Ask the Readers: Do you use your crock pot?

Patti emailed in:

I would like to buy a new crock pot, especially since there is a terrific coupon in the October All You magazine, but I have not been successful in finding recipes that my family enjoys and I hate to make such large amounts of food only to discover they hate it. Do you or any of your readers have other uses for their slow cookers such as cooking up meats or beans for use in other meals? Or recipes that are not so full of fat and carbs?  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated as I ponder this purchase.

When I'm not in the middle of morning sickness and pretty much avoiding the kitchen (!), I'm an avid fan of the crock pot. Since I'm more of an "experimental cook", I love to make up a pot of soup in it by just throwing in some veggies, cooked beans, potatoes, onions, spices, salt, pepper, garlic, and cover with water and cook on low all day long. Or we often make beef sausage, onions, potatoes, and carrots in it. Another favorite use for our crockpot is making applesauce in it. So easy and so good!

I've also made Mexican dishes, lasagna, oatmeal, breakfast casseroles, and even cake in my crockpot! There are thousands of recipes out there and many of your family favorite can be adapted to be made in the crock pot. I'd encourage you to check out the Fix-It and Forget-It recipe book series or other similar crock pot recipe books from your library for some inspiration.

I also highly recommend the blog: A Year of Crockpotting. The blog's author is using her crock pot everyday in 2008 and her recipes and ideas are mouth-watering. If you weren't a fan of the crock pot before reading her blog, you'll likely be motivated to pull it out and try using it after a visit there!

What about the rest of you? Do you use your crock pot on a regular basis? If so, what are some of your favorite ways to use it? Any scrumptious recipes to pass along? (If you've posted them on your blog, feel free to leave your links in the comments section.)

Comments

[Laura]

One of the easiest and very good recipes I make in the crockpot is to slice some onion and lemon and put it in the bottom, top with boneless skinless chicken breasts (or other chicken if you prefer) and top with bbq sauce mixed with a little bit of cola. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for most of the day. You dont even have to thaw the chicken if its frozen.

[Melanie]

I love that blog! She has some incredible ideas!

[Janet Eyring]

I personally like the crock-pot cookbooks "101 Things to do with a Slow Cooker" and "101 More Things to do with a Slow Cooker". The books sell for less than $10 and they call for things I usually have in my pantry.

[Shannon/MrsCoach]

I use mine all the time! I must say though that I can never get it right with lasagna, so I just finally stopped!! You can get cheaper cuts of beef and cook them in the crock pot (such as chuck or bottom round) all day and they just are so tender, they fall apart!! Mouth watering! Add some veggies, potatoes, etc half way through the cooking and voila!!
Also, you can use it to keep foods warm during parties, etc. Pre cook your dish and transfer it to the crock and keep it warm throughout your hours of partying!!

[Mrs. J]

I'm not really a good cook and since I got married, I had to cook. We got 2 crockpots from the wedding and since I already put one out in the kitchen, I decided to try cooking our beef in there. Man oh man, the beef turned out so great! That begun my friendship w/ Crockpot and my DH thinks I'm great, well sort of :p

[LANA]

We love to make ribs in the crock pot:
1. sear the ribs either on BBQ OR in the oven
2. layer ribs in the crock pot
3. cover with your favorite sauce (BBQ sauce, sweet and sour or whatever-store bought sauce works just as well)
4. cook for at least 5 hours or until desired (longer if you want the meat falling off the bone)
ENJOY!

[LANA]

We love to make ribs in the crock pot:
1. sear the ribs either on BBQ OR in the oven
2. layer ribs in the crock pot
3. cover with your favorite sauce (BBQ sauce, sweet and sour or whatever-store bought sauce works just as well)
4. cook for at least 5 hours or until desired (longer if you want the meat falling off the bone)
ENJOY!

[Petra]

I use mine alot, although my husband doesnt like it too much (he says he s damaged goods, growing up in a "crockpot-Household" lol)
My favorite recipe is Chicken and Dumplings
cut up chickenbreast, two cans cream of chicken soup, carrots, celery and onion and a cup of water, mixed together, salt, pepper, i use a little nutmeg, too. Then on low for 6 hours, and half an hour before its done, throw little pieces of refrigerated biscuit dough in it. That on rice is just delicious!!

