Crockpot....

[lizirroja]

That other thread got me thinking....

So my husband wanted a crockpot (he is our main dinner cook) and he got one last Christmas. We have used it maybe once, if even that. Can someone please direct me to your favorite crockpot recipes online or tell me what you like to make in it? I mean, I know you can make stews and all kinds of things, but I just don't even know where to begin besides googling crockpot recipes. I'd rather try out recipes you all enjoy.

[nona23]

I just posted on the other thread but I throw a pork shoulder ( or pork butt but that never sounds appetizing) and either one large jar of Pace Picante sauce or a med size jar of BBQ sauce and let cook on high for 5 hours or longer. The pork gets all shredded and yummy when you break it up with a fork. Use it for soft tacos or pulled pork sandwiches. It's always a hit with friends too.

[Sara]

We do a few things in the crock pot. Here is a great recipe index:

http://southernfood.about.com/library/crock/blcpidx.htm

[Lynette]

This is probably a total cheat way, but if you go to the store they sell those packets of spices (you know for taco meat, etc) for stews, pot roast, and other crock pot recipes. Otherwise I do lentil stews, split pea soups in the crock pot and the one I am going to try next is this one because Salina loves minestrone soup http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Classic-Minestrone/Detail.aspx but just cook it on low so it doesn't fall apart.

[mom2colin]

This one is yummy and the whole house smells like thanksgiving.

Chicken with Sourdough-Mushroom Stuffing


Prep: 40 minutes Cook: 4 hours on high

Nonstick cooking spray
2 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1 Tbsp. ground sage
1 Tbsp. seasoned salt
1 ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
8 small chicken legs (thigh-drumstick piece), skinned (about 5 lb.)
¼ cup butter
4 cups quartered or sliced fresh mushrooms such as cremini, baby portabello, shitake and/or button mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 cups sourdough baguette cut into 1-inch pieces (about 10 oz)
1 cup coarsely shredded carrot
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
3 Tbsp. snipped flat leaf Italian parsley


1. Lightly coat inside of a 5 ½ to 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the lemon peel. In a small bowl combine remaining lemon peel, sage, seasoned salt and pepper. Remove ¾ of the mixture and rub onto chicken legs. Place chicken in slow cooker.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet; add mushrooms and garlic. Cook and stir 3-5 minutes or until just tender. Stir in remaining sage mixture. Transfer mushroom mixture to a large bowl. Add bread cubes, and shredded carrot. Drizzle with chicken broth, tossing gently.

3. Lightly pack stuffing on top of chicken. Cover and cook on high heat setting for 4-5 hours.

4. Transfer stuffing and chicken to a platter.

5. In a bowl, combine reserved lemon peel, walnuts, and parsley, sprinkle over chicken.

Makes 8 servings.

[mom2colin]

I've had this one for awhile, but haven't had the chance to make it yet. I got it off the food network website:

Slow-Cooker Chicken Gumbo

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 (10-ounce) package frozen okra, thawed
2 links andouille sausage, diced
1 cup chopped onions
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups reduced-sodium tomato juice
2 cups cooked rice
In a slow-cooker, combine the chicken and all remaining ingredients except the rice. Mix well to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Serve over rice.

[mom2colin]

One more fron the food network website.

Slow-Cooker Parmesan-Sage Pork Loin and Watercress Salad with Sliced Pears, Goat Cheese and Toasted Pine Nuts

2 pounds diced red potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup sherry
1 (2-pound) pork loin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried sage
1 tablespoon salt-free garlic and herb seasoning
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons pine nuts
4 cups watercress leaves
2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Olive oil
Sherry vinegar

Place potatoes, onion, celery, and carrots in bottom of slow-cooker. Pour in chicken broth and sherry. Season pork all over with salt and black pepper, sage and garlic and herb seasoning. Place pork on top of vegetables and top with Parmesan, pressing the cheese into the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.
Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Arrange watercress on salad plates. Top with pear slices, goat cheese and toasted pine nuts. Drizzle with olive oil and sherry vinegar. Slice pork crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Serve 1/2 of the pork with this meal and reserve second half for another recipe. Serve all of the vegetables from slow-cooker and the brothy sauce with pork.

[meeg124]

I like to put all kinds of veggies in, then throw some kind of meat (usually a piece of chuck) on top... season everything really well and put a little broth or tomato sauce in there and cook that.

