Crock pot tips and recipes

katy_trail

Santa brought me a crock pot. I'm so excited I've already used it twice today
I would love some beginner tips and healthy recipes.
Also, we don't eat red meat. No pork or beef.

Today I made mexican chicken cooked in salsa, and cooking now is beans for hummus.

heidimaggott78

Bump.

MummyMikaela

Turkey mince chilli is really nice if cooked slow in the crock pot!

ckmama

If you pre-cook your veggies and brown meats before putting them into some recipes then your recipes will have better flavor and everything won't always kind of taste the same. I know that defeats the purpose of crockpottery. I rarely do that but it does help.

I love my crockpot.

Chicken Spagetti--put 2 chicken breast in crockpot frozen or not, pour a jar or 2 of sauce (whichever brand of spagetti sauce you like) over the top, let cook on low 8-10 hours. Shred chicken when done.


Taco Junk--
1 lb ground turkey---cooked and drained
1 can whole kernel corn (rinsed and drained)
1 can great northern beans rinsed and drained
2 4 oz packages ranch salad dressing dry mix
1 10 oz can rotel tomatoes and green chilies
1 16 oz Jar salsa (hot, medium, or mild)

Brown meat, drain. Dump all ingredients into crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8. Serves 16 (1/2 cup servings)



Taco Soup
1/2 lb lean ground turkey cooked-drained
2 14.5 oz cans mexican stewed tomatoes
1 15 oz can pinto beans
1 15 oz can kidney beans
1 can whole corn or 1 1/3 cups frozen whole corn thawed
1 package taco season mix
1 medium onion chopped
30 oz water
pepper to taste

brown meat and onion in skillet, drain, put all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours serves 12 (1 cup serving size)



Super Easy Chicken
4-5 Frozen skinless boneless chicken breast
1 package dry italian dressing mix
1 cup warm water or fat free chicken broth

place chicken in bottom of crockpot, sprinkle dressing mix over chicken then pour water or broth over chicken. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

---You can put whole chicken and turkey in frozen or thawed without precooking. But ground meat will not cook through in a crockpot you need to at least "grey" the meat, cook it thru.

tllmae

Nice recipes thanks

squankmuffin

I have one night a week where I prep loads of veg for crockpot meals then freeze it in bags so I just need to throw a bag in the crockpot in the morning and come home to yummy food. It means I can buy veg in bulk and makes weekdays far easier (I work long hours).

I bought a timer if the meal needs fewer hours than I'm at work for. I use my crockpot most days.

Kelz7997

Stuffed peppers with ground turkey,. Add rice seasoning and veggies like grated onion, garlic and carrot to keep meat moist. Cover with tomato sauce and cook on low for about 6 hours. Yum!

fitcrt

Super Easy Chicken
4-5 Frozen skinless boneless chicken breast
1 package dry italian dressing mix
1 cup warm water or fat free chicken broth

place chicken in bottom of crockpot, sprinkle dressing mix over chicken then pour water or broth over chicken. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

I would love to know how this turns out & what you serve it with - does it end up saucy or does the water evaporate? How do you normally serve this dish?

TIA! =0)

BakeMeACake3

Black Beans
1 onion, chopped
2 -3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
(additonal dried peppers chopped if you like)
1 bag of dried black beans, rinsed
3 -4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (or use the entire can like i do)

Throw all ingredients in the slow cooker, cover with water or low sodium chicken broth.

Cook on low for 8-12 hours (overnight works for me)

I will en blend up half the bean mixture, add more chikcen stock or water and you have a really rich and flavorful black bean soup.

ckmama

Super Easy Chicken
4-5 Frozen skinless boneless chicken breast
1 package dry italian dressing mix
1 cup warm water or fat free chicken broth

place chicken in bottom of crockpot, sprinkle dressing mix over chicken then pour water or broth over chicken. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

I would love to know how this turns out & what you serve it with - does it end up saucy or does the water evaporate? How do you normally serve this dish?

TIA! =0)

I serve it over rice. If you want more sauce I would add another packet and more water. It does have a little sauce but not enough to cover rice. Just kind of flavor the rice.

summer8it

I cook about 50% of our dinners in the crock pot, and have done so for years. I also don't eat red meat, but I do cook a lot of chicken and turkey in the crock.

I don't pre-cook or brown ANYTHING. In fact, I almost always toss in frozen chicken/turkey pieces -- cooked on high for 6+ hours they have plenty of time to defrost and cook thoroughly. Never had a problem with it. I wouldn't cook a whole frozen chicken, but I buy large packages of breasts, thighs, etc. when they're on sale and freeze them in smaller bags so the frozen mass will fit in the crockpot. I learned to do this -- and MUCH more -- from the "A Year of Slow Cooking" blog. Google it, you won't regret it!

I also like to bake potatoes in the crock pot. On top of my frozen chicken, I'll place scrubbed, foil-wrapped potatoes. I put them along the outer edge of the pot, where it's a bit hotter. Works great. Experimentation has showed that the foil wrapping is important. When all is cooked, the drippings at the bottom of the crock become instant gravy when I whisk in some cornstarch.

If I'm cooking beans from dry, or cooking anything that needs a "head start," I'll pour in boiling water so everything gets up to heat quickly.

lauraashley614

Bump!

aprilwilliams2729

Check out http://www.skinnytaste.com/search/label/Crock Pot Recipes

The Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken is particularly good and I prep it ahead of time and throw it in the freezer - then when I want to have it I just defrost and throw the contents in the crockpot! Easy Peasy!! One note though - if you are away from home a long time I would recommend substituting chicken thighs for chicken breast - the breast really dries out - even being submerged in liquid! And the calorie difference is negligible (less than 40 calories per serving of chicken).

Edited for spelling error!

NinjaJinja

My cousin fed this to us when we were up in Virginia visiting her. I've made it several times and my mom made it at our Christmas party and for my grandparents. I ran this through the recipe thing on here, and it comes out to 265 calories a serving if there are 6 servings (which is approx a bowlful). The only person who doesn't like it is my sister, and that's because she doesn't like black beans.

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

2-4 chicken breasts (I usually use 3 fresh, but can also be frozen)
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained (I use Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles)
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package cream cheese

Lay chicken at the bottom of the crock pot. Drain and rinse black beans. Add black beans, corn, and Rotel on top. Add in spices and mix up. Lay cream cheese on top of it all and cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours. The cream cheese won't melt during the cooking process. When it's done, mix the cream cheese in and shred the chicken (which is super easy at this point).

This all fits in my super tiny crock pot very nicely. I like to eat it by scooping it with blue corn tortilla chips! I have been considering adding in cayenne pepper to make it a bit spicier. It is very much on the mild side of my scale.

Midora35

I my crock pot and for christmas I got a bunch of campbell's soup recipes that are quick and very easy. One of the recipes my family and I ate yesterday that was SO good....

Slowed Cook creamy chicken and wild rice

What You'll Need
2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 1/2 cups water
4 large carrots, thickly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 package (6 ounces) uncooked seasoned long-grain and wild rice mix
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)

How to Make It

1 Stir the soup, water, carrots, rice and seasoning packet in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn to coat.
2 Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

So simple, so good. I have a toddler and he gobbled it up like it was going out of style. My suggestion though, definitely make sure you get the breasts and not the tenderloins. The chicken was a bit dry, unless you like it that way. I don't, I like my chicken juicy.

Hope this helps.

sally414

I usually never brown or sear my foods before putting into the crockpot - but have heard that you'll get more flavorful food that way. Also it is recommended to increase spices and seasonings as things tend to get bland in the crockpot.

One of my favorites is the Hungry Girl pulled BBQ Chicken - http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1284

tpow1196

Super Easy Chicken
4-5 Frozen skinless boneless chicken breast
1 package dry italian dressing mix
1 cup warm water or fat free chicken broth

place chicken in bottom of crockpot, sprinkle dressing mix over chicken then pour water or broth over chicken. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

I would love to know how this turns out & what you serve it with - does it end up saucy or does the water evaporate? How do you normally serve this dish?

TIA! =0)

I serve it over rice. If you want more sauce I would add another packet and more water. It does have a little sauce but not enough to cover rice. Just kind of flavor the rice.

I use cream of chicken soup with a ranch packet or italian, served over rice. Everybody loves it!

mruntidy

Had to post, I thought this said crack pot tips and recipes, I was going to say; wear aluminium foil on your head to keep the voices out :happy:

nygrl4evr

bump....always love to find great crock pot recipes!!

mrssmith12

Chicken Spagetti--put 2 chicken breast in crockpot frozen or not, pour a jar or 2 of sauce (whichever brand of spagetti sauce you like) over the top, let cook on low 8-10 hours. Shred chicken when done.

That sounds delicious!! I will definitely be trying this recipe!

ercarroll311

I make a super healthy vegan soup with chicken broth, beans (anyn kind will work, I used canned navy beans, rinsed and drained last time, but black beans or red beans work great), almost any kind of diced up veggie is great in there (I last used zucchini, green beans, onions, tomato, and red bell pepper). To add something to it I will toss in diced up tofu, brown rice, white rice, orzo, quinoa... whatever you're feeling. It's SO good for you. Any kind of seasoning works--I've done a curry flavored version, sometimes I'll use a more mexican mix of spices, usually use garlic.

MelanieAG05

bumping for later - i got a crock-pot for Christmas too!!

photogal375

bump

gwencarrell

bump.. sounds yummy.. I love Taco Soup

sjpgurl

I'm a crock-pot junkie! Here is a recipe my boyfriend calls "Pirate food"

Caribbean Pork Loin
2 whole pork tenderloins
1 can crushed pineapple
1 cup diced green onions
2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
2 tbsp fresh minced garlic
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice

Blend all of the wet and dry ingredients in a blender or chopper until it forms a soupy paste.
Place the pork in the slow cooker and cut a line down each with a knife. Pour the paste into each pork loin.
Cook on low for 8 hours.

Christie0428

these are good suggestions...

I am new to MFP ... I have one question. Why do people write "bump"?

Minnie_Moo

My family loves when I make this in the slow cooker :-)


BLACK BEANS AND KIELBASA
(from WW boards)

7 oz Healthy Choice Smoked Sausage (I use Hillshire Farms Turkey Polska Kielbasa)
2 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes w/ green chilies, undrained
14 oz. can Fiesta corn, undrained ( i use Green Giant Mexicorn)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
Garlic to taste

Slice the sausage into small pieces. Add all ingredients to 3 quart slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on high 3-4 hours or on low for up to 10 hours. Could be served over rice.

Espressocycle

Black eyed peas w/ smoked turkey necks.

Shann77

bump

hottiebikerchick

Bump

1stday13

I wondered that too BUMP? :embarassed: