Waste of money to get a crock pot?

Bonny132

I love mine, from a great chilli to a tasty soup, it always produces great results. There has not been a week since I bought mine that I have not used it. My pasta sauce is legendary, a variety of chicken dishes (always comes out beautifully) and all my favourite soups packed with veg that is ready to eat as I get home from work. Perfect, love it!

JustMissTracy

I love my crockpot, but every one is different. For me, it's not about slow cooking my meat, as many times I won't put meat in the dish; For me, it's more about convenience, time and multitasking....By throwing everything into the crock, I can still work my job, do a workout, clean, or even leave the house. On top of the stove, not so much.

JustMissTracy

RaeBeeBaby wrote: »

I also have 3 and absolutely love them! Small, medium and enormous. I use the smallest for small roasts, a few chicken thighs, spaghetti sauce. Just right for me and hubby for dinner. The largest (6 qt I believe) I use all the time for beans, chili, and soups. It has 3 heat settings so I can simmer all day. Soup always tastes best cooked long and slow (IMO). I also use the big one for bone broth, which I cook for up to 72 hours. SO good for you! The big one also has latches on the lid, so I can lock it down and take it with me for potlucks or family dinners away from home.

I break all of them out on holidays. Once you've cooked the stuffing, potatoes and gravy (or any other dishes like yams, squash, veggies) you can keep them warm for hours. It really saves the craziness of that last minute rush to get everything ready at the same time. Also fun to use for hot apple cider or mulled wine during the holidays.

The 6 qt is the only one I purchased new. The other two came from a garage sale and thrift store. Super inexpensive!

LOL!! I thought I was nuts with two! Hubby begs me to get rid of one, but they both have a purpose depending on the day and meal. I like the bigger one best, that way I can get a couple of extra meals from it, or freeze the remainder for the following week or two...I have NOT tried it with hot apple cide or mulled wine! That sounds very DOABLE! xo

gigdeb

I use my crockpot all the time - I currently have a homemade marinara sauce in it. Did you know you can bake potatoes in your crockpot? Just wash thoroughly, poke with a fork in two or three places and put in your crockpot (mine comes with a handy little shelf so the potatoes don't have to sit on the crockpot bottom) - you can wrap in foil, too, if you want.

dawnmcneil10

The crock pot is not just for dinners. Don't be afraid to experiment, make up a batch of eggs with all your favorite cheese and veggies then toss them in the crock pot before you go to bed, in the morning you'll have a nice egg dish similar to a breakfast casserole or omelet. If you want a crust you can toss shredded potatoes in the bottom of the pot before adding the egg mix.
French toast bake is an option as well, mix up your batter and through into the crockpot over your favorite bread (I rip into cubes) then toss in dried fruit, nuts and a little extra cinnamon and sugar.

I use mine all the time for beans, black, white, kidney and pea soup is best made in the crock pot just remember to soak the beans and pull the floaters before you start the cooking process.

Spaghetti sauce and chili are fabulous this way too and you don't HAVE to buy a big crock pot, I just picked up my 3rd one, a nice small 2.5 quart, also have a 3qt and a 6qt.

I do the baked potatoes all the time, just wrap in foil and let them cook. Works for regular or sweet potatoes. Also cauliflower just trim the stem, drizzle with a little sriacha, buffalo sauce or if you'd rather olive oil and spices and wrap in foil. I do this in the 6qt, sweet potatoes on one side, regular on the other and the stem to the cauliflower right in between.

Oh and the mulled cider is amazing this way, apple crisp is pretty darn good this way too. Like I said, don't be afraid to experiment.

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Jkflaf13

I LOVE my crock pot. I cook up all my chicken for my salads for the week. Just throw 3-4 chicken breasts in the crock pot with whatever seasoning you prefer and the next morning it shreds beautifully.

KitCat_87

I cook everything in the crockpot. Vegetarian meals, gluten free meals. Anything. Soups, meats, veggies, pastas. Do you have pinterest? Just search crockpot recipes and there are a lot of recipes without meat!

jgnatca

I cook from dry beans a lot. I love my crock pot for that. I also make apple sauce in the fall with it. Vegetarian chili's, stews, and soups can all be made in the crock pot. Or not.

alfiedn

I make SO MUCH in my crock pot and also eat vegetarian. You can make your own veggie broth, I make chili in my crock pot because I like it well cooked and all that simmering does it good for the flavors. Chana Masala can be made in it. Any soup you can think of...

