Slow Cooker Shredded Pork Quesadillas

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Ready to finish off all that delicious, tender, shredded pork that came out of your slow cooker? Great! Me too.

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I like traditions. I like creating them, keeping them, pretending I have ones that I don’t actually have—you know, the usual. One of our biggest traditions is the annual Thanksgiving with my dad’s side of the family. And this Thanksgiving is filled with several other, smaller traditions (remember the gingerbread houses?). So this year at Thanksgiving, we got to start a new tradition: taco night. You’re all shocked. I can feel it through the screen, like emoji with hands on face and mouth dropped open shocked. OK, OK, I kid. It was definitely my idea. I volunteered to cook the night before Thanksgiving dinner (as I’m not even allowed in the kitchen the day of thanks to cousin Chef Dave) and naturally I picked tacos. Specifically slow cooker pork tacos. Then we set out all sorts of toppings and did a build-your-own deal.

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Then, on Friday night, something amazing happened. Cousin Chef Dave let me in the kitchen for leftover creations night. Since most everyone gobbled up all the leftover turkey at lunch/anytime they walked by the fridge, we had a lot of pork that needed to be tackled. We also had some very cute, very young cocktail waitresses (my baby cousins) that needed some hors d’oeuvres to pass around on their trays. So we started whipping up every combo of shredded pork quesadilla we could think up finished with my garnishing skills (a dollop of guac, drizzle of crema and crosshatch radish sticks to boot) until we finally landed on the perfect mix. Gooey cheddar or monterey jack cheese melted between layers of crisp tortillas filled with the flavorful shredded pork, red onions, red cabbage and a couple dashes of hot sauce, if you’re into that kind of thing.

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So with the recent release of Mission’s new gluten free flour tortillas (which, by the way, taste just like I remember regular wheat tortillas tasting like. I drove all over the Valley tracking these babies down, worth it), I decided to bring the recipe home to use up the other half of the slow cooker pork and they’re just as good as I remember!

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Slow Cooker Shredded Pork Quesadillas
Author: 
Serves: 2–4
 
Ingredients
  • 4 flour tortillas or about 12 corn tortillas (I used Mission's new gluten free soft taco tortillas)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
  • ½ of the shredded pork from this post: www.agirladegree.com/slow-cooker-shredded-pork-tacos
  • ½ cup red cabbage, minced
  • ¼ red onion, minced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced
  • Optional: Hot sauce, guacamole and sour cream for topping
Instructions
  1. Mince the pork, cabbage, onion and cilantro and combine.
  2. Place half the tortillas down on a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Evenly distribute the cheese among the tortillas and the mixture of minced pork, cabbage, onion and cilantro on top of that.
  3. When the cheese is almost entirely melted top with the rest of the tortillas and flip.
  4. Continue to cook until the rest of the cheese has melted and the tortillas have browned. Remove from heat, cut and top or serve with any extra toppings.

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Mediterranean Veggie Balsamic Penne

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I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to give you all this recipe. I must have eaten this for dinner at least three days a week in college. This, macaroni and cheese, pizza and quesadillas. Really just all things with cheese.

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Back in the Midwest there’s a glorious “fast-casual” chain called Noodles & Company. It’s such an amazing place and I have a deep love for it. Definitely on the top ten most-missed Midwest things. When my mom helped move me down here we were both so hungry as we pulled into Phoenix. The dinner decision was quick and unanimous—we would go to Noodles quick before heading to the hotel. To our utter dismay there was not a single Noodles & Co in the area—no, in the state even! It was heartbreaking. To this day, anytime I’m in a city with a Noodles, I snatch some up and savor every bite. Last week in Denver, I brought my saucy noodles through security at the airport and slurped them down at the gate. So satisfying. Between Noodles and Chipotle, I could go without ever stepping in a grocery store ever again (not really, but pretty much).

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One of my favorite and most frequently ordered Noodles dishes was the Whole Grain Tuscan Fresca, but with the gluten free rice noodles. My mom and I always loved making a garlicky, olive oil-based pasta dish with wilted spinach leaves and this dish emulated that, but with an extra kick—balsamic. Genius. Especially for us balsamic lovers. It only took about five visits to Noodles and one taste of the creamy pesto dish they had (I’m terrible at cream sauces, remember? So this is now my go-to Noodles order) to realize the pasta fresca can easily be whipped up right at home. All it takes is boiling the penne, sauteing up fresh onion, tomato and spinach in a garlicky olive oil bath, adding the noodles and tossing it all with balsamic and some cheese for good measure. Always cheese.

