ITALIAN PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

Savor the flavors of Italian sausage sandwiches made with a healthier alternative—pulled pork! Let your slow cooker do the work, and you’ll have meat to use in these sandwiches or other dishes.

—Mike Dellario, Middleport, NY

Prep: 20 min. • Cook: 8 hours • Makes: 12 servings

• 1 Tbsp. fennel seed, crushed
• 1 Tbsp. steak seasoning
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (3 lbs.)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 medium green or sweet red peppers, thinly sliced
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1 can (14 ½ oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 12 whole wheat hamburger buns, split

1. In a small bowl, combine the fennel seed, steak seasoning and cayenne if desired. Cut roast in half. Rub the seasoning mixture over pork. In a large skillet, brown roast in oil on all sides. Place in a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the peppers, onions and tomatoes; cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or until meat is tender.

2. Remove roast; cool slightly. Skim fat from cooking juices. Shred pork with 2 forks and return to slow cooker; heat through. Using a slotted spoon, place ½ cup meat mixture on each bun.

1 sandwich: 288 cal., 8g fat (2g sat. fat), 56mg chol., 454mg sod., 27g carb. (7g sugars, 5g fiber), 26g pro. Diabetic exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch.