I'm getting out the Crock Pot

Veil5577

I had put it away at the start of this journey because I was worried that I would binge on some of the things I made in it, but I think I can control that now. What I used to do, because of time constraints, was on my day off I'd choose a recipe from my Crock Pot book, go get the ingredients, cook it, and refrigerate most of it to eat on the rest of the week. That will be my one meal of the day I have time to eat... dinner. I have some tupperware that I refrigerate it in, and my plan is to heat up one serving and use my grandmother's plates, which are very old and smaller than the plates you can buy today.

That said I need ideas for recipes. I have quite a few but there are restrictions; I can't use recipes where you have to brown anything on the stove beforehand because my stove does not work. So I'm looking for just cut up and throw in the pot and let cook.

jillyrose0711

Try checking out Pinterest for slow cooker recipes.. I always search for recipes there based on what ingredients I have to work with

Jmh1762

Hello! This is not a whole meal but I love making baked potatoes (sweet & white ) in my crock pot. Great reheated also!
Jean

Laurenloveswaffles

I love throwing some raw chicken breasts in there and some water and cooking enough chicken for the week!

esstee42

My absolute favorite go-to recipe is salsa chicken! Just throw a few chicken breasts in there, cover them with a jar of salsa (my favorite thus far has been the Newman's Own tequila lime), then cook on high for 4 hours. Shred it, mix in whatever you want (I always do corn and occasionally also black beans). You can eat it by itself (which is what I do, with some sliced avocado, sour cream / greek yogurt and sometimes green onions on top), dip tortillas in it, or throw it in a wrap. Super easy.

monolith66

I used to use my crockpot regularly. Now, not so much unless I make chili. (which I haven't made in a while)

It's a great thing to cook in bulk and have meals ready for the week, It's just not necessary for me since the majority of my meals come from the oven/stove relatively quickly.

Meerataila

I love black beans in the crock pot. I use a whole two cup bag, soak them overnight, pour that water out, rinse them thoroughly, cut up some garlic, and put beans, garlic, and enough water to cover them by a couple inches (5 cups or so) in the crock pot, then cook on low for 6 or 7 hours (until beans are tender) then I add salt maybe let them sit and warm awhile.

So good, but it's true if you're the only one eating them they make enough per dried bean bag to be having beans for days and days.

MostlyWater

For meat, it's not the healthiest way to cook. Meat will cook in its own fat in the crockpot, rather than draining off in a broiler pan in the oven.

kraft_kris

I always forget about the crockpot! Need to get mine out too!

Veil5577

Hello! This is not a whole meal but I love making baked potatoes (sweet & white ) in my crock pot. Great reheated also!
Jean

I love baked potatoes! How do you make them in the Crock Pot?

mygnsac

Here are a few of my favorites:

Steel cut oatmeal: Before going to bed, place a heat proof bowl directly into the crock pot and place a water bath about halfway up the bowl around it. In the bowl mix your oats and liquid, if you want, add some chopped walnuts, cinnamon, raisins, whatever you like. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.

Chicken & lentils: Two chicken breasts, two chopped tomatoes, two chopped carrots, two chopped celery stalks, two ounces fresh spinach, two cloves garlic, one small chopped onion, 1/2 cup red lentils, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, 6 cups water. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Roasted chicken: Put 3 sheets of foil (balled up) in the bottom of the crockpot, put a whole chicken on top of the balls of foil (season the chicken with whatever seasoning you like), cook on low 6-8 hours depending on the size of the chicken, comes out browned and moist.

Applesauce: 10 peeled and diced apples, 2 cups water, cinnamon. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Beans: Cover rinsed and pre-soaked beans with at least 3 inches of liquid (water, stock). Season as you like. Cook on low for about 8 hours.

kraft_kris

Hello! This is not a whole meal but I love making baked potatoes (sweet & white ) in my crock pot. Great reheated also!
Jean

ooh! I bet sweet potatoes would be good too!

Eaglesfanintn

My absolute favorite go-to recipe is salsa chicken! Just throw a few chicken breasts in there, cover them with a jar of salsa (my favorite thus far has been the Newman's Own tequila lime), then cook on high for 4 hours. Shred it, mix in whatever you want (I always do corn and occasionally also black beans). You can eat it by itself (which is what I do, with some sliced avocado, sour cream / greek yogurt and sometimes green onions on top), dip tortillas in it, or throw it in a wrap. Super easy.

I also add a packet of taco seasoning in there - we call it "Yummy Taco Chicken".

Veil5577

There is just something so cozy about a Crock Pot. I hadn't planned to use it again till winter but boy, I missed it!

hubn8147

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/crock-pot-santa-fe-chicken-425-pts.html

Crock pot Sante Fe Chicken - just made it last night. Delicious and SUPER easy!

Check out skinnytaste.com. They have lots of good recipes and she also has all nutitional information listed as well! Good luck!

CarolinkaCjj

I made this last week:
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/04/easy-crock-pot-chicken-and-black-bean.html

It was quite tasty and not too bad on the calories. Could even wrap it in a tortilla and it would still be decent calories.

Skinny taste has tons of good looking recipes and all the ones I have tried so far have been good.

xmichaelyx

I used to use my crockpot regularly. Now, not so much unless I make chili. (which I haven't made in a while)

Ditto. Here's my recipe:

1) Cook a whole small chicken in the crockpot overnight. Once it's cooked, pull out all the bones and keep all the rest of the solid parts.
2) Put all that stuff back into the crockpot, along with some cut up beef chuck, pork (whatever is cheap), and some black beans.
3) Add a can of diced tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste.
4) Add a chopped onion, and 3 chopped peppers (red and/or green)
5) Add 1 tablespoon of sea salt, 1 tablespoon of pepper, 3 tablespoons of chili powder, and some cayenne (if you like it spicy)
6) (Optional) Add a chopped jalepeno or 2.

Cook it all on high for an hour or 2, then on low overnight, or for about 8 hours.

This sounds like a huge ordeal because you're crockpotting twice, but it helps if you have a freezer and can cook up the chicken weeks or months beforehand.

sistrsprkl

I like to use mine for cooking a pound of garbanzos then using the beans for different things like hummus. I also make this for my family although I'm a veg. My husband loves it:

http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-chicken-marsala-448535

zahid222

Here are a few of my favorites:

Steel cut oatmeal: Before going to bed, place a heat proof bowl directly into the crock pot and place a water bath about halfway up the bowl around it. In the bowl mix your oats and liquid, if you want, add some chopped walnuts, cinnamon, raisins, whatever you like. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.

Chicken & lentils: Two chicken breasts, two chopped tomatoes, two chopped carrots, two chopped celery stalks, two ounces fresh spinach, two cloves garlic, one small chopped onion, 1/2 cup red lentils, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, 6 cups water. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Roasted chicken: Put 3 sheets of foil (balled up) in the bottom of the crockpot, put a whole chicken on top of the balls of foil (season the chicken with whatever seasoning you like), cook on low 6-8 hours depending on the size of the chicken, comes out browned and moist.

Applesauce: 10 peeled and diced apples, 2 cups water, cinnamon. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Beans: Cover rinsed and pre-soaked beans with at least 3 inches of liquid (water, stock). Season as you like. Cook on low for about 8 hours.

zahid222

will try this. Thanks!!!!!

Veil5577

Will try all of these! *scribbling madly because I can't print them at work*

earlnabby

My crockpot stays on the counter all of the time. Two nights ago I made:

Slow Cooker Port Loin

1/4 c. Lite Soy Sauce
1 Tbs Dry Mustard Powder
1/4 c maple syrup
1 Tbl olive oil
2 c. chopped onion
3 cloves Garlic, crushed or minced
2 tsp Ginger Paste,
24 oz Fresh Pork Tenderloin or lean loin roast

Put the pork in the crock pot. Dump in the onions. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a cup and pour on top. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred the pork with forks. Serve with brown rice or in lettuce wraps.

mygnsac

I forgot about sweet potatoes. In the colder months I bake them in the oven, but in summer I will often use the crock pot. Wash, dry and wrap in foil 3-5 medium sweet potatoes or yams. Put in crock pot, cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or high about 4 hours.

You can do it without foil, but it's too messy for me.

Jmh1762

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-bake-a-potato-in-the-slow-cooker-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-189271


Hope you like them. The whites may get a little dark but are so yummy! The sweets get done faster than the whites.