Freezer to Crock Pot - Smothered Pork Chops

Crock pot smothered pork chops are a nice change of pace from the usual fried or grilled pork chop.  These come out tender and fall apart (as evidenced by the photo!).  This is a flavorful recipe that brings out the flavor of the pork chops while providing a satisfying and savory gravy to serve over noodles or toast.   

This was part of a post showing make-ahead crock pot meals.  See the original post  HERE.

Smothered Pork Chops

3-4 boneless pork tenderloins/chops 

1 large onion, cut into rings

1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup

About 1 tablespoon Montreal/Canadian Steak seasoning 

4-6 peeled and sliced potatoes when ready to cook

Season pork tenderloins with steak seasoning, and layer with onions in 1 gallon zippered freezer bag.  Add cream soup and remainder of steak seasoning.  Squeeze air out of bag and seal.  Freeze.  When ready to cook peel and slice 4-6 potatoes and place them in the bottom of the crock pot.  Then place the entire block of frozen food on top of this in the crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.   Serve over noodles or toast. 

Freezer to Crockpot - Pepper Steak With Noodles

Pepper Steak with Noodles is a wonderfully rich dish that is easily made in the crock pot.  Put this on to cook in the morning, and come home to the wonderful aroma of peppers and spices.  This beef dish makes its own rich gravy, and is excellent served with noodles, over rice, or mashed potatoes.  

This recipe was originally noted in my post HERE, but I wanted to feature this as its own post, as this is one of our favorites. 

Pepper Steak

2-3 pounds beef stew meat or cut up round steak (See earlier post regarding saving on meat)

½ cup flour

1 tsp. pepper

1 large onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic (I use the already-minced garlic and use 2-3 teaspoons)

2 green/bell peppers, cut in strips

2 14 oz. cans Italian or plain diced tomatoes with ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 cubes beef bouillon or 2 Tbsp. beef bouillon granules

4 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

2 Tbsp. Montreal/Canadian steak seasoning

2 Tbsp. A1 steak sauce

Place flour and pepper in zippered freezer bag.  Shake to mix.  Add stew meat and shake to coat pieces thoroughly. Leave flour and meat in bag. Add remaining ingredients, remove air, and seal.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low 6-8.  Stir well before serving to allow sauce to blend and thicken.  Serve over noodles or rice.  

Broke Food - Pad Thai Ramen

Ramen has to be the ultimate broke food, and there are millions of ways to make it.  Pad Thai Ramen is one of my favorites because the base mixture is easy to make, and good all by itself, but even better with some creative additions.  

This is by no means haute cuisine, but it is hot, yummy food!  

PAD THAI RAMEN BASIC RECIPE

1 package Ramen noodles

1 tablespoon soy sauce (prefer low sodium, but use what you have; packets from carryout food work great for this!)

1 tablespoon chunky peanut butter (creamy works, too) 

2-3 dashes of Tabasco sauce 

Sprinkle of red pepper flakes 

Prepare Ramen noodles as on package.  Drain 2/3 of liquid off noodles then stir in seasoning packet.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until peanut butter is dissolved.  Eat as is, or mix in additions. 

ADDITIONS  (Use as many or as few as you like, in any combination that pleases you)

Veggies:  Cooked carrots, Lima beans, corn, edamame, snow peas, cooked bits of spinach, shredded cabbage, diced onions, sliced green onions, diced green pepper, diced celery, broccoli, or whatever you have that's available.

Meat:  This is great for leftovers.  Chicken, bits of rotisserie chicken, sliced leftover steak, cubed bits of ham, cooked pork, Spam (yes, really!), leftover shrimp (I know that's an oxymoron), and even browned hamburger meat.  I have even taken several pieces of shaved deli meat, such as chicken or turkey, chopped it fine, and added to this. One or two well-scrambled eggs also work well as protein additions.  

The creative possiblities are endless, and this is a great dish to use up little bits of veggies or meat left over from other meals.  You can make larger portions by doubling or tripling the ingredients for enough to feed a family.  

Add Egg Drop Soup (boiling chicken broth, whisk in 1 well-scrambled egg until cooked and separated in soup,  2 tablespoons soy sauce, dash of red pepper flakes, and sliced green onions), and you've got a full meal!