crock pot | The Little GSP

It’s snowing out! We were supposed to get a mere inch of snow today but it appears that the weather guys were WAY off… there’s already over 4 inches of snow out there!! Here’s the view outside and the radar map… the snow doesn’t show signs of stopping anytime soon!

Cold and snowy weather is the perfect time to enjoy a batch of warm, hearty stew. I have this pork and green chile stew from Skinny Taste cooking in my crock pot right now and I want to share another yummy concoction that I made a few weeks ago: Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili. The original, vegetarian version of this recipe came from Pami over at Omnomalicious. I would have been happy with a meatless stew but Matt likes his meat so I took some liberties with the recipe and added in some ground turkey just for him. 🙂

This chili was seriously awesome. The butternut squash was soft and just the tiniest bit sweet, and it blended really nicely with the black beans, peppers, and onions in a tex-mex-style broth that had just the right amount of kick. YUM! I will definitely be making this again soon!!

Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili (adapted from Omnomalicious)

You will need…
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
1 Onion, diced
2 Red Bell Peppers, diced
1 Jalapeño Pepper, diced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Chipotles in Adobo Sauce, minced
1 can Diced Tomatoes
2 cans Black Beans, drained
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Chile Powder
1 tablespoon Mexican Oregano
1 lb. ground Turkey, browned
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Oh yeah, did I mention that this stew is amazingly easy to make? Simply combine all of the ingredients in a crock pot then cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until the squash has reached your desired consistency. Season to taste and serve with a slice of freshly baked cornbread!

When you hear “slow cooked pulled pork” do you think about state fairs and BBQ joints in the deep south? I love pulled pork and when I learned that we could make our very own version of this delicious summer treat with only a crock pot, apple cider vinegar, and a bottle of BBQ sauce I was thrilled!

This is probably one of the easiest and most rewarding recipes that I’ll share on TheLittleGSP. We put the pork in the crock pot before work and come home to the aromas of slow-cooked meat. 5 minutes of “pulling” later and the pork is ready to enjoy on a nice soft sandwich bun. This recipe is adapted from instructions that I found on about.com.

Slow-Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
(makes 6-8 sandwiches)

You will need…
3-4 lbs. “Pork Butt” (also called “Boston Butt” or Pork Shoulder)
3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
A Bottle of BBQ Sauce (our current favorite is Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet)
6-8 Sandwich Rolls (we love the burger rolls from The Fresh Market)

Directions:

Trim any excessive fat off of the pork and place the meat in your slow cooker. Season the pork with salt and pepper on both sides. Pour the apple cider vinegar into the slow cooker around the pork (don’t pour it directly over the top of the pork or you will wash the salt and pepper off). Set the slow cooker to High and put the lid on. Allow the pork to cook for approximately 10 hours.

Pork Butt ready to be cooked for 10 hours

After 10 hours have elapsed, use two forks to transfer the pork to a plate (it will be falling apart at this point so you may have many little pieces of pork already). Dump the apple cider vinegar and juices out of the slow cooker, then return the pork to the pot. If your pork butt had a bone, locate and discard the bone. Use the two forks to pull the pork apart into several large pieces (but don’t completely shred the pork yet).

Add the bottle of BBQ sauce to the pork. If your piece of meat was on the smaller side you may want to only add about 3/4 of the bottle first (you can always add more later if you want a wetter sandwich). Use the two forks to mix the BBQ sauce into the pork and pull the pork until it reaches your desired texture.

BBQ Sauce Added and Pork Pulled!

Slice open the sandwich rolls. If you want, broil them face-up in the oven for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Place a heaping mound of pulled pork onto your roll and enjoy!

Best Sides to Eat with your Pulled Pork Sandwich: