Slow Cooker Pork Stew over Brown Rice

Apple juice and dried fruit add a touch of sweetness to this stew. This dish can be put together in minutes and then left to simmer in your slow cooker. Served over brown rice, it’s a great comfort food to have waiting at the end of a long day. The crushed cereal acts as a thickener and adds a nutty flavor to the stew.

• Prep: 25 min
• Cook: 8 hr
• Total: 8 hr 25 min
• Servings: 8
• Cuisine: American
• Difficulty: Easy

Dietary

• Dairy-Free
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Protein

Tags

• slow cooker
• comfort food
• savory
• healthy
• classic

Ingredients

• 2 pound pork stew meat (lean)
• 3 cup baby carrots
• 1 onion (large, sliced)
• 1.5 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper (coarse ground)
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 0.75 cup complete bran and wheat flakes ready-to-eat cereal (crushed)
• 1 cup dried tart cherries
• 0.75 cup apple juice (100%)
• 4 cup brown rice (hot cooked)

Instructions

1. Trim fat from pork stew meat.
2. Spray large pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Cook half of the pork stew meat at a time until browned.
4. In a 4 to 6 quart crockery cooker, layer baby carrots, onion, dried thyme leaves, black pepper, salt, and garlic.
5. Sprinkle with complete bran and wheat flakes ready-to-eat cereal and dried tart cherries.
6. Top with pork stew meat and pour apple juice over contents in the cooker.
7. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
8. Prepare the brown rice according to package directions toward the end of the stew cooking time. (Brown rice typically takes about 40 to 45 minutes to cook.) Stir pork mixture and serve over 1/2 cup brown rice.

Notes

Try substituting dried apricots or cranberries for the cherries as desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 412
• Protein: 29.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 56.9 g
• Fat: 6.9 g
• Fiber: 5.7 g
• Sodium: 280 mg
• Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
• Sugar: 20.3 g
• Cholesterol: 64 mg