Quick and Easy Sausage Posole

I had forgotten just how much I like this posole (Southwestern stew) recipe until I made it for dinner tonight!

I started with this Sausage Posole recipe from Hillshire Farm, but following a recipe is not my forté.

All fresh ingredients were preheated to softness in the microwave before throwing in the pan to stew for an hour.

• 2 cups chicken broth (I used what I had, chicken stock from the last time I boiled chicken)
• 1/2 cup diced onion, pre-cooked in some of that chicken broth
• 1 medium potato, grated, and pre-cooked in some of that chicken broth
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 cups pinto beans (I used what I had, about half "refried" and half still beans)
• 1/2 cup white wine, optional
• 1 can hominy, rinsed and drained (this is my only hominy recipe, and I always keep a can on the shelf)
• 1 can Rotel Mexican (with lime and cilantro) or Rotel Milder, including juice
• 1/2 package of Hillshire Farms Li'l Smokies
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder (or ground cumin)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• water as needed

So, like I said, make sure the fresh ingredients have been cooked until soft in the microwave, and then throw it in the pan before doing something else for a while. In my case, I was fixing dinner for the boys. Stir occasionally, adding more water as needed. And it's so tasty!

Microwave Dressing for Stuffing

This recipe is adapted (to reduce fat, and to match what I had) from an old "Kenmore Microwave Cookery" cookbook.

Mix in a 1 quart (or larger) glass container:

1/2 cup water

2 Tbs gravy mix (like Tone's Gravy Mix)

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Microwave for 5 minutes.

Chop these in the food processor, and then add to the microwave container:

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

Microwave for 3 minutes.

Now chop these in the food processor, and then add to the microwave container:

2 cups dry bread chunks

1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped

2 tsp dried parsley flakes

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Microwave for 2 minutes.

My microwave was set to 100% power, and it's rated for 1100 to 1500 Watts depending on which label you read. You may need to adjust the times for different microwaves.

Amazingly enough, this tastes exactly like stuffing! (However, I'm not a fan of it. I made this anyway because my dear husband likes stuffing.) I used Tone's Turkey Gravy Mix.

For storage, it freezes well.

Just so you know that I'm hopeless with recipes, here's the original.Mix 1/2 cup butter, 1/3 cup onion, and 1/4 cup celery in a 4-cup glass container and microwave for 10 minutes or until onion is transparent. Add 3 cups dry bread cubes, 1 cup water or chicken broth, 2 tsp parsley flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper. Makes enough stuffing for a 5 to 6 pound roasting chicken. Can replace 3 cups bread with 2 1/2 cups wild rice, 1/2 cup slivered almonds, and 1 cup sliced mushrooms.

Pork Roast Verde

1-4 pounds pork roast

1-2 pounds tomatillos

1 onion

salt and pepper to taste

instant mashed potato flakes

water

crockpot with removable liner

Remove strings if the pork roast came wrapped. Trim visible fat. Put the pork roast in the crockpot.

Remove husks from the tomatillos, and wash them. Cut them in quarters or eighths, removing the stem. Toss them in the crockpot.

Chop the onion and toss it in the crockpot.

Add a tiny amount of salt (1/4 tsp) and freshly ground pepper (several grinds).

Add water to the crockpot until it just barely covers the pork roast. Let it cook on low 8 hours or more.

Put the crockpot liner in the frig for several hours until the fat congeals on top. Skim the fat, and put the liner back in the crockpot without the lid to cook again. (Some people skip this step. Not me!) Cook the pork roast until it falls apart easily.

Now that the pork roast is hot again, it's time to reduce the water. (Some people let it cook with the lid off, watching to make sure it doesn't burn. I prefer to the faster method.) Add some potato flakes to thicken it as much as you like. Serve it up!

My friend Dan suggested this recipe off the top of his head when I asked him on the phone what to make with tomatillos. I suspect I've mangled his original recipe, but this does taste good!