[becky]

i always make my beans in the crock pot...so easy. I also love to make spicy ribs. I get the meat from costco since its cheap and doesn't have the bone. beef or pork. I add it to the pot and cover with a huge can of El pato (yellow can of tomato sauce with the duck) and cook for 5 hours. Put that over mex rice and its so yummy :)

[lizirroja]

I'm going to try one of these today. For some of them I just need to get over my fear of going up to the meat counter since I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to meat (DH always handles that). I think I'll start with the chicken in my freezer. :)

[Kellie_MO5]

My fave easiest things to do in the crockpot is toss in any kind of meat (beef, not ground though, pork, chicked...) and a couple cans of cream of mushroom soup, some other spices, and let it cook on high for about 4-6 hours, and there's dinner, served over pasta or rice... LOL. I also make chilli and beef stew in it, but just find a recipe online when the time comes...I have a book somewhere, but have no idea where it went

I also use it for apple cider when it gets cold out... just toss in some apple juice, a few sticks of cinnamon, a zested orange, if you want, and let it get hot... mmmmm.. and the smell is sooo good, too ;)

I <3 my crock pot ;)

[khanson]

I love the crock pot! I usually do veggie beef stew in it, but I got a cookbook at Bed Bath and Beyond that has some great recipes in it. If it wasn't 2:45am I'd go look some up...

[Lynette]

I also use it for apple cider when it gets cold out... just toss in some apple juice, a few sticks of cinnamon, a zested orange, if you want, and let it get hot... mmmmm.. and the smell is sooo good, too ;)

Oh that is a cool idea too....I bet if you let it simmer down some and get thicker it would be fabulous over vanilla ice cream too :D

[Juls318]

I also use it for apple cider when it gets cold out... just toss in some apple juice, a few sticks of cinnamon, a zested orange, if you want, and let it get hot... mmmmm.. and the smell is sooo good, too ;)

I do this on Christmas morning and it makes the house smell so good and we have something yummy to sip on while opening presents.

[lmfike]

Here are a few cp recipes that I make:

Crockpot Fajitas

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, cut into strips
1/2 cup water
flour tortillas
1 bell pepper, cut into strips
sour cream
1 package fajita mix

In crockpot combine chicken, water, bell pepper, fajita mix. Cook on low 5-6 hrs. Serve in flour tortillas. Top with sour cream.

[lmfike]

Easy Chicken Santa Fe

into crockpot:
1 can black beans(drained)
1 can corn
1/2 cup salsa

Stir to combine.

Add 4-5 chicken breasts. Pour 1/2 cup salsa on top of chicken. Cook on low for about 3 hours. About an hour before dinner, add brick of cream cheese. Stir occasionally until cheese melts.

When serving, serve over rice, top with grated cheese

[lmfike]

Crockpot Sweet and Tangy Chicken

8 chicken breasts
2(18 oz) bbq sauce
1-15 oz can pineapple chunks, juice reserved
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Place 1/2 of chicken in bottom of cp. In large bowl combine bbq sauce, pineapple, green bell pepper, onion and garlic. Mix well & pour 1/2 of this mixture over chicken in the cp. Place remaining chicken in cp and top with remaining sauce. Cook on low for 8-9 hrs. Serve with white rice.

[lmfike]

These last two we haven't tried but sound easy enough.

CP Tex Mex Chicken

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tbsp taco seasoning mix
2 tbsp flour
1 each green and red pepper, cut into strips
1 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup mexican style shredded cheese

Toss chicken with seasoning mix and flour in slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients except cheese. Cover with lid and cook on low 6-8 hrs. Stir just before serving. Top with cheese.

I believe pic showed it served over white rice

[lmfike]

CP Orange Chicken

1 lb chicken, cut into chunks
3 tbsp flour
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/3 cup barbeque sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp grated fresh gingerroot

Toss chicken with flour in cp. Stir in all remaining ingredients; cover with lid. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs

[lizirroja]

Thanks gals! I looked on the website that Sara posted and found probably the easiest recipe there is. I will try the other chicken ones listed, but today I needed a super easy one and I have been wanting carnitas tacos for 2 wks.

Crockpot Carnitas - Pork Shoulder Recipe
INGREDIENTS:


2 to 4 lb. pork shoulder roast
4 garlic cloves, peeled, each clove cut into 4 pieces
1 fresh jalapeno pepper
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 can beer (12 ounces)
Corn tortillas
PREPARATION:

With a knife, cut several small slits into the roast. Insert pieces of garlic cloves in roast; place in crockpot with whole pepper and half bunch of cilantro which has been chopped. Season to taste.

Pour in beer. Cook on HIGH 4 to 6 hours until fork tender (LOW 9 to 11 hours). Remove meat; shred. Serve with warm tortillas, with by your choice of garnishes. Suggested garnishes: diced tomatoes, onions, sliced ripe olives, shredded lettuce, sour cream, cheese, salsa, guacamole, and cilantro.

[Kellie_MO5]

What I love about the crockpot is that it does so many things... It cooks your dinner, makes the house smell soo good, and can also help heat up the house, too ;) Winter is def a great time for crockpots :D

[lizirroja]

Let me just tell you.....my house smells WONDERFUL!

