Tis the season for welcoming family and friends into our homes – and that means feeding a lot of people!  Mike Patterson, representing the Minnesota Pork Board, has a collection of pork recipes you can use when hosting. 

Pork Sausage Queso(No Velveeta)

1 lb breakfast sausage or ground pork
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 medium yellow onion diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 can Rotel
1 small can smoked green chiles
12 oz mild cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Salt to taste

Brown sausage, drain on paper towels and set aside.  Over medium heat melt the butter, add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add flour to make a roux and cook until golden brown. Add milk, Rotel and chiles, cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Turn heat to low. Add cheese slowly small bits at a time, making sure it is completely melted before adding more. After all the cheese is incorporated, stir in sour cream, sausage and cumin. Serve hot with tortilla chips.

BBQ Pork Meatballs

1 Lb ground pork
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup prepared BBQ sauce

Mix together all ingredients, roll into 1 inch meatballs, place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes. Cover each meatball with additional BBQ sauce and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until sauce is bubbly. Serve hot and enjoy!  For a party, you can place the cooked meatballs in a crock pot on low heat with additional BBQ sauce.

Ham & Swiss Sliders

24 slices of ham
6 slices of Swiss cheese, cut into fourths
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup butter melted
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 package of Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls

Cut the rolls in half, spread mayonnaise on the bottom side of rolls. Place a slice or two of ham and slice of Swiss cheese on the rolls. Replace the top of the rolls and bunch them closely together into a baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, melted butter, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce.

Pour sauce over the rolls, just covering the tops. Cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for additional 2 minutes until tops are slightly browned and crisp. Serve warm.