So I Just Got A New Crockpot.....

[DingoGirl]

Hello all,

I hate to cook.....so I would love to just throw a bunch of things in the crockpot. Need your expert ideas! The crockpot concept is quite unfamiliar to me. I love meat, chicken, all veggies, very spicy foods, exotic fods, comfort foods, whatever. Preferably things with lots of veggies added and no processed ingredients (i.e. soup packets, etc.). What are your favorites and what the heck do I do with this alien in my kitchen?

Thanks!

[lonewolf]

My favorite crockpot "recipes" are extremely simple.

1. Put chicken, boneless-skinless or pieces, or beef pot roast into the crockpot, add your favorite barbecue sauce, cook for several hours. Serve over rice or on gluten-free bread.

2. Put chicken or turkey - however much you want - into the crock pot. Cover with enchilada sauce and cook for several hours. If you can do dairy, add some grated jack cheese right before serving. Serve over rice with a dollop of sour cream.

3. Throw in chicken (or pot roast), potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for several hours. I like this with A-1 sauce.

[jerseyangel]

Hi Susie

My favorite is to brown a bottom round roast, meanwhile peeling and cubing some potatoes, carrots and an onion.

Put veggies into crock pot, and place meat on top. Add about 1/4 cup of water, salt and pepper and let it cook on low for 8-10 hours.

It can make a lot, but you can freeze leftovers into individual meals for later.

[Guest cassidy]

You really can just do what you like.

If you like veggies you can throw all of them in there and they will cook and get very mushy. I usually add chicken broth. Then I freeze them in side dished sized portions to have with meals later on.

Chicken broth also works for cooking chicken or roast as well. Roast is good with potatoes, carrots and onions.

You really can't go wrong, you can even make veggie soup or any type of soup in it.

Have fun!

[DingoGirl]

oh Thanks for the quick responses! I'll head to the store later.

Um, is it possible to OVERCOOK things in a crockpot (well duh, I imagine it is ) because I like my veggies cooked just so.....still retaining color and a light crunch. Maybe I should just do meats/soups in the pot?

[Ursa Major]

This is the 'master' recipe for everything you choose to cook. Which isn't really a recipe, just a guideline.

You put the vegetable that cooks the longest (potatoes, or in my case, rutabaga) on the bottom, I usually put a layer of onion underneath the rutabaga (it's all about layers), and layer the other ones on top (carrots usually next). Add salt, herbs and spices in between. Don't overdo it with those, as the slow cooking process enhances flavours. ALWAYS put the meat on top, finish with a layer of onions and garlic if desired. Add about one to two cups of water (more if you want stew, and also if you want broth for something else). You can add tapioca with the water if you want it to thicken as it cooks. Set the timer for eight or ten hours, and come home to supper cooked!

I've used a variety of vegetables, and some were great, while others aren't recommended. Don't put cauliflower in, it turns totally mushy (yes, I did that, I learn by experimenting). I sometimes make my whole top layer chicken thighs, or stewing beef, or even pre-cooked ground beef. You can put a roast in, you'll just have to put it in before arranging the top layers of vegetables around it. Delicious!

I like putting parsley in somewhere, my daughter puts whole small onions, and will arrange whole cloves of garlic on top of a roast, and they taste great! It also makes that roast so much better even.

If you think you're starving after seven hours, it should be okay to eat. But for a roast, eight to ten hours is better. If you've used ground meat, seven hours is fine.

Experiment, you can't go very wrong! And even if it isn't perfect sometimes, it will still be edible. And unless you have lots of guests, you should have food for more than one meal.

I suggest you buy yourself a food processor, you can get ones for around $50.00 (if you can afford it, a more expensive one is even better), that's what I got when I got my crock pot. That way, you can chop your veggies in a jiffy, and makes that cooking chore soooooooooooo much easier! (I am a good cook, but I hate cooking, anything that makes it easier is good )

[Nancym]

I used to make a lot of chili in the crockpot. I would use (ingredients varied):

Huge can of diced tomatoes (maybe 2 cans)

Cut a pot roast into mouth sized chunks

Can of black or pinto beans

Cumin

Lots of Chili powder (2-3 Tbl)

Red pepper flakes (if I want it spicy)

Sometimes I threw in a bag of frozen broccoli just for extra bulk

Corn (frozen or canned, if you want)

Chipotle in Adobo sauce (if you want)

I also started adding interesting ingredients like cocoa powder, give it a very dark taste.

[DingoGirl]

great ideas. I am SO appreciative! Ursula thank you for the details in placement of things, etc. This helps a lot!

Nancy - - the Adobo sauce - several cans I recently read had wheat in them. I did buy one, am not sure if it's safe (I think it has natural flavors and is made in Mexico). Do you know of one that is safe for sure? thanks!

[TriticusToxicum]

Hello all,

I hate to cook.....so I would love to just throw a bunch of things in the crockpot. Need your expert ideas! The crockpot concept is quite unfamiliar to me. I love meat, chicken, all veggies, very spicy foods, exotic fods, comfort foods, whatever. Preferably things with lots of veggies added and no processed ingredients (i.e. soup packets, etc.). What are your favorites and what the heck do I do with this alien in my kitchen?

Thanks!

a CROCKPOT?

WHAT'S NEXT? TUPPERWARE?

Soon you and your crock pot will be out hob-knobbing with your Stepford neighbors

I make mostly spicy comfort foods in mine. (Chili, pulled pork, stew, BBQ beans - I won't give you the recipe for these, lest the Stepford neighbors get a taste...you'd be doomed to make/take it to all neighborhood "functions") If you hate to cook a crockpot's a good idea...better get some Tupperware for the leftovers

[kabowman]

There is nothing better than throwing all the stuff into the crock pot before you leave for work in the morning and coming home to a fully cooked meal with plenty for leftovers to freeze or enjoy for lunches.

-Chili

-Chicken, whole with a little water

-Meatloaf

-Stew beef, with tomatoes, broth, veggies, and potatoes - always add lots of garlic

-Chicken wings (pre-grilled then toss in with BBQ sauce for just a few hours on low)

I love rice in my crock pot with chicken but it sticks really bad and not sure how to fix that.

[StrongerToday]

I've done ribs in the crockpot, yum! Chop a large onion into slices and layer on the bottom, put country ribs on top and dump in a whole bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce. I've also done whole chickens (even frozen) and some herbs with broth. When it's done (8 hours or so later) take out the chicken, thicken the sauce and you have gravy. I used to put dumpling/biscuit mix on top and let it cook, but haven't found a good gluten-free one yet.

When I do a meat roast, I use beef broth. I put small carrots or other veggies in just the last 30 - 45 minutes so that they don't get mushy.

Enjoy!

[mom2jpb]

Hello all,

I hate to cook.....so I would love to just throw a bunch of things in the crockpot. Need your expert ideas! The crockpot concept is quite unfamiliar to me. I love meat, chicken, all veggies, very spicy foods, exotic fods, comfort foods, whatever. Preferably things with lots of veggies added and no processed ingredients (i.e. soup packets, etc.). What are your favorites and what the heck do I do with this alien in my kitchen?

Thanks!

A couple of ideas that have worked for me:

Put a pork roast in the night before - just the roast, nothing else. The next morning, add more fresh rosemary, carrots and yams. About an hour before it is ready, add a cup of fresh cranberries.

Put a whole chicken in the night before. Next morning, add green beans, onions and almonds.

I tried browning hamburger meat, then putting it in the crockpot with sliced potatoes and onions. It works great. I usually add fresh grated red pepper and sea salt.

[TriticusToxicum]

Another great use is making apple sauce/apple butter, various squash mushes (pumpkin, butter nut, et. al)and such...crock pots = low slow heat=tender food or mush (good if you are making apple sauce )

[ArtGirl]

Lots of good recipes and ideas.