I use mine very often.

mariposaholly

I love making veggie dishes in the crockpot! I make a fantastic lentil curry that is super healthy. Shop at an Indian grocery store...get chana dal lentils (split chickpeas) and other varieties- they taste great cooked in a slow cooker. Add seasonings like curry, garam masala, and tons of veggies. Yum!

earlnabby

I LOVE my crock pot. I make stews, soups, chili, and even do a really great lasagna and several really good meatloafs in it (yes autocorrect, the correct spelling is "meatloafs", not meatloaves). It is also indispensable for cooking up a couple of pounds of black beans for freezing so I can avoid all the salt in canned beans.

I love how the slow cooking melds the flavors better, so much more than shorter stovetop or oven coking does. It really brings out the spices better.

magtart

I'm making Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup for tonight's dinner.

moyerbook

I use mine on a near weekly basis. Yes, sometimes it's for beef and pork, but also often for chicken-anything from breasts to a whole bird- and turkey. I made lentil soup in it today, cleaning out the crisper drawer. I started it this morning, ran errands, and it was ready by lunch. It's also really handy if you do "big batch" cooking on the weekend because you can have something going in the oven as well as in the slow cooker. If you like to cook and try new things, then go for it. You'll discover how to make it work for you.

aeisenberg93

dude crockpots are amazing. I cook something in it every week and it gives me like 5 meals. I've made soups, lasagna, enchiladas. It's great for a broke college student like me.

Corjogo

I do a lot of slow cooking on the stove top (I'm retired) but I still have 2 crock pots that I use probably 4 days a week. Everything from stir fries to large roasts, legumes and even fruit - Makes applesauce very easy

emhunter

I like crock pots because of their ease. You can throw the food in and walk away! If I'm really crunched for time, I put a meat and veggies in the crock pot, put it on the lowest setting, go to work, then come home to a tender juicy dinner.

prairieprana

I use my crock-pot almost every week! I use it to make a big batch of a recipe, package it into servings and voila: every morning I have lunch waiting for me (just have to take it out of the freezer the night before). Last night I made 2 huge batches (lentil dalh and vegetarian curry) and now have lunches and/or quick suppers if |I feel like it

youngmomtaz

I use my crockpot a minimum of twice weekly. But I do cook for 5. Roasts, small chickens, then I cook the bones into stock. Chillies, curries, stews, soups. My husband works full time and I work 3/4 time plus chase kids. We have a hobby farm as well so all those hours add up to not enough time in the house. We love it because we can turn it on and walk away. Check it 8 hours later when we get home and shut it off for an hour or two to cool before we serve. Leftovers get shoved in the fridge and feed us a few extra days. Always a healthy veg soup in the crude and always lots of protein. I still used it when it was just my husband and I but the crockpot was smaller and extras got frozen. Just as convenient. I guess it really depends how you like to cook though.

GBrady43068

catscats222 wrote: »

I eat chicken, but no red meat or pork.

If you eat chicken, there are LOTS of yummy crockpot chicken recipes. Do a google search on "crock pot chicken" and you'll find them. Our meal list for this week alone includes honey chicken and "Mexican" chicken and both are crockpot. Also great for doing pulled chicken BBQ.

If you buy the crock pot liners, cleanup is pretty simple.

maryjay52

i use my crockpot all of the time . i have a big one and i have gone through three of them in the last five years . my boys are teens so they eat alot and i work for a living so a crockpot is my savior . if you have time to stand over the stove and stir the pot every five minutes you are lucky. for me i use the crockpot because it saves me time and i dont have to worry about things burning because i forgot to stir something.

stealthq

If you're not a fan of long-cooked foods that normally need baby-sitting (soups, stews, beans from dried, caramelized onions, pulled meats, jams, etc) then you're probably right. I like mine (it was a gift), but I wish I had a smaller size. Mine's a 7.5 qt, and I usually cook just for me.