Slow Cooker Soy and Cola Pork Sandwiches

Oh.my.goodness. Yet another slow cooker recipe?

It happens. Kind of like life.

Which is why these slow cooker recipes are so important. Some days you just can't make a wonderful nice meal, slaving away in the kitchen for an hour or two, no matter how much you want to. (Anyone claiming otherwise... I strongly beg to differ.)

And if you're wondering, yes, I am getting a bit "pulled pork"-ed out. It's still pulled pork, no matter how you dress it up. But Adam was the one that picked out this recipe and stared me down with some puppy dog eyes, so it's not like I had a choice in the matter. The only choice I had was to convert this from a stove-top to a crockpot recipe. Which I did gladly. Much less work for me. And it helps to avoid hungry-cranky husband syndrome. Definitely a must.

Slow Cooker Soy and Cola Pork Sandwiches

Adapted from: Cooking Light, October 2011

3 pounds bone-in pork shoulder (Boston Butt)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cola
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
8 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, cut into 1 ounce slices
8 hamburger buns

Cover a slow cooker with a liner. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour mixture over pork. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until pork shreds easily. Remove the bone and transfer pork to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the pork. Place pulled pork on each hamburger bun and top with a slice of cheese.

Serves: 8

This is a nice combination of the infamous Coke Pulled Pork and Asian flair. Neither one are overly pronounced or outweigh the other. I didn't boil down the liquid mixture as called for in the original recipe, but that is always an option, and would probably give some extra punch to those flavors. While I wasn't overly impressed, the hubby sure enjoyed these and quickly devoured a few of them in one sitting, followed by polishing the rest off for the lunch the next day.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 345g
Amount per serving
Calories 638	Calories from fat 309
% Daily Value
Total Fat 34.3g	53%
Saturated Fat 14.4g	72%
Cholesterol 136mg	45%
Sodium 1361mg	57%
Total Carbs 35.5g	12%
Fiber 1.5g	6%
Sugars 12.8g
Protein 41.5g
Vitamin A 6%	Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 30%	Iron 22%

Beer-Braised Hot Dogs with Braised Sauerkraut

Months and months and months ago (okay, maybe only back in August) I threw a totally awesome Beer Tasting Party complete with a full-blown hot dog bar. I gave you the recipes for three of the four "fancy-pants" hot dogs, but I kind of left you hanging on the last one.

Of course, I also pulled one of those "things you should never do at a dinner party" moves too -- you know, the one about never making anything at a dinner party you haven't made before? Yeah, that one. And to top it off, I didn't even try them before we served them. Tsk tsk. Martha Stewart I am not. (In my defense, I had been feeling absolutely horrible all morning and didn't taste-test anything.)

See what you're subjected to when you come for a party at my place?

Not only did I not taste-test them, I didn't get a chance to taste them. At all. So after I got past the whole, oh.my.goodness.I.never.want.to.see.another.hot.dog.for.a.very.long.time stage, I was curious about how those mysterious beer hot dogs actually tasted. I guess a couple months late is better than never, right?

Beer-Braised Hot Dogs with Braised Sauerkraut

Adapted from: Bon Appétit, July 2009

3 cups refrigerated sauerkraut, rinsed, drained
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup dark beer (such as a porter)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 (12 ounce) bottle raspberry lambic beer
2 tablespoons sugar
6 all-beef hot dogs
6 hot dog buns
4 tablespoons coarse ground mustard

Pre-heat grill (or a grill pan over medium-high can also be used).

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add sauerkraut, beer, and brown sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, simmer the beer and sugar. Add hot dogs and continue to simmer until the hot dogs are plump and coated lightly with beer syrup, about 8 minutes. Remove hot dogs. Increase heat to medium-high and boil syrup for an additional 5 minutes; remove from heat. Place hot dogs on prepared grill and cook until char marks appear on all sides.

Top each hot dog bun with a grilled hot dog, sauerkraut, a drizzle of beer syrup, and mustard.

Serves: 6

Surprisingly, the beer and the sauerkraut flavors weren't as potent as I expected. The sauerkraut probably lost most of its bang when it was rinsed and drained, but I'm not completely positive where the bold beer flavors I was expecting disappeared to. Oh they were definitely present, don't get me wrong, but more in a subtle fashion rather than in your face.