I was just thinking that if, by chance, one were to overcook the veggies, they could be pureed in the blender to make a "creamed" soup (add cream or milk if you can have it, but I can't, so I would only add some more broth or even water).

Actually, I use this method of blending veggies and broth to make a sauce to pour over a casserole, or, in the case of a crockpot meal, over the meat and veggies, or mix it all together with cooked rice and then you would have a casserole.

I'm going to drag out my crockpot today! With colder weather, these stews and such sould real good.

[Felidae]

Two words: Pea soup.

[DingoGirl]

Put a pork roast in the night before - just the roast, nothing else. The next morning, add more fresh rosemary, carrots and yams. About an hour before it is ready, add a cup of fresh cranberries.

Put a whole chicken in the night before. Next morning, add green beans, onions and almonds.

okay....this will show how clueless I truly am Do you COOK the pork roast or chicken the whole night, by itself? It won't make it too dry?

[TriticusToxicum]

okay....this will show how clueless I truly am Do you COOK the pork roast or chicken the whole night, by itself? It won't make it too dry?

You catch on fast

The moisture from the veggies and the meat keep things moist (IF you keep the lid ON!). If you're wooried, just throw in some water or stock. There are no rules. It's a crockpot. Put whatever you want in it, turn it on low, walk away come back in 4-6hrs, poke it, add a dash of salt and enjoy.

BTW can we officially call you Susie Homemaker now?

Here's a link to help get you started: Open Original Shared Link

There are a bunch of good looking recipes to try out. Enjoy

[Luvs to Scrap]

I love my crockpot for roasts, made dressing/stuffing in it for Thanksgiving, and lots of other things. Of of the things I make a lot once it is getting cold is Ham and Beans. It is awesome in the crockpot because you don't have to soak the beans first.

2 cups beans (washed and sorted)

7 cups water

ham pieces (I think I put somewhere between 3/4 and 1 1/2 cups depending what I have at the time)

salt, pepper, and chopped onions or onion powder to taste

Put in crockpot on high all afternoon or on low all day. (I often start it on high to get it started for 30minutes to an hour if you are there)

1 1/2 cups beans and 6 cups water works too

We serve it with barbeque sauce and I usually make cornbread too. Yum and easy! Kendra

[DingoGirl]

You catch on fast

BTW can we officially call you Susie Homemaker now?

I am MOST certain that there will never, ever be a time when anyone can call me Susie Homemaker. (well, except for the times I am ironing the pillowcases and sprinkling them with lavendar water). Celiac.....a very cruel and ironic thing for me to have, as you can't imagine how much I hate cooking......

So I'm kinda excited about the crockpot now! Maybe I"ll take it out of its box.......it's been a week and I just keep walking by it.

[TriticusToxicum]

I am MOST certain that there will never, ever be a time when anyone can call me Susie Homemaker. (well, except for the times I am ironing the pillowcases and sprinkling them with lavendar water). Celiac.....a very cruel and ironic thing for me to have, as you can't imagine how much I hate cooking......

So I'm kinda excited about the crockpot now! Maybe I"ll take it out of its box.......it's been a week and I just keep walking by it.

You are TOO funny! You will IRON PILLOWCASES and sprinkle them with specially prepared water, but you are afraid of a crockpot? I bet once you get it out of the box you will really enjoy it. You DO need to take it out of the box to use it. Baby steps here

[DingoGirl]

You are TOO funny! You will IRON PILLOWCASES and sprinkle them with specially prepared water, but you are afraid of a crockpot? I bet once you get it out of the box you will really enjoy it. You DO need to take it out of the box to use it. Baby steps here

I am not exactly afraid of the CROCKPOT itself, I do not believe it to be inherently evil it's the COOKING part I am afraid of.....it seems too much like science. OR chemistry. THAT is what's scary.

