Author Topic: Crockpot Recipes?  (Read 31194 times)

Meggslynn

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 253
Crockpot Recipes?
« on: March 25, 2015, 02:44:40 PM »
My husband is starting a new job soon that is 12-8 during the week. So that means I won't have help with the kid, dinner, clean up etc. Plus I workout in the evenings. I am really going to have to rely on crockpot meals a lot in order to be able to achieve what I need to during the evenings. I would really appreciate you sharing your favorite crockpot recipes.

Thanks in advance :)

nereo

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 17499
  • Location: Just south of Canada
    • Here's how you can support science today:
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2015, 02:56:30 PM »
I've had good luck with recipes from the book "slow-cooker revolution" by America's test kitchen.   We both are gone all day so we use our slow-cooker ofr 2-3 meals/week. (ISBN-10: 1933615699)
Chances are your local library will have a copy, or pick up a used copy. 

boarder42

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 9332
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2015, 03:02:59 PM »
roast of any kind

1/2 a cup chicken stock
1/4 cup balsamic
one medium onion diced
6 cloves of garlic diced
a bunch of crushed red pepper
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
grind rosemary and thyme 1 tbsp each
salt and pepper

poor liquids over roast then seasonings then onions and garlic.  low for 8 hours.

pull out roasts and shread ... use immersion blender to make gravy. add roast back in.. i thicken it with purred cauliflower b/c i'm Paleo

boarder42

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 9332
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2015, 03:03:12 PM »
this is like crack.

vulgar_girl

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 45
  • Location: San Francisco
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2015, 03:08:44 PM »
I would like to love my crockpot.  But I would need to set it and forget it from around 6:30A to around 4:30P and a lot of the recipes just don't take that long.  Anyone have any llllooooonnnnggg cook recipes they would like to share?  I feel like the ones I have tried are just overdone...

Secretly Saving

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 418
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2015, 03:10:52 PM »
I would like to love my crockpot.  But I would need to set it and forget it from around 6:30A to around 4:30P and a lot of the recipes just don't take that long.  Anyone have any llllooooonnnnggg cook recipes they would like to share?  I feel like the ones I have tried are just overdone...

Vulgar_girl, try using frozen meat/vegetables instead.  That will probably fix your time issue.

nereo

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 17499
  • Location: Just south of Canada
    • Here's how you can support science today:
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2015, 03:13:20 PM »
I would like to love my crockpot.  But I would need to set it and forget it from around 6:30A to around 4:30P and a lot of the recipes just don't take that long.  Anyone have any llllooooonnnnggg cook recipes they would like to share?  I feel like the ones I have tried are just overdone...
I use a timer.  For almost all recipes you can prep them the night before, put the insert into the fridge, and then pull it out in the morning and set the timer.  The heavy ceramic insert keeps it cold until it turns on.  Then you come home to fresh, hot food.

For very long recipes, I love pulled pork.
Rub a whole pork shoulder (6-10lbs) with whatever spice rub you like, refrigerate overnight. 
In the morning, put it in the crockpot with 1/4 cup of flavorful liquid (can be broth, coke, beer...) and set to low. 
Cook for 10-12 hours. 
shred and serve with cole-slaw (best made the night before and kept in the fridge)

Secretly Saving

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 418
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2015, 03:22:28 PM »
Good point from nereo.  I often prep everything the night before and have it cold in the fridge as well.  This definitely helps with overcooking!

vulgar_girl

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 45
  • Location: San Francisco
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2015, 03:58:15 PM »
I never thought about a timer before!  Genius!!!  I shall pull my crock pot from its dusty spot on top of the fridge and use it this week!

studentdoc2

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 101
  • Location: Chicago
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2015, 04:16:26 PM »
In the same spirit of things, but with a slightly different approach, I have gotten into once-a-month cooking. Basically, you spend all day cooking meals for the month that can then be frozen and stored. The night before, you thaw them in the fridge, and then you can toss them in a crock pot, heat in the oven, or what have you. I LOVE this approach, and it means we cut down on eating out and needless grocery purchases. You can google individual sites with meals, but I love the meal plans put together by https://onceamonthmeals.com/.

1967mama

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2164
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Canada
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2015, 04:27:45 PM »
Mexican Black Bean Chicken

6 frozen chicken breasts
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (I use frozen beans -- make my own -- recipe below)
2 cups frozen corn
1 large jar of salsa
chopped cilantro (optional)

Cook all day on low. About 30 minutes before serving (or more, or less) dice in 1 block of cream cheese and stir when melted.
Serve over rice or egg noodles. Its delicious and a real family favourite!

