OK - I give in, time to get a crockpot

[minousbijoux]

Oh, what has become of me?!! What does it say about me that the two places I hit first are the Fall Baking thread and this Crockpot thread? I don't check the bling or go to Colored Stones, but come straight here. Weird priorities, huh?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Oh, what has become of me?!! What does it say about me that the two places I hit first are the Fall Baking thread and this Crockpot thread? I don't check the bling or go to Colored Stones, but come straight here. Weird priorities, huh?

It's hybernation/nesting instincts kicking in! lol

 

[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![/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!

Oh, YUM. I love rosemary, I bet it's going to be delicious.

The problem with making mini-Thanksgiving dinner is that I just want it ALL THE TIME now!

 

[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!

Oh, YUM. I love rosemary, I bet it's going to be delicious.

The problem with making mini-Thanksgiving dinner is that I just want it ALL THE TIME now!

I hope so...I went to put everything in the crockpot and realized that most of the rosemary had been used up with the pot roast I made the other week (I like to buy my spices in bulk so they are fresh and the baggy was amost empty because I love rosemary so much! lol), so I added thyme in also. Hopefully it turns out as good. Since I didn't have enough rosemary, this must be a sign that I should make the turkey again NEXT week, and then make stuffing to go with it! lol I'm making wild rice to go with it this evening and then fun food for the kids b/c they're having friends over.

 

[Enerchi]

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! I have actually made this following recipe - this, from the woman who burns water!

Chicken Stroganoff:
cut up chicken pieces (4 chicken breasts into cubes)
2 tbsp margarine
1 package of DRY Italian seasoning mix (Italian salad dressing or soup mix would work if its a dry powder)

stir all around in the crock pot. Lid on. Low heat x 5 hours.

AFter 5 hours, lid off.

Mix a full 250 gm (no idea what that is in imperial...I'm Canadian!) softened brick of cream cheese with 1 can of low sodium cream of chicken soup concentrate (do not add water). Mix 2 together and pour on top of the chicken.

Lid back on x 30 mins until everything is melted. Serve on egg noodles. IT IS DELISH!!!

 

[minousbijoux]

Enerchi, congratulations!

...and another recipe to try.

 

[Rosebloom]

If your grocery store carries the Frontera Grill sauce pouches (Rick Bayless' line) they are amazing! I love all of them but he has an awesome barbocoa one you use in the crock pot. Sooooo easy and yumtastic.

 

[minousbijoux]

Where would I find the pouches - what section, that is?

I also recently saw a crockpot recipe for bread pudding Its probably just as easy to make it in the oven, but I want to try it anyway. Can't imagine it'll take very long though.

 

[tuffyluvr]

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!! I have actually made this following recipe - this, from the woman who burns water!

Chicken Stroganoff:
cut up chicken pieces (4 chicken breasts into cubes)
2 tbsp margarine
1 package of DRY Italian seasoning mix (Italian salad dressing or soup mix would work if its a dry powder)

stir all around in the crock pot. Lid on. Low heat x 5 hours.

AFter 5 hours, lid off.

Mix a full 250 gm (no idea what that is in imperial...I'm Canadian!) softened brick of cream cheese with 1 can of low sodium cream of chicken soup concentrate (do not add water). Mix 2 together and pour on top of the chicken.

Lid back on x 30 mins until everything is melted. Serve on egg noodles. IT IS DELISH!!!

Mmm... Cream cheese... Big fan of anything cream cheesy. This looks like a great recipe to toss together before work in the morning!

Not a crock pot recipe, but this reminded me that you can add a stick of softened cream cheese to a jar of marinara sauce (bring it to a simmer over med heat) and you end up with a thick, creamy pink sauce. Yummm.. Makes a dinner of pasta with jarred sauce soooo much more exciting!

 

[tuffyluvr]

Where would I find the pouches - what section, that is?

I also recently saw a crockpot recipe for bread pudding Its probably just as easy to make it in the oven, but I want to try it anyway. Can't imagine it'll take very long though.

A second "where to buy" request! Fresh and Easy has some good simmer sauces, but if Rick Bayless put his name on it, I wanna try!

Minousbijoux--I bet the bread pudding is divine! My friend/former roomie made baked oatmeal and chai tea in the crock pot--I was like, "why the hassle? Just make it on the stove?!?" but they
Were so good and i love the 'magic' of the crock pot!

 

[tuffyluvr]

Where would I find the pouches - what section, that is?

I also recently saw a crockpot recipe for bread pudding Its probably just as easy to make it in the oven, but I want to try it anyway. Can't imagine it'll take very long though.

