Grilled Potato "Chips"

Serves: 4-5

4-5 medium potatoes, peeled
Canola oil
Seasoned salt
Pepper

Place whole potatoes in a pot of boiling water. Cook until just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from pot and slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Spread out potatoes slices on plate or baking sheet. Brush with oil and season with pepper and seasoned salt. Turn potatoes and oil, salt & pepper the opposite side. Grill on barbecue over medium heat until golden brown on each side. Serve warm.

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Tips: This was a great way to make a potato side dish to go with our steak that required a lot less clean-up than baked potatoes. Since you prep them before dinner, you can have the pot and cutting board cleaned up before dinner is ready. Plus if your husband happens to be the one that does the grilling, there's less work for mom. Yeah! The potatoes will not be fully cooked when you slice them but they were perfectly soft when finished on the barbecue. I also shared this recipe at Crazy Daisy's Tuesday Tastes, Our Homeschool Home's On the Grill & Trendy Treehouse's Creative Share.

Recipe adapted from Parade Magazine (May 23, 2010)

Oven-Barbecued Ribs

Serves: 4-6

3-4 lbs. country-style pork ribs
1 1/2 c. water
1 c. ketchup
1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. salt
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. onion powder

Place ribs in a greased roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute. Drain ribs. Pour sauce over ribs. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover; bake 30 minutes longer, basting once.

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Tips: These ribs were super easy to put together! Look for country-style ribs on go on sale and the other ingredients you probably already have on hand. I love meals like this that you can put in the oven early. Then just come back when it's almost finished, make a quick salad and dinner's ready. I cooked half the package of ribs (4 ribs) and cut the sauce in half. For my young family, that was just the right amount. If you want to try a similar country ribs recipe, try Saucy Country Ribs. I also shared this recipe at Balancing Beauty & Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday.

Recipe from Taste of Home's 2002 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

Teriyaki Pork Chops

Serves: 4

4 pork chops
Salt & pepper
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen stir-fry vegetables
1/3 c. teriyaki marinade & sauce
2 T. orange marmalade
Hot, cooked rice
4 sheets (12 x 18 inches each) heavy duty aluminum foil or 8 sheets of regular strength foil

Spread out sheets of foil, if using regular foil put 2 sheets on top of each other. Lightly spray top sheet of foil with non-stick cooking spray. Center one pork chop on each sheet of foil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Top each pork chop with vegetables. In a small bowl, combine teriyaki sauce and marmalade; spoon evenly over each pork chop. Bring up long sides of foil and double fold top then sides, leaving room for circulation inside. If using oven, place packets on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature of pork chop reaches 160 degrees. If using barbecue, grill packets over medium-high heat on covered grill for 13-16 minutes. Serve over rice.

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Tips: These pork chops are very easy to put together and don't let the foil packets scare you off. See the tips on the Reynolds site for foil packet instructions. They are great for cooking pork chops or chicken breast with the veggies inside and help keep the meat nice and moist. Plus your clean up is practically done for you! I also shared this recipe at Dining with Debbie's What On The Menu Wednesday.

Recipe from Reynolds Wrap

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Serves: 4-6

1 whole chicken, cut up & skin removed
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 bottle (18 oz.) barbecue sauce
3/4 c. regular cola

Place chicken in a crock pot. Top with onion and lemon slices. Combine barbecue sauce and cola; pour over all. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until chicken juices run clear.

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Tips: What an easy way to prepare BBQ chicken! Granted chicken on the actual barbecue is always the first choice. However if you live in a cold weather area now you don't have to give up BBQ chicken all winter. Watch for whole chicken or chicken pieces to go on sale. You can often find them for $1.00 or less per pound. Check out Saucy Country Ribs for another crock pot idea with cola! I also shared this recipe at Tales from the Fairy Blogmother's What's Cooking Wednesday.

