***If you love EASY and DELICIOUS meals that you can make for your family in your slow cooker, please join me over on Instgram where I share ALL slow cooker recipes! Hope to see you there! Find me on Instagram at @slowcookerrecipelove *** This article is sponsored by Dairy Good. The opinions and text are my own. One of my favorite bedtime reading genres is cookbooks! I love crawling into bed with a new cookbook and some post it notes and paging through the book and marking all the recipes I want to try. For me a cookbook not only must have good recipes but good photos and stories to go along with the recipes. When I was given the opportunity to review a brand new cookbook, The Dairy Good Cookbook: Everyday Comfort Food from America’s Dairy Farm Families, I jumped at the chance. It has all three things I love – great recipes, photos and stories. The cookbook includes stories of American Dairy farmers throughout the country. Having grown up in Wisconsin, The Dairy State, I am a total supporter of local dairy farmers and the importance they play in the community and our dinner table. 
It was fun to read about John & Kim Koepke, dairy farmers from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. I know right where that is. It’s just a bit NW from where I grew up. I am grateful for dairy farmers who work hard every day to bring us some of my favorite food like milk, cheese, and yogurt. And you can’t forget ice cream: you need milk to make ice cream! There are over 100 recipes in the cookbook, all of which feature dairy products. Let’s just say by the time I was done looking through the cookbook there were a lot of sticky notes attached. 
Because I am such a fan of my slow cooker the first recipe I decided to try was for Cuban Tortas cooked in a slow cooker. A Torta is a Mexican sandwich usually with a nice crusty white bread. This recipe uses a marinade of fresh lime and orange juice along with some great seasonings to give the pork a wonderful flavor. I cooked the pork on high for 6 hours and then shredded it for the sandwiches. 
I think my favorite part of the recipe though was the yummy cilantro cream sauce. Yum!! I may or may not have just eaten it directly out of the bowl with a spoon. Be sure and slather lots of this on your sandwich. 
I used a ciabatta roll, which is nice and crusty and added a layer of Monterey Jack cheese and then put it in the oven to melt the cheese and toast the bread. 
The cheese adds another layer of yummy flavor to these sandwiches. Between the flavorful pork, creamy cilantro sauce and the melted cheese you’ve got a big Yum! 
Then layer on the onions that cooked with the pork in the slow cooker, some cabbage, and if you can take the heat, some jalapenos. You’re going to love it! 
I am excited to start working my way through my sticky notes. The Dairy Good Cookbook is available nationwide wherever books are sold and you can purchase online using the links below. The book retails for $25.00. And visit DairyGood.org to learn more about the goodness of dairy foods and the farmers who bring them to us. Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Indie Bound 
All you have left to do is take a nice big bite! 
***If you love EASY and DELICIOUS meals that you can make for your family in your slow cooker, please join me over on Instgram where I share ALL slow cooker recipes! Hope to see you there! Find me on Instagram at @slowcookerrecipelove ***
Slow Cooker Cuban Tortas & Cookbook Giveaway
Ingredients
Pork Marinade
- 1/2 C fresh lime juice
- 1/4 C orange juice
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 3 lb. bonesless pork shoulder roast
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
Cilantro Cream Sauce
- 1 C sour cream
- 1 C mayonnaise
- 1/2 C finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp lime peel
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Sandwiches
- 8-10 bolillo or ciabatta rolls
- 4 C shredded Chihuahua or Monterey Jack Cheese
- 1 1/2 C shredded green cabbage
- 1/2 C sliced jalapeno Peppers
Instructions
Pork Marinade
- Combine lime juice, 1/4 C water, orange juice, garlic, oregano, salt, cumin, black pepper and bay leaves in a small bowl.
- Trim the fat form the meat if necessary.
- Pierce the meat with a large fork in several places.
- Place in a large resealable plastic bag set in a deep bowl.
- Pour the marinade over the meat.
- Close the bag and chill in the refrigerator for 6-24 hours, turning occasionally.
- Arrange the onion slices in the 3 1/2 to 5 qt. slow cooker.
