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. Try substituting dried apricots or cranberries for the cherries as desired.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean pork stew meat
- 3 cups baby carrots
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups complete bran and wheat flakes ready-to-eat cereal (crushed to 3/4 cup)
- 1 cup dried tart cherries
- 3/4 cup 100% apple juice or apple cider
- 4 cups hot cooked brown rice
Directions
- Trim fat from pork.
- Spray large pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cook half of the pork at a time until browned.
- In a 4 to 6 quart crockery cooker, layer carrots, onion, thyme, pepper, salt, and garlic. Sprinkle with cereal and cherries.
- Top with pork and pour apple juice or cider over contents in the cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
- 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.
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