[Robyn]

I wait for a big, fat sale on pork butt or shoulder, then buy a ton and throw one in the ol' crockpot on high all day. No salt, no pepper, no water, nothing but the roast. By the time I get home from work, it's almost full of liquid, and fall-apart tender. Pour off the excess liquid, shred it with forks (getting rid of any large pockets of fat you may find), add your favorite BBQ sauce, and you have the best pulled-pork sammies ever. Makes enough to freeze several containers worth, too. Cheap, easy, and good; we call that a Slam Dunk!

[Robin]

We do use our crockpot! At first I was skeptical as all the recipes I could find online seemed to prominently feature huge quantities of meat, which we do not eat.

But I found that bringing unsoaked dried beans to a boil on the stovetop, then pouring the whole boiling mess into the crockpot and leaving it on low, was by far the easiest, best-tasting way to prepare the dry beans, and got them to be the same texture as canned beans, which my family had preferred (but the canned cost more).

Also you can make apple butter with a crockpot, yum! Just mix applesauce (homemade or store) with sugar and let it boil down (lid off) until it is the color and texture of apple butter.

[Amanda]

I would recommend the book Fix it and Forget It Light. Most crockpot recipes are very fat filled, usually calling for cream of something soups and other high fat, very processed ingredients. In the Fix it and Forget It Light many of the recipes are for fixing meat and vegetables in the crockpot. This is the best use of the crockpot in my opinion. the book gives me hundreds of ways to cook healthful, non-processed meals for my family. I just serve bread and maybe a salad along side the crockpot meal and we are good to go!

BTW, my crockpot is cooking up my dinner right now.

[sara]

I use my crock pot probably once a week. I agree with Crystal - go visit Stephanie's blog for lots of inspiration. My favorite things to make are roast beef, beef stew, stroganoff, garlicky chicken thighs, chili, steak and chicken for tacos, many kinds of soup etc.

[Kristine]

I own a 3.5 quart crock pot. Not one of the huge 6 quart models that can hold a large cut of meat with ease! So our recipes are necessarily scaled back because of the space available.

The macaroni and cheese recipe from the Fix-it cookbook is delicious. We also enjoy a potato soup recipe I got from my grandmother. A roast with potatoes, carrots and onions is nice to come home to (we use a small pork roast). We make a taco filling in the crockpot as well.

One of my heating elements appears to be not working correctly. So I've got a new model on my wishlist. One manufacturer has a model with different sized crocks - how handy would that be?!?

[W]

I make roast beef by pouring in a cup of water with my roast, a couple of beef bullion cubes, and an envelope of lipton onion soup mix.

I make pulled pork by putting in a pork roast (all by itself or sometimes rubbed with garlic powder) and shredding it and mixing it with barbeque sauce after it's cooked.

These are the two favorite recipes for my family--so easy and so good.

[Sandy]

I make large limas (dried). I sort and rinse the bag, put it in the crockpot with ham bullion and/or ham (I use ham steaks or diced - I've even thrown leftover ham luncheon meat in it) and fill up with water. They are great by the end of the day and it's a pretty healthy alternative.

[Molly]

I use my Crockpot all the time, at least once a week. It is great for soups, stews, and chilis (any regular soup, stew or chili recipe can be used in a crockpot, just dump the ingredients in set it to low and leave it cook all day) but I use mine most to roast chickens. Here is my favorite recipe:

1 Whole Chicken (4-6 pound chicken)
Olive Oil Cooking Spray
Seasoned Salt (or whatever spices you want/have)
Aluminum foil

Clean chicken inside and out. Spray with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with seasoning.

Spray inside of crockpot with cooking spray. (Do not put any water in the crockpot).

Roll some wads of aluminum foil into balls and put them in the bottom of the crockpot. The chicken is going to sit on these.

Put chicken back side down in crockpot on top of aluminum balls. Cook on High (will not come out the same on low), 4-6 hours.

[Carrie]

I have had very good luck just throwing regular recipes into my crock pot. If using a fatty meat I might brown it first in order to pour off some of the fat. the other thing I might adjust is to make sure the liquid is sufficient -- if i peek at it halfway through the day and notice it's going dry, just add some broth or wine.

[Suzy]

My favorite thing to do with the crockpot is cook a whole chicken once they go on sale. Place breast-side up, add a little water, cook for 8 hours or so on low or until your thermometer hits 165. Then I cool the meat, shred it, and freeze it in 2-cup portions. I use it in everything from chicken salad to chicken enchiladas. Super easy!

[Recessionista]

I absolutely love my crockpot! I use it for soups, steaks, roasts, and chicken mostly - but I've also found some great recipes for desserts and breakfast dishes.

I cannot recommend Stephanie's blog (crockpot365.blogspot.com) enough. She definitely breaks every crockpot stereotype out there - plus ALL her recipes are gluten-free, so it's a great resource for families who have to avoid gluten.

[Lori]

I own TWO crockpots, and they are indispensible for OAMC (once-a-month-cooking). And, yes, The Fix-It and Forget-It books are a must have.

If you entertain at all, crockpots are wonderful for keeping cider hot or filling with mashed potatoes or other food to keep warm.

[Amy]

Funny! :) I'm making beef stew in my crockpot as we speak. It smells so yummy!

I don't use my crockpot as often as I wish. I usually forget until I want something like stew or a really good roast. My top 3 recipes in the crockpot are: a very simple old-fashioned beef stew, bean & ham soup, and roast(pork or beef). We also do a chicken noodle soup. All are just amazing and simple to throw in and let cook all day. I sometimes even prep everything the night before and stick the crock in the fridge. Then in the morning all I have to do is take it out and turn it on. Then, when the day is done, so is dinner! No fuss. :)

Good luck in your search. There really are a ton of recipes out there.

[Leisa]

I love making pulled pork in the crockpot, and I also make a KILLER ham in the crockpot - just put a 4 - 6 pound ham in the cp, mix 3/4 cup brown sugar with 1/2 cup cola and 1 tsp. dry mustard and 1 T. horseradish. It's the best ham you'll ever have. I slice the leftovers up to use for sandwiches and it's WAY cheaper than buying ham at the deli.

Crockpot is also great for a whole chicken, just season with your favorite seasonings and add about 1 cup chicken broth and let it cook. Falling-off-the-bone tender and delicious and again with our family of 4 it's cook once, eat twice because of the leftovers (and whole chickens can be gotten for $.79/pound when they are on sale).

I try to crockpot at least twice a week in the winter, and it's also great in the summer when you don't want to bake your meat because of the heat.

Check out www.allrecipes.com for lots of great crockpot recipes...

[Heather]

YES! I LOVE my crock pot(s)! I use it at least 3 times a week. I am an avid fan of the crock pot because I can get supper ready in the early part of the day and forget about it till supper time. Afternoons and evenings tend to be a little crazy... homework, practices, etc. I also find my crock pot to be very money saving because I can cook the cheaper cuts of meat (and the venison my hubby gets) into very tender meals. As the creator of www.SimpleFamilySupper.com I include crock pot directions along with stove top or oven directions to many of the meals on the menu.

Here is an easy way to cook up a roast (Beef, pork or venison) or chicken pieces:
Place the meat in the crock pot. Mix up a packet of dry Italian dressing mix according to package directions and pour over meat. Cook on LOW all day! Enjoy!

A Simple BBQ chicken recipe is just dumping a bottle of BBQ sauce over chicken meat and cooking on low ALL DAY! yummy!

All of my Crock pots are "old" and are not the push button kind. Mine turn either to LOW or HIGH. My sister has a "newer" one and says she doesn't like it as much..... As with any thing, you just have to learn it... some cook hotter than others.

[Gina]

I love my crockpot! Once a month, I put several large boneless, skinless chicken breasts in and pour a can of diced tomatoes on top. After cooking, I shred the chicken and use it for tacos that night, then make a pan of enchiladas to freeze, quesadillas for lunch, you name it! I've written about it several times:
http://sahmmoney.blogspot.com/2008/02/recipes-with-diced-tomatoes.html

[Rachel]

I can hardly imagine living without my crockpot. I use it for all the things already mentioned, or almost anyway. I have a large one so I make enough to put half in the freezer. The way I do beans is to put 6 cups of dried beans such as pinto or kidney, add 14 cups of water and cook on high all day. Makes enough for supper plus plenty to bag up and put in the freezer.
My microwave recently began shooting out fire so it got put out in the trash and I do not plan to replace it, but don't ask me to do without my crockpot.