1967mama

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2164
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Canada
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #11 on: March 25, 2015, 04:35:34 PM »
Crockpot Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken, frozen - breast side down (remove bag of innards if there is one in the cavity)
1 onion, peeled - place inside the cavity
3 sliced or minced cloves of garlic (or more) - on top
Salt, pepper, rosemary, poultry seasoning
*also nice with a sliced lemon in the cavity

Cook all day on low.
Remove chicken. In small jar, combine 2 Tablespoons of flour and 1 cup of hot water. Shake well. Add to the juices for a gravy if desired.
I do this once a week.

Save the bones and tomorrow, make soup stock! Put the bones back in the crockpot and fill it with water. Put in 1 onion cut in half, 4-5 garlic cloves, 3 carrots, 3 stalks of celery all roughly chopped (maybe in 3rds), and spice it up with oregano, basil, peppercorns, bay leaf, etc. Salt to taste (usually quite a bit -- start with 2 tablespoons and reseason at the end of cooking. Cook all day, then make soup for dinner or save the stock in the freezer for another meal.



1967mama

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2164
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Canada
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2015, 05:31:30 PM »
Crockpot Beans

Place 1-2 inches of any type of beans in bottom of crockpot -- rinse and drain. Fill crock to the top with water.

Cook all day on low until beans are soft.

Drain, cool and freeze in ziploc bags.

Eric

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4057
  • Location: On my bike
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #13 on: March 25, 2015, 06:26:18 PM »
pull out roasts and shread ... use immersion blender to make gravy. add roast back in.. i thicken it with purred cauliflower b/c i'm Paleo

I had to look up what purred cauliflower was.  For those of you interested, it's apparently cauliflower that has been grown by cats.  I wish I could get my cat to grow vegetables.  Boarder, what's your secret?


But for serious, anything that's soup is pretty much impossible to overcook.  My favorite is beef stew w/ root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, corn, whatever).  Choose a cheap hunk of beef, cut into chunks while trimming fat/gristle.  Add meat, a pressed garlic clove or four, veggies, a shit ton of fresh ground pepper, some parsley or rosemary or both, worcestershire sauce, and a bay leaf or two.  Fill with beef broth to about 3/4 of the depth of the meat/veggies.  Stir.  Cook on low until you're ready to eat.  Minimum 6 hours on low but it's impossible to overcook and really hard to fuck up.

As a bonus, make some of your own bread to dunk in it:
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread
« Last Edit: March 25, 2015, 06:27:57 PM by Eric »

NotJen

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1616
  • Location: USA
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #14 on: March 25, 2015, 06:46:17 PM »
My absolute favorite is a pork shoulder roast - it takes 16 hrs!  Though I usually only make it to 12 hrs if I can't wake up early to take it out of the fridge.

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/10031990774/slow-cooker-kalua-pig

When I bought my crockpot, I made sure to get one that switches over to warm after the cook period has passed.  Seems to work pretty well.

geekette

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2550
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #15 on: March 25, 2015, 09:04:45 PM »
Another thing to look for would be sheet pan dinners.  You can prep the night before and they're pretty quick in the oven.  I made this Asian Stir Fry last week and it was very good.

Meggslynn

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 253
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #16 on: March 26, 2015, 10:21:14 AM »
Another thing to look for would be sheet pan dinners.  You can prep the night before and they're pretty quick in the oven.  I made this Asian Stir Fry last week and it was very good.

Thanks that is great idea!

nico demouse

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 54
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #17 on: March 26, 2015, 01:28:23 PM »
My crockpot has a timer setting, so I can choose 4 or 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Once it completes that time, it switches to a keep warm setting. It's great for days when I need to get it going early and it will be going longer than the cook time. I would personally worry about food left out on a timer, but maybe I'm more paranoid about food safety than most?

Lately, I've been layering chopped veggies on the bottom (celery, onion, carrots, potatoes) plus spices (salt, pepper, thyme, and bay) and putting a whole chicken on top plus ~ 8 cups of water. Let it cook all day and then shred the chicken before you're ready to eat. It makes a really nice, hearty chicken soup.

gluskap

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 169
  • Age: 44
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA
    • Money Savvy Mommy
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #18 on: March 26, 2015, 03:33:53 PM »
These recipes sound great!  I think I'm going to invest in a crockpot.  Is there a particular one you guys recommend?

Dicey

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 22322
  • Age: 66
  • Location: NorCal
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #19 on: March 26, 2015, 04:12:25 PM »
My family gobbles this one up every time. There are a lot of "exotic" ingredients, buy they are common to many economical Asian dishes, so you shouldn't end up with weird things in the pantry you never use. I cut the recipe out of the paper, but the article references alittleyummy.com.

Soy-Simmered Chicken
1/3 c. soy sauce
1 c. chicken stock
3 tbs. light brown sugar
1 tbs. fish sauce
1 tbs. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
  -or-
1-2 tsp. Sriracha (I use both)
1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts*
2 scallions, finely sliced, for garnish

1. Mix everything but the chicken and the scallions in the slow cooker until well combined.
2. Add chicken, smush into sauce to coat.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
4. When cooked, move chicken to a serving dish and top with half of the remaining liquid. Use 2 forks to shred chicken.
5. In a small saucepan, reduce the remaining liquid until it is syrupy.
6. Drizzle the glaze on the chicken and garnish with sliced scallions.

