OK - I give in, time to get a crockpot

[House Cat]

I love making stocks in my crock pot. Throw everything in the crock pot that you normally would for your chicken, beef, or vegetable stock or broth recipe, let it run overnight, viola...stock! I love it.

The only problem I have is that I can't make HUGE batches this way.

 

[tuffyluvr]

I have to agree with April20 and second her sentiments on getting a slow cooker with a stoneware insert.

I have a 6qt oval one and it's a great size. I like the oval shape because I don't think a lot of things fit well into a perfect circle. I make short ribs in the slow cooker on Sunday and they definitely would not have fit in a round crock pot. It makes enough for FI and I to get about 3-4 meals. Its always nice to make extra so all you've got to do to prep dinner is transfer the Tupperware from the freezer to the fridge to thaw a day ahead, then heat.

 

[Ximena]

Also, I watched the Ninja Cooking System (aka crockpot) infomercial. I want it!

I'm so making this next week Got the Ninja on sale for $129 [after 20% coupon] It's well made but huge

Yay!!!!! Please review all the features for us . . .
I think I'll put it on my Christmas list.

Made the Marinara sauce posted by aljdewey at 8 am. Browning ground sirloin with the onions was a breeze, the insert is large enough to keep them separated for a bit, not much grease was released I used 3/4 C of white wine [what I had handy] and totally forgot the balsamic vinegar. Sauce was done in 4 hours on high. Very Yummy, thank you aljdewey!

When I came from work, I prepared a quick lasagna using most of the sauce, it took 3.5 hours, the noodles were tender, I kind of missed the golden top, had intentions to broil it for a bit but the oven was being used. No one complained, fed a small army with no fuss.

 

[minousbijoux]

Oooh, Ximena, that sounds great! Lasagne in a crockpot - never would've thought of it.

Anyway, has anyone else noticed a correlation between cold rainy weather and crockpots? I went through my recent spurt (all on cold rainy days) and am now back to stirfry, pasta and salad. I'm sure the next inspiration will come when it gets cold and damp again. Just like my desire for roasting chicken - only in the cold!

 

[purplesparklies]

Inspired to get mine out. Haven't used it in awhile!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I just wanted to add that I made my first pot roast in my crockpot. I used chuck roast, a little under 2 lbs, and cooked it for about five hours on LOW! Turned out soooo yummy and tender....it fell apart when I attempted to take it out. The size was perfect for DH and me to have a couple of meals each (first was me just eating it right off the plate after I cooked it - couldn't resist! and then a couple of sandwiches).

 

[minousbijoux]

MC, you are SO not allowed to talk about making something that was yummy without posting the recipe! Now get cracking, missy!

 

[Octavia]

I made crockpot beef stew last night with mixed results. It tasted really, really good but I think I used too much broth initially, and next time I will probably prop the lid up with some tinfoil to create a small vent. It was just so soupy, not the nice rich gravy texture I want in my stew. I ended up making a roux on the stovetop, ladling in most of the broth, and reducing it on high heat for awhile. That did the trick, but dirtied up another pan for me to wash afterward. I'll definitely try again, though.

Beef Stew

1 pound stew meat, cubed (if you buy pre-cut and some pieces are larger, cut them down so all pieces are bite-sized and fairly even)
1 medium onion, roughly diced
1/2 cup dry white wine (Pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, etc but nothing oaky like most Chardonnays)
8 ounces small button mushrooms, or if larger mushrooms, halved or quartered
3 medium-to-large carrots
Chicken or beef broth
1/2 cup (or more) frozen peas
Salt and pepper

Dredge beef cubes in flour. Heat skillet with some olive oil until the oil barely starts smoking. Add meat and sear so it is browned on all sides, working in two or more batches if necessary so the pan isn't crowded (if so, the meat will steam instead of brown). Put cooked meat in a large bowl. Add onions to pan and cook until softened. Add wine and reduce slightly, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour over meat. Add carrots and mushrooms.

At this point, I cover and refrigerate overnight; if I was making it all the same day, I'd put everything right in the crock.

In the morning, tip contents of the bowl into the crock. Add broth so it doesn't quite cover the meat and veggies (my mistake -- I covered them completely). Cook on low 7 hours. When you're almost ready to eat, add the peas, turn the pot back up to high, and let cook just until they're hot. If the stew is too brothy, dissolve some cornstarch in a little water or melted butter and whisk into the stew; it should thicken up while the peas cook.

