Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Earlier today I ventured out of the "go with what you know" zone and tried a new restaurant at lunch. This busy independent barbecue venue was a real treat and, truth be told, I can't stop thinking about it! I had a flavorful, super tender, shredded to perfection, pulled pork sandwich with pickles and onions on a super tasty bun. The meat was so good it didn't even need extra sauce. Since I've been obsessing over this sandwich all day, I decided to post our favorite pulled pork recipe. This isn't the same as the slow roasted sandwich I had today, but I haven't had any complaints.

If you are a fan of crockery cooking, you'll appreciate the no-fuss nature of this recipe; If you're one of those people who believes nothing good can come from a crock pot - here's a recipe that's sure to prove you wrong!

Ingredients:

• Boneless pork rib roast or chicken breasts (enough to feed all your guests - maybe count one breast per adult?)
• Chicken stock (3 boxes)
• Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (2 big bottles)

Directions:

• Put raw meat into the crockpot
• Cover completely in chicken stock (make a pool, basically, with the chicken swimming under water)
• Cook on high for 4 hours (if you have time to spare after the 4 hours, turn crock pot to warm mode).

• About 45 minutes before your guests show up, set your oven to 350.
• Remove meat from the crock pot and transfer to baking dish (I love to use the throw away foil kind because there's no cleaning required) shred meat with two forks (it should shred really easily).
• Gently mix with bbq sauce to your taste. I usually mix with more after it bakes.
• Bake uncovered in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Watch to make sure it doesn't brown.
• Mix gently with more bbq sauce if needed. :)

Quick and Easy - Baked Ravioli and Meatballs

Baked Ravioli and Meatballs:

Ingredients:

• 1 Bag of Frozen Ravioli
• 1 Bag of Frozen Meatballs (not Swedish)
• 4 Cups of Shredded Mozzarella or your Favorite Italian Blend of Cheese

Directions:

Layer a 9x13 casserole dish with the following...

• Thin layer of pasta sauce (something with chunky or with mushrooms adds a good flavor and a point of interest),
  
• 1/2 ravioli, 1/2 meatballs,
  
• 1/2 mozzarella cheese,
  
• Thin layer of sauce,
  
• 1/2 ravioli,
  
• 1/2 meatballs,
  
• Thin layer sauce, and
  
• Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
  
• Bake in the oven for 1hr at 350.

You can get a small bag of frozen ravioli and a small bag of frozen meatballs (not Swedish) and it works just great. No need to pre-cook.