Crock Pot Ham & Potato Soup

This was so easy and delicious.  My only changes to the recipe, I used Better Than Bouillon instead of bouillon cubes and I also sauted the celery and onions in a little butter before adding them to the crock pot.

Crock Pot Ham & Potato Soup
Recipe from Moms With Crock Pots

Ingredients

• 3-1/2 cups peeled, diced potatoes
• ⅓ cup chopped celery
• ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup diced ham
• 3-1/4 cups water
• 6 chicken bullion cubes
• t. salt
• 1 t. pepper
• 5 T. flour
• 5 T. butter
• 2 cups milk

Instruction

Stir all but milk, flour and butter into crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, check tenderness of potatoes.  About 20 minutes before serving, melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and gradually add milk, stirring constantly over med heat until thick.  Stir mixture into crockpot.  Let cook 15-20 minutes more.

Pepper-Crusted Pork Loin

Pepper-Crusted Pork
Serves 6

3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (3-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin

1. Combine sugar, pepper, rosemary, and salt and rub all over pork. Let roast stand at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

2. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange pork on V-rack set in roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 375 degrees and cook until meat registers 140 degrees, about 50 minutes longer. Transfer pork to cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest 20 minutes. Slice pork and serve.

*I would probably cut the pepper to 1-1 1/2 Tbls. I also roasted the pork loin on a flat rack over a casserole dish. I poured chicken broth in the casserole dish which keeps the pork extremely moist and make a great sauce to use on the pork.

Apricot Glazed Pork

Apricot Glazed Pork

1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (3-pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425°.
Add 1 tablespoon water to preserves and melt in microwave for a few seconds.
Combine salt, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper; rub evenly over pork (I doubled the spice rub in case you needed more). Place pork on a rack coated with cooking spray; place rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes. Brush 1/4 cup preserves evenly over pork. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Brush remaining preserves evenly over pork. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink). Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
*I usually put a cup or two of chicken broth in the roasting pan. I think it helps keep the pork moist and also makes a really good sauce to pour over the pork.