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

[Terra Jones]

I love making chili in ours - http://terrastreats.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/terras-crock-pot-chili/

[Emily]

There's a great, fast and easy white chili crock pot recipe on America's Handmade Homefront's blog. Feel free to try it out.

http://www.1ahh.com/blog/?p=125

[Trixie]

Hello!

I love all the delicous crock pot recipes. There are several that will have to find a way on the menu next month.

One of my favorite things to make in the crock pot is bbq pulled pork sandwiches.

Here is the link to my recipe.
http://farmhomelife.blogspot.com/2008/08/perfect-pulled-pork-bbq-sandwiches.html

Take Care,

Trixie
http://farmhomelife.blogspot.com/

[Kate]

I have FOUR crockpots. One has dinner in it right now. Any time I have something I don't know what to do with, I google the meat and the words recipe and crockpot. Love it!

[cara]

love my crockpot! There is crockpot chicken and dressing cooking in mine as we speak... I did several meals to put in the freezer a few weekends ago and this was one I'm trying...love having stuff I can pull out of the freezer and put in the crockpot!!!! I've gotten alot of recipes from recipezaar.com

[Lorie]

I go through seasons where I use my crockpot more at times than I do other times. I think I use it more in the winter for making soups & chili. Whether I'm using it a lot or not I love my crockpot & would never give it up. There are definitely a lot of crockpot recipes out there. You can cook "baked" potatoes in a crock. Just wash, cover with oil, wrap in aluminum foil, place in crock, come back in a couple of hours, & they're done. No liquid required. So easy if you need to just leave it on to cook without worry. I'm about to have our second child so I anticipate using my crock more in the coming months. I can't wait to check out the "Year of CrockPotting" blog.

[Amy Flanegan]

I love to make pulled pork in the crock pot as several people have described above. I also use the crockpot for roast and lots of different soups.

Whenever whole chickens are on sale I buy a couple then cook them on low all day in the crockpot. Then the meat just falls off the bone and I can freeze it for use in casseroles, etc. I drain the drippings and freeze those to make chicken gravy. Then I take the bones, break them in half and throw them back in the crockpot along with a whole bunch of water (fill it up) and about a tsp of vinegar (to pull the calcium out of the bones). Cook on low overnight and you have homemade chicken broth - delicious, cheap and very good for you.

[Jeannette]

I love using my crockpot, I am actually saving to replace the one I got for christmas last year, you could brown the meat, set the timer, and it would stay warm. Unfortunately as I was carrying it down to my basement where I keep it, I dropped it and the insert broke. To replace would cost as much to purchase a new.
I love all the suggestions, but tomorrow can we do soup recipes???
thanks

[crockpot lady]

Thank you so much for the link to my blog and for your kind words. I am getting such a kick out of this year---and I really appreciate the cyber-love. I am beginning to think that Baby's R Us should include crockpots on their registry...

xoxoxo
steph

[Heather]

Oh yes! My CrockPot got daily use when my kids were little. I still use it for all sorts of things. Pretty much any soup or chili recipe could be cooked in the CrockPot. Just use a little less liquid and brown any onions on the stove first (otherwise they are a little crunchy).

[mamajuliana]

My crockpot is my favorite kitchen appliance, and I use it for dinner at least once a week. (We actually have three -little-bigger-biggest!)

Right now there is Chili cooking in Mr. Biggest!

[Shannon]

This post has got me all excited about my crock pot! I love using mine and use it regularly, however I have a few recipes I use all the time (chili, roast, applebutter, ribs, etc.) But I am so excited about the blog you linked to and some of the recipes I have read here. I can't wait to get cooking! Oh, and I love the new Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners. I know these aren't the cheapest but they are a splurge I buy. They clean up sooooo easy!

[Jill]

I used my camping for baked potatoes about 2-3 hours on high actually I just put them in and forget about them on low also until I'm ready for them.

My favorite beef is one can of beef broth and one can of mushroom soup with a pot roast. MMmm good!

I like the oval shape better but I have the tall shape for beans/stew too.

[Michelle]

Love it! Here are my tips:

http://www.leavingexcess.com/2008/10/crock-pot-tips.html, with a link to a lot of recipes.

My advice - stick to ingredients that you like and you will be fine!

[Lisa]

My crock pot is my best friend! As a homeschooling mom who works part-time, I use my crock pot a lot. I like throwing a soup together too with what I have on hand. I also really like to roast a chicken breast in there with some spices and then use the broth for soups afterward. There are so many things you can do.