Um, in college, I had a chemistry class for about two weeks, and had a tutor every day. I tell you the truth when I say that after the professor said "I'm Dr. so-and-so" I did not understand a single other word he said afterwards.

Cooking is CHEMISTRY....there is much science in the mixing and changing (cooking) of ingredients. I have no business doing anything like that.

[Ursa Major]

I am laughing, you're so much like me. I just hate cooking! But probably for different reasons than you.

My mother forced me to cook for ten people regularly (I am the second-oldest of eight, but the first girl) by the time I was ten. Then she had the audacity to complain when there were lumps in the gravy (or whatever - she was always looking for reasons to put me down and remind me that I was useless and good for nothing).

I remember one Sunday, when she yelled at me (I was probably 14 by then) because there were some lumps in the gravy, making sure I knew that I had 'ruined the whole family's Sunday' because of that awful gravy (which everybody else thought was fine). Needless to say, I AM an excellent cook, but I learned to despise cooking and baking (I had a similar incident where I spoiled everybody's Sunday, because I forgot to put baking powder in the cake once, and it didn't rise - I baked the cake for Sunday's afternoon tea from the time I was eight, and that happened when I was 16 I think).

[azmom3]

I LOVE MY CROCKPOT!

I hate to cook, don't know how to cook, either put too much spices or not enough. My husband actually paces back and forth whenever I'm in the kitchen and is constantly asking things like...."did you set the timer, is it time to check that yet, you might want to add a little salt, etc." And rightfully so, as I've messed up way too many things.

I think I've only ruined one thing ever in my crockpot. Get a crockpot cookbook or google recipes on line to give you an idea, then substitute whatever you want. I always throw a roast in, cover it in whatever veggies I want...usually potatoes, carrots, and onions, throw in a cup or two of broth and let it cook all day or all night (8-10 hours). The less juicy the meat, the more liquid you should add. For example, chicken will require more broth, water, or whatever other liquid you want to use. I usually chop everything in the morning, let it run all day, and dinner's ready in the evening. I make stews, chili, soups, etc. I was very hesitant to use mine at first, too. If you follow a recipe the first couple times, you will start to get comfortable substituting and then even making your own recipes based on whatever you happen to have on hand that day.

Good luck. I think you'll be surprised and maybe even gain a little confidence in the kitchen after a few uses.

[kabowman]

I forgot about the ribs and roasts. My kids love the corned beef and cabbage (we add potatoes too) in ours--throw everything in and walk away.

[Sweetfudge]

Lots of good recipes and ideas.

I was just thinking that if, by chance, one were to overcook the veggies, they could be pureed in the blender to make a "creamed" soup (add cream or milk if you can have it, but I can't, so I would only add some more broth or even water).

Actually, I use this method of blending veggies and broth to make a sauce to pour over a casserole, or, in the case of a crockpot meal, over the meat and veggies, or mix it all together with cooked rice and then you would have a casserole.

I'm going to drag out my crockpot today! With colder weather, these stews and such sould real good.

What kind of casseroles do you make? I'd love some ideas/recipes! I haven't had a good casserole in awhile!

Ursula - how sad for you growing up in a kitchen like that! My parents always encouraged us to cook, and my sister and I LOVED to as children. We always got in trouble though, cuz cleaning wasn't high on our priority list But I love to cook still! My mom got really sick when I was in my early teens, and so I got to be the main chef in the house, which wasn't always fun, but it taught me how to cook better.

An easy meal that my husband loves is corned beef. You just buy the meat (it comes in a plastic bag, w/ some seasoning in it). I don't use the seasoning, or use very little. Just throw the meat in, cook it w/ some water, and serve. He loves to eat it on rolls or bread, w/ mustard and potatoes, and w/ rice.

Anyone else have a hard time digesting beans? I use beano, but still worry whenever I want something w/ beans. I'll post more recipes later