Crock Pot Ribs

With baseball practice, church, and miscellaneous events, life is busy these days. So any time I can throw something in the crock pot and not have to worry about it too much is a win. I've made these ribs from Mmm... is for Mommy a couple times, and tonight I'm making them again. Aaron and the kids are big ribs fans, and they all loved these. They're easy, and they have a nice glaze/crust on the outside and they're fall-right-off-the-bone tender.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• S&P to taste (about 1 tsp each is what I used)
• 2 lbs pork baby back ribs (leave the membrane on the ribs to help hold them together)
• 1 cup barbecue sauce

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, mix together paprika, brown sugar, cayenne and S&P.  Rub this mixture all over both sides of your ribs well.  Arrange ribs in the slow cooker by standing them up against the wall of the stoneware pot, thicker side down and meaty side against the pot. Pour barbecue sauce over the ribs, cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low (I did 7 hours and they were perfect).

Once the initial slow cooking is done, very carefully (as they are tennnnderrrrr) remove the ribs to a baking pan which you have lined with foil and put a rack on, bone side up and set aside. Skim any fat that has risen to the top and strain all of the remaining juices from the slow cooker through a mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Bring to boil and allow to simmer and reduce by about a third, approximately 15 minutes.  Put your oven’s broiler on to preheat and make sure that there is an oven rack about 10 inches below the broiler element.  Once the broiler is preheated, brush the ribs with sauce and broil for 3 or 4 minutes. Take them out and very carefully flip them over, brush with sauce and broil again, meat side up, for approximately 9 minutes, taking them out once or twice to baste with more sauce. Serve any remaining sauce on the side with the ribs.

Bre's Easy Baked Beans

You had me at, "when bacon grease starts to bubble up through the sugar..."

Ingredients

• 1 28 oz. can baked beans
• 1/2 lb. bacon, cut into small pieces
• 8 oz. brown sugar
• 1 t. liquid smoke
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 t. spicy mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Pour beans into 2 qt. casserole dish. 
3. Place bacon in a 9 in. skillet, completely covering bottom of pan. Spread brown sugar over bacon and cook on medium heat. When bacon grease starts to bubble up through the sugar, transfer to the casserole dish and mix with beans and other ingredients.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

Cream Corn

If you're like me, you grew up eating cream corn from a can. Don't get me wrong, I liked it fairly well... but then I went to Rudy's BBQ and my life was changed. This creamed corn was different, and I craved it. I found a recipe years ago and this is a regular for potlucks, holidays, and barbecues!

Ingredients

• 2 10 oz. packages frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 t. salt
• 2 T. granulated sugar
• 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T. butter
• 1 c. whole milk
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a skillet over medium heat, combine corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper, and butter.
2. Whisk together milk and flour, and stir into the corn mixture.
3. Cook stirring over medium heat until the mixture is thickened, and corn is cooked through.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Serve hot.