[Becky (Nickels-n-Dimes)]

Oddly enough, it seems like we typically use our crock pot only in the winter. Never thought about it until now, but for us...it seems to go with cold weather. LOVE it though when we are using it!

[Katharine]

here is a recent post on my blog of a simple delicious way to cook inexpensive cuts of chicken (i.e. thighs for .49/ lb. anyone?!) to eat plain or have handy for all your favorite chicken recipes.

http://mommasmagic.blogspot.com/2008/09/chicken-in-pot.html

[Vickie]

I am a believer that less is better. You can over season your foods with too many herbs and sauces. I use muy crock all the time to cook meats. I will place a whole turkey breast in it with only a stick of butter, salt and pepper. No liquid and cook on low. Will melt in your mouth. Do the same with pork roast. When the roast (boston butt) is done it will just fall apart. Pull it apart and fold in a bottle of your favorite bbq sauce and serve on a bun. Jusy about don't have to chew it!

[Maricar]

I love my crockpot! I make the absolute best fall-off-the-bone ribs in it, which is always a hit:
http://www.keepingthecastle.com/my-best-recipe-for-ribs-thus-far/
I broil the ribs for about 4 minutes after they cook in the crockpot, for a wonderful slow-roasted taste and a moist interior.

[Whitney]

I usually cook whole chickens in the oven, but after I'm done I throw the bones, fat, grease, everything left over but the meat into the crockpot. I fill it with water, and add a bit of pepper and vinegar and slow-cook it overnight. In the morning, I strain the bones and skin out and put the chicken stock into a bowl in the fridge. Later, after the stock has cooled, a layer of fat rises to the top and solidifies. Before using the stock, I just scoop the fat off the top. It's delicious and so much better than the MSG-laden broths in the store.

[Carol McHorse]

Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Burritos (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

1 (2 lb.) London Broil (any other roast will work too)
1 (1.25 oz.) package taco seasoning mix
Cooking spray
1 c. chopped onion
1 T. white vinegar
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles

1. Trim fat from meat. Rub seasoning mix on both sides of meat. Place meat in slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Add onion, vinegar and green chiles. Cover with lid. Cook on low heat for 9 hours. Remove meat from slow cooker; reserving cooking liquid. Shred meat with two forks. Combine meat and cooking liquid. Stir well.

2. To make burritos, warm a can of fat free refried beans. Warm tortillas. Spread 2T. beans down the center of each tortilla. Spoon a heaping 1/3 cup of meat mixture on top of the beans. Top with 2 T. cheese, 2 T. tomato, and 1 T. sour cream. Roll up.

Of course you could add whatever toppings you like. Guacamole is good, queso....I better stop. You get the idea. This makes a lot. You can freeze the leftovers or use the meat to make nachos or a taco salad.

[Brittany]

I recently got the bags that go in a crockpot for easy cleaning. They're from Reynold's (like the foil). They're like big plastic baggies and they fit into the pot and over the sides. It makes for very easy clean-up and also if it's not soupy, you can use a twist tie or rubberband and put the leftovers in the fridge for re-heating the next day.
http://www.epinions.com/review/Reynolds_Slow_Cooker_Liners/content_224936234628

[june]

How much is the coupon in the mag? I haven't been able to get the magazine yet. My new WalMart is super ghetto. I have been thinking about getting a crock pot though.

[Catherine]

I bought a crockpot at a yard sale over the summer for $0.25! It is probably from 1960 but it works well. I didn't really know what to do with it, but when I found that year of crockpotting blog, I was hooked! Definitely worth an investment - just make sure you buy one that you will have storage space for.

Also - to anyone who is looking to buy a crockpotting cookbook, check half.com or amazon marketplace for barely-used books at a great discount. :)

[Jessica]

I've foudn some incredible slow cooker recipes this autumn - chicken enchiladas; sausage and white bean cassoulet and a "to die for" sauerkraut, sausage, bacon apple, white wine dish - SO GOOD!

Here's a link of all my posted slow cooekr recipes:
http://johnstonesvinblanc.blogspot.com/search?q=slow+cooker

[karen]

here's how I cook bean in the crock pot--
1 pound dry beans, 1 tsp salt, cover with water, cook on low until almost done. measure 1 cup portions into freezer bags, freeze flat. Thaw in fridge and use in place of canned beans.

I usually cook black beans, kidney beans, or garbonzos. Freeze garbanzos in three cup increments for hummus. Delish.

[Laura]

I'm not a huge crockpot user, but do love two dishes made with McCormick Slow Cookers packets: Savory Pot Roast and BBQ Pulled Pork. Here's the link for more info:
http://www.mccormick.com/content.cfm?ID=11717
I buy them at Super Target.