I just made tomorrow's breakfast and it's all your fault (in a good way)! You reminded me of crock pot baked oatmeal, which led me to think of all the yummy apples I bought the other day... et voilà! Baked apple oatmeal! I am trying to cut back on dairy, but I wanted to make something creamy and delicious that FI would like too--he loves real milk, but it's terrible for my asthma. Here's the recipe--I let you know tomorrow how it comes out:

4 c water
2 c silk "soy nog"
1 can(14oz) Trader Joes coconut cream (unsweetened)
2 c steel cut oats
3 medium apples--peeled, cored and chopped
2 Tbsp Earth Balance vegan butter + 1 tsp
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
A healthy squeeze of agave nectar (approx 4 Tbsp--sweeten to your taste
with whatever sweetener you like)

Grease the crock pot w/1 tsp of butter

Pour all ingredients in the pot, stir, cook on low 7-8 hours.

 

[tuffyluvr]

Baked apple oatmeal was good! I served it with a sprinkle of maple sugar and pumpkin pie spice on top. So fun to wake up and have a hot breakfast waiting for you!

 

[Rosebloom]

Where would I find the pouches - what section, that is?

I also recently saw a crockpot recipe for bread pudding Its probably just as easy to make it in the oven, but I want to try it anyway. Can't imagine it'll take very long though.

They are available in all our local grocery stores, but I'm in Chicago where Rick Bayless lives. They are in the Whole Foods in Texas, Oklahoma, New York and Ohio I know (because I've got my whole family hooked!) so I imagine any WF has them or could get them. They're usually in the Mexican food area (the area with the masa and dried chiles and other "authentic" Mexican staples, not the beans or tortilla section).

The mole sauce is amazing (stove top not crock pot). Love the fish taco sauce. Love the ground beef taco sauce. Ditto for the steak taco sauce. We eat a lot of Mexican and these are so handy!

 

[Rosebloom]

PS The Frontera jalapeño cilantro salsa is sooooooooooooo good!

 

[minousbijoux]

Wow, this is great. Tuffyluvr, that oatmeal sounds so good - it must be so rich in flavor! I'm thinking it could almost be a dessert.

And Rosebloom, thanks. I will definitely look for them next time I shop. I've seen his chips and salsas for sale before; I guess I just never looked at packaged sauces cuz I usually make from scratch (because I think it tastes better, not that I'm a snob), but any excuse not to have to! Yum!

 

[tuffyluvr]

Wow, this is great. Tuffyluvr, that oatmeal sounds so good - it must be so rich in flavor! I'm thinking it could almost be a dessert.

And Rosebloom, thanks. I will definitely look for them next time I shop. I've seen his chips and salsas for sale before; I guess I just never looked at packaged sauces cuz I usually make from scratch (because I think it tastes better, not that I'm a snob), but any excuse not to have to! Yum!

Yeah, it was good! Not too sweet, but definitely would be desserty with a bit more butter and sugar.

I made a batch of black bean soup this morning, and it smells amazing! We won't be eating for about an hour, but if it's good I will post the recipe. It only took about 10-15min to throw together.

 

[webdiva]

No crockpot recipe - but a pressure cooker one! We didn't get leftovers on Thanksgiving and it's my favorite thing! So I threw turkey legs and wings into the pressure cooker, added a couple cups of water, spices, carrots and cut potatoes in half to put on top. In 20 minutes, the potatoes were steamed and I had a yummy, yummy gravy and moist turkey! Hoooraaayyy! I took the potatoes out while hot, put them in a bowl with hot milk and butter and made mashed potatoes! Thanksgiving dinner in 30 minutes, ya'll!

 

[gem_anemone]

I made Thanksgiving stuffing with the crock pot! It was so delicious. I could not find the exact recipe I used to post, but this one is very close. I dried and cubed a king size loaf of white bread. Drying takes 24 hours and I flipped the slices 4 or 5 times throughout the day. I discarded the crusts. I don't think I used as much broth as this recipe said maybe like 2 cups. Also I used turkey broth instead of chicken broth. I used fresh sage, rosemary and parsley and I made my own poultry seasoning. I cooked it on low for five hours and didn't stir it and the edges were just crusty enough not to be burnt. My husband usually doesn't eat stuffing, but the next day he asked for the leftovers which there were none! We had tons of everything else left over, but the stuffing was a hit! I am definitely going to make this again soon.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
12 ounces sliced mushrooms
12 cups dry bread cubes
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 1/2 cups chicken broth, or as needed
2 eggs, beaten

Directions:
1. Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, mushroom, and parsley in butter, stirring frequently.
2. Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper. Pour in enough broth to moisten, and mix in eggs. Transfer mixture to slow cooker, and cover.
3. Cook on High for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to Low, and cook for 4 to 8 hours.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I made Thanksgiving stuffing with the crock pot! It was so delicious. .

