Here it is, the latter part of October - the temperatures are getting cooler here in the U.S. We're all transitioning from short sleeves, shorts and sandals to sweaters, jeans and covered shoes or boots. Oh, and worst of all . . . coats, winter boots, hats and gloves (at least here in Central IL). :-\
But . . . along with the changing seasons out comes the crock pot!! ;D Now granted, many people use their crock pot year-round. But, for myself, once the temperatures get cooler I tend to cook more in the crock pot. MMMMMM, to smell the wonderful aromas of dinner cooking for hours.
The internet has gobs and gobs of recipes. I've seen some really yummy looking ones.
I'll have to stop at the grocery store within the next couple weeks and get a roast - they smell sooooo good as they are cooking.
Anybody else a crock pot person (ok, let me clarify - does anybody use a crock pot to cook in, not IF you are a crock pot!! LOL).
If you have any yummy recipes - please share.
I know a few members even use a crock pot as a room humidifier.
Bucky
I just used mine last night to make beef stew! :-D
The wonderful smell throughout the house is the best part, I think!!!!
Love the crockpot!
I just used mine too. I thought I was making hamburger soup but it was spaghetti sauce. Note to self: 'always write what the recipe is BEFORE throwing into recipe drawer'. I got it off the internet and quickly wrote it down without a heading....duh!!!!
Quick change in dinner plans AND I had enough to freeze for later!
I would love to see something easy and healthy!!!
Deb
Wow.. I have never thought of using my crockpot as a humidifier.
I use mine for stews but my favorite use is for soup.
I don't have a crockpot, but use an old cast iron Dutch oven during cold weather. Lots of soups possible.
We had an absolute bumper crop of tomatoes this year and I have been cooking then and putting them through a food mill to make all kinds of soups. One of my favorites is a vegan "cream" of tomato made with canned coconut milk and seasoned with curry spices. It's even better with that lovely golden cauliflower in it.
I like to cook beans in the Dutch oven because I can start them on top of the stove and then finish them in the oven, so they are tender but still keep their shape.
Genko
We could post our favorite (and easy) crock pot recipes.
I get rave reviews for getting some chicken (I get boneless breasts and drumsticks) and put them in the crockpot with a few bottles of sweet baby rays honey bbq sauce and turn on high for four hours or low for 6-8 hrs. Then I just stir fry some veggies and I have a great meal!
Love the crock pot!
I haven't tried it yet but I am going to cut up some chicken breast, add 1 cup of pineapple juice, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup soy sauce and cook for 6hrs on low.
I am going to use all organic ingredients of course and I think it will be delicious!!!
Have some kind of rice to go with it, and a veggy or two....yummmm
Carnitas in a crockpot. Yum. I have a recipe using pork shoulder, blueberries, bacon, and maple syrup.
Quote from: finallyadx on October 23, 2013, 04:18:01 AM
I get rave reviews for getting some chicken (I get boneless breasts and drumsticks) and put them in the crockpot with a few bottles of sweet baby rays honey bbq sauce and turn on high for four hours or low for 6-8 hrs. Then I just stir fry some veggies and I have a great meal!
Love the crock pot!
I have done this as well! I always feel guilty because it feels like cheating but it's an easy dinner.
I swear, when I read the title of this, I thought it said "Crack Pot Season," and was prepared for a story about someone who claims to cure AI issues with Pyramid Power or something...
Best pot roast EVER: A big chuck roast. A can of cream of mushroom soup. Two envelopes of dried onion soup. About 2 oz of red wine. Baby carrots. Fresh rosemary, 1T chopped fresh garlic if you have it (garlic POWDER, not salt, if you don't), lots of black pepper.
Stir up the soup, soup mix, garlic and wine in the crock pot. It will smell winey and salty and look really gross. Put in the chuck roast and turn it around in the pot, coating it completely. Like I said, REALLY GROSS. Put the lid on and cook on low for 10-12 hours. At about 6 hours, toss in some baby carrots. I don't put potatoes in, I cook them separately.
You will have the awesomest, falling-apart-est pot roast, with its own gravy and no other seasoning necessary.
****** DROOOOOLING******* ;D
Quote from: meow on October 23, 2013, 02:23:54 PM
I swear, when I read the title of this, I thought it said "Crack Pot Season," and was prepared for a story about someone who claims to cure AI issues with Pyramid Power or something...
Best pot roast EVER: A big chuck roast. A can of cream of mushroom soup. Two envelopes of dried onion soup. About 2 oz of red wine. Baby carrots. Fresh rosemary, 1T chopped fresh garlic if you have it (garlic POWDER, not salt, if you don't), lots of black pepper.