[Becky H]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my crockpot! In the winter I make a beef stoup (thicker than soup, thinner than stew) with beef broth or stock, beef stew meat and any veggies I have and seasonings. All day in the pot and it's delicious!

I also make a week's worth of steel cut oatmeal (great receipe here: http://www.recipezaar.com/101101 ) and then seperate it into individual servings for breakfast at work during the week. I will NEVER go back to instant after this!

Roasts also go in there with some water and a onion soup mix packet.

I can't wait to try some of the recipes suggested by the other commentors!

[Katie L]

We love to make baked potatoes in it (poke holes, wrap in aluminum foil, cook on high 4-6 hours), especially for times when we need to bring a meal. We top them with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and sour cream, or whatever leftovers we have (chili, spaghetti sauce, broccoli, etc). Another really easy recipe we do often is pulled pork-- boneless pork, BBQ sauce, and honey (or honey BBQ sauce), cook on low ~8 hours. We serve it on hot dog or hamburger buns. It reheats really well for leftovers! (In fact, it would also probably be tasty on a baked potato...)

[Melissa]

Heads up!
There is a new website up for women! They are having a $500 card giveaway contest for new members (Walmart, Target, or Amazon). There are lesser gift card prizes too. You can find the link here:
http://totallyher.com/forum/register.php?referrerid=6

[Katie]

I love the idea of the crockpot, but haven't found too many recipes that don't taste bland and mushy at the end of cooking so long. However, I do use my crockpot frequently for making homemade stock. Whenever I roast a chicken I throw the carcass into the crockpot with a few of whatever veggies I have in the fridge like onions, carrots, celery, the ribs of greens like kale or chard, etc and cover it all with water. I let it cook on low all day, then strain the stock and put it in the fridge overnight. The next morning I skim off the fat from the top and possibly salt to taste. I freeze it for later use and/or use some for making yummy homemade soup.

[Lindy :)]

I use my crock-pot a lot in the winter months. Matter of fact, made pulled pork yesterday for dinner! I also like to make chili and chicken and rice dinners in it!

[Brittany]

white chicken chili is my fav. thing to fix in the crock pot

[Melodie]

Yes! I love crockpoting! Any meat dinner cooks so nicely in the crockpot. Makes meats so moist and tender. If you didn't have time to marinade, crockpots help soak the flavor right into the meat while cooking. And it is great for those days that you forgot to thaw out the meat from the freezer since it thaws it out for you in about an hour. The only meat that has been a bit finicky for me is chicken. Don't cook that one too long or it gets chewy.

Rice casseroles, bean casseroles, soups, and pasta meals all cook nicely with crockpots. It is ideal for lunchtime meals like sloppy joes or shredded pork sandwiches too. Most of your favorite recipes can be adjusted to work in a crockpot fairly easily. Just check the conversion times in the crockpot instruction manual and make adjustments accordingly. When you have leftovers, bag it up and stick it in the freezer for another meal in a couple weeks.

I especially love using them when I have company. It cuts down on prep that must be done as guests are arriving. That way, I don't have to worry about hostessing and cooking all at once. The preparations can be done ahead of time, and I can focus on entertaining and fellowshiping with our company.

[Roxanne]

I too love using my crockpot!

But I understand the poster's concern about healthy recipes. Many or most traditional crockpot recipes are full of convenience foods (cans of soups, seasoning packets).

You really have to just experiment with your regular recipes and try new things in the crockpot. I make tons of healthy reacipes in my crockpot!

[Jennifer Kaiser]

We LOVE to cook our ribs in the crock pot. It takes about three hours on high then I turn it down and let it slow cook until time to eat. I put liquid smoke and worchestershire sauce in it. SO easy and SO good!

[Saralyn]

I love my crock pot, but it took me a long time to get it right. I found that a lot of the recipes overcooked the meat, especially chicken came out dry and tasteless, and that we like things more seasoned than many of the recipes made. So now I always cook to the lowest reccomended time, use chicken thighs instead of breasts, and add additional seasonings. Here's the link to our favorite crockpot stew http://theplacebeneath.blogspot.com/2008/09/whatcha-got-cookin.html

(Crystal--why won't your blog allow html comments so we can post direct links?)

