Pork Tenderloin with Chili-Lime and Garlic

Here's how I make my pork tenderloin.  It's got a nice kick to it from the seasoning!

1.   Sear the pork tenderloin in hot olive oil, (using a large, heavy skillet).  Season each side of the meat with Chili-lime and garlic salt.  Make sure as you turn the meat, that all sides get that brown finish.

2.  Deglaze the skillet drippings with a little water.  Scrape bottom of the skillet to get those remaining brown bits of flavor!

3.  Clean carrots, red potatoes and celery and cut potatoes in half and other vegetables in thirds.  Place around browned meat in a large casserole dish.  Pour browned drippings from the skillet over all.  Cover with heavy aluminum foil and set on middle shelf of a preheated 275 degree oven.  Roast for several hours on low (depending on the thickness of the tenderloin).  Uncover for last half hour.  Cook until largest potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

4.  Serve with hot rolls!

Make Your Honey Some Southern Baked Beans

Nothing says love like a Dutch oven full of tangy Southern Baked Beans!  Get out your Dutch oven or cast iron skillet and let's go!

1.  Brown 1/2 lb. of good bacon that's been snipped into small sections with kitchen scissors or a knife.

2.  Add 1/2 bell pepper, chopped and 1/2 chopped onion to the bacon grease.  Cook until onion is transparent.  Keep scraping the browned bits from the bottom.

3.  Add 1 1/2 C ketchup and 1 1/2 TBSP mustard.  Mix.

 

4.  Add brown sugar to taste (I use about 1 C). Mix well.  Let simmer on low.  Add 1 large can of Pork and Beans and leave on until heated through.

Hot Corn Dip

We enjoyed watching the Super Bowl with a few other football-loving friends this past weekend.  Everyone was to bring their favorite game day food or snack.  There was everything from hot chicken wings to various homemade cookies, fruit, sausage balls...and of course, chips and dip!  

  One of the dips was baked in the oven and had cheese and corn in it.  I had never had a dip quite like it before (not even when I lived in Texas where they put corn and jalapenos in everything!).

  Like any good recipe,this one's been passed around.  When I asked for a copy of it, my friend said that she had actually gotten it from a mutual friend of ours.  So...since that friend happens to be in Florida getting a tan, I'm going to share it without her permission!  That's the kinda things people do...when they're envious that you're at the beach and they're not!  Just kidding, Kathryn!  

  Hope you like this delicious hot dip as much as I did!

Slow Cooker Baked Steak and Gravy

I made this hearty meal in my crock pot this week and we really enjoyed it!  My house smelled amazing, too!  We like our steak with mashed potatoes, but you could serve it with a healthier side if you like.  Here are the steps to this easy main dish!

1.  Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray.  Place a bed of whole, cleaned mushrooms and baby carrots in the bottom.

2.  Place four chopped steaks on top.  (Mine were Angus beef from Sam's and were right out of the freezer!)

3.  Salt and pepper generously (I used garlic salt.) then, add 2 TBSP of flour sprinkled on top of the meat.

4.  Pour 1/2 C of water and 2 cans of French Onion Soup with beef stock over all.

5.  We're all set!  Now we go live our lives for 4-6 hours (depending on your slow cooker) while this meal cooks on the Low setting.

We're back home and we take off the lid of the slow cooker for the final 1/2 hour of cooking.  During this time, we can make mashed potatoes or rice and steam a green vegetable.  (As you can see, Hubby has to have corn with mashed potatoes!  It's an unwritten law at our house.). I hope you like this as much as we did!