[MJ]

I love my crockpot. I pretty much only cook chicken in it, as DH is VERY picky. But I don't use anymore chicken in the crockpot than out of it. I think a big part of it is making sure you either make a complete meal in the crockpot or adding sides. My crockpot is never full, since there are only 3 of us big enough to eat from it.

One of my favorite things to do with my crockpot is to cook some chicken with a can/bottle of something. I use salsa, barbeque sauce, salad dressing, marinade . . . whatever I have on hand to keep things moist. It's usually healthy (just watch the nutritional content of the liquid) and there are endless options.

[Laurel]

Easiest crock pot recipe ever -

1 roast - any type of meat, cheap cuts work GREAT
1 jar of salsa
1 packet of taco seasoning mix
additional liquid (water) as needed to suit your particular crockpot

Cook on low all day, then shred it up. Use as a filling for tacos, burritos, etc. Customize as you like with extra veggies (onions, peppers, tomatoes).

[Jessica]

I just recently pulled out my crock pot for the first time! I'm really trying to give it a fair shake. So far I've made applesauce, apple butter, hamburger soup, chili, and a recipe that didn't turn out too well (that was my first one!). Here is one blog post:
http://momforhim.blogspot.com/2008/10/crock-pot-applesauce.html
I also recommend the Crockpot Lady on Year of Crockpotting! She's hilarious--I just love her writing, even if I don't try all the recipes!

[Bethany]

Here are a couple of my favorites from my recipe blog.

The best beans in the universe ... http://fortheloveofgrub.blogspot.com/2008/08/refried-beans-without-refry.html

Comfort food for a dreary day ...
http://fortheloveofgrub.blogspot.com/2008/08/cajun-sausage-beans.html

Easy peasy granola for breakfast or snacking ...
http://fortheloveofgrub.blogspot.com/2008/08/tams-granola.html

[Heather Hunt]

My lands! YES! I use my crockpot(s)!
My favorite recipe is italian chicken:
place 4 chicken breast ( you can do as many as 6) in the bottom of your crockpot (I use my 6 quart) and sprinkle 1 package of italian dressing mix over top, Set on low for 3 hours. Meanwhile, mix together 1 can cream of chicken soup and 8 oz of cream cheese. After the 3hours pour cream cheese mixture over chicken and let sit on low for another hour. Serve over rice. This one is delicious, and if you forget about supper, I have done it in 2 hrs, and also 4 hrs w/ frozen chicken breasts!
I actually own, a 1/5 qt, 4 qt and (2) 6 qt crockpots,there have been meals where I have used at least 3 of them! Soup, dinner, and even dessert! Also, the best Sunday dinner ever is soup in the crockpot and fresh bread from a bread machine, no work for lunch after church! Definitely invest in any of the Fix-it-and-forget-it cook books, my favorite is the 5 ingredient one!

[JBLeach]

One of my family's favorite recipes is pot roast.
Place pot roast in pot, sprinke one package of dry onion soup mix on top. Cover, turn on Low and by dinner time you have an awesomly tender roast.

[Amy]

I love my crock-pots! I have four and usually have at least one, if not two, going at any given moment (I have a teen and tween boy, though, so they eat LOTS!)

[Leslie]

I love my crockpot and I do NOT like soggy fattening food. I use my crock to cook a lot of meat...whole chickens, (and broth), pork roast and chops, rump roast, chicken breasts, drumsticks, and of course a lot of soups, chili and that sort of thing. I hardly ever cook meat in my oven. We live in TX so it is nice way to keep the kitchen cooler, too.

[Kelly]

What about pot roast, that is always a winner at our house. A pot roast, carrotts, and potatoes....mm.