I would probably make these again in the same type of party-with-multiple-kinds-of-hot-dogs situation, but it probably wouldn't be the first one I'd run back and make on its own again when serving it just by itself.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 298g
Amount per serving
Calories 313	Calories from fat 115
% Daily Value
Total Fat 12.8g	20%
Saturated Fat 3.7g	19%
Cholesterol 30mg	10%
Sodium 1305mg	54%
Total Carbs 32.5g	11%
Fiber 1.1g	4%
Sugars 12.4g
Protein 11.6g
Vitamin A 0%	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 4%	Iron 6%

Slow Cooker Lasagna

I was so excited last night. For the first time since we'd moved to Pittsburgh, we had the chance of having trick or treaters. So I filled up the candy bowl, and waited. Made some lasagna, and waited. Ate some lasagna, and waited.

Wouldn't you know it -- we didn't get a single trick or treater last night. Bummer.

Except for the fact that now I get to keep all the candy. Which is just marvelous in my book. Except for my teeth. Which may just rot out in 2.3 days at the rate I'm going.

While this isn't the lasagna I made last night, it is another one of my slow cooker meals that worked out perfectly during soccer season. And I've decided that lasagna might just be one of the more infuriating things to try and get a good picture of. Usually it just ends up in a cheesy, meaty, gooey pile of deliciousness. Which, tastes excellent, but photographs... not so great. Especially when you're starving and all you want to do is eat -- but no, you have to take 257 million pictures first. Give or take a few.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Inspired by: The Meat and Potato Foodie

6 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add in the onion, and cook until they start to become fragrant and soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the Italian sausage, breaking up into smaller bits with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with garlic powder and red pepper flakes and cook until brown (about 8-10 minutes) stirring often. Turn off heat and stir in tomato sauce, paste, and broth until the mixture is fully incorporated.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream. Stir in the eggs until well mixed, then add in the salt, nutmeg, parsley, basil, and Italian seasoning.

Cover a slow cooker with a liner. Spread part of meat mixture on the bottom of the slow cooker so it is lightly covered. Layer with 3 lasagna noodles (you may need to break a few). Spoon half of the cheese mixture over the noodles, spreading evenly across the noodles. Top with 1/2 the mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture, lasagna noodles and cheese mixture. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low for 4-6 hours. 30 minutes prior to serving, top with remaining mozzarella and the shredded Parmesan. Let melt, then serve.

Serves: 12

I was a little leery at first using noodles in the crockpot. Wouldn't they just end up in mushy nastiness? Surprisingly, no. Although I was closer to the 4 hour end rather than the 6, so I can't guarantee anything at that point. This does take a little bit of work to put together prior to cooking, so it's great if you have a lot of free time earlier in the day, need to go do stuff later, yet want to eat as soon as you walk in the door (unlike traditionally cooked lasagna where you would still need to bake it at least 30 minutes once you arrived home). For the way my schedule broke down, this method worked perfectly.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 186g
Amount per serving
Calories 400	Calories from fat 210
% Daily Value
Total Fat 23.3g	36%
Saturated Fat 10.3g	52%
Trans Fat 0.1g
Cholesterol 104mg	35%
Sodium 1032mg	43%
Total Carbs 22.7g	8%
Fiber 1.0g	4%
Sugars 3.1g
Protein 24.0g
Vitamin A 14%	Vitamin C 9%
Calcium 23%	Iron 8%

Butternut Squash Risotto

This morning, Adam and I had to scrape the ice off my car's windows. SCRAPE.the.windows. I don't care that it was ridiculously early in the morning -- it is still October. Which means ice and snow are not allowed.

Better yet, there is a forecast of snow/rain for early tomorrow morning. Which just so happens to be when my Halloween 5k is. Awesome. I mean, 2 miles straight up, then 1 mile straight down in the snow and rain sounds like fun, right? Or not. Why oh why did I sign up for this race again?

This simply ensures that I will need a huge mug of Russian Tea when I finish. Although that would entail needing a thermos. Problem.

Maybe just a hearty bowl full of risotto will suffice when I get home? It's warm, filling, and fall-like. FALL, people, FALL. Not winter. Go away snow.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Adapted from: Cooking Light, October 2011

3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed and peeled butternut squash, divided
2 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups Arborio rice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

In a large saucepan, add 2 cups squash and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Using an immersion blender (or transferring carefully to a food processor/blender), puree mixture until smooth. Add broth to pan, place back over heat and bring to a simmer; then reduce heat to low.

