Crock pot ideas/Recipie

We have 3 crock pots in our house. One is a big 5-quart pot, which was used in the past for BFs office parties (meatballs for 30 people), and rarely gets much use any more. The second is a standard size, without a removeable crock (this is a pain, as you have to clean it carefully so as not to get water in the electrical system). The last is a small one quart Rival, with a removeable crock that fits nicely in the dishwasher. This size is perfect for the 2 of us. I found that the standard size is too big for most recipies, and unless the pot is more than 1/2 full, the sauce or whatever is in there will burn on the sides after 8 hours or so.

The other trick with crock pots is not to keep checking on whatever is inside, as supposedly each "peek" will increase the cooking time by 10 to 15 minutes.
So, resist the temptation, and try to stir only once or twice during the cooking time.

So, Lisa SH, if you are buying a new crockpot, please consider the little one for yourself and DH. It is also a good backup for making dips, etc for the holidays, for anyone with larger families. I got mine at a local drugstore (Brooks) for around $20.00, and I'm sure you can order them off Amazon. The only thing I would change about it is that there is only one fixed heat setting, unlike the larger versions, but it doesn't seem to matter.

Here is an easy recipie for all you beef-lovers. I made this last Sunday around 11 AM, and it was ready around 7:30. The meat was so tender you could cut it with a fork. I have served it with rice or noodles. Note- I tend to cook without precise recipies a lot of times, especially after I have made something for a long time, so feel free to adapt to your tastes.

Beef Rouladen (for 2 people)

1 to 1 and 1/2 lbs round or flank steak (thinner is better- sometimes I will cut flank steak in half lengthwise if it is more than 1/2" thick. You can also pound with one of those mallets to make it thinner)

Cut meat into 2 equal pieces.

Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper, a sprinkle of nutmeg, and about 1/2 teaspoon of caraway seeds

Chop up one whole dill pickle, some onion, and carrots into narrow thin pieces about 1" long, and pile in the middle of the meat. Roll up firmly, and try to keep as much of the "stuffing" inside as possible, but if some falls out, just throw in the sauce. Tie up the meat rolls : you can use toothpicks, or shorter lengths of wooden skewers, or kitchen string/twine (very hard to find these days!). Place in crockpot.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 or 2 (8 oz) cans of plain tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of red wine or Marsala wine, and 1 teaspoon of parsley. Place 1-2 tablespoons flour in a small jar, add 1/4 cup water, and shake well to mix. Pour flour and water into the tomato sauce/wine mix, and pour into crockpot. making sure some of the sauce is underneath the meat rolls to prevent sticking.

Cook at low heat for 7 to 9 hours. Remove string or toothpicks, and enjoy!

When my brother lived with my boyfriend & I, crockpot meals were my salvation! I would either throw something in before I went to work, or left instructions for my bro (works retail, wonky schedules) to throw stuff in. My favorite recipe is a South Beach Diet recipe, but is so yummy! I warn you, the boys named it GOOP, cause it doesn't look so appetizing, but it is delicious!

GOOP!
boneless, skinless breasts (1 1/2 lbs or so)
1 can creme chicken healthy requests soup
1 block ff/lf creme cheese
1 packet good seasons zesty italian dressing
1-2 cans mushrooms if you like them

Cook all day

Add Package of Frozen Peas(or Broccoli) in about 20 minutes before serving.

Bambu-
What do you consider to be a good size (in quarts)? I want to make soups and stews that will be enough for a dinner for 4 plus some leftovers the next day...

My crockpot is huge, I do not know how many quarts, but with 5 to feed and wanting leftovers, I have a large crock pot. It was super cheap, a day after Thansgiving sale item that has lasted me forever. It has a wonderful ceramic insert that is dishwasher safe, can go in the refrigerator, and the microwave. It has 2 settings, high and low. My crock pot is about 10 years old and still works great. :D

Lisa- You probably need the 3 quart size, which should be plenty big enough for 4, plus leftovers. That is considered the standard size crockpot. The big one that BMof3 is referring to is the 5 quart size, which is really big.

Wendy

Has anyone made an warm apple cider punch in their crock pot ,and if so may I have the recipe.

Am I the only person who keeps misreading this thread title to say "Crack pot ideas?" :p

Lisa - be sure you get one with a removable liner, and if possible a glass vs. plastic lid. The removeable liner is key for cleaning, and the glass lid is important if you think you will EVER need to put the liner in the oven. I bake beans from scratch, and use my crockpot liner in the oven for this purpose. A plastic lid wouldn't work for me.

That said, the standard size should serve you well for soups and stews for 4 people plus leftovers.

The best thing about the crockpot? Throw food in. Go for nice long ride. Come home to dinner!

