Casserole Queens - Jalapeno Hot Dish

Last time I shared my very first hot dish, the Happy Hour Hot Dish, so today I thought I'd continue and give you another award-winning hot dish that I had a hand in. This year, I combined forces with one of my bestest friends, Ann. Sometimes, cooking with people can get out of hand (husbands don't always make the best sous-chefs), but since Ann had already won the Hotdish Revolution I knew we were destined to bond over cooking. After baking a million cupcakes (I promise I'll share the recipes later) and planning out munchies for one of our other bestest friend's Surprise Spa Party, I knew we would work well together and come up with something magical. 


It was hard to know where to start, though. We decided we needed to do 2 things to give us the best chance of winning: something you wouldn't expect in a hotdish and something that screamed comfort food. Well, ultimately, we couldn't combine the two, so we ended up with 2 entries. When we were brainstorming ideas, we had to go with our gut - what did we like to eat? 


Was there a way to make a cheese plate hot dish? I had already done a twist on buffalo wings, and to be honest - ever since being introduced to the Spring Street Tavern, Spring Wings and their homemade bleu cheese dressing have taken my heart, there may be no better wings, why better the best? It was our love for jalapeno poppers and pulled pork sandwiches that got us thinking about our...


Jalapeno Hotdish 

You Will Need: 

• Slow Cooker
• Cutting Board
• Large Knife
• 2 Mixing Bowls
• 1 Cup Measuring Cup
• 1/4 Cup Measuring Cup
• 1 Tablespoon
• 1/2 Teaspoon
• Sifter
• Hand Mixer 
• Casserole Dish

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound Pork Tenderloin
• 1 Can of Cola
• 3 Cloves Garlic
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Small Bottle of your Favorite Barbecue 
• 1 Package Cream Cheese
• 1 Jar Sliced Jalapenos
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or you can get sassy with some pepper jack)
• 1 Stick Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup Buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, here's a trick - add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to 1 cup of whatever milk you do have and stir)
• 1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
• 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Cup Wheat Flour
• 1/2 Cup Wheat Germ (I found wheat germ with honey in it once and it was more than amazing)
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Salt 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Secret Ingredients:

• Crushed Red Pepper (a little at a time)
• Smoked Paprika
• Cumin
• Tabasco Sauce
• Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

1. Chop tenderloin into 2-inch chunks
2. Rub pork tenderloin with spices, salt and pepper and garlic and set in slow cooker on medium
3. Pour cola over tenderloin, fill to halfway up the tenderloin
4. After 2-4 hours pour remaining cola over meat
5. After 4-8 hours shred meat with fork in slow cooker
6. Pour barbecue sauce and add cream cheese into slow cooker
7. Let cook at least an hour longer, stirring occasionally (you don't have to overdo it)
8. During the last hour of cooking the meat, make the cornbread mixture:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Soften butter
3. In one bowl mix butter, eggs and buttermilk
4. Mix dry ingredients: all purpose flour, wheat flour, wheat germ, brown sugar, salt and soda
5. Sift dry ingredients in 3 scoops - yes, sift. I've never considered sifting in my life, but I promise you, it pays off in the end. The consistency is amazing!
6. Add all ingredients together and mix
9. Pour barbecue pulled pork mixture into casserole dish
10. Top with shredded cheese evenly
11. Pour cornbread mixture on top
12. Cover the top with jalapeno slices
13. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees

This dish was tied with our other creation for People's Choice, and we hope you enjoy it, too!