Cooking At Home with Rachael Perron: A Super Shortcut

A recent rotator cuff surgery had me somewhat sidelined in the kitchen. For a while that meant my family pitched in to make meals (and do the dishes!). A few weeks in, with only one working arm, I was positively itching to cook for myself. Some creative menu planning and selected convenience ingredients helped me get back in the game.

I’m on the mend, but I’ve yet to give up some of the shortcuts I discovered while recovering. Kowalski's Signature Lightly Smoked, Fully Cooked Pulled Meats from the Meat Department have literally changed the way I cook. These unsauced products are the same ones used for Kowalski’s extremely popular Signature Kansas City Style BBQ Pork, Beef and Chicken. Made from Gerber’s Amish Farm Chicken, Kowalski’s Signature Certified Humane Beef and Naturally Raised Pork, they’re slow cooked (sometimes for up to 17 hours) to make them extremely tender and delicious. 

The subtle smokiness of these meats adds another dimension of flavor to everything I make: tacos, enchiladas, burritos and nachos, for sure, but also stir fries, pasta and hot dishes, soups, chili and beef stew. Featured here are two of my favorite uses: Beef Stroganoff and, my husband’s absolute favorite, Smoky Chicken à la King.