[LuckyMom07]

I am SO glad this thread was started! I forgot about our crockpot. Used it today. Made cooking dinner way easier. AND now I have a whole bunch of new recipes to try out! Very exciting!! :clap

[Lynette]

I did the apple juice with spices thing today and dang my house smells fabulous! Too bad I can't send a link :D

[LessasLashes]

I have a nice rival crockpot that I've used only a handful of times.. Your recipes are making me drool...

Thanks!!!

[Sara]

I might do the apple cider one today...the weather certainly calls for it!

Another really easy one:

Country Style boneless pork spareribs
1-c ketchup
1-can cola (I've heard you can use diet too)

Put all in the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. Sooo yummy! I usually make mashed potatoes and corn to go along.

[Lorah]

I also use it for apple cider when it gets cold out... just toss in some apple juice, a few sticks of cinnamon, a zested orange, if you want, and let it get hot... mmmmm.. and the smell is sooo good, too ;)



I do that too! I LOVE it!

I have to say though, that often times I just use my crock pot for transporting stuff I've already made to some event away from home...I'm not big on making things in it..... Not sure why...we have a smaller one, maybe that is it.

[LessasLashes]

I'll be searching on the net.. but I bought cubed meat yesterday to simmer in the pot today...If you have any recommendations.. Post them!!

[lmfike]

I use beef stew meat for stroganoff.

1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 packet of onion soup mix
1 pkg mushrooms(we leave these out)
1 onion cut into rings(we leave this out too)
1 pkg beef stew meat
salt
pepper

Put in crockpot and cook all day. Add 16 oz sour cream before serving. Serve over egg noodles(I usually just serve over white rice)

[LessasLashes]

YUM... thanks Lorrie.. I will save it for my next binge for meat/stew.. I did make traditional beef stew.. we'll see how it comes out.. I busted out my crock-pot cookbook..

[nona23]

My fave easiest things to do in the crockpot is toss in any kind of meat (beef, not ground though, pork, chicked...) and a couple cans of cream of mushroom soup, some other spices, and let it cook on high for about 4-6 hours, and there's dinner, served over pasta or rice... LOL. I also make chilli and beef stew in it, but just find a recipe online when the time comes...I have a book somewhere, but have no idea where it went

I also use it for apple cider when it gets cold out... just toss in some apple juice, a few sticks of cinnamon, a zested orange, if you want, and let it get hot... mmmmm.. and the smell is sooo good, too ;)

I <3 my crock pot ;)


I tried the chicken and cream of mushroom soup thing and it was wonderful! I added some veggies and stuffed ourselves two nights in a row. It was great, thanks for the idea!

[LuckyMom07]

Another really easy one:

Country Style boneless pork spareribs
1-c ketchup
1-can cola (I've heard you can use diet too)

Put all in the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. Sooo yummy! I usually make mashed potatoes and corn to go along.

We did this one last night! My DH was impressed. I didn't tell him how simple! Ha ha!

Thanks, Sara! :thumb

[Lynette]

I did an experimental minestrone soup today for Salina that turned out really good! Of course, you could use chicken stock or whatever, it is just veggie for Salina.

4 cans of vegetable broth
1 can of green beans
1 can of cannelini beans
1 can of red kidney beans
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 lg peeled and diced potato
2 peeled and diced carrots
2 diced zucchini
small package of frozen chopped spinach
1/2 lb of small pasta like macaroni or shells


I threw it all in the crockpot (including liquid from canned items) at 8am on low and it was done by 2pm although next time I think I will cook the pasta seperately and toss it in just before serving because it got really floppy :) It didn't need any salt or seasoning, just some parmasean on top and french bread on the side IMO and of course you can use fresh stuff or add/take away what you like, I just used what I had on hand. I had some at 2pm and I am still full and the girls loved it :)

[Lorah]

I also experimented with the crockpot today..only I didn't do the veggie route....

2 pounds of tri tip roast
1 cup baby carrots
2 cups diced sweet potatoes
1 cup bbq sauce
1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon garlic
3 tablespoons flour

~put the veggies on the bottom of the pot
~rub the flour over the roast and place in the pot on top of the veggies
~ mix the bbq sauce, wine, and garlic together and pour over all of it.
~ cook on high for 8 hours, or low for 10 hours....
shred beef, and serve with rice or warm bread, with veggies on the side...

I really liked it....

[howardvm]

I love this! We've had a crockpot since we got married but never use it. Now I can try out some of these recipes! Thanks!:)

[lizirroja]

I made an awesome split pea soup recipe last week in my crockpot. I added potatoes to mine.