- Place the meat on top of the onions. Pour marinade over top
- Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
Cilantro Sauce
- Stir together sour cream, mayo, cilantro, lime peel and lime juice in small bowl.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate until serving time.
- Transfer the cooked meat to a large bowl or dish and allow to cool slightly.
- Skim any fat from the juices in the cooker. Remove and discard bay leaves.
- Use two forks to shred the meat. Remove onion from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and add it to the meat in the bowl.
- Pour some of the warm juices over the meat and onion; cover and keep warm.
Sandwiches.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice each roll in half and place the cut side up on two large baking sheets.
- Divide the cheese among the roll halves. Bake until the cheese h as melted and the bread is lightly toasted, 3-5 minutes.
- Top the roll bottoms with the pork and onion, cabbage, jalapenos and cilantro cream sauce. Top with the roll top.
- Serve warm.
This recipe is used with permission from The Dairy Good Cookbook, Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC. Through The Dairy Good Cookbook, dairy farmers share their secret (and not so secret) stories, traditions, and family recipes that have been passed down through generations. Enter to Win: For a chance to win a copy of The Dairy Good Cookbook and a $75 gift card, share a recipe or dish that celebrates your love of dairy (meaning that the recipe or dish must include cow’s milk, cheese and/or yogurt) as well as a story of how that recipe or dish has been passed down through the generations in your family, or is tied to a special tradition or occasion meaningful to you. Entry Instructions: You may receive (1) total entry by selecting from the following entry methods: 1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post 2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post 3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post 4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the [email protected] email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 6/2/2015 – 6/30/2015 Be sure to visit The Dairy Good Cookbook’s brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts! 
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This looks amazing but I can’t see the ingredients. It just lists “pork marinade” over and over again. I would love to make it so I’m hoping you can help me out! Thanks
Tiffany, The recipe got messed up somehow but I’ve got it fixed – enjoy!
Homemade pizza stone pizza with a mozzarella filled crust and loaded with lots of cheese. My kids enjoy learning how it’s done and eating the results.
https://twitter.com/ardy22/status/616019794073100288
My favorite is a sour cream cheese potato casserole that my Grandmother cooked often. We still fix one every now and then.
https://twitter.com/momsfocus/status/616012624291954688
I always love to try new recipes
https://twitter.com/myfolly/status/616011363266232321
My mother’s homemade macaroni and cheese topped with whole plum tomatoes, which now is a family favorite.
My favorite dish that celebrates my love for dairy is my homemade chicken pot pie using milk and cheese. My grandfather made it all the time and even though I add some herbs and vegetables he did not use it still tastes so good and reminds me of him.
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/615994302628536320
OMG cheese! I love it so much! It is the ONLY reason I am not a vegan! LOL That said, my fav meal to make with it is hands down my lasagna. I use four different kind of cheese (swiss, cottage, motz, and parm) and make homemade tomato sauce to go with it. I also use LOTS of butter on my garlic bread. MMM! It always reminds me of my mom. It is the closest thing to her recipe that I have been able to recreate.
tweeted – https://twitter.com/dmarie824/status/615939486715768832
My son’s favorite food is mac & cheese. I found a recipe for mac & cheese & chicken muffins that I modified to make into JUST mac & cheese. Very simple, very delicious, and according to my son “even better than Applebees!” Here it is – 8 oz macaroni cooked and drained, 1 T butter melted, whisk in 1 T flour and a 1 t. salt. Cook 1 min. Whisk in 1.5 cups of whole milk, bring to boil and simmer 3 minutes. Turn off heat and mix in 1 cup of shredded or cubed white cheddar and .25 cup of shredded parm. I like to add steamed broccoli but it’s perfect without it too.
i love to make tacos for my family
tweeted https://twitter.com/iamdadtastic/status/615801238043541504
One of our family’s favorite recipes is great-grandma’s champurrado (mexican hot chocolate). It’s tradition to drink it during Christmas time
https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/615724902734241792
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
It’s always tradition for thanksgiving for my grandmother to prepare homemade macaroni and cheese using different cheeses shredded and grated and milk
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Mom’s Sweet Vidalia Onion Pie strikes awe in those who have enjoyed it,
My cajun chicken pasta is my favorite and it started with me and will definitely be handed down
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/pixel_berry_pie/status/615557572666462208
Creamy chicken tortilla soup is a favorite in my family. It actually didn’t get passed down, but rather passed up. (My parents started making it after they tasted mine!)