In a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat, add the rice. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the remaining 1 cup squash, 1 1/2 cups squash mixture, and salt. Cook 2 minutes, or until liquid is almost completely absorbed; stirring constantly. Add 1 cup squash mixture, stirring constantly, until that also is almost absorbed. Add remaining squash mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, reserving 1/4 of a cup, while stirring constantly and letting the liquid almost fully absorb before adding more. Remove from heat and stir in reserved 1/4 cup squash mixture and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle each serving with bacon.

Serves: 5

Butternut squash is one of those things that I really really wished I liked, a lot. Sadly, I'm not really it's biggest fan. The squash flavor in the risotto was there, though not overly pronounced, as the actual squash flavor isn't all that strong. Yet the big mushy chunks of squash hiding out underneath the piles of creamy rice kind of threw me off a bit, and several ended up picked off the side of the bowl.

Honestly, the bacon is really what carries the flavor in this dish. Without it, the risotto turns kind meh, and so-so. Next time I try my hand at a butternut squash risotto I'll probably try a different recipe.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 478g
Amount per serving
Calories 482	Calories from fat 116
% Daily Value
Total Fat 12.9g	20%
Saturated Fat 5.0g	25%
Cholesterol 34mg	11%
Sodium 1123mg	47%
Total Carbs 71.0g	24%
Fiber 3.8g	15%
Sugars 1.9g
Protein 18.9g
Vitamin A 180%	Vitamin C 29%
Calcium 17%	Iron 12%

Italian Pepperoncini Pork Sandwiches

I've warned you. I'm on a slow cooker streak here. Mostly because I'm lazy we've had soccer practice, which has left little time for meal prep and cooking when we get home. And when we get home, we are usually hungry.

No, starving.

That is why it is of the utmost importance to have something that is practically ready to go (or maybe 5 minutes of work) once we do get home. Hungry hubby = cranky hubby. And nobody likes one of those.

Pulled pork can definitely bring on a big yawn-seen-that-a-million-times factor, but the fact that pepperoncinis were added caught my eye. Spicy pulled pork? Now that's something I hadn't thought of before, well without the addition of spicy barbecue sauce that is. Count me in.

Italian Pepperoncini Pork Sandwiches

Adapted from: The Meat and Potatoes Foodies

1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder
2 (1 ounce) packages dry Italian dressing mix, such as Good Seasons
1 (16 ounce) jar pepperoncini peppers, whole or sliced
6 slices Provolone cheese
6 hamburger buns

Line a slow cooker with a liner. Place the pork in the slow cooker; sprinkle with dry dressing mix. Pour the jar of peppers with juice into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the pork shreds easily.

Remove pork from slow cooker and shred with two forks, discarding any extra fat and bone. Place shredded pork in a large bowl. If whole pepperoncini are used, remove the stems and slice. Mix pepperoncinis into the pork.

Serve on hamburger buns topped with a slice of Provolone cheese.

Serves: 6

While I had high hopes that these would be nice and spicy, the pepperoncinis let me down a bit. This is definitely more spicy than regular ol' pulled pork, but if you're going for spicy, this was more on the mild side. Adam said he got a bit of heat, but I didn't really notice any. Next time I think I'll switch up which peppers I'm using.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 269g
Amount per serving
Calories 584	Calories from fat 305
% Daily Value
Total Fat 33.9g	52%
Saturated Fat 14.2g	71%
Cholesterol 121mg	40%
Sodium 1831mg	76%
Total Carbs 30.2g	10%
Fiber 2.0g	8%
Sugars 2.9g
Protein 38.0g
Vitamin A 5%	Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 30%	Iron 17%

Peanut Butter Torte

As promised, here is the delicious Peanut Butter Torte that went with the virtual "Date Night In" bridal shower we threw for Steph over at Steph's Bite by Bite last Friday. I figured if you were going to go for the gusto on the meal, you might as well have an outrageously good dessert to accompany it.

You know, because that feeling of stuffing your face until you can't eat any more feels just so good? Or not. But it doesn't matter, either you will save room for this knowing it's hanging out in the fridge, or you will find room for it somewhere. Maybe your leg?

Peanut Butter Torte

Adapted from: Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

1 1/4 cups finely chopped lightly salted peanuts
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
36 Oreo cookies, finely ground
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons 1% milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat a 9-inch spring form pan with cooking spray and set it on the baking sheet; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter, stirring with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened. Transfer crumb mixture to the spring form pan, pressing the crumbs evenly across the bottom and up the sides about 2 inches. Freeze crust for 10 minutes, then bake for an additional 10 minutes. Transfer crust to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate chips. Set aside.

