Any amazing crockpot ideas/recipes out there?

[strmrdr]

Date: 9/24/2005 10:44:03 PM
Author: Mara

Date: 9/24/2005 8:46:20 PM

Author: strmrdr

This is what im cooking tomorrow.


3lb chuck roast.

6-7 large taters peeled and diced.

2 large onions.

3/4 lb baby carrots.

dosh of honey bbq sauce

water to cover roast 1/2 way up.


high 5 hours.

Strm that sounds like it would be pretty healthy as in low-fat...do you agree? Does it end up being thicker like a stew or more like a chicken soup?

We usually serve it as roast and sides.
Use the juice for gravy.
Have to let the juice sit then skim the fat off the top.
That plus not eating the fat it is pretty low fat as far as beef goes.

 

[Kaleigh]

All these great recipes have inspired me to buy a crock pot. Mara your artichoke dip recipe sounds delish. And Storm, I will have to give your recipe a whirl, Yummmmmm

 

[Kamuelamom]

Date: 9/24/2005 9:53:27 PM
Author: AGBF
I don''t need a recipe forum, Mara. I just realized I missed some of the threads we used to have. Right now I want to do some specific recipe research (but wouldn''t mind having some research done for me by others (especially if those others know of recipes that they have actually used!!!).

Deb, since the original recipe forum was discontinued, I dug up the old "recipe" thread, which I linked on my post that includes the crab/artichoke dip recipe. FYI, I also bumped it in another thread. I was in a recipe mood today I suppose.

About the crab; you can easily use the real canned crabmeat, or even better, frozen crabmeat. I''m that kind of cook.

In the case of the recipe I posted, it actually called for canned crab meat, which I did not have so I used the imitation. But in general, I am not afraid to substitute anything that seems remotely possible to me (or readily available), except when it comes to baking, since that''s much more of a science. I think that''s why I prefer cooking, I find it much more forgiving and I can express more creativity with it, depending on what I have. You can even go w/o the crab altogether, as Mara''s recipe indicates. It''s not a "have to have" ingredient (the crab), but to me, it''s interesting and adventurous to combine different flavors to see what works.

 

[Lorelei]

ENGLISH DUMPLINGS

When the stew is about an hour away from being cooked:

4oz Suet, if available in the States ( I use vegetarian)
8oz Self Rising flour.
Salt and Pepper, or a few herbs if desired - dry or fresh.
Cold water to mix.

Sift flour and mix all dry ingredients together. Mix to a firm dough with cold water, so it isn''t sticky but moist enough to shape. Shape into balls with hands about the size of a golf ball. Turn pot up to HI , sit the dumplings on top of the stew and cook for half / 1 hour until doubled in size. You can also turn them halfway through in the gravy. Serves 4.

These things are a very old traditional English stew accompaniment and are so good

but not for the waistline unfortunately!

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 9/24/2005 11:31:17 PM
Author: kaleigh
All these great recipes have inspired me to buy a crock pot. Mara your artichoke dip recipe sounds delish. And Storm, I will have to give your recipe a whirl, Yummmmmm

Buy one of the 3qt or 3.5qt oval ones not the round.
They work better for anything but soup.

 

[strmrdr]

I was talking to someone about crock pot cooking and something important came up that I thought everyone would know but i guess not.

Never ever ever put frozen meat in a crock pot.

I will stay at too low a temp for too long and the bad bacteria has too much time to grow.
Eggs for the most part have no part in crockpot cooking for the same reason.

 

[Mara]

strm I never would have figured that bacteria thing...

Why an oval one and not a round?

 

[Kaleigh]

Thanks for the tip Storm. I''m buying one this week. Yes why oval instead of round. Oh and belle your recipe sounds yummy too.

 

[strmrdr]

The oval fits a whole chicken or a large turkey breast better than a round.
You can get under the chicken in it to lift it so it dont fall apart.
Same with a big pork roast.
Most beef roasts arent big enough for it to matter.
With a round its almost impossible to get it out without it coming apart.
It also works better for casseroles because the heat is spread out over a larger area and the bottom doesnt dry as much.


I just checked and mine is a 3.5qt oval and its the perfect size for a whole chicken with taters. So thats what id recomend.
I also have a 3qt round that I use for soups that is over 20 years old.

The down side is the oval takes up more storage space.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Really never thought about the bacteria thing - I always put a frozen pot roast in my crock pot and let it cook all day - yummy! Maybe I should rethink that. . .

Mara, pot roast dinners tend to not be low fat as that cut of meat has better than average fat content - as opposed to eye or round or sirloin. It is, however, to die for - so tender you can cut it with a fork. Potatotes - even plain cooked ones never seem the same without salt and butter so the fat really ratches up!

I too am originally from the south so pot roast and chicken and dumplings (no carrots or celery in mine either thank you very much!) are right up my alley!

I use a crock pot for spaghetti sauce as well as chili. When you are tired and cold from a long day, there is nothing better than coming home to your already cooked dinner. We sometimes put chili over linguini and sprinke cheddar cheese on the top and call it Chili Mac.

 

[Mara]

Hmm makes sense. What about a chicken vs a pot roast then...I''m mostly a chicken breast person so Greg could eat the rest (he doesn''t care about fat like I do, typical high-metabolism man!)..

I''m tempted to get one now...I''ll have to see if I can find one at BBB next time.

 

[strmrdr]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
nothing better than the smell of cooking food filling the whole downstairs.
2 hours to go and its making my tummy growl!

 

[AGBF]

I never used my crockpot. All this crockpot discussion made me wonder if I had given mine away when we moved or if I still had it. I was thinking of using it.... Well...I have looked for it and I don''t have it. I must have given it away. Now the question is: given that I got rid of something I never used, should I replace it? What if, once again, I never use it? I''m not sure I am really a crockpot kind of cook .

PS-I used my bread machine once a day and sometimes more for years and years. Now that is something I can get back into using!

Deb

 

[FireGoddess]

Definitely also prefer the oval crocks over the round for the same reasons strm already said - and it's a perfect shape to put a whole roaster chicken in....that's what I've been doing most lately, but wanted more recipes for other things and so started this thread!

I've been buying the 3 pack of roaster chickens at costco...it's like $12 for 3 whole chickens!!! I freeze two and then use one immediately in the crock. I put a bed of onions, carrots, celery (or whatever combo is on hand) at the bottom, stuff the inside of the chicken w/ onions, and then make a "mix" which I slather in between the meat and the skin, as well as on top of the skin though I don't eat that part. The "mix" is : 2 tbs butter, rind of one lemon, pinch of salt, pepper, any spice you like, and 2 minced garlic cloves. I mix that all up and insert it under the skin as far as I can, as well as on top. Gives the chicken such a GREAT lemon/garlic flavor in the meat, which usually doesn't happen if you just slather the stuff on top of the skin only.

I cook on low 6 hours. Can cook on high for less time, but I'd rather it cook slower longer since I wouldn't get home from work any time before then anyway!! I lift the bird out, pour all the juices into this turkey broth/fat separator thingy I got at Williams Sonoma (glass beaker w/ a mesh strainer on top...strainer filters out the solid stuff and then the fat separates from the juices, and the spout is so low that all you pour out is juice while retaining the fat in the separator apparatus)...put that broth in a pot, toss in some cornstarch or any thickener and in 2 minutes have a gravy for the chicken. YUMMY.

I am a chicken breast person and luckily my husband could care less about dark versus light meat so we're all good! Then I clean the entire carcass, put the leftover meat in a tupperware container and use it throughout the week on other things...to top off a salad, make chicken salad, add to a soup, put in sandwiches, etc.

I do have a crockpot cookbook and need to look through it for some interesting recipes....I know there's a recipe for a white chili (using chicken instead of beef as well) in there if someone's interested.

 

[Erin]

I''ll have to find the exact recipe if anyone''s truly interested just pm me but it''s for Crockpot Pizza

First layer of Kluski noodles (preboiled)
Second layer of spaghetti sauce (including anything you''d want on a pizza - green peppers, mushrooms, garlic, anchovies)
Third layer is shredded cheese - mozzarella of course, parmesan, etc
Fourth layer is slliced pepperonis, pre-cooked sausage, crumbled bacon whatever your choice

repeat layers one through four until you reach the top of the pot or run out of ingredients

slow cook all day

 

[eks6426]

starset...your crockpot pizza sounds like the most unusual crock pot recipe. Does it hold its shape so you actually slice the "pizza"?

Another twist on whole chickens...I take a lemon or a couple of limes and poke holes in them...put them inside the chicken cavity and cook all day. Great flavor and super easy.

 

[Erin]

Yes Island, not your typical recipe...

For some reason everything ''gels'' to the kluski noodles so once you cut into it, it separates from the layer below but holds its shape. In a small crockpot, one layer feeds us for dinner, and the next layer is waiting for tomorrow.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 9/29/2005 6:00:58 PM
Author: Starset Princess
For some reason everything ''gels'' to the kluski noodles so once you cut into it, it separates from the layer below but holds its shape. In a small crockpot, one layer feeds us for dinner, and the next layer is waiting for tomorrow.

It sounds more like lasagne than pizza (which is OK with me because I like lasagne more than pizza!).

Deb

 

[eks6426]

I made up a new crockpot recipe last night and it got rave reviews at my house.

Crock pot beef stroganoff:

1 pound thinly sliced round steak
1/2 onion sliced or chopped
2 beef boullion cubes
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup sour cream
salt & pepper to taste

Put round steak, onion, mushrooms & boullion cubes in crockpot. Add 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. I went home at lunch to do this but it might be ok all day. My beef was still slighly frozen when I sliced it at lunch time (it is much easier to slice when slightly frozen).

When you get home, boil water for noodles. I used standard cheap no yolk egg noodles.

When noodles are almost done, add sour cream, salt & pepper to crockpot. You might need to take out some of the liquid in the crockpot first. The sour cream will make it more liquidy. I usually leave about 1 1/2 cups of the liquid in the crockpot...much more than that it starts to be more like soup. Let the mixture continue to cook in the crockpot on low while the noodles finish. Drain noodles.

You can either mix the meat & sauce with the noodles or put the noodles on the plate first then scoop on the sauce. I prefer noodles separate, but it''s too much work for my kids.

I serve this with cider baked acorn squash & green beans.

Cider baked squash is super easy.

Slice 1 acorn squash into rings about 1/2 inch thick...clean out seeds from inside rings.
Put in microwave dish. Add 2 tablespoons apple cider.
Cover with saran wrap & microwave for 5 minutes.
Add nutmeg or cinnamon or brown suger if desired. Yum!

 

[FireGoddess]

I am SO making that stroganoff this weekend!!!!!

 

[monarch64]

FYI: I am a married working girl who believes very strongly in time management. By that I mean, if I''m making dinner it''s usually coming out of a box!!! Ok, I exaggerate. But I did happen to be in the frozen food section of the supermarket the other day, and I picked up my very own Banquet (I think?) bag of ready to throw in the crock pot meal. It''s chicken and dumplings, serves 5. It''s just like the Skillet Sensations, only you put it in the crock pot. I am making it tomorrow in lieu of my original Friday night dinner plan of crock pot chili. They didn''t have a frozen bag of chili, and I don''t feel like going back to the store for ingredients anyway! They do have several versions of beef stew, etc. so you could always try one of them if you''re not in the mood to prep all the fresh ingredients!

 

[AGBF]

I Bought a Crockpot!!!

This thread inspired me to buy a crockpot, although I got rid of my last one since I never used it. Unwilling to let the new one be cursed similarly, I used it today (the same day it arrived by UPS). I had found a fairly lowfat recipe for potatoes so today I threw some in, making only minor modifications to the "recipe" for Crockpot Red Potatoes.

