Pimiento Cheese & Bacon Paninis

Last night I decided to make an easy Sunday night dinner. I made my pimiento cheese and spread some of it on two slices of Trader Joe's sourdough wheat bread. Then I put two slices of cooked bacon between the slices of bread and cooked it in my panini press. This is a wonderful meal for a lazy Sunday night or a weekday lunch. My pimiento cheese recipe will make plenty so that you can make sandwiches for your whole family and/or have some leftover to use throughout the week. It's also great as a dip with crackers.

Pulled Pork with Mango BBQ Sauce

This weekend we had some friends over for dinner and games. As I tried to think of what I should cook, I knew I wanted to do something that I could prepare in advance so that I was not trying to get everything together while everyone was arriving.

As I have mentioned before, I love watching Aarti Party on Food Network. One of my favorite recipes from her show is her Pulled Pork with Mango BBQ Sauce. It has such incredible flavor, and is one of those meals you cook ahead of time and leave in the pot until guests arrive.

Just a few notes on this recipe:

• I use to be able to buy mango puree at Trader Joe's, but they no longer sell it. Instead, buy a bag of frozen mangoes, let them thaw in the fridge, then puree them in a food processor or blender.
• If you do not want to cook this on the stove, you can use your slow cooker. Prepare the sauce as instructed. Place the pork in your slow cooker, then pour the sauce over it. Cook on low for about 10 hours or high for about 6.
• If you are unable to find boneless pulled pork, cook it with the bone in. It's very easy to remove once the meat is tender. 
• I can't seem to find brioche buns, but regular hamburger buns work just fine.