Stir up the soup, soup mix, garlic and wine in the crock pot. It will smell winey and salty and look really gross. Put in the chuck roast and turn it around in the pot, coating it completely. Like I said, REALLY GROSS. Put the lid on and cook on low for 10-12 hours. At about 6 hours, toss in some baby carrots. I don't put potatoes in, I cook them separately.
You will have the awesomest, falling-apart-est pot roast, with its own gravy and no other seasoning necessary.
So when are we coming for dinner?
I have done that pot roast!!!! It is so yummy...okay I don't eat meat but I LOVED the gravy on potatoes and veggies!!!! The rest of the family loved this though!!!!!
Mmmmm, Mmmmm, Mmmmm - do you smell the wonderful aroma of a roast cooking in the crockpot? I do, and I can't wait until dinner tonight - it smells soooo good. :D
I've seen the spelling as crockpot - one word, or crock pot, two words . . . I think I'll just interchange them. ;)
Bucky
The pot roast recipe works great with chicken breasts, too. Just use white wine, or white zinfandel, and only one envelope of the dried soup mix. Great over those wide egg noodles.
Love crock pots (and crack pots) so much that we have two, a big and a small one.
Chicken meatball soup is something you might try (recipe from Arthritis Today). Use ground chicken to make small meatballs (mix in a little rosemary) and saut? them. Then put in crock pot with chicken stock, kale, garlic, and more rosemary (as much or little as you like). I also add thyme and basil as well as salt and pepper. Cook on low all day and you will have a very yummy dinner.
Too tired to make meatballs? put cut up rotisserie chicken or cooked, cut up chicken breast in instead of the meatballs.
Love taco soup; pulled pork; roast ; crock pots are the best!
I'm from Mn and we are casserole country which has been upgraded with the invention of the crockpot. My sister called today and we were talking recipes. Anybody from the midwest remember the radio personality Cedric Adams from WCCO in MPLS??
Sister got to telling about one of his favorite recipes that is making the rounds again after all these years. It is sliced raw cabbage, ground beef and catsup. I am wondering if you cook the ground beef first and then add the rest. I can't stantd the taste of the fat that remains on browned ground beef. Anyone have this recipe.???Bet this would work in a crock pot. I love cooked cabbage with meat and catsup. Thanks. Irish
Quote from: Deb on October 23, 2013, 12:04:37 PM
I haven't tried it yet but I am going to cut up some chicken breast, add 1 cup of pineapple juice, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup soy sauce and cook for 6hrs on low.
I am going to use all organic ingredients of course and I think it will be delicious!!!
Have some kind of rice to go with it, and a veggy or two....yummmm
I made this the other night. It was very very good. Next time we cut the chicken in BIG chunks and I am going to add pinapple chunks and green pepper chunks!! I used light soya sauce but think maybe dark next time....
Quote from: irish on October 26, 2013, 09:53:15 PM
I'm from Mn and we are casserole country which has been upgraded with the invention of the crockpot. My sister called today and we were talking recipes. Anybody from the midwest remember the radio personality Cedric Adams from WCCO in MPLS??
Sister got to telling about one of his favorite recipes that is making the rounds again after all these years. It is sliced raw cabbage, ground beef and catsup. I am wondering if you cook the ground beef first and then add the rest. I can't stantd the taste of the fat that remains on browned ground beef. Anyone have this recipe.???Bet this would work in a crock pot. I love cooked cabbage with meat and catsup. Thanks. Irish
You need to brown the ground beef before you put it in the crockpot, or you will have a slimy greasy mess. BTDT. To avoid the browned fat that you don't like, cook it slowly and add a little water about halfway through, and it will not be "brown"--just cooked.
I have never had a crockpot. But people post recipes all the time on FB that I see.
So I've made up my own: Follow at your own risk!
Crockpot Surprise! Take one bag of mini marshmallows, a can of mushroom soup, 20 ritz crackers, a cake mix, a bag of chocolate chips, butter, mayonnaise, a can of fruit cocktail and two cans of Drain-o, put it in the crockpot, and hope the crockpot is still there the next day. That's the surprise!!!!!! If it's still there, stick in some sparklers, light them (stand back) and serve with Tang.
Can be adjusted to your own taste: tuna (more surprise!), mint syrup, peanut butter cups, let your imagination take flight!
Hugs, Elaine
Elaine, I think that last set of tests fried your brain.... :o ??? :P ;)
Quote from: Carolina on October 28, 2013, 03:14:23 PM
I have never had a crockpot.
Um, after reading your surprise concoction, I'm glad you DON'T have a crockpot!!
I hope your children NEVER buy you one for a present!! ;)
Bucky
Or is it......crotch pot. 8). :o. ;D
Have a cold so was home yesterday and watched Rachel Ray. She had Emeril on who did a whole segment on cooking with a crock pot. He has a new book out called Cooking with Power.
