Ground Pork Enchiladas

I've got some serious amounts of ground pork in my freezer. I suppose that is what happens when the Farmer is a pork producer. My kids love ground pork, the Farmer loves ground pork, so I am always trying to come up with fun and flavorful recipes that use ground pork. These enchiladas definitely fit the fun and flavorful bill, and are also probably my favorite way to use ground pork.

Try my Pico de Gallo along with these enchiladas! They are fantastic paired together!

Green Chili Pork Enchiladas

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

A unique twist on a favorite dish!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 28 ounce can of green enchilada sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 8-10 flour tortillas
• 3 cups shredded colby jack cheese

Instructions:

1. In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk. Cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth and whisk. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Whisk in the green chili enchilada sauce and cilantro. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook the ground pork and onion in a skillet until pork is fully cooked. Drain any grease. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes longer.
5. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.

To assemble and bake the enchiladas:

1. Grease a 9x13 pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. For each enchilada, scoop about 1/4 cup meat mixture onto a tortilla. Add 1 tablespoon each sauce and shredded cheese. Roll up and place in greased pan.
3. Once all the meat is used, Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas in the pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
4. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour, until sauce is bubbling and cheese starts to brown on top. 
5. Let sit and rest for 20 to 25 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite toppings such as sour cream, lettuce, tomato, onion, or salsa.

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Basic Meatloaf

If you need a basic meatloaf recipe, look no further. This is the one that you need. My family likes to have a simple meatloaf once in a while, and after years of adjusting amounts and spices here or there, this is the one that they love the most. I love that since my family is small and my kids are young, I can actually get by with baking only half of this meatloaf and putting half in the freezer for later. That certainly helps on a busy weeknight!

I also like this recipe because I can use both ground pork and ground beef. I'm always looking for ideas to use ground pork because I don't always like it as a substitute for ground beef. Ground pork doesn't always work well in place of ground beef in some recipes. But the mix of both of the meats in this meatloaf is perfect. I also think that this bakes up less greasy than other meatloaf recipes because of the use of oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs.

We usually eat this with baked potatoes and corn. It's the way I ate it while growing up, so it's how I serve it now. Plus the potatoes can bake while the meatloaf bakes, making supper that much easier!

Basic Meatloaf

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

This is the basic meatloaf recipe that you need.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 8 ounce can tomato sauce, divided
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard sized loaf pan.
2. In a bowl, mix the ground beef, ground pork, oatmeal, egg, onion, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and half of the tomato sauce.
3. Put mixture into the prepared loaf pan and pat down lightly.
4. In a small bowl, mix the remaining tomato sauce with the brown sugar.  Add salt and pepper to taste and mix in.
5. Pour sauce over the meatloaf.
6. Cover and bake for 60-65 minutes. Uncover for the last 10 minutes of baking.
7. If you are freezing half, prepare two pans and divide the meat mixture and sauce between the two pans. Cover and freeze for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.

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Hot Beef Sundae Twice Baked Potatoes

It's cold, rainy, windy, and downright dreary today. I was reading somewhere that the Iowa State Fair is still deciding on how the fair will look this year due to COVID-19. Which makes today even more dreary. It just won't be summer without the Iowa State Fair.

Then I remembered that I have some leftover roast beef in the freezer (Bonus! I love when I can use leftovers!), and I can make these twice baked potatoes that remind me of those hot and humid summer days at the most wonderful fair in the world. The Iowa Beef Producers make one of the most iconic fair foods, the Hot Beef Sundae. There is always a long line for these savory sundaes. Its a bowl full of yummy goodness that includes mashed potatoes, roast beef with gravy, cheese, and a tomato. Its no wonder people wait a long time to get one. These sundaes are one of my very favorite foods to get at the Iowa State Fair, and are the inspiration for these twice baked potatoes that I created. So, if you are missing the fair and hot summer nights like me, give these a try.

Hot Beef Sundae Twice Baked Potatoes

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

Inspired by an Iowa State Fair classic!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 packet brown gravy mix, 0.87 ounce
• 1 cup roast beef
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 grape tomatoes

Instructions:

1. Wash potatoes and poke with a fork. Wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, prepare gravy according to package directions.
3. Heat roast beef in microwave until heated through.
4. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out flesh, leaving about a quarter inch next to the skins. Save the extra potato in a small bowl.
5. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add milk and heat through.
6. Mash the extra potato. Add the milk and butter mixture and stir to make mashed potatoes.
7. Scoop the mashed potatoes equally into the 4 potato skins.
8. Add 1/4 cup of roast beef on top of the mashed potatoes.
9. Add 1/4 cup gravy on top of the beef.
10. Top each potato skin with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese.
11. Bake potatoes in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.
12. Top each potato with a grape tomato and serve.

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The Best Fruit Dip

This is my absolute favorite way to eat fruit. This sweet and creamy dip is the perfect complement for your favorite fruits. We love it with strawberries, grapes, pineapple, apples, and different kinds of berries. We've even slathered it on toast and bagels. Plus it is ridiculously easy and quick to make! It's so easy my kids can make it.

As a child, I remember my grandmother making this fruit dip for family gatherings. She always had this fruit dip and my grandfather always made sure he had the strawberries for us. My siblings and I could eat this entire dip in one sitting. We just couldn't get enough of this amazingly sweet concoction. I'm glad my grandmother showed me how to make it so I can share it with my kids and I can pass down the treasured memories.

Best Fruit Dip

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

This is my favorite way to eat fruit!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of softened strawberry cream cheese
• 7 ounce jar marshmallow fluff

Instructions:

1. Mix the cream cheese and marshmallow fluff together.
2. Serve immediately with your favorite fruit, or chill until ready to eat.

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Perfect Fluffy Waffles

Waffles. They are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or supper. You can go traditional and add butter and syrup (my personal favorite!) or dress them up with whipped cream and fruit. Or how about chicken and waffles? They really are very versatile. And let's not forget delicious. They definitely are delicious. You just can't go wrong with waffles.

We eat a lot of pancakes and waffles at my house, especially for lunch. My dancer loves pancakes and my little farmer loves waffles, so we usually alternate between the two. If I were to choose, I'd have to side with my little farmer and go team waffles. We even go all out and celebrate birthdays with a stack of warm, fluffy birthday waffles (or pancakes) for breakfast. It has become a tradition that the kids look forward to every year. Birthday waffles with candles to celebrate another year of growing up are part of every birthday morning.

You don't need a fancy waffle maker to make great waffles. I have this Black and Decker one. It is simple, with no temperature dial or way to flip. I just plug it in and go, and the indicator light tells me when it's ready. Plus it is easy peasy to clean - bonus! I often make extra waffles and store them in the freezer. They make a great quick breakfast in the mornings, or even a great after school snack. I store each one individually in a sandwich baggie, then put them all in a freezer gallon ziploc.

Perfect Fluffy Waffles

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

Like the title says, these waffles are perfect and fluffy.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 melted butter

Instructions:

1. Heat waffle iron and grease with cooking spray if necessary.
2. Add dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk.
3. Stir in wet ingredients and mix well.
4. Add about 3/4 cup of batter to the iron for each waffle.
5. Cook until done.
6. This recipe was adapted from my favorite waffle recipe from Betty Crocker. https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/waffles/f4760054-72a9-4316-9377-f636dd58bc8e

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