Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork with Root Beer BBQ Sauce

As much as I love trying to incorporate things like candy bars into my baking, I love to incorporate wacky things like soda pop into my savory dishes.  My Best Ever Brisket recipe calls for a can of Coca-Cola.  And it's well, the Best Ever.  If Coca-Cola and beef brisket can be friends, then why can't pork and root beer be friends too?  This super simple slow cooker recipe is perfect for busy days and casual entertaining.  The pulled pork comes out super juicy and the bbq sauce is simple, with a unique flavor from the root beer. 

See?  Pork and Root Beer can be friends.

The Line-Up

Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven.
Season pork roast with salt and pepper.
Brown in hot oil on all sides.

Place roast in slow cooker and
cover with onions.



Add root beer and garlic.
(Sorry for the blurry picture. 
I must have been jumping for joy
in anticipation of eating this.)



When pork is almost done,
add 3 cups root beer to sauce pan.

Boil together with chili sauce.
Spice up with hot sauce
if desired.

Pull pork apart with forks until shredded.

Mix with BBQ sauce.

Serve on buns and pig out. 
Get it?  Pig out.
You know pulled pork?
Pig out.
Ha ha.

Coffee Granita

My BFF came over the other day, and was poking around my kitchen for dessert because I almost always have some kind of cookies or cupcakes sitting on the counter.  I offered her a Coffee Granita because that had been our dessert the night before.  She made a face and said, "No Thanks."  I said, "You don't even know what a granita is."  To which she replied, "It's some kind of slushy thing."  Well yeah, it is some kind of slushy thing, but way better than that.  A granita is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings.  Its origin is Italian and it makes an easy, but extremely elegant dessert.  This grown up version features Creme de Cacao liqueur and whipped cream.  Simple and refreshing.  Coffee and liquor.  Sounds good to me!  Quite an ending to a dinner party.  Or a snack with your BFF.   

Easy & Elegant

Only 4 ingredients!

Combine sugar and water.
Boil together for 3 minutes. 

Let mixture cool.
Add to coffee.

Mix well.

Pour into shallow container.
Cover and freeze.

Stir occasionally with fork
to create slushy texture.

Don't allow to freeze solid.
Keep scraping with fork
to keep it slushy.

Spoon into bowl or wine glass to serve.

Pour an ounce of liqueur
over each serving.

Garnish with whipped cream

Chicken Marsala Casserole

Chicken Marsala was one of the first things I learned to make for Mr. Devilish Dish.  The first time I made it, was on Valentine's Day.  On Labor Day, he asked me to marry him.  I'd like to think it was the chicken marsala that won him over.  Maybe it was the lifetime supply of banana pudding I kept him in.  Either way, I got a ring on my finger and he's been well fed for many years now.  I hadn't made it in awhile.  Then I ran across a casserole version.  All the flavors were there, mushrooms, shallots, wine, pasta...Just a little different presentation.  He loved it, and you will too!  A great dish for guests because it's simple, yet sophisticated.

Chicken Marsala Casserole...
A perfect "company dish!

The Chicken Marsala Casserole Party

Get your prep done in advance.  There
are a lot of ingredients, but everything
goes together very easily.  Having the
ingredients pre-measured and ready to
go will make the assembly quick!

While pasta is boiling, brown chicken in olive oil. 
When cooked, remove and set aside.

Add butter to skillet and saute shallot until soft.

Add mushrooms and saute until soft.

Combine broths and whisk in cornstarch
until smooth.  Set aside.

Add Marsala to mushroom mixture and
reduce over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add broth mixture.

Add heavy cream.  Stir in
chicken and pasta.

Place in casserole dish.  Combine melted butter
with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. 
Sprinkle over pasta mixture.

Bake about 15 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Wow your friends and enjoy!

Grandmother Mary's Strawberry Cake

Most of us have great memories of our grandparents.  I was fortunate to have two of the coolest people to EVER walk the planet for mine.  My Granddaddy Guy worked in the vending machine industry.  Which meant they had a horse in their living room.  Not a real one, although I'm pretty sure he would have gotten us grandkids a real one if we had asked.  Her name was Sandy, and it costs a dime to go for a ride.  And we NEVER had to put in our own dimes.  Granddaddy Guy had a never ending supply of dimes in his pocket.  And BOXES and BOXES and BOXES of boston baked bean candy and gumballs in the pantry.  Just grab a sack and scoop out as much as you want.  Grandmother Mary was equally as fun and clever in her own way.  She was a kindergarten teacher and I never had a birthday card or valentine that didn't have a clever poem inside in her oh-so-neat handwriting.  Every Sunday we went to their house for pizza.  We called it "Pizza Day".  Well the kids had pizza.  And moon pies.  And popsicles.  And ten thousand different flavors of pop.  And boston baked beans.  (I usually came home from their house with a stomach ache.)  Now that I'm an adult, I sometimes regret eating pizza and moon pies, when I could have sat in the dining room with THE GROWN UPS for one of Grandmother Mary's fabulous home cooked Sunday dinners like pot roast or chicken and dumplings.  And every Sunday there was a beautiful, pink strawberry layered cake.  Because that was Granddaddy Guy's favorite.

Grandmother Mary's Strawberry Cake

The Line-Up

In a large mixing bowl,
combine cake mix and flour.
Add oil and water.

Add eggs.

Add strawberry jell-o.

Beat until combined and smooth.

Stir in chopped strawberries.

Divide batter into two greased
and floured 9-inch round pans.

Bake approximately 25 minutes.
Let cool completely.

Combine unsalted butter, powdered sugar
and chopped strawberries for the frosting.

Whip until light and fluffy.

Place one cake layer on serving plate.
Spread with frosting.  Top with remaining
cake layer.

Frost top and sides completely.
Doesn't that make the prettiest
pink cake you ever saw?

I made this for my 10 year old niece's
slumber party.  She requested
Grandmother Mary's Strawberry Cake
because "IT'S PINK!"
So I decorated it for a fun little girl party!

Guacamole Burgers

I've said it before.  I can't stand a dry, thick hamburger patty.  And since Mr. Devilish Dish refuses to take me to the bowling alley for dinner, for a tried and true greasy hamburger, I have to dream up burgers that I know I will like.  That means extra good things added to the patty, and yummy things to go on top.  A flavorful, juicy patty with fresh, creamy guacamole on top.  Hello!  You could put guacamole on a stack of newspaper and we would probably eat it at our house.  So putting it on top of a burger seems like an obvious win to me.  DUH. 

Hola Amigo!

The Guacamole Burger Line Up. 
Few ingredients, but LOTS of flavor.

Add lime juice to ground beef a little at a time.
Once you start to mix the burger mixture you may need
to add more.  You don't want to patties too moist.

Add garlic.

Season with chile powder.
(Don't forget salt and pepper. 
I add those to everything.)

Add chopped onion.

Add cilantro.

Form into 6 patties.  A chef friend
once told me to make a small well
in the center of the patty.  He said
that would help them cook evenly,
and not puff up in the middle.
(You know I don't like a thick patty.)

Grill until desired doneness.

Garnish with cheese and lots of guacamole.  Ole!