Note: I haven't perfected this so you might get more of a soup than a stew, like I did -- just a warning!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

MC, you are SO not allowed to talk about making something that was yummy without posting the recipe! Now get cracking, missy!

hehehe Okay, keep in mind I made this in my monster 9 qt crockpot so I didn't measure anything out because I had more liberty with spicing AND I often do not measure when using my crockpot. That is the nice thing... you can just stick stuff in and the crockpot does all the magic!

If your crockpot is big enough, you can add veggies to this!

Good for 2 people:

2 lbs chuck roast
Low sodium beef broth
flour
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
rosemary
bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon worchestirshire sauce

coat both sides of chuck roast with flour. Put olive oil in fry pan and lightly brown both side of chuck roast in the pan. This is important because it enhances the flavor!!!

Put in crock pot: 2 tablespoons olive oil (or 1 tbs if you have small crock pot), the chuck roast, and then add enough beef broth to cover the roast and then add a bit more to make up for any evaporation.

Then add in the garlic, dump in some dried rosemary (i added a lot!) and 1 or 2 bay leaves, and the 1/2 tsp. worchestirshire sauce.

With small chuck like this, it will take 5 hours ON LOW! If you want to add veggies, if you chop them up, you can add in the last hour. I've found most times, if I add anything with the meat, it ends up mushy.

This recipe is a modified one from one I found online that suggested a 3 lbs chuck, cooking for 8-10 hours, however, there is NO way that a small chuck would be tender after that long. I originally tried mine at 5 hours and it was perfect but was afraid of food poisoning (!) lol, so I cooked it 1/2 hr longer while eating it out of the crock pot and it was slightly less tender! I have a bad habit of eating what I'm cooking while it's still finishing up. It's too hard to resist because the house if filled with the auroma!

ETA - I just scooped out the meat, which fell apart as I tried to take it out and poured the broth into the sink. I guess gravy could have been made with that...I'm just not much of a gravy person!

 

[minousbijoux]

Yummy, and seems pretty simple. Simple is a good thing!

ETA: Thanks, MC!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Yummy, and seems pretty simple. Simple is a good thing!

ETA: Thanks, MC!

Yeah, it was really quick and easy. Since it was my first attempt at a pot roast I didn't want to invest in a lot of ingredients and then have the roast end up tasting like rubber! Also, I wanted a recipe that didn't require powdered soup mix or canned soup, which reduced the number of options out there. The result was great and I'll be making it again.

 

[Lulie]

I want a Ninja
We tried this old recipe with steamed broccolini...delish!

Mongolian Style Beef

1 1/2 pound flank, skirt, sirloin or ball tip steak, thinly sliced against the grain into 1/4 inch slices.
1/4 cup cornstarch

Sauce:
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup white wine or water
1/2 Tb rice vinegar
1 ts sesame oil
1 ts molasses
1 ts fresh ginger, grated
1 ts dried onion
1/4 ts black pepper
1/4 ts red chili flakes or to taste
3 Tb brown sugar
1/2 Tb peanut butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, chopped

Put all the sauce ingredients in the crock pot, stir well.
In a bag or a bowl, coat meat evenly with the cornstarch, make sure to shake off any excess.
Add the meat to the crock pot, fold gently just to coat.
Cover and cook for 4 hours on low.
Serve over rice or cellophane noodles.
**If your crock pot is larger than 5 qt or less than half full, cooking time will be faster and meat could burn, check early.

 

[minousbijoux]

Oh Lulie, this one sounds excellent! But four hours of cooking? Doesn't the beef get tough? I can't wait to try this one.

 

[Lulie]

Oh Lulie, this one sounds excellent! But four hours of cooking? Doesn't the beef get tough? I can't wait to try this one.

Hi, Not at all and I've tried several cuts of meat. I believe the acidic ingredients have lots to do with it.
You could always try cooking it on high [DH's style] for two hours or so but you must watch it....cornstarch loves to stick

 

[webdiva]

Ok, ya'll - you inspired me and I picked up ingredients to make the chicken tacos based on stargurl78's posted recipe! I was early to a meeting and ducked into Trader Joe's as per Kenny's suggestion!

O. M. G. - sooooo good! I added 1 jar of their habanero and lime salsa, and 1 jar of their authentico (it was too much liquid with the frozen chicken breasts so I'd do only 1 jar next time), 1 pack of frozen chicken breasts, 1 pack of chopped frozen cut bell pepper and half a pack of their Trader Joe's Taco season (cuminlicious!). Hours later the house smelled DEEEELICIOUS! I made guacamole by just mashing up avocados, adding sea salt, chili flakes and 2 limes. Whipped up some El Paso microwaveable black beans and put out tortillas. Hubby said "Definitely repeat, hun!".