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/rhoneygee/status/615415356983783424
I have my grandmother’s cheesecake recipe that I use for all special occasions.
We love to make cheesecake and the recipe has been passed down from my great grand mother through the generations.
For every special occasion my family requests my mini chocolate cheesecakes with cherries. I taught my daughter-in-law how to make them and now her family requests them also.
I like making enchiladas because of all the cheese I put in them.
My mom cooked the basics for my dad…meat and potatoes, nothing special or fancy. At some point as I got older, I became the mashed potato maker at thanksgiving. Everyone said how they liked my potatoes (perhaps in was the work involved in peeling and mashing that no one else wanted to do, or perhaps it was the addition of just the right amount of milk and butter. So, still nothing fancy and for about 40 years now, my specialty remains mashed potatoes.
Tweeted 🙂 – https://twitter.com/Enter_Now/status/615331966829793280
I love dairy in anything! but my very favorite way to have it is in a milkshake!! Any and all flavors. I just LOVE milkshakes 🙂 this is special to me because it was always a special treat that my mom would make or that we’d get when we’d go out together 🙂
https://twitter.com/disneyfan40/status/615321327759552516
It has to be my mother-in-laws and my moms homemade macaroni and cheese. So good!
me moms’ pizza, she learned from her mom and so on
We have a meal called white sauce meal made with Aunt Penny’s White Sauce, noodles, dried corned beef, and corn. It’s something that always reminds me of family.
When I lived in Wisconsin, we visited the Wisconsin State Fair every year primarily for the cream puffs that were served in the dairy building. Cream puffs filled with sweetened whipped cream, and dusted with confectioner’s sugar-simply the best!
We love making Pimiento cheese dip. Every year when the family gets together someone from the family makes the dip and adds their special touch to it.
Tweet
https://twitter.com/clc408/status/615224919870324736
One of my favorite desserts that my mom made was coconut cream pie. I continue to make it from her recipe.
My dish would be lasagna with ricotta cheese. My grandma used to make this on special occasions like birthdays and holidays. Although she passed away 5 years ago, it reminds me so much of the great family celebrations we had with her when she still was alive. I still make her recipe on birthdays.
kport207 at gmail dot com
I like to make creamy fennel soup that was passed down from my grandmother to mom to me!
Our fave is homemade pizza
https://twitter.com/Attea2d/status/615157593472897024
I have a delicious recipe for ham and potato soup that a friend gave to me. It is very easy and the great thing about it is that you can add additional ingredients, more ham, potatoes, etc and it still turns out great.
Combine 3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes, 1/3 cup diced celery, 1/3 cup finely chopped onion, 3/4 cup diced cooked ham and 3 1/4 cups water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules, salt and pepper to taste. In a separate saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in 5 tablespoons all purpose flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in 2 cups milk as not to allow lumps. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.
our favorite meal is tacos.
I love Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Herbs, Cherry Tomatoes, and Fresh Mozzarella. Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂
i posted a tweet here:
https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/614971052498665472
my mother in law makes the best banana pudding. It is a family favorite.
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/614833014116368384
My favorite would have to be my mom’s pumpkin cheesecake! She includes it at every holiday meal, and it is something everyone looks forward to.
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com
I love to make homemade ice-cream for my family.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/rubylorikeet/status/614099982954573824
My family all loves cherry cheese pie….we have it on many holidays.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/coriwestphal/status/613049526455111680
When I was a kid, I used to help my grandma cook and bake a lot. I learned so much from her! One of her best, and my favorite, recipes was for her creamy wild rice soup. Heavy cream and milk made it so creamy and delicious!
