Slow Cooker Beer Bratwursts

This year some of our friends got to go to Oktoberfest in Germany. Since we couldn’t join them, I decided to make a little German meal at home. I served this easy slow cooker meal with my cheese spätzle.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Slow Cooker Beer Bratwursts

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 medium granny smith apple, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 red onion, julienned
• 5 uncooked bratwurst links
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) amber ale (I used Shiner Oktoberfest.)

Directions:

Place your slow cooker lining in your slow cooker, if you like to use them. I also like to spray mine with non-stick cooking spray just to avoid the food sticking. (Better safe than sorry in our household.)

Layer the apples and onions at the bottom of the slow cooker.

Next place the bratwurst and garlic on top.

In a measuring cup, mix the apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour this over the layered mixture in the slow cooker.

Finally, pour the bottle of beer over everything.

Cover and cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

Serve warm alone or in a hoagie bun with a side.

Enjoy!!

“You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline – it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.” -Frank Zappa

Honey Dijon Cedar Plank Salmon

I have been wanting to try out some cedar plank salmon for a while now. The main reason I haven’t ventured into this is that my husband is allergic to cedar. He was gone on some work training this week…hence the perfect time to try it. ALL for meeee!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Honey Dijon Cedar Plank Salmon

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cedar plank (you can find most of them at grocery stores these days near the charcoal)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 pound salmon fillet (with skin on preferably)
• salt and black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

Start by soaking your cedar plank in water for at least 30 minutes, and preheat oven or grill to 350°F. In a small bowl, mix the honey and dijon mustard together.

Once the cedar has been soaked, place the salmon fillet on it, skin side down. Pat the fish dry, and season it with salt and pepper. Finally, brush on the honey and dijon mixture.

Place the cedar plank in the oven or on the grill. Allow to cook until the fish is flaky. The oven will take around 20-25 minutes, and the grill will take about 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven, cut into pieces, and serve warm with veggies.

Enjoy!!

“When you feel neglected, think of the female salmon, who lays 3,000,000 eggs but no one remembers her on Mother’s Day” – Sam Ewing

Tortellini Pasta Salad

Pasta salad! Y’all should know by now how much I love pasta…it definitely does not end at hot pasta. This pasta is perfect to take on a picnic or bring to a party. It’s full of veggies and yummy pasta!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Tortellini Pasta Salad

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 (9 ounces) package of fresh tortellini (your choice – I used Sweet Italian Sausage from Buitoni)
• 1 bell pepper, julienned
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 bunch broccoli, washed and trimmed
• 1.25 cups carrots, shredded
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

Cook the tortellini according to package directions. While the tortellini is cooking, place the bell peppers and green onions in the large bowl for tossing later. Drain them immediately in a colander, and rinse under cool running water. Drain well, and place in a large bowl with the peppers and green onions.

Place a medium pot of water over high heat. Bring to a boil and salt. Place the broccoli in the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Once time has elapsed, add the carrots. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Drain vegetables well in a colander, and rinse under cold water.

Add the broccoli and carrots to the large bowl, on top of the tortellini.

In a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Whisk to combine well.

Pour the vinaigrette over everything in the large bowl. Toss gently to mix everything. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!!

“We don’t need a melting pot in this country, folks.  We need a salad bowl.  In a salad bowl, you put in the different things.  You want the vegetables – the lettuce, the cucumbers, the onions, the green peppers – to maintain their identity.  You appreciate differences.” – Jane Elliot

Slow Cooker Dijon Pork Chops

My slow cooker is always coming to the rescue! Lately I have been very busy at work, which of course makes my meal planning a little bit harder. This time I scourged my freezer to see what meat we had leftover from earlier meals. Low and behold I found a bounty of pork chops. This meal is satisfying and wonderful to come home to on a cold hard day from work.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Slow Cooker Dijon Pork Chops

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds potatoes, scrubbed, dried, and cut into 1-2″ chunks (your choice – I had a few russets laying around so I used that)
• 
1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry
• 
1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 pork chops, any type (I used bone-in since they are going into the slow cooker. The low and slow type cooking will make the meat fall right off the bone while providing the dish with even more flavor.)

Directions:

***A pint-sized note:  For those of you who know me, you know that I like planning and preparation. With this being said, I always like to prepare as much as I can for a slow cooker meal the night before so that I don’t have to wake up earlier in the morning (when making this on a work day of course). You can brown the pork chops, mix the soup mixture together in a tupperware container, and place that all in the refrigerator the night before. As for the potatoes, please save that for the morning if you are cutting them up. If you cut the potatoes up the night before and store them in the fridge, their flesh will become discolored. If you choose to use baby sized potatoes that are not to be cut up, you are fine with scrubbing them and drying them the night before.***

Place your slow cooker lining in your slow cooker, if you like to use them, and spray with nonstick olive oil spray.

Place the cut up potatoes at the bottom of the slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix together soup, sherry, Dijon, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, red chili flakes, paprika and pepper. Set aside for later.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over high heat. Gently add 2 of the pork chops and season with salt and pepper. Sear both sides to a golden brown. Repeat with the last tablespoon of butter and 2 remaining pork chops.

Place pork chops on top of the potatoes, and then pour soup mixture on top of everything.

Cover your slow cooker pot and cook on low for 7 – 8 hours or on high for 3.5 hours.

Once the time has elapsed, turn off your slow cooker. Plate each pork chop with potatoes, and spoon sauce over all of it.

Enjoy!!

“Love is like a mustard seed; planted by God and watered by men.” – Muda Saint Michael

Egg Salad

Egg salad sandwiches…I love them and crave them from time to time. This is my go-to egg salad recipe. I usually have all the ingredients around since it doesn’t take that many. Hope you love it as much as I do.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Egg Salad

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 hard boiled eggs, peeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons chopped green scallions or chives
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 8 pieces of bread, your choice

Directions:

Put the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan, covered by at least an inch of cold water. Add a tablespoon of vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring the cold water mix and eggs to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer for one minute. After a minute, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let sit for 12 minutes.

Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, run them under cold water, and allow to cool completely.

Separate the yolks from the egg whites and discard 2 of the yolks. Chop eggs and combine with mayo, yogurt, mustard, and scallions. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Make sandwiches and serve.

Enjoy!!

“Oh man, Friday, I really wanted an egg salad sandwich and I was just obsessing about it and I was like, ‘Man, I’m gonna make one of those.’ So Saturday, I went out and got, like, a dozen eggs and then I boiled them all and I just, I spent, I dunno, probably three hours, like three and a half hours making, you know, the mayonnaise, and the onions and paprika and, you know, the necessary accoutrement. And then, by the time I was done, I didn’t really feel like like eating it. ” – Andy Stitzer, The 40 Year Old Virgin