster.

Turn the roaster down to 150 degrees until you are ready to eat.


UPDATE:

I made the  Turkey or Chicken Tetrazzini recipe
with the leftover pork butt instead of turkey or chicken 
see the recipe here

PRINTABLE RECIPE

THIS IS WHAT MY ROASTER LOOKS LIKE.

IT WORKS EITHER WAY YOU COOK IT, JUST DIFFERENT LENGTHS OF TIME.