INGREDIENTS:


1 package (1 pound) dried split peas
1 cup sliced carrot, 1/2-inch thick
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced parsnip
1/2 cup chopped celery with leaves
1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cans (approximately 14 ounces each) chicken broth, about 4 1/2 cups
3 cups water
2 large smoked ham hocks
1/2 teaspoon salt
Garnishes:
chopped parsley
croutons
PREPARATION:

In a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker, combine everything except ham hocks, salt, and garnish. Add ham hocks, submerging them in mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours, until peas are very soft. Remove ham hocks and skim fat from surface of soup. <script>zSB(3,3)</script>


Trim fat from hocks then cut meat from the bones and chop or shred; stir into the soup. Add salt to taste. Mash slightly, if you want a thicker soup. Ladle pea soup into 6 bowls. Garnish each serving with croutons and a little chopped parsley, if desired.
Serves 6.

[Luckylove]

:woohoo
Bought myself a crockpot yesterday. Surprisingly enough Dustin was on board!! Can't wait to try some of these out!

[Lorah]

Oooo I just made some really yummy roast in mine yesterday! I just stuck the frozen roast in the Cpot with an onion cut into big chuncks and poured a mixture of 2 cups water, 3 tablespoons of flour, 2 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of bay leaves, 1 tablespoon of parsley, 1 teaspoon on black pepper, and a good pinch of salt. Stuck it on high for about 8 hours and it was YUMMY!!!! I'm stoked that it worked even starting out wiht the roast frozen.

[Lynette]

:bump

I was eavesdropping the other day and made a mental note of an easy stew recipe that turned out to be really good!

2lb Lean beef roast
Cup of peeled and sliced carrots
Cup of peeled and diced potato (the lady said she uses frozen southern style hashbrowns which are just diced potato so I tried it )
Cup of sliced celery (I don't like it in stew so I left it out)
1 can of condensed tomato soup
1 can of beef broth
2 tablespoons of soy sauce (I used Worstechire because I like it better)

Brown all sides of roast in frying pan with some olive oil
Throw the roast in the crockpot with all the ingrediants and cook on low for 5 or 6 hours until roast pulls apart with a fork.

I think it took me all of 10min from start until I put the lid on the pot using the frozen potatoes?

[colleen&Kail]

my dad has a family secret for beef sew, he made it the otehr night! yummy! kail LOVED it toO!

[lizirroja]

OK, this has got to be the easiest!! And boy was it yummy tonight.

Southern-Style Pinto Beans With Ham Hocks (http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotbeans/r/bl15c4.htm)

I added a cut up onion and about 6 garlic cloves. And I made corn bread (the cheese kind that I posted about a while ago). Yummmmmm.....

[becky]

that sounds so good. Its a stupid question and I am too lazy to google it but what are ham hocks?

BTW I made your corn bread tonight and again it was a hit and there is none left. Yum!

[lizirroja]

that sounds so good. Its a stupid question and I am too lazy to google it but what are ham hocks?

BTW I made your corn bread tonight and again it was a hit and there is none left. Yum!

It's a big bone with ham on it..not sure which part of the pig. You just go to the meat dept and ask for a ham hock and they know what you mean. They are basically throw away pieces so it is super duper cheap and oh so yummy when cooked down like this.

Our corn bread was really good tonight too! Yummmmmmm

[becky]

thanks Liz. I am going to try your crock pot recipe. it sounds so yummy

[Marisa]

lol, I googled it before reading the rest of the posts...
"A ham hock is the end of a smoked ham where the foot was attached to the hog's leg. It is the portion of the leg that is neither part of the ham proper nor the foot or ankle, but rather the extreme shank end of the leg bone and the associated skin, fat, tendons, and muscle. This piece generally consists of too much skin and gristle to be palatable on its own, so it is usually cooked with greens and other vegetables in order to give them additional flavour (generally that of pork fat and smoke), although the meat from particularly meaty hocks may be removed and served." from wikipedia

[lizirroja]

That makes sense since sometimes people refer to a person having some hefty hocks (thighs)....well at least my family says that haha

The meat that cooks off of it is extremely tasty.

[My3sonsplus1]

lol, I googled it before reading the rest of the posts...
"A ham hock is the end of a smoked ham where the foot was attached to the hog's leg. It is the portion of the leg that is neither part of the ham proper nor the foot or ankle, but rather the extreme shank end of the leg bone and the associated skin, fat, tendons, and muscle. This piece generally consists of too much skin and gristle to be palatable on its own, so it is usually cooked with greens and other vegetables in order to give them additional flavour (generally that of pork fat and smoke), although the meat from particularly meaty hocks may be removed and served." from wikipedia

Wow, it is descriptions like this that make me consider vegitarianism... skin, fat, tendon and gristle Bleccccccch