Did you know that an $8 pork loin could make three meals for a family of seven?
I didn’t either until last week.
You know how I like to shop the sales ads for meats that are on sale. Well, I picked up a pork loin (a little over 4 pounds) for $8 dollars a few weeks ago. I fully expected to get two meals out of this pork loin. You can imagine my surprise when we had three meals with leftovers!
Here are the meals & recipes that we used to stretch this pork loin to feed our family:
*quick note…I forgot to take pictures. Sorry!
Meal #1 ~ Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Veggies
- 2 pound pork loin (I cut the original pork loin in half and refrigerated the unused half.)
- potatoes (use whatever amount your family will eat)
- carrots (same as potatoes)
- celery (2 stalks)
- onion (about 1/4 – 1/2 cup)
- seasonings (I used salt, pepper, seasoned salt, onion powder, garlic powder)
- olive oil and butter
- 3/4 cup of water
Directions
- Season and brown sides of pork loin in small amount of olive oil in skillet.
- After the pork loin is brown, place it into slow cooker with about 3/4 cup of water.
- Cut potatoes, celery, carrots, and onion. Place around pork loin in slow cooker.
- Sprinkle seasonings across veggies. Place a few pats of butter on top.
- Cook on high for about 3 – 4 hours.
** The measurements are not exact because I didn’t measure anything. Just season to taste. Also remember, more veggies helps to stretch the meat. For us, everyone got two slices of pork with a lot a veggies and a side of green beans. No one (not even my teenage boys) left the table hungry.
Meal #2 ~ Shredded Tex-Mex Pork Loin Nachos
- 2 pound pork loin
- onion - chopped
- can of diced tomatoes
- small can of green chilies
- 1 cup of water
- seasonings: salt, chili powder, cumin
- black beans (cooked separately)
- tortilla chips
Directions
- Place pork loin into slow cooker.
- Pour water, tomatoes, and chilies into slow cooker.
- Sprinkle with onion and seasonings: 1 TBSP salt, 2 TBSP of chili powder, and 1 TBSP of cumin. (Could use taco seasonings instead)
- Cook on high for 3 – 4 hours.
- Shred meat before serving. (I did this in the slow cooker with a fork and knife.)
- We served ours with black beans on the side (or on top) and over tortilla chips. Top with sour cream and cheese. YUM! (Would have been good with lettuce too but I was out!)
Meal #3 ~ Pork Loin Burrito Bowl
- leftover pork loin from Shredded Tex-Mex Nachos (if you have any…we had quite a bit)
- leftover black beans from previous meal
- cooked brown rice
- toppings: cheese, sour cream, salsa (could possibly add corn too or any other toppings that you like)
Directions
- Heat leftover pork and black beans while brown rice cooks
- Place cooked rice in bowl and top with pork, black beans, and toppings of choice.
- Serve with a side of fruit salad and/or green salad.
*This is just a “dressed up” leftovers meal. However, don’t let its simplicity fool you. It is yummy! (Possibly one of hubby’s and my favorite meals to eat! )
Even after all of this feasting on our $8 pork loin, we still had enough left for a small serving for someone’s lunch! I truly love it when our food stretches far but satisfies us at the same time.
Do you have any meals that you cook that stretch a little bit a long way?
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