Recipe from Taste of Home's 2001 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

Honey Pork Kabobs

Serves: 4

2 T. cider vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. mustard
1 t. thyme
3 sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 medium apples, cored & cut into 8 pieces
4 green pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 yellow onion, cut into 2-inch pieces

Mix first four ingredients in a bowl; stir well and set aside. Steam or boil sweet potatoes until crisp-tender. Thread pork, potatoes, apples, peppers and onions alternately onto 8 skewers. Brush kabobs with honey glaze mixture. Lightly oil grill. Grill over medium-high heat for 5 minutes on each side, basting occasionally with glaze.

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Tips: I don't make kabobs very often but I am always looking for something new to do when I find a large pork tenderloin on sale. Be careful not to overcook these kabobs. When I made these, the meat did not look like it was getting cooked so I left the kabobs on a bit too long and the meat was dry. Try sticking a meat thermometer in a piece of pork to see if the meat is at 160 degrees. The vegetables were a great compliment to the meat. I also shared this recipe at Designs by Gollum' Foodie Friday.

Recipe adapted from TheOtherWhiteMeat.com

Marinated Pork Loin

Serves: 6

1 (1 1/2 lb.) pork tenderloin roast
1 T. sherry
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar

Combine sherry, soy sauce and brown sugar in a large resealable plastic bag; shake until smooth. Add roast to bag; seal and marinate 8 hours or overnight. Grill each side over medium heat for 10 minutes. Cook over indirect heat for an additional hour or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

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Tips: This pork roast was easy to put together and simple to get on the table with just some white rice and a green salad. If you've never cooked with indirect heat before here's what you do. On a two-burner gas BBQ, turn on both burners to heat the grill. For this recipe, grill the roast for 10 minutes on each side with both burners on. Then turn off the burner under the meat while leaving on the other burner. Try to keep the lid closed as much as possible during the grilling time. If you grill on a charcoal BBQ, try pushing the coals to one side and leaving your meat on the other side to get the indirect heat effect.

I try to find a large piece of pork tenderloin on sale (often for less than $2.00/lb.) and then have the meat counter cut it into several roasts and chops. I can usually get 5-6 meals for my family from one $15.00 piece of meat. If you don't usually keep sherry on hand, you can buy a small bottle of cooking sherry that is often located near the vinegars in the grocery store. If you're looking for another recipe to use it in, try Chicken Tetrazzini or Sherry Chicken. I also shared this recipe at Tales from the Fairy Blogmother's What's Cooking Wednesday.

Recipe from The Four Ingredient Cookbook

Garlic & Cumin Pork Loin

Serves: 4-5

1 boneless, pork loin roast, approx. 2-3 lbs.
1/4 c. oil
2 T. cumin
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. lemon juice
4 T. cilantro, chopped
1 t. coarsely ground pepper
1/2 t. salt

In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients. Stir in oil then transfer to a blender or food processor. Mix to a smooth paste. Rub pork with paste; cover and refrigerator 2-4 hours. Heat grill to medium-high and cook pork on each side for 10 minutes. Turn grill to medium heat; move pork to area over indirect heat (Leave one side on, cook pork over other side) for about 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove from grill; let rest 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

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Tips: This is a great recipe for pork loin and very easy to prepare. All that is left to do is to prepare a small side dish, like rice, and a salad and dinner's ready. I watch for pork loin to go on sale in bulk, usually a large 8-10 lb. piece. (I think I found it for $1.88/lb.) Then I ask the meat counter to cut it into 4-5 pieces. This saves me the trouble of having to cut it and makes several nice meals for my family. I also shared this recipe at Our Homeschool Home's On The Grill & Balancing Beauty & Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday.