[Jan]

BIG crock pot fan- I have two! My favorite recipes are:
"Rotissere" Chicken
buy a whole roasting chicken when they are on sale
remove all "innards"- rinse and pat dry
run skin with butter
place in crock pot butt side down
add one dry packet Good Seasons salad dressing (DRY!)
no water or liquid
cook all day on low- comes out just like rotissere chicken

Pulled pork
buy a large pork butt roast when on sale
place in crock pot with one packet taco mix and 1/2 cup water
cook all day on low
pull meat apart with 2 forks
use for sandwiches or fajitas

BBQ ribs
buy 2 packs country ribs (boneless) on sale
brown in oven first
put in crock pot with 1 bottle BBQ sauce
cook all day on low
we serve over mashed potatoes

BTW- Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners are the Best Invention Ever!

[Lora]

My favorite things to make in my crockpot are: roast with carrots & potatoes, bbq beef, chicken & dressing and pinto beans.
(It looks like there are some great recipes in these comments--I'm definitely going to be checking these out!)

[Save100ADay]

I saw a cool slow cooker on clearance at target. It had 3 different size crocks, 2- 4- and 6-cup, that fit in the same heater. There was a button to set which size crock you were using so it would adjust the temperature controls accordingly. It was $25 which was half price, and it was a name brand I recognized but couldn't tell you what. I may have to go back and get it with my birthday gc!!

[FishMama]

Sounds redundant, considering all the other posts, but I LOVE my crockpot. Am using it today to make shredded beef for tacos. Just toss in a roast with spices and that's it.

I hosted a recipe swap a few months ago and readers came up with some great crockpot dishes: http://www.lifeasmom.com/2008/08/recipe-swap-whats-in-your-crockpot.html

[Bonnie]

I am 100% sold on crock pots! We have 3 and use them every week. My husband and I run a bus for church on Sundays. We leave at 8 and don't get back until 2:30... and husband is HUNGRY!!! The crock pots have been a lifesaver. I can cook an entree, side, and dessert at the same time, and it is ready to eat right away. There are so many good recipes out there, and some of them are better than convenient that conventional ways of cooking. I will never cook a baked potato in the oven again! Give it a try!

[Yolande]

the crockpot has changed my life! "a year of crockpotting" blog got me going after previous failed attempts. I did not find fix it and forget it to be helpful. Slow-cooking for dummies is actually quite good-explains the ins and outs. I have venison stew in the crockpot today. Now I have more time for homeschool and doing other thrifty things to save money!

[Dona]

One of our favorite crockpot recipes is this one
a taco bean casserole--My husband loves to dip scoop tostitos into it! He took it to work and it was a huge hit
Here is a link to a pic on my website and the recipe

http://helpfulhomemaker.blogspot.com/2008/04/yummy-soft-taco-bean-casserole.html

[Liz]

We're vegetarian, which pretty severely limits what we can do with a crockpot. (Most recipes call for meat). Most of the meatless stews more closely resemble cat food than people food when they're done! However, I've found my crockpot to be worth the investment. I cook dried beans of some kind at least once a week. I just sort and rinse them, put them in the crockpot with enough water to cover them by two inches, and add salt and a little vegetable oil. I also use the crockpot to make baked potatoes- it cooks more evenly than the microwave and doesn't heat up the house like the oven does!

[Janel]

I don't use my crockpot often because it seems like too often the recipes I try are duds. I would love to find some good recipes because I do like the ease of the crockpot. Yesterday I did make a crockpot Beef Stew that I found at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Diegos-Special-Beef-Stew/Detail.aspx and it was very good.

The other thing I use my crockpot for is to keep mashed potatoes warm at Thanksgiving. It keeps a huge batch piping hot!

[Kendra]

We use ours a lot, but like Patti, we are not fond of many of the recipes out there. My favorite crock pot cookbook is The Gourmet Slow Cooker. You'll need to do a bit more prep work than simply throwing stuff in the crock pot, but then that's why the recipes are so good.

[Angela]

Without a doubt, we LOVE our crockpot! We use it at LEAST once a week. It comes in handy when you need to get dinner made (or breakfast) and you have more time in the morning (or right before you go to bed). We too love A year of Crockpotting............now I am off to find some pumpkin crockpot recipes!

Angela

[Org Junkie]

I absolutely love my crockpot although haven't been using it as much lately as the one we have has gotten too small for us. I do have several tried and true recipes though to share which can be found on my Family Favorite Recipe Index:

http://orgjunkie.com/family-favorite-recipes

[Laura M]

We love using the crock pot around here! Besides many of the ideas mentioned, we find it a great tool at Thanksgiving, keeping warm make-ahead mashed potatoes (I make them the afternoon before). We also love making apple butter in it. Our favorite crock pot meals are Pizza in a Pot and Crockpot Enchiladas.