There are days when supper needs to be simple, filling, and made from what is already sitting in the pantry, and this 5-ingredient slow cooker ground pork is just that kind of meal. It has the plainspoken goodness of old Midwestern cooking, where a bit of meat, a dependable sauce, and a slow cooker could carry a family through a busy day and still put something comforting on the table by evening. Using raw ground pork right in the crock pot keeps the prep easy, and by dinnertime you have a savory, tender mixture that is mighty good spooned over all sorts of hearty sides.
This dish is especially nice served over hot cooked rice, buttered egg noodles, or a pile of mashed potatoes to catch every bit of the rich sauce. A side of green beans, sweet corn, or a simple cabbage slaw rounds it out well, and if you want to stretch it for a crowd, set out sandwich buns so folks can make loose pork sandwiches with a spoonful of pickles on top.
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Ground Pork
Servings: 6
Ingredients
2 pounds raw ground pork
Directions
1. Crumble the raw ground pork into the slow cooker and scatter the diced onion over the top.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and yellow mustard until smooth, then pour the mixture evenly over the pork.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, stirring once or twice if you are home, until the pork is fully cooked.
4. Break up the pork well with a spoon, stir everything together until the sauce coats the meat evenly, and let it cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes if you want it a little thicker.
5. Serve hot over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles, or spoon it onto sandwich buns for an easy supper.
Variations & Tips
Make it sweeter: If your family likes that old-fashioned sweet-and-tangy flavor, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar with the sauce ingredients. It gives the pork a sloppy-joe style taste that children usually take to right away.
Add a little heat: A spoonful of chili flakes or a dash of hot sauce can wake this up nicely without changing the easy nature of the recipe. Add it with the sauce if you want a gentle warmth throughout.
Drain if needed: Ground pork can vary quite a bit in fat. If your pork gives off more grease than you like, carefully tilt the slow cooker insert and spoon off the excess before the final stir.
Stretch the meal: This is a good recipe for making a little meat go farther. Spoon it over baked potatoes, tuck it into hamburger buns, or serve it over rice with a vegetable on the side to feed a few extra folks.
Store and reheat: Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding a spoonful of water if the sauce tightens up too much.