Fun! Sounds yummy! I almost made stuffing in the crockpot but was worried it might dry out. Now I wish I had as the oven one I made still was a bit too dry. Will try your recipe.

I double checked and my crockpot is 7 quarts. I want to get a smaller one. I might go with a 4 qt one. Today I am making the pot roast again! I've made it four times now and every time, it gets eaten up right away! It's the only food my younger son will eat from the crock pot. He likes it with a crunchy baquette.

 

[gem_anemone]

I made Thanksgiving stuffing with the crock pot! It was so delicious. .

Fun! Sounds yummy! I almost made stuffing in the crockpot but was worried it might dry out. Now I wish I had as the oven one I made still was a bit too dry. Will try your recipe.

I double checked and my crockpot is 7 quarts. I want to get a smaller one. I might go with a 4 qt one. Today I am making the pot roast again! I've made it four times now and every time, it gets eaten up right away! It's the only food my younger son will eat from the crock pot. He likes it with a crunchy baquette.

It was very moist! When I was spooning it into the serving dish I was afraid it would be a little slimy, but after it sat and steamed for a few minutes in the dish while we were getting the rest of the food to the table it ended up being just right. I'm making it for my work Xmas party in a couple weeks too.

 

[hoover]

I'm reviving this thread... Does anyone have new recipes to add?

Since I have a tendency to burn, and ruin food ( I frequently set off the smoke alarm ), crock pot cooking was a welcome addition to our house

Also, I would like to upgrade my crock pot (since it's easier than upgrading bling ). My current crock pot is pretty basic - off, low, and high. The new ones with the temperature probes, settings, timers, browning, etc look awesome!

I'm considering the Ninja cooking system mentioned before in this thread, the Cuisinart multi-cooker, or the InstantPot pressure/slow cooker.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=40520209
http://www.amazon.ca/Cuisinart-Central-Multi-Cooker-Black/dp/B005MN1IC4
http://www.amazon.ca/Instant-Pot-IP-LUX60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B0073GIN08/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_1

The Ninja looks cool, the Cusinart looks like a better quality Ninja, and I like the idea of a multifunctional cooker (but I think I would be likely to blow myself and/or my house up with a pressure cooker) What do you guys think would be a good one to buy?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I'm reviving this thread... Does anyone have new recipes to add?

Since I have a tendency to burn, and ruin food ( I frequently set off the smoke alarm ), crock pot cooking was a welcome addition to our house

Also, I would like to upgrade my crock pot (since it's easier than upgrading bling ). My current crock pot is pretty basic - off, low, and high. The new ones with the temperature probes, settings, timers, browning, etc look awesome!

I'm considering the Ninja cooking system mentioned before in this thread, the Cuisinart multi-cooker, or the InstantPot pressure/slow cooker.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=40520209
http://www.amazon.ca/Cuisinart-Central-Multi-Cooker-Black/dp/B005MN1IC4
http://www.amazon.ca/Instant-Pot-IP-LUX60-Programmable-Generation/dp/B0073GIN08/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_1

The Ninja looks cool, the Cusinart looks like a better quality Ninja, and I like the idea of a multifunctional cooker (but I think I would be likely to blow myself and/or my house up with a pressure cooker) What do you guys think would be a good one to buy?

Wow, some of those are $$$!

I found the one I have... it is this http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-Programmable-7qt-Cooker-Bonus/dp/B0061DJH36/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&srs=2587869011&ie=UTF8&qid=1355449845&sr=1-2&keywords=crockpot+7 and comes with the mini-dipper. It really just one step up from the basics but it cooks MEAT perfectly! I'm making a roast in it tomorrow and then next am going to try speghetti and meatballs (but make the noodles seperately).

 

[Sky56]

I use my large oval crock pot frequently. We're vegetarians, so often what I make is potato soup. It is yummy when you also add sweet potatoes along with potatoes, onion, zucchini and tomatoes or tomato sauce. Vegetable bouillon, spinach, kale, carrot, olive oil...the results are different of course with the variety of vegetables you can add. I like adding paprika, garlic, parsley, salt, Italian seasoning, basil.

I cook on high for 8 hours.

Also Chili:
I soak dried pinto beans overnight in the fridge. In the morning, I rinse the beans and put them in the crock pot with tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, Tabasco, olive oil, basil. Leave the salt out until the end. (Salt slows down the beans getting tender)

It's a nice basis for making a tasty Mexican meal with salad, avocado, rice along with it.

 

[dani13]

I've been using my crock pot A TON since I had the baby. I only have 15 mins to prepare dinner most days, so its just awesome. I have alot of recipes I can share, I will definitely be back to post some. Love my crock!!!