The recipe called for:

25 small red potatoes
1 can chicken broth
3 T. butter
garlic powder
season salt
lemon pepper
dry parsley.

The instructions are to:

Place potatoes in crockpot, and throw in broth and seasonings to taste. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

I am not wild about using dry ingredients when I can use fresh, but I had read that dry spices work better in a slow cooker, so I obligingly added garlic powder, season salt, and lemon pepper-none of which I usually use in cooking, but all of which I own! I omitted the parsley. Later, on a whim (and against the advice on the slow cooker, which says not to lift the lid), I threw in some shallots and more butter. I'll let you know how it comes out. I have a stuffed chicken in the oven.


Deborah

 

[FireGoddess]

AGBF, definitely let us know how it comes out. That would be a great side dish to make for my leftover chicken from the roaster I did in the crockpot on Monday.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 10/6/2005 5:17:44 PM
Author: FireGoddess
AGBF, definitely let us know how it comes out. That would be a great side dish to make for my leftover chicken from the roaster I did in the crockpot on Monday.

My parents are visiting us. They both loved the potatoes. My daughter nibbled on one, but she does not eat much of anything except romaine lettuce and dressing. My husband ate one or two, but said he would prefer them crisp. I thought they were OK, but they were not like scalloped potatoes dripping with sauce! If you like a simple potato dish, this had a nice flavor. Especially with the extra butter and shallots. It needed more salt, but that was probably because I was sparing in my used of seasoned salt. (The "recipe" gave no amounts.)

It''s easy and I would say worth trying once. If you don''t love them as much as my parents did, at least you probably won''t hate them. No one here did.

Deborah

 

[eks6426]

What kind of crockpot does everyone use?

I have a large round one (large enough to cook whole chickens) with a ceramic part that comes all the way out for washing. It is probably 10 years old. This thread inspired me to look online at the new ones. There are lots of options out there now...many with digital timers..and the oval shape is more common. Some of my friends also have one that sits on a "griddle" then the pot part can be put on the stove or in the oven or in the fridge. This sounds good. So, if anyone has one of the modern crockpots they love, please share!

Thanks!

 

[AGBF]

OK..after using the crockpot for potatoes, I made apple-coconut crisp in mine. Today I am making meatless lasagne. The apple-coconut crisp was a combination of a crockpot recipe and a recipe I used to use for apple crisp made in the oven. It was pretty darned good, even though it didn''t have the crispiness of a crisp made in the oven! I had made it with eight Granny Smith apples, and even though there are currently five of us here, it lasted!!!

Deb

 

[AGBF]

Crockpot Apple Crisp with Coconut​

8 Granny Smith apples
1 cup sweetened, flaked, coconut
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 1/3 cup butter
cinnamon (to taste)
nutmeg (to taste)
Butterscotch or Caramel ice cream topping (to taste)

Peel, core, and slice apples. (I added these to a buttered crockpot.) If you wish, drizzle Caramel ot Butterscotch ice cream topping over them. Mix coconut, brown sugar, flour, oats and butter. (Add cinnamon and nutmeg to this mixture if you wish.) Knead the mxture until it is well blended. Drop on top of apples. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

This can be served as is or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.


Deborah

 

[FireGoddess]

ID - I have the large oval kind. It''s a 6 quart Rival crockpot. It''s a metal container that houses a thick ceramic container for cooking and has a see through glass lid.

I got one very similar to mine for my best friend last year...they had ''em at Costco of all places! I think I got it there for $39.99 or $49.99. Can''t remember which.

Actually, this is it from the Macy''s website.

 

[Kaleigh]

I haven''t gotten mine yet, but need to go to Costco this week so I''ll get a nice oval one. I can''t wait to cook a chicken, yummmm. Oh and as Storm says some taters!!!

 

[AGBF]

Here is my crockpot. I bought it from Amazon.com after reading some of this thread. (It just came this week.) This is Amazon''s photo. My crockpot currently holds tonight''s dinner: lasagne.

Deb