I also do a really good and easy pork tenderloin in the slow cooker. Take a 2lb pork tenderloin, cover it with one onion soup mix, one cup of water and one cup of red wine (or chicken broth, I've never tried it with the broth but they say you can). Cook on low for 4 hours. Serve the tenderloin and use the extra juice on the side au jus. We loveeee this one in our house.

[Katy]

I love a good whole chicken or pot roast in the crockpot! I never, ever cook on High, because it just doesn't come out right. I always cook on Low for 8 hours or more.

Just a reminder for those who may not want to plunk down cash for a brand new crock pot, if they aren't sure that they'll get their money's-worth: Shop the local thrift store! Just about every kitchen appliance can be found at a thrift store, most in near-new condition, for $5 or less. That's where I bought my bread machine, since I wasn't sure I'd use it enough to justify spending $30 on a new one. What a deal!

[A Frugal Housewife - Jody]

I use mine all the time. In fact, I have stuffed green peppers in mine right now.

[susan]

I love the crockpot but don't get around to using it all that often! Thanks for posting the blog of crockpot recipes - it will motivate me to use mine more often!

[The Hunter's Wife]

I use mine all the time. One of my favorite things to cook in mine is a chuck roast. The meat comes out so tender and juicy and I will use it for beef and noodles, tacos, beef and mashed potatoes.

I never cook a roast in the oven anymore. Only the crock pot.

[$5 Dinner Mom]

Love to use the crockpot...find out why here...

http://www.5dollardinners.com/2008/10/beef-roast-with-potatoes-butternut.html

Erin

[Helen]

I LOVE it. You can buy cheaper cuts of steak and use them as stew meat. They are so moist when done! Sear your meat in a pan first, if you like that bit of color.

I'm asking for the Fix it and Forget it newly released BIG book...I think it combines old recipes and incorporates new ones. I can't wait to flip through it. Even with just the two of us, we have the big 5qt model and it's wonderful for making leftovers.

One of my favorite meals is rice, cheese soup (add some water...don't add milk at the start!) and chicken. Then you add a bag of frozen broccoli florets maybe 30 minutes before serving? Delicious!

[Honey]

I love using the crockpot. Our family is 7 people, so I am going to be buying a 2nd crockpot soon (and use the $5 rebate!) I make oatmeal (recipe at about.com: busy Cooks), baked potatoes, soups, roast, bbq, etc in mine. Here's a recipe for chicken tortilla soup a friend gave me:
4 chicken breasts
2 cans rotelle
1 can green chilis
2 cans black beans with juice
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup salsa
Defrost chicken. Put all ingredients into crock pot. Cook all day on low. Shred chicken with two forks. Serve with sour cream, tortilla chips, cheese etc. Very tasty!

[Denese]

Hi Crystal,
I use my crockpot quite a bit, mostly for "one-pot" meals, especially when we have to go out for the day.
I've never cooked just vegetables in it but have cooked almost about every type of meat- BBQ ribs, beef stew, chicken stew, deer roast and even squirrel. The wild meats come out sooo tender.
I make homemade salve and I'm going to buy one of the tiny crockpots for making it in, and I haven't tried it but I'd say you could use a crockpot for making candles, too.
Love all the other recipes and ideas, I'm definitely going to try making apple butter and oatmeal in one. :)

[Dealmamabelle]

I use my crock pot EVERY. DAY. I have chucked most oven cooking to the curb. There are lots of resources online for cooking low carb and low fat. You just have to be more diligent in hunting for these recipes. The are cookbooks for MANY styles of cooking and the great part is you can modify almost any recipe to what you need. My family has to eat low sugar and low carb because of health restrictions, candida and diabetes, and I have found a stink load recipes that I have modified and that we all LOVE.

In my opinion, you have to do the experimenting before you find a good amount of recipes that your family likes. I have made at least 15-20 that I will never eat again. I also have about 8 that I do every 2 weeks(some even more often!)

I just got the Fix it and Forget it book on Sunday at Sam's club. It was 18.xx dollars. I am excited to try and share lots of new things.

I also lurve the blog, a year of crockpotting. She is so funny and candid. Today I am making her buffalo lasagna. On Saturday I made her mac and cheese with low carb pasta. (w/o the mustard) and it was a huge hit.