Recipe from TheOtherWhiteMeat.com

Barbecued Chicken Quesadillas

Serves: 2-3

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/3 c. barbecue sauce
1/3 c. tomato, chopped
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
4 flour tortillas, burrito size
1/2 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded

Place chicken breast on a microwave-safe plate. Cover and microwave on high for 4-5 minute or until fully cooked. Using two forks, shred the chicken breast. Mix in barbecue sauce. In a separate bowl, combine tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Place two tortillas on a baking sheet. Spread half the chicken on each tortilla. Top with tomato mixture then with cheese. Place the other tortilla on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until cheese melts and tortillas are crispy. Cut in fourths and serve.

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Tips: These quesadillas were a nice change from the original and easy to put together. If you have never tried this method for making shredded chicken it is super easy and quick. Just use one fork to hold the chicken and rake it against the grain with the other. You could also cut out a step by choosing to use canned chicken. I did pick out the onions for my daughter or just make part of one quesadilla without the ingredients your kids don't like. I also shared this recipe at Life as MOM's Recipe Swap & Momtrends' Friday Food.

Recipe adapted from Eating Better: Recipes and Tips from Home Economics Teachers

Garlic Lime Marinade

Makes: Marinade for 4 steaks

1 medium lime, juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t. salt
1/8-1/4 t. fresh ground pepper
3 T. oil

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over 4 steaks into a resealable plastic bag and marinade in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. Discard marinade after use.

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Tips: I created this marinade when we had a friend with food sensitivities over for dinner. Since it is all natural, I avoid many of the ingredients he has problems with that are often present in commercial marinades. I have often marinaded my steaks for less than 4-6 hours and the flavor still comes through. I also shared this recipe at The Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe Swap & Simply Sugar and Gluten Free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Recipe by Stacy

Mini Meatloaves

Serves: 4-6

1 lb. ground beef
1 package (6 oz.) seasoned stuffing mix
1 c. water
1 t. garlic powder
3/4 c. barbecue sauce
3/4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Mix all ingredients together except cheese. Press into 12 greased muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Top with cheese; continue baking 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

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Tips: This is a great quick, easy meatloaf recipe to put together for your family. My daughter gobbled up her own little meatloaf. I served these with mashed potatoes and a green salad. I also shared this recipe at A Southern Fairytale's Mouthwatering Mondays.

Recipe from Kraft Food & Family, Fall 2008

Lime-Salsa Chicken

Serves: 4

1/4 c. oil
1 (10 oz.) jar green chile salsa
1 1/2 T. lime juice
1/2 t. sugar
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. oregano
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients except chicken and mix well. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade to use with cooked chicken. Add chicken to mixture and marinate for 3-4 hours. Cook over hot coals for about 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear. Turn occasionally.


Tips: Safeway has a great green chile salsa in their Safeway Select brand. It comes in a far larger jar than 10 oz. so you will have some leftover. These chicken breast could also be baked in the oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the juices run clear. I also shared this recipe at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom's Cooking Thursday & Life as MOM's Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Recipe from 365 Easy Chicken Recipes

Green Chile Chicken Sandwiches

Serves: 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. cider vinegar
2 T. sugar
2 t. vegetable oil
1 can (4 oz.) whole green chilies, drained and sliced lengthwise
4 slices Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese
4 kaiser or sandwich rolls, split

In a bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and oil; mix well. Set aside 1/4 cup for basting. Pour remaining marinade into a resealable plastic bag, add chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken over medium heat. Turn halfway through and baste with reserved marinade. Cook until juices run clear and the inside of the chicken is at 170 degrees. Top each with a green chili and cheese slice; cover and grill for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve on rolls.

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Tips: I usually buy the large bag of frozen chicken breasts from Sam's Club. So I used one large chicken breast from the package and cut it in half to make the right size piece of chicken for this recipe. Also, as long as you buy mild green chilies this is a very tasty meal but not too spicy. It is also a great alternative to hamburgers and you don't have to heat up your oven in the summer. I also shared this recipe at Life as MOM's Recipe Swap, Fireflies & Jellybeans' Show Off Your Stuff & Our Homeschool Home's On the Grill.

Recipe from Taste of Home's 2002 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes