Here is the two recipes I have used in our crock pot (and I don't know if they would even qualify as "recipes":
Pot Roast:
Put the roast in the crockpot.
Fill the pot with water until the water is barely covering the roast.
Add onions (even if you don't like 'em, they really bring out the flavor of the meat!), and chopped carrots.
A couple hours before you are to eat, add chopped potatoes.
Or instead of the potatoes you could cook some noodles on the stove, and then after you have pulled the roast apart, mix the noodles with the broth, roast, and carrots . . . Mmm Mmm good!
Pulled Chicken:
Basically we just put a chicken in the crockpot, cover it with water, and once it is done we pull the meat off.
Once that is done, you can use the chicken for whatever you want . . . chicken noodle soup, bar-b-q chicken sandwiches, chicken enchiladas, you name it!
Sooooo obviously if these are the only things I have ever cooked in the crockpot (well, I did try some brocolli/potato cheese soup once, but it was not a success!), I am not utilizing it to its fullest potential!
My goal is to find some more recipes for my crockpot, and try 'em out! If you have a favorite recipe, and wouldn't mind sharing that would be so great! Just leave a comment below with the recipe, or a link to your recipe! I am sure everyone could enjoy getting a few more meals out of their crockpot!
This is such a funny post considering I threw in a pot roast this morning into my WONDERFUL Crockpot with an onion, carrots and potatoes....
ReplyDeleteI love that thing!!
One of our favorites is lasagna. This is not something we cook all day, but it's what we take for covered dish a lot for Sunday dinners(lunch) at church.
ReplyDeleteCook pasta to al dente- it's really easier to use something like farfalle because most crock pots are not rectangle; it also makes scooping it out easier.
Put a small amount of sauce on the bottom and then start layering noodles, sauce, and your choice of cheeses. Just like you would a regular lasagna.
I do this the night before, put it in the fridge overnight, and then put it in the base the next morning and turn it on high. It will be done by the time service is over.
Beef stew is another good one. Just throw your stew pieces (I usually cut mine smaller than they sell them), onions, potatoes, and carrots in the pot, cover with water, add a couple of tablespoons of beef base and let cook all day. A half hour before serving I thicken it with a rue, or corn starch mixed with water, and add some corn.
You can also do pulled pork by placing a boston butt roast in, fat side up, after you have rubbed the outside with your favorite seaoned salt. Put just about an inch of water on the bottom, add a couple bay leaves and several drops of liquid smoke, and cook all day. In the evening take it out and "pull" it, chopping it up fine if you want. Add your favorite barbeque sauce or make your own and voila, pulled pork to eat as your main dish or to make a barbeque sandwich.
You can make an italian style roast by placing your roast in, throwing on a sliced onion, and a can of your favorite chunky tomato sauce. Cook all day and then serve over pasta of your choice.
Baked potatoes, as a side dish, or just to have with a salad (maybe topped with some leftover grilled chicken) can be done by scrubbing the potatoes well, and putting them in the pot with a little water added to the bottom. How long these will need to cook will depend on the size of the potato, but you should at least cook them (medium sized)three hours. With the water in the bottom, they'll not really overcook (get tough) unless you leave them incredibly long. You may need to expiriment some with your pot to see how long it takes.
Then there are countless soups that can be made in the crock pot. The options are as limitless as your imagination.
Oh, on a side note, although many people/books will tell you that slow cooking makes all meat tender, that is a generalization. Some cuts of meat will remain a little on the tough side, so I like to use Adolph's meat tenderizer, plain or with seasonings, in place of salt. It has no MSG and tenderizes with papain (a derivitive of papaya) wich is perfect for long, slow cooking. But, if you use beef base, you have to be careful how much to add because the beef base has salt in it too - so just a lite sprinkling (or use low sodium beef base).
ReplyDeleteAlso, I forgot to say that with all day cooking you use the low setting if you don't have a crock pot with hours listed in place of high, medium or low.
Your question today has made me think of running a few pieces on crock pot cooking on my blog. We have more recipes we use in the crock pot, but their instructions are a bit more involved than the quick ones I included earlier, and a couple are things I've not personally made, they are things my girls have come up with.
I hope these comments weren't too long.
Thanks for the comments ladies,and no Becky yours were not too long! :) I loved getting some new ideas! I am esp. excited to try the Lasagna! Yum!
ReplyDeleteIf I need inspiration for using my crockpot, http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ has a lot of recipes with reviews-both of things that worked well & things that didn't!
ReplyDeleteMegan, I use my crockpot at least twice a week. I highly suggest "Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes" by Crock-pot (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1412778638/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0785341021&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=083NB8BRPVRDKKAYXG7). It's an awesome book to have. Of course, I have seen others, but the price of this one and the recipes is a great combo!
ReplyDeleteI'm new to your blog (found it from a link off Kendra's site) but I'm a HUGE crock pot user. I work full time outside the home, and it is so nice to come home and have dinner ready. My favorites are chili and taco meat or bbq. For chili, I just toss in 1-2 lbs of whatever raw meat you want to use (ground beef works best but you can also use ground chicken), 1 can of Ranch style or kidney beans (you can also use pre-cooked beans from home - if I use chicken I use white navy beans), 1 can diced or crushed tomatoes (again, you can sub fresh tomatoes here), and then I add spices to taste - chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, 1 small diced onion and some crushed garlic. Cook on low for 10-12 hours and serve with hot cornbread. Delicious! My other favorite easy thing is taco meat - just add boneless chicken (thighs or breasts work great) or beef, pour some taco seasoning & a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles on top, cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred with 2 forks and serve with tortillas. For BBQ I like to use either a boneless pork or boneless beef roast. Put it in the crock pot, pour a bottle of BBQ sauce over the top (homemade sauce would work great) and cook on low 10 hours. Shred meat with 2 forks or chop finely, and serve with extra sauce on hamburger buns.
ReplyDeleteI also do beef and add chopped carrots, mushrooms, onion & potatoes with some tomato paste & beef stock or red wine just to cover the meat, cook on low all day, and then thicken the sauce up a bit with some flour. Almost a crock pot version of boueuf bourguignon.
Hope these ideas help!
Here's a link to a simple, tasty soup recipe on my blog!
ReplyDeletehttp://rubyjunes.blogspot.com/2010/01/salsa-chicken-black-bean-soup-recipe.html
(I realize my blog really needs updating, but decided not to let that stop me from sharing a link to a recipe! There are other recipes on my blog that work well in the crock pot, too--check out the Sweet & Spicy Kielbasa recipe--yum!)
Hey, this probably isn't as healthy as just water on your roast but it sure is yummy and makes it oh, so tender. I mix a can of coke with a can of cream of mushroom soup and pour over my roast and anything else I want to cook with it. A cup of apple cider or juice mixed with the soup works well too. It doesn't make it taste sweet, just savory and delicious.
ReplyDeleteAlana Maddock