This slow cooker recipe is teen approved, easy and delicious. This recipe also includes pork, which has B vitamins, zinc, iron, and protein.
Choosing the Perfect Pork
Confused at the meat counter as to what type of pork to choose, or what it should look like? Follow these simple steps to choose the perfect pork!
- Select pork just before you check out at the grocery store. It is important that pork stay as cold as possible.
- Look for cuts with a small amount of fat over the outside. The meat should be firm and pink in color.
- Once selected, put the pork in disposable plastic bags to avoid any leakage that could contaminate other foods in your grocery cart.
- Take pork home immediately and refrigerate it to 40 degrees. Use the pork within 2 to 3 days or freeze.
Safe Minimum Internal Temperature for popular cuts of Pork
Pork cooking temperatures are the final step in a perfectly juicy, tender cut of meat. Pork today is very lean, making it important to not overcook and follow the recommended pork cooking temperature. The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F.
Download this how-to as an infographic PDF or image!
Here is a helpful chart from Path to the Plate on the cuts of pork.
Check out our whole collection of pork recipes!
Savory Onion and Mushroom Pork Roast
Eat heart-healthy
Ingredients
- 20 fresh baby carrots
- 3 pound lean pork loin trimmed
- 1 cup button mushrooms chopped
- 1 cup baby portabella mushrooms chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup undiluted
- 3/4 cup chicken broth reduced-fat, unsalted
- Optional: 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons cold water
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Instructions
- Add carrots to the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker.
- Add roast to slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, onions, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme, pepper, soup, and broth; pour over pork. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender.
- In a small sauce pan, bring 1 /12-2 cups of liquid from slow cooker to a boil.
- In a small cup, combine cornstarch and water until smooth and add to sauce pan. Stir together until thickened.
- Serve pork and vegetables with gravy. If desired, sprinkle french-fried onions on top.
Recipe Notes
Skillet Chops and Rice
Eat heart-healthy with this low sodium, low saturated fat easy skillet meal.
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Ingredients
- 4 4 ounce center cut pork chops 1/2 inch thick
- cooking spray
- 1 1/12 cups instant brown rice
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Italian style stewed tomatoes undrained and chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce unsalted
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Instructions
- Trim fat from chops. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat until hot.
- Add chops and cook 2 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Combine rice, water, onion, pepper, tomatoes and tomato sauce in skillet. Bring to a boil.
- Arrange chops over rice mixture. Cover, reduce heat and cook 5-10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice and pork are done and pork has reached 160 degrees F.
Recipe Notes
Chicken Bow Tie Sausage Pasta
This recipe is perfect for that beloved Italian night with your family! It is packed with protein and iron. This healthy pasta recipe will for sure become a family favorite. Bon Appetit!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 8 ounces chicken breast boneless, skinless
- 1/2 pound turkey sausage
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper chopped
- 1 14.5 ounce can tomato sauce unsalted
- 1 16 ounce package bow tie pasta
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian herb blend
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Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
- Cut chicken breast into large bite size pieces.
- Cut sausage into large pieces. In a large, deep skillet over medium low heat, add oil, garlic and onion and saute to flavor oil.
- Add chicken and sausage to skillet and brown lightly.
- Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and green peppers.
- Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes. Season mixture with Italian herb blend.
- Add cooked, drained pasta to a skillet mixture.
- Toss and serve.
Recipe Notes