 

[minousbijoux]

Sky: I would be really grateful if you would post some good vegetarian recipes. It seems the fallback for most crockpot recipes is some kind of meat, and while I like meat, I'm much more interested in meat as an accompaniment or compliment to vegetables. Do you have any good recipes for tofu or other vegetable stews using different ingredients like coconut milk, peanut butter, or curry? TIA

 

[hoover]

Wow, some of those are $$$!

I found the one I have... it is this http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-Programmable-7qt-Cooker-Bonus/dp/B0061DJH36/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&srs=2587869011&ie=UTF8&qid=1355449845&sr=1-2&keywords=crockpot+7 and comes with the mini-dipper. It really just one step up from the basics but it cooks MEAT perfectly! I'm making a roast in it tomorrow and then next am going to try speghetti and meatballs (but make the noodles seperately).

Yep... They sure seem pricey when my $25 one works. It just doesn't have anything else other than the high and low. The geeky side of me wants the the gadgety features and the foodie side of me is hoping that more features and temperature settings might mean tastier meals. I've been watching the prices and I'm hoping that there's a good Boxing Day sale. I've seen the cuisinart go on sale at Sears a couple times for $120 for the 6 quart model, which would make it similar in price to the Ninja.

I made cabbage rolls last night and ribs the night before.

Score for this week: crockpot 2, smoke alarm 0 eating out 2

 

[Sky56]

hi minousbijoux - I never put tofu in the crockpot because I prefer to bake it in the oven - it is *so much* tastier to bake it first in strips or squares in the oven, then put it in your soup bowls as a topping when you serve crock pot stew.

Place cut rinsed, firm tofu in an oiled baking pan. Sprinkle spices of your choice. My favorites are curry powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt made with sea salt and organic vegetables. Another option is Italian spice blend, paprika, garlic powder.

Lightly cover with soy sauce or Bragg's Aminos. Sprinkle on nutritional yeast (that tasty, nutty yellow powder, not baker's yeast). These two ingredients really make it especially taste and look good...that nice browned, coated surface look when done.

Bake until browned. Oven temperature is chosen on whether you want it done fast or not, it doesn't matter - just eyeball it and look for a nice browned outer surface.

I make tofu this way a lot. I often served it over rice or roasted or mashed potatoes.

 

[BeachieBummie]

I love my oval crock pot! Thanks to Pinterest, I have found some new recipes to try. I cook mostly chicken meals in it, but I love that you can dump everything in, and go about your business the rest of the day.

This is one of the newer recipes I have tried. It was so yummy! Served it over white rice.

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/06/crock-pot-hawaiian-bbq-chicken.html

 

[ksinger]

Yeah, our old beater - don't recall the brand, does a fine job. A crockpot can truly be one of the lowest tech things in your kitchen - all the programmable gizmos are not necessary (or generally worth the cost) although they can be fun. It's just not required to make a better than decent dish in one. As my husband points out, "Fire make hot." Yep. That pretty much covers it.

Here's one of our favorites.

Spanish Short Ribs/ Stew Beef

2 lbs of cubed stew beef OR 2 lbs short ribs

1 large onion cut into wedges/wide strips
2 medium carrots cut into 2 inch pieces
4 oz hard spanish chorizo, small dice
1 14oz can undrained, diced tomatoes (Muir Glen, Fire-roasted w/diced chiles)
¼ C dry red wine
¼ C orange juice
2 tsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper ribs or stew meat, brown well, deglaze pan with 1/3 C tequila (don’t use an aged tequila – use the younger stuff, and it doesn’t have to be expensive)

Layer veggies and chorizo, meat, add tomatoes, orange juice, spices and vinegar.

Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.

 

[Lulie]

I would like to thank Haven for posting this......

I took the liberty to play with the original recipe

Rinse and pat dry 6 lb turkey breast, bone-in.
Pour 1 C of white wine [or chicken stock] into the crockpot, add 1 apple cut in half, two stalks of celery and half onion.
In a small bowl mix 1/2 stick of softened unsalted butter with 1 Tb salt, 1/2 ts rubbed sage, 1 T granulated garlic and a pinch of paprika. Gently lift the skin of the breast and spread the butter mixture on. Drizzle breast with 1 Tb of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place breast into the prepared crock pot and cover.
Cook on high for 1 hour then reduce to Low and cook until it registers 165+F.
Bone in can take up to 6 hours depending on the size of your pot, start checking at 5 hours.
CAREFULLY remove the breast from the crock pot onto a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes [mine took 4] to crisp the skin to your liking.
Strain the liquids in the crockpot through a fine sieve to make gravy, enjoy!