I made a very large crock pot of vegetable soup using leftover ham and ham broth plus beef and beef broth. It was yummy. I made this for my son who is going hunting in
Wyoming next week. He wanted only the meat, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion. I really wanted to add rutabagas, sweet potatoes and peas but didn't cause their were guys who didn't like those veggies.
Son cools the soup and ladles it into quart freezer bags and freezes them. When camping they put a big pot on the wood stove and bring the water to a boil and place the bags of soup in until it is thawed and hot. He says this works really well. Just something new that I learned. Irish
Irish - any leftovers from that vegetable soup? ;) It sounds yummy.
Great idea on just putting the bag in hot water to thaw it out and then chow down. That would work well at home too if you have a small family or are single.
That would be a good idea for a food swap - make up some large quantities and then bag them and freeze them, then exchange some with another person(s) to have some variety. It would be great for a shut-in.
Bucky
Cool about thawing the bags.
Today I made a large thick ham slice in the crock pot. I trimmed and saut?ed it a bit first, then saut?ed some onion, garlic and celery. Put all of it in a crock pot, added rosemary, a touch of thyme and a tablespoon or so of dried parsley. Delish.
After we had some for dinner I added some collard greens to the leftovers and now have several servings of soup.
Has anyone ever tried a turkey breast cooked in the crock pot? I wonder how that would work out.
Bucky
LOVE my crock pot! I use it constantly.
My favorite roast recipe is: Chuck Roast, 1 stick of butter, package of dry Hidden Valley ranch dressing, McCormick Au Jus mix and 5 pepperoncini peppers.
Put the roast in the bottom, sprinkle with the ranch, then add the Au Jus mix. Lay the stick of butter on top of the roast and the 5 peppers. Do not add water. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. It's yummy yummy.
I recently found a recipe for turkey breast cooked in a crockpot. Since it will be just my husband and me for Thanksgiving, this sounds like the way to go. Put 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped celery rib in the bottom of a 4-5 quart crockpot. Place a 5-6 lb. bone-in and skin on turkey breast on top and pour 1/4 cup of melted butter over the turkey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup of white wine (or 2 cups of chicken broth.) Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until meat thermometer registers 165 degrees. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds like it should work. The breast probably won't brown, but I think the turkey should be really moist.
Since this is the holiday season, and I make more sweets during this time, I also make caramel in my crock pot. It's yummy and easy. Buy sweetened condensed milk in a can. Just remove the label off the can and put into your slow cooker. Place it on a small plate or in a glass container. Fill the slow cooker with water until it covers the cans. Cook on low for 8 hours. Open cans and you have yourself some caramel!
Quote from: Velcro on November 13, 2013, 08:29:13 AM
LOVE my crock pot! I use it constantly.
My favorite roast recipe is: Chuck Roast, 1 stick of butter, package of dry Hidden Valley ranch dressing, McCormick Au Jus mix and 5 pepperoncini peppers.
Put the roast in the bottom, sprinkle with the ranch, then add the Au Jus mix. Lay the stick of butter on top of the roast and the 5 peppers. Do not add water. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. It's yummy yummy.
OMG, that sounds awesome. That's my next crockpot dinner.
I love my crock pot. My favorite is the roast with the potatoes, carrots, onions, etc.
Can all of you imagine if this is what Caroline would do with a crock pot, what she would do with a pressure cooker?? :o ??? :-X :-\
susanep :)
LOL!!!!!!
I got the chuck roast, the ranch dressing mix, the au jus mix...Saturday is the day, I think....
I hope you like it. We love it!
Oh and I got a recipe this week for lasagna soup in the crock pot! I'm going to make it first and then I'll post it if it's any good.
Quote from: Velcro on November 14, 2013, 06:35:11 AM
Buy sweetened condensed milk in a can. Just remove the label off the can and put into your slow cooker. Place it on a small plate or in a glass container. Fill the slow cooker with water until it covers the cans. Cook on low for 8 hours. Open cans and you have yourself some caramel!
One time my Grandma cooked the can of condensed milk on the stove in a pan w/water. My sister got a phone call from Grandma, "can you come over and help me clean caramel off the kitchen ceiling, the pan went dry and the can exploded!". :o :o :o
Thankfully, Grandma didn't get hurt by the exploding can.
Oops!!
Bucky
Quote from: Bucky on November 20, 2013, 12:13:06 PM
Quote from: Velcro on November 14, 2013, 06:35:11 AM
Buy sweetened condensed milk in a can. Just remove the label off the can and put into your slow cooker. Place it on a small plate or in a glass container. Fill the slow cooker with water until it covers the cans. Cook on low for 8 hours. Open cans and you have yourself some caramel!
