The secret to ridiculously tender pulled pork isn’t a smoker and you definitely don’t need to wake up at 2 a.m. to make it.

Making slow cooker pulled pork should be easy, but knowing which cut to buy, how long to cook it, and how to keep it tender and flavorful can leave you with more questions than answers. This crockpot pulled pork recipe walks you through exactly how to get juicy, fall-apart pork—and what to do if things go wrong!

Our daughter is always asking for pulled pork tacos for dinner, but man, getting up at 2 a.m. to start the smoker or oven and then having it going for 13 hours was starting to kill me. There had to be an easier way!

So I found a way to get that tender, smoky-sweet pork we love while leaving the oven and smoker free and letting the slow cooker do all the work. Now I’ve got pork for Sunday tacos and extra in the freezer for next time!

What is the Best Cut of Pork for Pulled Pork?

Pork butt (also called pork shoulder), also called Boston butt, makes the best pulled pork. It’s a well-marbled cut from the upper portion of the pork shoulder, and all that fat and connective tissue breaks down during the long cooking time, giving you incredibly juicy, tender pork that’s easy to shred.

Some readers have asked, “Can I use pork loin?” but the truth is, a pork loin has a low fat content and its muscle will not break down the same as the shoulder or butt. It literally will not turn out. 

If you have pork loin in your freezer, try orange glazed pork loin recipe instead. 

Never use these cuts of pork for pulled pork:

• Boston butt
• Picnic shoulder
• Pork loin
• Pork tenderloin

Here’s what you need to know to buy the right pork shoulder/butt

1. Always buy your pork shoulder bone in

This crockpot lasagna is cheesy, saucy and loaded with layers of tender noodles, beef and Italian sausage, cottage cheese and plenty of mozzarella. With about 20 minutes of prep and no need to boil the noodles first, you get all the layers of a classic homemade lasagna without hovering over a pot of pasta or heating up the oven.

And YES, you really can put the noodles in uncooked! They soften right in the sauce as the lasagna slowly cooks, which is exactly why this has become one of my favorite ways to make lasagna.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Ground Beef: Adds hearty, beefy flavor to the meat sauce. We combine it with Italian sausage so neither one overpowers the lasagna.
• Italian Sausage: The easiest way to add loads of flavor without measuring a bunch of extra seasonings. Mild or hot Italian sausage will both work.
• Yellow Onion: Mince it fairly small so it melts into the meat sauce as it cooks.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic adds another layer of savory flavor to the sauce.
• Marinara Sauce: This is one place where using a really good jarred sauce makes a difference. We love Rao’s, but use your favorite marinara or Bolognese sauce.
• Heavy Cream: Just a splash rounds out the acidity of the tomato sauce and makes it a little richer. It’s optional, so feel free to leave it out.
• Lemon Juice: It might sound unexpected, but a little squeeze brightens the rich meat and cheese layers.
• Cottage Cheese: Creates the creamy cheese layer in place of traditional ricotta. We love the texture and mild flavor.
• Egg: Helps bind the cottage cheese mixture so the lasagna holds its layers better when sliced.
• Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan adds salty, nutty flavor to the cottag

Confession: this beef chow mein casserole was one of my LEAST favorite dinners as a kid. Right up there with tuna casserole. And now? I totally get why my mom made it.

This old-fashioned mock chow mein casserole is made with ground beef, rice, cream of mushroom soup and a few simple pantry ingredients, then topped with those crispy chow mein noodles that every kid fights over. It’s inexpensive, filling and makes enough to feed the whole family.

As a kid, I would stare at that pan of beef, rice and soup wondering why we couldn’t just order pizza.

Funny how growing up changes things.

Somewhere along the way, I realized my mom’s casseroles weren’t punishment. 😂 They were the recipes she grew up eating—the kind of simple, budget-friendly dinners that could feed a family without a lot of fuss.

And wouldn’t you know it, now I’m the one craving mock chow mein casserole.

Mom, you win.

What is Mock Chow Mein?

Despite the name, mock chow mein isn’t traditional Chinese chow mein. It’s an old-fashioned American casserole made with ground beef, rice, condensed soup and soy sauce, with crispy chow mein noodles sprinkled over the top.

It’s one of those vintage recipes that showed up in family cookbooks and casserole dishes for generations and this is the version my mom made for us growing up.

Ingredients You’ll Need

One reason recipes like this have stuck around for generations? Simple, inexpensive ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Ground