World's Best Chili Verde

For anyone who has never had Chili Verde before. It is actually a chili that you serve wrapped in tortillas or over rice. This one is seriously good. I was going to take a picture of it, but I didn't have enough left over for a picture since we all ate it so fast. This is one we are definitely excited about. And who knew that Disney's family website would have such a winning recipe.

courtesy of familyfun.com

Ingredients

3 lb. boneless pork roast, cut into 1 inch cubes (I used a pork loin)
1 1/2 bell peppers, chopped, (1 green, 1 red)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cans tomato sauce
1 7 oz can chopped green chilies
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup beef broth
1-2 tsp. salt to taste
2 jalapenos chopped fine, optional

Served with:
tortillas
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
avocados, diced

Combine all the ingredients in the crockpot. Mix. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. If you are cooking in the oven cook in a covered pot at 225 degrees for 8-9 hours. Serve with Tortillas, sour cream, cheese, and avocado or guacamole.

Suggestions: This really is fantastic but I found that it was a little too liquidy so I would suggest simmering without the lid the last hour to let some liquid evaporate or add some cornstarch to thicken it up a little.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

This is seriously good. I couldn't believe how much flavor that the squash had. The hardest part of this recipe was peeling the squash. Joe couldn't get enough of it and since it made a 9x 13 pan, we froze the leftovers in a ziplock bag.

courtesy of cookinglight.com

Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
• Cooking spray
• 6 sweet hickory-smoked bacon slices (raw)
• 1 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 8 ounces uncooked mini penne (tube-shaped pasta)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt mixture. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temperature to 450°.

Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Combine squash mixture, bacon, and shallots; set aside.

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.

Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add provolone, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.