Cafe Rio Sweet Beef

(I substituted Beef for the pork in this recipe)

2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork rib meat)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness but any will work)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

From Frozen: You can thaw this right on the stove in a pot until the meat is heated through. Serve on taco salad or in tortillas.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

10 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheddar, for garnish

Directions

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

From Frozen: Thaw in refrigerator, then heat in a pot on the stove until heated through. Be sure to garnish with sour cream, cheddar, and green onions.

Fantastic Spaghetti

1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3-4 medium carrots, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBSP olive oil
1 lb ground beef
2 TBSP Italian seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar plain marinara sauce
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Heat oil over med-low
2. Saute veggies until soft and aromatic (about 5 mins)
3. Add beef and brown
4. Add seasonings, tomatoes and stir to combine.
5. Add sauce to desired consistency
6. Simmer until sauce is hot throughout
7. Mix in cheese and server over prepared pasta
Cooking instructions: thaw, warm completely either on stove or microwave, enjoy!

Pineapple Cream Chicken

1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs cooked chicken (diced)
1 20oz can of pineapple chunks, drained
1 green pepper (optional)

Heat butter in skillet and if desired, stir fry peppers for 5 minutes. Remove peppers, but leave remaining melted butter in skillet. Add flour to skillet and stir until mixed. In a separate bowl, combine milk and chicken broth, then slowly add to skillet, stirring well until the sauce is lump free. Heat over medium heat until thick, but smooth. Add cooked green peppers, then add chicken and pineapple. Add salt and pepper as desired.

On cooking day: Thaw, then heat in saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice or noodles

The Ultimate Beef Stroganoff

from Tami W.

Put in crock pot:
2-3 pounds stew meat
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1 onion, sliced

Mix in a bowl and pour over meat:
¼ tsp. garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups beef broth or stock (made up from cubes or granules)
1 tablespoon ketchup

Cook in crockpot on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. When cooked make a simple roux by whisking 1/3 cup flour with enough apple juice (about 5-6 tablespoons) to make a thick but still pourable flour mixture. Whisk the roux into the crockpot and add 4 ounces sliced mushrooms.

Cook on high for 15-30 minutes. Then stir in ½ cup sour cream. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes (pasta is my favorite option!).

*Freezable Meal: The leftovers of the stroganoff can be frozen. I store the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and then thaw in the refrigerator (usually takes about a day) and reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

from Brittany at The Sisters’ Cafe

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 3 small chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (to lighten them up, I have substituted sour cream with good results)

Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

*Freezable Meal: Freeze prior to baking. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake enchiladas, covered (without thawing first) for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer, until brown and crispy on top.

All Seasons Sesame Chicken

3 lbs boneless chicken breast
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 T fresh ginger, grated
1 T dry mustard
1 t fresh ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
3 T sesame seeds


Place chicken in a large freezer bag and set inside a bowl. In another bowl combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour the marinade over the chicken and seal freezer bag. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours. Then Grill and enjoy!

From Freezer: Allow the chicken to defrost in fridge. Then grill and enjoy!