One time my Grandma cooked the can of condensed milk on the stove in a pan w/water. My sister got a phone call from Grandma, "can you come over and help me clean caramel off the kitchen ceiling, the pan went dry and the can exploded!". :o :o :o
Thankfully, Grandma didn't get hurt by the exploding can.
Oops!!
Bucky
Oops!
Quote from: Velcro on November 20, 2013, 09:57:54 AM
I hope you like it. We love it!
It was awesome. I cut the butter way down, though, because the meat was fairly fatty. For those who would eliminate it altogether, DON'T. It creates this nice, thin browned crust on the outside of the roast.
Quote from: meow on December 02, 2013, 09:59:04 AM
Quote from: Velcro on November 20, 2013, 09:57:54 AM
I hope you like it. We love it!
It was awesome. I cut the butter way down, though, because the meat was fairly fatty. For those who would eliminate it altogether, DON'T. It creates this nice, thin browned crust on the outside of the roast.
Glad you liked it. Also, don't ever try using the "fake" butter. I tried it once and it's not the same.
Oh boy! It'miserable outside...freezing cold and blizzarding. But I have a crock pot full of chili waiting for me when I get home. ;D
Quote from: Velcro on November 20, 2013, 09:58:45 AM
Oh and I got a recipe this week for lasagna soup in the crock pot! I'm going to make it first and then I'll post it if it's any good.
Oh, I tried this over the holiday....yeck. Wasn't good as the cheese is all dangly and it was very hard to eat it like soup.
My newest use for the crockpot: I now make half my dog's food in it. I get chicken thighs from Costco ($10 for 10 lbs) and put half of them in with some carrots and green veggies (broccoli, kale, etc.) and a little water. I let it go all night and in the morning, pick out the thigh bones and freeze it in big yogurt containers. It makes the kibble last twice as long. And really easy. The dog loves it.
Then I thought I could make dog treats in it too. So I take the chicken stew and put it in the blender with a Tbs. of white rice flour and blend away. I dry it on a lined cookie sheet in the oven at 250 degrees for a couple of hours. And cut it into squares as treats.
Sure do like the crockpot!
Looking forward to Christmas dinner cooked in my crock pot. We will be having roast beef. Toss in 1/2 cup red wine, a little basil, marjoram, thyme, a sliced onion and pearl onions. Serve with red potatoes and steamed carrots. It smells like heaven when it is cooking.
Best part is putting it in before I go to church and then relaxing until dinner.
I don't know people . . . with this cold, cold winter weather we're all having here in the U.S.A., we should be keeping those crock pots in use! If it's cold outside, at least our tummies would be warm! ;)
I made chili last night . . . mmmmmm - hit the spot.
Bucky
I love to do a pork roast in the crock pot. A lot of people do it with and onion and BBQ sauce, and 10 hours later, ta daaaa. I like to use red chile powder and garlic salt. You use a lot. Rub garlic salt all over the roast, then roll it in red chile powder. Use more than you think you want. Put it in the crock pot with a chopped onion and a couple of diced potatoes if you want, and 10 hours later TA DAAAAAA !omg yum. You can pull it apart and make sandwiches, or burritoes, or serve sliced with mashed potatoes and the juice from cooking as gravy.
I've made use of mine lately, but I bought a new type as well. It's one of those that has three, small crockpots in it. Great for serving, but I am absolutely loving it with it being just me and DH most of the time. I can cook an entire meal in it by putting veggies in one, a meat in one and a rice or pasta in one.
I've made good use of my big one too. During the last month, chili, vegetable soup and a couple of chicken dishes.
I made one chicken dish that turned out fabulous. It was one of those days I basically just looked to see what I had and threw it in there. I put in chicken breasts, a couple of cans of black beans, and a jar of salsa and let it slow cook. I served it over rice and it was soooo good.
I love my crock pot, use it faithfully at least 3 x' s a week if not more! Working 12 hour night shifts, my family would never eat if it ever broke :) Favorite meals: everything! Ok, pot or pork roast, chicken and dumplings, stuffed peppers, chicken enchiladas, beef stew....the list is endless.
Quote from: Sooki on December 23, 2013, 06:24:25 PM
My newest use for the crockpot: I now make half my dog's food in it. I get chicken thighs from Costco ($10 for 10 lbs) and put half of them in with some carrots and green veggies (broccoli, kale, etc.) and a little water. I let it go all night and in the morning, pick out the thigh bones and freeze it in big yogurt containers. It makes the kibble last twice as long. And really easy. The dog loves it.
Then I thought I could make dog treats in it too. So I take the chicken stew and put it in the blender with a Tbs. of white rice flour and blend away. I dry it on a lined cookie sheet in the oven at 250 degrees for a couple of hours. And cut it into squares as treats.
Sure do like the crockpot!
Lucky for you that my dogs can't read. Otherwise you would have three more at your doorstep!
Sharon