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Mediterranean Veggie Balsamic Penne
Author: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 1⅓ cup dry penne pasta (I use gluten free Barilla)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ onion, sliced
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
  • 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • Salt & pepper
  • Grated Parmesan or mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and mushrooms, if desired, and cook until soft. Add the tomatoes and garlic and toss until aromatic, then lower heat.
  3. Add the cooked pasta and spinach and stir until spinach is wilted. Toss with the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Top with a little grated Parmesan or mozzarella cheese and serve.

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Weekend in Denver

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If you missed it on Instagram, I went to Denver last weekend. I had a day off, a cousin I miss constantly and a couple of college friends all in Denver so I decided to buy the ticket, pretend I had something resembling a winter coat and boots and headed on out.

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I’ve been to Colorado several times, but each time I go I fall deeper in love with it. Don’t get me wrong, I love Phoenix, but it’s so fun to see plant life, large plant life—OK, trees. So many trees. And they’re all so tall and piney and snow-covered and beautiful. When I went to Hawaii, I thought it was so cool to step outside and look to the mountains to see vibrant green mounds everywhere, so different from the brown desert mountains I hike here, and in Colorado it was so fun to drive out to the mountain and look at snow-covered peaks decorated with trees. Ugh. Nature is just the best, guys.

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So, considering I fell asleep on my laptop last night while writing this post (which happened after the first session of my new yoga class, woof), I will give you the brief run down on the fun things we did. And trust me, it’s brief, once the snow started falling, there were just a lot of blankets, couches, puzzles, junk food and Harry Potter movies with the people I love. But we did make time to try new things, go to new places and eat new food. I love how no matter how many times I visit, there are always new things to see and experience!

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1. Ate at nationally-recognized Pinche Taqueria. The sign simply exclaims, “Tacos, Tequila, Whiskey.” So the spot for me on all accounts except for the whiskey. We started with guacamole and margaritas and then dove into the tacos. I choose the Lengua (beef tongue), the most touted-taco; Mahi Mahi “Chimichurri,” which could have been a little heavier on the chimichurri; the Pork Belly “Agridulce,” um, oh my god; and the Shrimp & Scallop Xnic-Pec. Fatty over here, but they were all delicious and the service was wonderful. Our waiter Job (Joe—long story; long, fun night) was our best friend by the end of the night.

2. Drove to the mountains with peanut butter sandwiches and Starbucks to start our day of snowshoeing. We went to Breckenridge and after getting lost and trekking our butts half way up the mountain on foot (which was really fun, actually) we landed at the Breckenridge Nordic Center to rent our gear and hit the trails. This little lodge was the best. Erica couldn’t have picked a better spot. The cozy cabin had such a friendly, welcoming feel. The owner walked around all dressed up and played the accordion for us. Like sat down right next to me and played at me. Then we talked and he told us about how owning that little shop was his dream, asked us what we did, then told us about a moose spotting and which way we should hike to try to see him. Unfortunately by the time we got there Mr. Moose was gone, but we had the most fun. It was like a snowy hike through the most beautiful winter and I only fell once, you guys, just once.

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3. Spent the night at my cousin and her friends’ rental in Keystone. We grilled fajitas, drank a lot of beer (I had a local gluten-free brew), did a whole entire puzzle—two hours of heavy concentration, followed by so much glee and relief when we finished—and played Cards Against Humanity.

4. Met friends from college (i.e. my beautiful friend Rachel) for brunch at The Lobby. The food was simple, but delicious and they had tons of gluten free options—I had some over easy eggs topped with awesome almond pesto, served with crunchy breakfast hash and gluten free toast. They do a bottomless mimosa brunch and if five or more people at your table, they bring over a tower of the sweet stuff. Literally a big tall tower filled with mimosa with a spout for pour-your-own drinks.

5. Tried to go to the Mayan Theatre for Whiplash, but it was sold out, so we bought tickets for a later time, then got tired and had them refunded. But we did get to go inside the theater and at least see all the gorgeous history on display. I definitely need to see a show there next time.

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6. Walked down Broadway and popped into Fancy Tiger, a local apparel store, to buy a cool Denver Tee and some sweet shades from the UK.

7. Ate delicious gluten free pizza from Fat Sully’s at The Atomic Cowboy. The atomosphere was, well, atomic. The pizza was, honestly, a little too hard and crunchy for my tastes, but still really delicious, especially with Erica’s too cool for school topping combo of sausage, onion and banana peppers—a cool twist on my usual favorite. The sausage was the star for sure.

8. On the day of my departure, we hunkered down at The Weathervane Cafe to do some work, eat a delicious gluten free lunch and sip on some lattes. This cozy little building was decorated to vintage perfection and I could definitely see myself spending more snowy afternoons tucked in the upstairs nook the next time I’m in the area.

So I guess that doesn’t really fall into the realm of “brief,” but what can I say? I just had way too much fun.

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