Recipe for an Easy Dinner Night

Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork. The opinions and text are all mine.

With back-to-school just around the corner, I’ve been thinking about dinners and how to make prep as easy and quick as possible while still maintaining a healthy diet. Today I’ve partnered withSmithfield® to share a recipe for an easy dinner with less than 30 minutes of prep time any night of the week. Often my go-to for easy dinner nights is a slow-cooker, but I find that a lot of the recipes for slow-cooker meals include a lot of processed ingredients or extra prep time and those are two things I like to avoid. With this recipe, it’s easy to create a meal that the whole family will enjoy, even picky eaters like my little one.

5 Minute Pulled Pork

1 minute, plus cook time. Makes approximately 7-4oz. servings.
This has been one of my favorite meals to make this summer. Not only does it allow my house to stay cool, it allows me to set it and forget it with my slow cooker. I love that the pork is 100% natural and perfectly seasoned with no artificial ingredients, so you don’t need to add a bunch of extras. The prep work is already done, so it’s a no-brainer for me on any night of the week. We love to also use the leftovers for an easy fajita night later in the week.
Ingredients

Smithfield Applewood Smoked Bacon Pork Loin Filet (I pick mine up in the fresh meat section at my local Lucky. They have a variety of flavors & cuts that can be grilled, roasted, sautéed, or my favorite, slow-cooked!)
Brioche slider buns (or dinner rolls work if you are in a pinch)
Homemade pickle salad (see recipe)
Chipotle mayonnaise
Olive oil
1/2C Water
Slow-cooker

Method
1. Coat bottom of slow-cooker pot with olive oil. This helps with sticking.
2. Add Smithfield Applewood Smoked Bacon Pork Loin Filet, bacon side up! It fits pretty snug between the sides of my slow-cooker.
3. Add 1/2C Water.
4. Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours, or any combination of the two. Sometimes I cook mine longer and it always turns out perfectly moist and shreddable. I always check the temperature before declaring it done, pork should be an end temperature of 150F.
5. Set to warm and shred pork in the slow-cooker using two forks.
6. Cut slider buns and broil or toast to a golden brown color.
7. Garnish sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise and homemade dill pickle salad.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Thyme Roasted Carrots

5 minute prep, 15 minute cook. Makes approximately 4- 4oz servings.

Roasting vegetables is so easy to do, it’s one of my favorite go-to’s for a side dish with dinner. Carrots are favorite because when cooked they take on a slightly sweeter flavor without added sugar or lots of prep work.

Ingredients
16 Oz Peeled baby carrots
1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 Tsp Fresh ground pepper
2 Tsp Pink Himalayan salt
Large mixing bowl, large enough to accommodate the carrots for mixing
Mixing spoon, I prefer a wide and flat wooden one
Shallow rimmed baking sheet, I favor our pizza pan for this (ha!)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Rinse carrots with water and pat dry.
3. Slice all carrots in half and place in large mixing bowl.
4. Remove leaves from thyme and sprinkle over carrots.
5. Sprinkle fresh ground pepper and pink Himalayan salt on carrots.
6. Drizzle carrots with extra virgin olive oil.
7. Toss carrots using spoon until they are thoroughly coated.
8. Spread out on baking sheet in a single layer.
9. Roast at 400F for approximately 15 minutes.
10. Serve and enjoy!

I love to also add a small spinach-based side salad with this, as the flavors go so well with the pork. Total time spent on this recipe is around 25 minutes if you don’t count the time in the slow cooker. It really is my favorite go-to for a flavorful meal any night of the week.

Want to win a trip to wine country? Enter to win with Real Flavor, Real Fast contest!
Smithfield also wants to know what you can do with Marinated Fresh Pork to get a meal ready in 30 minutes or less with their “What Can You Do With 30?” meal and tip contest. For more ideas and to submit your own recipe (and possibly win a trip to wine country!), head to www.SmithfieldRealFlavorRealFast.com. You can also follow along on social at #RealFlavorRealFast and @SmithfieldFoods.

What is your favorite easy dinner night recipe?

This sponsored post was written by me on behalf of Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you so much for helping to support the sponsors that make life here a little sweeter.