SheFly

For those of you who have a crockpot that does not have a removable ceramic liner, look for plastic crockpot liners at the grocery store. My store has them in the aluminum foil/plastic wrap section. They are a disposable plastic bag (like those oven cooking bags) that you place in the crockpot before you put the food in. It works like a charm!

KB

From Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery:

Cranberry Wine Punch (makes 6 to 8 servings)

2 cups cranberry-raspberry juice
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 (750-ml) bottle Burgandy wine
1 lemon (unpeeled), thinly sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves

Combine juice, water, sugar, wine, and lemon in a slow cooker. Tie cinnamon and cloves in a small cheesecloth bag: add to cooker. Cover and heat on LOW for 1 to 2 hours. Remove cheesecloth bag. Punch may be kept hot and served from slow cooker on the lowest setting.

Padre Punch (makes 7 to 10 servings)

1 (6 oz) can frozen orange juice, partially thawed
3 orange juice cans of water
4 cups (1 quart) apple cider
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
Orange slices

In a slow cooker, combine orange juice, water, cider, nutmeg, and ginger. Tie cinnamon and cloves in a small cheeseclth bag: add to cooker. Cover and heat on LOW for 4 to 6 hours. Remove cheesecloth bag. Garnish with orange slices. Keep hot and serve punch from slow cooker.

VARIATION: Recipe may be doubled if your slow cooker is large enough.

I have a wonderful stainless steel Crock Pot that is digital and that switches to the warming setting after the cooking cycle is gone. It came with a cookbook that had this recipe in it. It makes fantastic leftovers and is great served with rice or couscous. And it's totally vegan!

Creole Black Beans
3 15 oz. cans black beans, drained
1 1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. dried thyme
1 1/2 t. dried oregano
1 1/2 t. white pepper
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 cayenne pepper
1 vegetable bouillon cube
5 bay leaves
1 cup water

Combine ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving and serve over cooked rice.

Yum!

Those Thanksgiving leftovers are coming up, which means:

Turkey Peanut Soup!!

*turkey leftovers
*1 cup or so 100% NATURAL (just peanuts and salt) peanut butter (crunchy is best)
*1 or 2 big cans of seasoned diced tomatoes, juice included
*large thumb-sized knob of gingerroot, peeled and sliced thin
*2 or 3 heads of garlic, cloves peeled but left whole
*salt and cayenne to taste
*chopped onions if you like them
*water as needed

cook until you feel like eating. The peanut butter will thicken the soup quite a lot, so go easy on it until you know what consistency you're getting.

OK, after MUCH research, I finally ordered a crock pot! I got this 5 quart one:
http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B0007W0...945325-5402446
I wanted to be able to cook a whole small chicken in it, or a pork roast, so I thought the 4 qt. was a bit small. But the 6 qt ones I felt would be too big for most meals or soups. The 5 qt sounded just right- it's equal to my stainless regular stock pot that I use a lot.

Last week I got a bestselling crock pot recipe book, but I don't like it much. I don't see the logic in buying canned beans and vegetables (which are already overcooked) and then cooking them for ANOTHER 6 hours in a crock pot. :confused: I have nothing against canned beans, but why not start with dried beans if they are going to cook all day anyway? I also can't get into dumping canned cream of mushroom soup, canned mushrooms, ketchup, or dried onion soup powder into everything. Why not just chop some fresh onions or mushrooms instead? Not much more trouble than opening a can. It just seems kind of outdated and not very nutricious. Also, in the book i got they actually used CANNED chicken and then added canned cream of chicken soup for some chicken casseroles. Ooh, YUMMY! :eek: :eek: Another recipe called for a half chopped onion PLUS 2 tablespoons of dried onion flakes. :confused: :confused: :confused: Didn't know anyone bought dried onion flakes anymore...
So anyway, I found a couple of books that seemed to emphasize using fresher ingredients for slow cooker meals. Hopefully I'll like them better.

Will post when I do my first crock meal!

I take the recipes as guidelines and substitute all the time. Now for my friend who does not have time to chop and dice fresh, the canned goods are a life saver. I have time, so I use fresh. :)

That looks like a great find, Lisa! Just a question/warning - is that a plastic knob on the glass lid? If so, I would be cautious about putting it into the oven (if you were ever planning this, of course)....

Oh - an you don't need recipies for the crockpot - make it up as you go! One of my favorites is a frozen pork roast (usually a loin), a bag of baby carrots all covered with a can [DOH!] of sauerkraut. Another is a beef roast, carrots, potatoes, red wine, onions and garlic - instant dinner! Oh, and in March, a corned beef covered with a head of cabbage is also good (I think I usually add apple juice or cider to this for a "broth").

Enjoy, and have fun experimenting!

SheFly