I love to make my sister-in -law’s baked oatmeal! It’s full of oats, bananas and milk. Love discovering new recipes for breakfast!
My favorite family “dairy” recipe would be my great-grandmother’s Santa Fe style enchiladas, which are absolutely smothered in cheese. So good!
First time doing the twitter prompt thingy..hoping I did this correct
https://twitter.com/vickievirt/status/610640658437574656
Thanks so much.
We have so many awesome ethic family food traditions that have been passed down..Some are over 100 year old recipes. From good ole southern cooking to Irish and Hungarian. It is a bit of a challenge to pick one.
But, the one recipe that is always asked for at every get together even if it is hot is my great, great, grandmother’s Georgia Chicken and Dumplings..the chicken is so moist, the rolled and cut dumplings so tender and the gravy is thick and rich. The secret is a good chicken (whole) fresh farm killed.the farm..most chicken today in the markets don’t even taste like chicken.
Thanks
My peanut butter cheesecake is a hit every holiday season with my family; I always make it.
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/sazzyfrazzy/status/609894002037428224
sazzyfrazz at gmail dot com
We have a cream cheese pound cake recipe that has become a family standard and favorite. My dad was first to make it and I also make it on occasion. In addition to loads of cream cheese, this super rich cake has a whopping 6 eggs in it and 2 full sticks of butter! As kids, my siblings and I loved this cake and now our chilren have grown to love it as well to the point that they fight over who’s going to get the last piece.
sazzyfrazz at gmail dot com
This looks amazing! Thanks for sharing.
tweeted https://twitter.com/mummytotwoboys1/status/608750976024080384
A recipe that has been passed down to me in my family is ham & cheese crepes, they are just so delicious and can be frozen!
recipe as folows
Recipe as follows
• 2/3 cup cold water
• 2/3 cup plus 4 to 6 tablespoons cold milk, divided
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
•
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 8 thin slices deli ham
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
•
• • In a blender, combine the water, 2/3 cup of milk, flour, eggs, butter and salt. Cover and process until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Add remaining milk if batter is too thick.
• • Heat a lightly greased 8-in. nonstick skillet over medium heat; pour 3 tablespoons batter into the center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to coat bottom evenly. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet as needed. When cool, stack crepes with waxed paper or paper towels in between. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Yield: 16 crepes.
• • To use frozen crepes: Thaw 8 crepes in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Spread each with mustard; top with a slice of ham and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up tightly.
• • Place in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 10-14 minutes or until heated through.
My Aunt make this decadent custard tart every year at our Christmas family gathering. The silky custard is made with whole milks, eggs, sugar; all baked in a buttery crust. I now make it for my kids from time to time at home. It’s probably my favorite dessert to enjoy.
amy [at] utry [dot] it
A dish I have always loved was cheese stuffed Italian shells. My mom always used cottage cheese instead of ricotta. I liked it so much, I would request it for my birthday dinner as a kid!
chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/607282166955933697
A dish that has meaning for me is cauliflower au gratin. It was the first recipe I ever made by myself, and my parents loved it!
we love making cheesecake , my mom also used to make,it’s just like our family traditions
tweeted https://twitter.com/joti67/status/607089948320096257
-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/607008849967472640
We always have sweet potato gratin for holiday get-together. It is a family tradition dish that has been passed down through the generations.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
Looks and sounds AMAZING!
Once it’s summer I like to make homemade ice cream.
My other favorite is blue cheese burgers on the BBQ.
This recipe celebrates our love for dairy and includes cows milk and cheese. We found it online and we love to have it on Sunday mornings a few times a month. These breakfast meals are meaningful to us because we enjoy a wonderful meal together and great family time. bacon and eggs casserole recipe
Ingredients
4 bacon strips
18 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towel to drain.
In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, cheese, sour cream, onions, salt and pepper.
Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Crumble bacon and sprinkle on top. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes. Yield: 8-10 servings.
https://twitter.com/mkjmc/status/606582867188154368
tweeted
https://twitter.com/cshell202/status/606579661850603521
cshell090869 at aol dot com
I make a cake with a cream puff crust, pudding and cream cheese filling and whipped topping and drizzled with milk chocolate
One of our family favorite recipes is stuffed pasta shells. I got this recipe clear back in high school in a food service class and to this day the whole family still makes them.
cshell090869 at aol dot com
This is a perfect recipe for me. I am always looking for slow cooker meals to fix at the lake. It’s so much easier to have something waiting for you to eat after a day on the lake than trying to pull something together when you are tired. Love dairy products!
Macaroni and cheese is a dish passed down for generations. It represents comfort and home to me. Thanks for the chance to enter.
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/606288931378716672
My favorite recipe is buttermilk pancakes
Tweet — https://twitter.com/lil_lady_dz/status/606267278166917120
My favorite family recipe is potato & cheese pierogies. Brings back so many awesome holiday memories with my family in the kitchen.
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/606195826365505537
My mom’s turkey meat lasagna is a recipe that we’ve enjoyed for years. When I got married, she included the recipe in a box for me to try out in my new home.
I love everything crockpot and pressure cooker 🙂
Tweet-https://twitter.com/JewelWood/status/606147017018998784
I really like your Slow Cooker Cuban Tortas recipe! Looks so delicious. My Mom made the best Hush Puppies when I was growing up. She got the recipe from her Mom, and I also made them when I was growing up, and now make them with my daughter! We use buttermilk in my Hush Puppies, and they are so delicious!
I like to add dairy to a pasta sauce.
I grew up in Wisconsin too:) Cheese is one of my families favorite food staples! I have so many recipes to choose from but one of my favorites is my grandmother’s pierogi. Pierogi are polish dumplings. Whenever we would visit her, she would make these. They can have different fillings, but my favorite was cheese and potato. I would help her make them and loved going down the road to the neighbor’s farm for fresh farmer cheese still in the cheese cloth. (There’s nothing like fresh cheese!) She taught me how to make sure all the whey was out of the cheese, and then we would blend it with the potatoes, fresh herbs, and seasoning to make the pierogi filling. Such a simple recipe but a wonderful one!
Love the fresh jalapeño and cabbage
I would love to make this but I can’t find the measurements needed for the different steps…am I overlooking something? Sounds yummy!
Patti, Somehow they disappeared but now they are back!
The ladies in my family make the best mac and cheese around. They bake it and it gets this beautiful crust on top. That is a meal that brings back wonderful memories of family meals in my childhood.
Homemade mac n’ cheese. My husband makes a delicious-by-itself Mornay-ish sauce with 3-4 different types of cheese and adds that to cooked pasta and diced veggies, covers the top with some breadcrumbs and then pops it in the oven until -voila!- instant drool-fest. This recipe is special to me because it’s unbelievably delicious but, more importantly, it was the first dish my then-boyfriend made for me. It just feels like us. 🙂
I love making lasagna. It was one of the first recipes my mother-in-law gave me after I got married and it has become my family’s favorite meal.
My family loves my Grandmother’s lasagna! So much yummy ricotta and mozzarella cheese, it is the perfect Sunday meal!
One of our favorite dairy recipes is cheesy stuffed shells. This cilantro sauce looks delicious!
I tweeted https://twitter.com/sockmonkeydiva/status/605790142830223360
My favorite diary recipe to make is lasagna. I got the recipe from a neighbor years ago & it never fails to please!
Check out @alexandrairob’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/alexandrairob/status/605783717731139585?s=09
My dad is Swedish (I am adopted from Korea) and his mom always made him “Swedish pancakes” which are flour, milk, eggs, baking powder, and a little salt. I am not sure of their exact European origin, but they are different than typical American fluffy pancakes. They are slightly thicker than a crepe and he used to make them for me growing up every Sunday morning. I would enjoy them with a little butter and syrup then place a sausage link on top and roll it up 🙂 Now I make them for my husband and son and I still love them. So simple, but delicious and reminds me of my childhood!
That cilantro sauce sounds absolutely yummy and I love anything made in a crockpot!