I am finding that I want 2 more crock pots so I can make things in while the main meal is cooking. Applesauce, macaroni, mushroom soup for other meals, etc....

I would not recommend getting a crockpot with a plastic lid, or one that has a hinge on the back.

My favorite recipes are cheesy chicken enchiladas, stuffed peppers, mexican beef(like a mexican spiced roast), heroin wings, stroganoff meatballs, and low carb chili.

[Sally]

I made bbq pork for my husband. He loved it. I took pork shoulder, and covered it with a bottle of bbq sauce and let it simmer for about 6 hours on low. I don't remember where I found the recipe but it had called for onion, carrot, and celery for the base, then the pork on top. My husband doesn't like vegetables much so I just put a layer of sauce, then the pork, then more sauce. The meat just feel apart and made great sandwiches the next day. I made that about a year ago, and it was the only time I used my crock pot since receiving it for a wedding gift, now 4 years ago.

[Stefanie]

I love using my crockpots. I own two 6quart cookers and one little dipper that can be used for sauces, dips, etc. I am a huge fan of the "Fix It and Forget It" books but I would also recommend any cookbook from Dawn Hall. Every recipe in her book "Busy People's Slow Cooker Cookbook" is low fat. My favorite wedding present to give: a crockpot and a crockpot cookbook.

[anonymous]

I have the exact crockpot in that picture! lol.

The easiest thing I make is either roast or chili. For the roast I just throw a small english roast in the pot with a little bit of water and packet of Lipton onion soup mix. After a few hours I dump in lots of potatoes and carrots. I use the leftovers to make soup for the next day. I put the whole pot in the fridge and in the morning heat it back up, adding frozen veggies (usually the steamfresh mixed veggies I can pick up for pennies!) and a can or two of tomatoes. (usually free Muir Glen ones. :) I also add V8 or tomato juice. Bake up some cornbread to go with it.

For the chili just add all your ingredients. I precook my ground beef or chicken on the stovetop first though.

[Sheila]

My crockpot has Pizza Rice in it right now! :) It's a new to me recipe I am trying from More with Less. The recipe says to bake it, but I'm using the crock pot because I have to be away from home when it should be cooking. Two things I especially love my crock pot for are baked potatoes (white or sweet) and for fixing a huge pot of beans that I then freeze and puree in my food processor for 'refried' beans. I will never buy another can of refried beans - there is no comparison! While I don't care for many of the traditional crockpot recipes (no cream of anything in my house!) I tend to use my crockpot more as a slow oven. It's much more energy efficient.

[Marsha]

We bought a crockpot when I returned to work full-time about 18 months ago. I wouldn't say that I love it, or even like it but it does serve a useful purpose. I'm a faithful reader of the Crockpot 365 blog and enjoy the writing, but cannot escape that much of what the slow cooker turns out has a "crockpotty" taste to it- it's all pretty much the same.

Part of the issue is that I don't use cream o' anything or packets of salad dressing or commercial sauces or spice mixtures in daily cooking (even when they're very inexpensive - I don't consider them healthy and I'm privileged that using them isn't an economy I've had to make so far) and many of the recipes require such ingredients. And while the recipes featuring so much tin foil are clever, I wince at the cost (and waste) associated with them.

Much of my use is to put a cut of meat in the crock, cover it with broth and, perhaps, diced onion and/or garlic and cook. The result is served over rice or pasta (like another commenter I cannot get pasta right in the crock so I cook it separately) and an accompanying veg.

It is useful for cooking dried beans, as someone else said, and warming soups. With these uses and preparing the meat as described once or twice a week it earns it's keep as a convenience but somewhat at the expense of variety in meals and versatility.

[Lana]

Just a comment on the Fix It and Forget It cookbook series. I have 2 of their books and by and large the recipes are not great. I was dissapointed over and over and finally gave up on them. Crock pot recipes from the Taste of home magazines and cookbooks are way better. Also Americas Test Kitchen recipes are really good.

[Sarah]

I made some really good pumpkin butter and pear butter for our bread last week. Tonight, I am cooking an entire chicken (overnight) to be used in other recipes. YUMMY!!!!