In the large work bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 2 cups of heavy cream on medium-high until it holds medium peaks. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and continue to beat until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Transfer the cream to a medium bowl and place in the refrigerator until needed.

Wipe the mixing bowl out well with a dry paper towel (do no wash). Switch to the paddle attachment (or regular beaters for a hand mixer). Beat together on medium speed the cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar until satiny and smooth. Add the peanut butter, 1/4 chopped peanuts, and milk. Beat until well incorporated.

With a rubber spatula, gently fold in 1/4 of the prepared whipped cream. Fold in the chopped peanut and spice mixture followed by the remaining whipped cream. Pour the filling into the prepared and cooled crust, smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Cover with plastic wrap as soon as the filling sets.

Once the filling is properly chilled, prepare the ganache topping. Place the chopped bittersweet chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup heavy cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and gently stir until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache becomes fully blended and glossy. Pour ganache over the top of the torte, smoothing the chocolate to the edges with a offset spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chopped peanuts over the top of the torte. Place the torte back in the refrigerator until the topping sets, about 20 minutes.

To remove the spring form pan, warm the sides of the pan with a hairdryer, then remove the sides. Refrigerate torte until ready to serve.

Serves: 16

While this torte is definitely rich and full of peanut butter flavor, it isn't quite as heavy as some I've had in the past. I wasn't a huge fan of the added cinnamon and nutmeg flavors, but others loved it -- so, do what you will with them. If you're a peanut butter and chocolate purist, such as myself, leave them out, otherwise, include them for added layers of flavor.

Now, don't get me wrong when I say this isn't as heavy as other pies. It is definitely filling and for sure calls for a large glass of milk to accompany it. So for those of you scratching your head on the 16 servings... just trust me on this. I was not able to take down a normal 8-serving-size piece in one sitting. Which is truly saying something.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 136g
Amount per serving
Calories 615	Calories from fat 407
% Daily Value
Total Fat 45.2g	70%
Saturated Fat 17.4g	87%
Trans Fat 1.2g
Cholesterol 54mg	18%
Sodium 415mg	17%
Total Carbs 43.5g	15%
Fiber 4.1g	16%
Sugars 29.3g
Protein 15.0g
Vitamin A 13%	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 7%	Iron 14%

Cider-Roasted Pork Loin for Steph's Virtual Bridal Shower

A couple months ago, my friend Steph from Steph's Bite by Bite announced that her and her fiance had to move up their wedding date by 9 months. I don't know about you, but my wedding planning took a full 9 months or so to get all of it in. I couldn't imagine having to squish it all down to two months! Yet due to circumstances out of their control, they moved the date from June 30, 2012, to October 29, 2011. What a champ! I would want to just throw my hands up and cry. Yet Steph hasn't, and you should really go and check out some of the really awesome (and cute!) wedding ideas she has, as well as all of her mouth-watering sweets and great looking dishes.

With the nuptials coming up right around the corner, Kita from Pass the Sushi came up with the great idea to surprise Steph with a "virtual" bridal shower of food bloggers, featuring great "date night" dishes for those times when they want to kick it up a night a home. Of course I was in.

Steph: Hope your wedding day goes off flawlessly and is everything you wanted! Congrats to you both!

For my "Big Night In" meal, I opted for the appetizer, entree and a side, and dessert route. Whew! Definitely some work, but totally worth it!

First, we start with one of my favorite appetizers of all time -- Spin Dip (better known as Spinach & Artichoke Dip). I may or may not be known to walk into a restaurant and order this solely and an entree. I can neither confirm or deny. However, I am one of those people who do not like mayo, so it took a bit of hunting to find a recipe that looked promising. I think this version proves that mayo is definitely not necessary for this dip, it's fantastic the way it is.

Next, we move to a Cider-Roasted Pork Loin with Pommes Anna. The pork has a nice kick from the peppercorns with a sweetness from the cider reduction -- great for a nice fall or winter evening. Just make sure you brine that sucker for a long, long time to prevent it getting dry while cooking. As for those Pommes Anna, which is supposed to look like a lovely little potato cake with rings of potato slices (not just a heap of potatoes). Well, we'll just say the taste was fantastic. I might have some work to do in the looks department on that dish.