CJ2008 - did you end up making anything? BTW, I actually prefer using my pressure cooker since I'm usually not coordinated enough to have ingredients 8 hours ahead for dinner. I made chicken mushroom wine stew (really just chicken and gravy) with potatoes and carrots in 20 min in the pressure cooker (10 min cooking time, 5 min prep, 5 min cooldown time). I can make pot roast in 45 min versus hours -and it's waaaay more tender!

My pot roast recipe (adapts to a crock pot too - but I have no idea how many hours it would take)

A couple pounds brisket
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 lb potatoes (leave whole)
1 lb carrots (cut in half)
1 lb rutabaga or turnips - cut into 2 inch pieces (optional - but the rutabaga makes the whole thing taste so creamy)
Seasoning to taste (I really love Cavender's Greek spices since it has oregano, garlic, salt, etc all in it. It's so easy to just dump in a few teaspoons)
Olive oil

Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the pressure cooker. Heat on high.
Add the brisket (pat dry first with a paper towel and sprinkle with spices)
Brown on each side (takes a few minutes but adds so much flavor!)
Once brown, add red wine and broth - scraping the good brown bits off the bottom of the pan (may be unnecessary since it may cook off)
Add potatoes, carrots, a couple teaspoons more seasoning
Bring to pressure for 1/2 hr, then let cool 15 min

Once you open the pot, the gravy is already "made". You can add some cornstarch if you like it thicker but it was pretty thick already. My dad RAVED about this when I made it and was amazed I was such a good "cook". LOL


EDIT: the brisket was in 2 big pieces cuz I had a tiny pot at the time but it "broke" into yummy, super tender pieces as shown here.

 

[minousbijoux]

I don't know which recipe to try first - the chicken tacos, the Mongolian Beef, or the chicken recipe with biscuit on top Choices, choices! Hmm. Made a conventional roast chicken the other night and with the carcass I made broth, which I then turned into Pho (with rice noodles of course), so maybe its time for beef...

Anybody have any good vegetarian crockpot recipes that don't have beans in them (my son dislikes all dried bean-type things )?

TIA!

 

[Ninna]

Our kid only eats 2 legumes: crunchy chick peas and split peas
Made some split pea/yellow squash soup in the slow cooker for him today, he ate two bowls! Let's blame the garlicky croutons

 

[Haven]

I was craving Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, so I pulled out my slow cooker and used it to make a turkey breast. It was awesome and SO EASY!

I found a recipe on Allrecipes.com that said to just rub dry onion soup mix on the breast and under the skin. I added some carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the bottom of the crock pot for flavor, and because I wanted a tasty gravy from the juices. I cooked a 3.5 lb breast on high for one hour, and then on low for about two hours. (My slow cooker has a probe that goes into the meat and then turns itself to warm when the temp is correct, so I think it was two hours on low.)

Anyway, the turkey was moist and delicious, and it took practically no effort to make. I also made some mashed potatoes and roasted cauliflower, a gravy from the turkey juices, and I bought a can of cranberry sauce. (I love canned cranberry sauce, okay? Love it!) It was a delicious meal, and we have enough for several days' worth of lunches now, too!

So, thank you for this thread, because it inspired me to pull out my neglected slow cooker!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Anyway, the turkey was moist and delicious, and it took practically no effort to make. I also made some mashed potatoes and roasted cauliflower, a gravy from the turkey juices, and I bought a can of cranberry sauce. (I love canned cranberry sauce, okay? Love it!) It was a delicious meal, and we have enough for several days' worth of lunches now, too!

Yummy!

 

[minousbijoux]

Grooaaaan! Oh I'm definitely starting to have a love/hate relationship with this thread

 

[Kismet]

I have the all-clad with the removable aluminum liner. I love it. It can go on the stove (and in the oven if necessary) and that really helps with not wanting to dirty another pan browning the meat before putting it in the slow cooker issue.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Oooh, Ximena, that sounds great! Lasagne in a crockpot - never would've thought of it.

Anyway, has anyone else noticed a correlation between cold rainy weather and crockpots? I went through my recent spurt (all on cold rainy days) and am now back to stirfry, pasta and salad. I'm sure the next inspiration will come when it gets cold and damp again. Just like my desire for roasting chicken - only in the cold!

I just saw this post...Totally, Minousbijoux. I rarely use my crockpot in the summer and use it on cold/dreary days which make me want to build a nest and hybernate! lol We can have weeks here where it rains non-stop and it's nice having a dinner warming all day. I will grill in the winter if it's not raining because it's nice to have a change in tastes of food. On Sunday, I grilled turkey burgers.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

*** double post

 

[Ximena]

Made an 'Apple Crisp' in the Ninja for work today. To save time, I sauted 6 1/2 lbs of apples a bit in butter to speed up the cooking time then switched to slow cook setting for 3 hours...nice!

Apple Crisp
from Kim's Cottage

2 1/2 lbs granny smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices [ about 4 giants]
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 ts ground cinnamon
6 Tb unsalted butter
1/2 ts ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C white sugar
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C rolled oats
1/2 C Grape Nuts cereal [or oats]

4 Qt directions:
Spray the inside bottom and sides of your stoneware with cooking spray.
Add apples, 1/2 C brown sugar and 1/2 ts cinnamon; toss to combine.
Melt the butter in a medium bowl for a few seconds in the microwave; add salt, sugars, flour, oats and cereal; combine with a fork.
Sprinkle butter mixture on top of the apples.
Cover slow cooker with a paper towel. Place lid over paper towel.
Cook on high for 2 hours.
Once the apples are tender, uncover the slow cooker to allow the topping to harden a bit for about 40 minutes.
-I still like the traditional way better BUT for entertaining, I think it's a good option.

 

[erinl]

I just got the costco flyer and they have a crockpot with an instant 10 dollars off savings. Just fyi, the sale starts on the 9th.

 

[eh613c]

I just got the costco flyer and they have a crockpot with an instant 10 dollars off savings. Just fyi, the sale starts on the 9th.

That's where I got my crockpot and I haven't used it for a while but the recipes in this thread sound yummy. I may have to try all of them!

 

[minousbijoux]

Wow, look! We have the whole of Thanksgiving right on the page with Haven's meal and Ximena's apple crisp. Quick, someone figure out how to make some hors h'oeuvres in that thing!

 

[tuffyluvr]

I was craving Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, so I pulled out my slow cooker and used it to make a turkey breast. It was awesome and SO EASY!

I found a recipe on Allrecipes.com that said to just rub dry onion soup mix on the breast and under the skin. I added some carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the bottom of the crock pot for flavor, and because I wanted a tasty gravy from the juices. I cooked a 3.5 lb breast on high for one hour, and then on low for about two hours. (My slow cooker has a probe that goes into the meat and then turns itself to warm when the temp is correct, so I think it was two hours on low.)

Anyway, the turkey was moist and delicious, and it took practically no effort to make. I also made some mashed potatoes and roasted cauliflower, a gravy from the turkey juices, and I bought a can of cranberry sauce. (I love canned cranberry sauce, okay? Love it!) It was a delicious meal, and we have enough for several days' worth of lunches now, too!

So, thank you for this thread, because it inspired me to pull out my neglected slow cooker!

I love cranberry sauce. I'll eat pretty much any cranberry sauce or relish, but my favorite is canned ocean spray jellied cranberry sauce. Mmmm. I want some nowwww

 

[Ninna]

Just wanted to share this recipe given by the lady from my favorite deli. It's a large recipe, we fed 5 adults and 2 children.
Very tasty!

Turkey Golumbki
12-14

1 medium cabbage

1 C basmati rice, rinsed

1 egg

2 Tb chopped dried onion [1/2 C fresh, grated]

2 ts granulated garlic [2 cloves, minced]

1 1/4 ts salt

3/4 ts black pepper

1 Lb ground turkey [extra-lean ground beef]

2 [18 oz] cans Progresso Recipe Starters -fire roasted tomato

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Core the cabbage head with a fairly wide margin at the top. Immerse cabbage in water. Outside leaves will separate after 1 1/2 minute, remove outer leaves from water into a bowl, repeat as layers will separate every 40 seconds.
Pour 1 can of sauce into the stoneware.
In a medium bowl, combine rice, egg, 2 Tb of Progresso sauce, spices and turkey.
Place 1/4 cup of meat mixture in center of each cabbage leaf, and roll up, tucking in ends. Arrange rolls seam side down in the prepared stoneware.
Pour 2nd can of Progresso sauce over cabbage rolls.
Cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours or until tender.
Dish freezes well.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I was craving Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, so I pulled out my slow cooker and used it to make a turkey breast. It was awesome and SO EASY![/img]

A couple days ago, Whole Foods had cooked turkey & gravy and stuffing in their hot food buffett...it was sooo yummy! Your post promted me to endulge in that and I also bought some turkey breasts that I'm going to slow cook tomorrow in my crockpot. Am going to add a bunch of rosemary!