The delicious Italian sausage soup swaps out pasta for potatoes. Mashing some of the potatoes adds to the creaminess of the soup!
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Ground pork by itself is too tender to make a good burger, but what if I told you that the magic ingredient is BACON?! This burger will challenge a beef burger any day.
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https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/perfect-pork-burgers-recipe-1973834?soc=socialsharingpinterest

The best carnitas you will ever eat! By far our most favorite way to prepare pork roasts.
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​https://keviniscooking.com/homemade-carnitas/

This recipe was an instant hit with our family! We use Sweet Baby Ray's Original BBQ Sauce. 
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Osso Bucco is one of my favorite menu items, pork or lamb. This recipe uses fresh pork shanks, which are the pig's forelegs. They are very tasty, but require cooking for a long time to tenderize the meat.

Servings: 8
Time: 30 minutes prep, 3 hours total

Ham hocks are often an overlooked cut of pork, but they add a delicious richness and body to winter soups! This recipe is also perfect to use if you have a little leftover potatoes. Fun fact - a version of this soup has been served in the US Senate for over 100 years. It was favorite of Knute Nelson, a Minnesota Senator in the early 1900s!

3 qt. chicken stock or water
​1 lb. dried navy beans or Great Northern beans, rinsed well
1 meaty smoked ham hock (around 2 lb.)
4 T. butter or olive oil
2 large red onions, coarsely chopped
4 celery ribs, choppped
4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1/2 c. white cooking wine
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 c. mashed potatoes
salt and pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven, put water / stock, beans, and ham hock. Cover and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 2 hours, or until the beans are softened. 
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and celery until the onions are translucent and softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook until it is reduced by about half, about 2 minutes. 
When the beans are softened, remove the ham hock and place on a cutting board. Cool until easy to handle, then pull the meat off the bone and chop it. Return the meat to the pot, along with the onion mixture, parsley, and potatoes and simmer for another 30-60 minutes to let flavors meld. Season with salt and pepper; serve.

I have experimented with several different pork burgers over the years, and have never found one that I really really loved ..... until this week!  I found this recipe for pork burgers on Food Network and decided to give it a go.  And WOW, we were surprised how amazing they are!  We made them again for a large family function and got two thumbs' up!

Confession: I am maybe not the biggest bacon fan on the planet (even though our bacon is second to none!)  I enjoy one piece every now and then, but more than that can be a little rich for me.  Because the bacon is ground up and then mixed into the ground pork, it leaves you with just the right amount of bacony-goodness.  Add a little earthy sage, and these burgers have the perfect burger flavor.  But because of the added fat from the bacon, take care grilling them as we did have a few flames shooting up.  

Coleslaw is the perfect condiment for these burgers, adding creaminess - and just a little sweet to compliment the salt.  You won't even need ketchup or mustard!

Burgers:
5 slices bacon
1 fresh clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground pork
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t. dried rubbed sage
4 buns

Coleslaw:
1 package coleslaw
1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
1 t. apple cider vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. honey
1/2 T. olive oil
1/2 t. celery seed

Coleslaw Prep:

1. Mix Greek yogurt, vinegar, mustard, honey, olive oil, and celery seed in medium-sized bowl.  Add coleslaw; mix to cover.  Refrigerate until burgers are ready.

Burger Prep:

1. Pulse the bacon and garlic in a food processor until coarsely ground (and resembles ground pork.)
2. Combine the ground pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the sage in a large bowl. Add the bacon mixture and gently mix with your hands. Gently form the meat into 4 balls, then lightly press into 4-inch-wide, 1-inch-thick patties. Make a 2-inch-wide indentation in the center of each with your thumb to prevent the burgers from bulging when grilled.
3. Preheat a grill to medium high. Grill, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and grill until the other side is marked and the patties feel firm, 4 to 6 more minutes. 
4. Serve the patties on the buns; top with coleslaw.

I could eat this dish every day.  It balances sweet, savory, and smokey flavors beautifully.  The avocado on top is like dessert!  Makes for a hearty breakfast, or a satisfying dinner.  

4 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
2 pounds sweet potato, peeled and diced small
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup green onions or cilantro, chopped
4 eggs
1 large avocado, sliced

1. Cook the bacon in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat and set the bacon aside on paper towels to drain, reserving the grease.
2. In the bacon grease, add the onions and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Mix in the garlic, cumin and chipotle chili powder and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the sweet potato, toss to coat, press them down into the pan, let them cook until the start to brown, about 7-10 minutes, flip them and let them cook until they start to brown again, about 7-10 minutes.
5. Mix in beans, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until heated through.
6. Make 4 small wells in the sweet potato/bean mixture.  Crack 1 egg into each well.  Cover the pan for 3-5 minutes, or until eggs set on top.  Cook to desired doneness. 
7. Remove from heat, sprinkle on the green onions or cilantro, serve topped with sliced avocado.

Like you need a reason to improve upon just plain bacon!  These bacon wrapped dates helps you to savor that bacon-deliciousness just a little longer.

1/2 lb. bacon
about 20 dates, pitted
toothpicks

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

Cut bacon into thirds.  Wrap each date with a 1/3 slice bacon, overlapping and securing with a toothpick.  Place bacon wrapped dates on baking sheet.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, until bacon is done.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.