To finish things off, I opted for a fantastically rich Peanut Butter Torte (which can easily be made the day ahead). This delicacy will come next week my friends. Mwahaha. So mean, I know.

Spin Dip

Adapted from: Blog is the New Black

1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic pepper seasoning (such as McCormick's, or make your own)
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons Romano cheese, grated
1 (16 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
1 cup Asiago cheese, grated
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together cream, flour, garlic pepper, 1 tablespoon Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon Romano. Warm mixture in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until the mixture is hot and slightly thickened. Add spinach, Asiago cheese, and artichokes until well blended. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and spread evenly across pan. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan and Romano over the top. Bake, uncovered, 15-18 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and turn heat to broil. Once oven is heated, place under the broiler 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned.

Serves: 8 as an appetizer

Cider-Roasted Pork Loin

Adapted from: Cooking Light, October 2004

3 cups water
3 cups apple cider
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 bay leaf
2 pounds boneless pork loin, trimmed
2 cups apple cider
1 teaspoon dried rosemary1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, bring the first 6 ingredients (through bay leaf) to a boil. Stir until salt dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Pour brine into a large ziploc bag with pork. Seal bag and place in refrigerator for at least 12 hours (preferably overnight). Turn bag occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 2 cups of cider to a boil. Continue to cook until cider thickens and is reduced to about 1/4 of a cup. Set aside.

Meanwhile, remove pork from bag and discard brine. In a small bowl, combine rosemary, oregano, and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Rub herb mixture over pork. Place pork on the rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F. During the final 20 minutes of cooking, baste the pork at least twice with the cider reduction. Remove pork from oven and baste pork with cider reduction a third time. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with any remaining cider reduction.

Serves: 8

Pommes Anna

Adapted from: Food Network

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes peeled, placed in a bowl of water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave in 20 second increments. Once melted, set aside.

Slice potatoes into thin rounds with a mandolin or a very sharp knife. Pat slices dry. Heat a medium non-stick pan over medium heat. Arrange 1 layer of overlapping potato slices over the bottom of the pan in concentric circles. Drizzle with 1/3 of melted butter. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Repeat twice more, for a total of three layers. Cook potato cake on low 25-30 minutes, or until the bottom potatoes are golden and crisp around the outside. Shake pan several times while cooking to prevent potato cake from sticking.

Using the lid of the pan to hold potatoes in place, pour off the excess butter into a small bowl; reserve. Place the same lid (the same size as the skillet) over the potatoes. Holding the lid in place, flip the pan over (the potatoes should now be on the lid and not in the pan). Pour the reserved butter back into the pan. Slide the potatoes back into the pan, uncooked side down. Place skillet in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Shake the pan several times while baking to keep the potatoes from sticking. Potatoes are done when the bottom is browned and crisp.

Pour off any remaining butter left in the pan. Slide potatoes onto a serving dish and sprinkle with cheese.

Serves: 6 (as a side)

Check back next week for this!

Congrats again Steph!

Check out all the other Date Night Dinners for Steph's Virtual Bridal shower!

Nutrition Facts - Spin Dip
Serving Size 149g
Amount per serving
Calories 176	Calories from fat 113
% Daily Value
Total Fat 12.6g	19%
Saturated Fat 7.8g	39%
Cholesterol 42mg	14%
Sodium 333mg	14%
Total Carbs 8.9g	3%
Fiber 4.0g	16%
Sugars 0.8g
Protein 9.0g
Vitamin A 114%	Vitamin C 36%
Calcium 25%	Iron 13%

Nutrition Facts - Cider-Roasted Pork Loin*
Amount per serving
Calories 200	Calories from fat 60
% Daily Value
Total Fat 6.6g	10%
Saturated Fat 2.2g	11%
Cholesterol 67mg	22%
Sodium 419mg	17%
Total Carbs 9.2g	3%
Fiber 0.3g	1%
Protein 24.4g

Nutrition Facts - Pommes Anna
Serving Size 206g
Amount per serving
Calories 237	Calories from fat 108
% Daily Value
Total Fat 12.0g	18%
Saturated Fat 7.5g	37%
Cholesterol 31mg	10%
Sodium 687mg	29%
Total Carbs 29.9g	10%
Fiber 4.6g	18%
Sugars 2.2g
Protein 3.6g
Vitamin A 7%	Vitamin C 62%
Calcium 3%	Iron 6%

*Nutrition Facts from Cooking Light