* I love this recipe because it is so flexible. I prefer bone-in chicken with the skin on. I remove bones and skin after cooking. Do not add salt, as fish sauce, soy sauce and chicken stock can be crazy high in sodium. Low-sodium versons all work fine if you have them. If you have to buy fish sauce, try an Asian market (it's cheap) and check the labels for sodium content. No fresh ginger? Look for mashed ginger in small jars or powdered ginger. Not quite as good, but it works. No light brown sugar? Use dark sugar or molasses or even agave. Like spicy food? Use more Sriracha!

When I want to make bigger batches, I adjust quantities judiciously. You don't want too much liquid to start.
I have even been known to begin with not-quite-completely thawed chicken, which extends the cooking time just a bit.

ronrico77

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 9
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #20 on: March 26, 2015, 05:24:45 PM »
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

1 pound dried red beans
1 dark beer
4 cups water or broth
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 pound andouille sausage or chicken andouille sausage, sliced
3 tablespoons Creole seasoning

Throw it all in the slow cooker in the morning, and cook for 6-8 hours on low. once done smash it up a little with a mash potato masher and serve over rice.


Stachetastic

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 769
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #21 on: March 27, 2015, 08:03:29 AM »
Mexican Black Bean Chicken

6 frozen chicken breasts
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (I use frozen beans -- make my own -- recipe below)
2 cups frozen corn
1 large jar of salsa
chopped cilantro (optional)

Cook all day on low. About 30 minutes before serving (or more, or less) dice in 1 block of cream cheese and stir when melted.
Serve over rice or egg noodles. Its delicious and a real family favourite!

I made this after seeing it posted in another thread, and I can vouch that it is delicious! In fact, it's on the menu again this weekend. Thanks for a great recipe, 1967mama!

rockstache

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7270
  • Age: 11
  • Location: Southeast
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #22 on: March 27, 2015, 10:32:37 AM »
I would like to love my crockpot.  But I would need to set it and forget it from around 6:30A to around 4:30P and a lot of the recipes just don't take that long.  Anyone have any llllooooonnnnggg cook recipes they would like to share?  I feel like the ones I have tried are just overdone...

Vulgar_girl, try using frozen meat/vegetables instead.  That will probably fix your time issue.

Wait...what?? Is that safe? I have never thought of that, that is an amazing idea. We do have an outlet with a timer, but I never considered using frozen stuff.

Meggslynn

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 253
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #23 on: March 30, 2015, 11:00:09 AM »
Thanks everyone. This all sound great. Keep them coming :)

charis

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3162
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #24 on: April 22, 2015, 12:59:55 PM »
roast of any kind

1/2 a cup chicken stock
1/4 cup balsamic
one medium onion diced
6 cloves of garlic diced
a bunch of crushed red pepper
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
grind rosemary and thyme 1 tbsp each
salt and pepper

poor liquids over roast then seasonings then onions and garlic.  low for 8 hours.

pull out roasts and shread ... use immersion blender to make gravy. add roast back in.. i thicken it with purred cauliflower b/c i'm Paleo

If boarder42 is around - do you serve this as a stew? And does it work for shredded pork sandwiches?

boarder42

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 9332
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #25 on: April 22, 2015, 01:03:28 PM »
crock pot carmelized onions rock too

charis

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3162
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #26 on: April 22, 2015, 01:06:20 PM »
crock pot carmelized onions rock too

Yes, sounds good, but can you shred the crock pot roast for sandwiches?  This my plan, so, hopefully.

boarder42

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 9332
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #27 on: April 22, 2015, 01:37:58 PM »
crock pot carmelized onions rock too

Yes, sounds good, but can you shred the crock pot roast for sandwiches?  This my plan, so, hopefully.

yeah it comes out ready to shread ... only way to really do it.

11ducks

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 573
  • Location: Duckville, Australia
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #28 on: April 23, 2015, 03:52:09 AM »
Good for you, I love my slow cooker.

Bolognese sauce

1lb beef or chicken mince (raw)
Garlic, chopped onion, grated carrot, chopped tomato
Can or two of beans
Jar of passata (purιed tomatoes) or canned tomatoes
Chilli powder, Italian herbs, basil- any other spices you use
Water as needed

Chuck it all in, stir to break up the mince, and leave it to cook for 6-8hrs. I love bolognese as you can sneak a lot of veggies in there. I do a massive batch and freeze it in old soup containers - pull one out in the morning and cook up some pasta when you get home- easy dinner!!


Pulled BBQ chicken

1-2 diced chicken breasts (or thigh, or beef if you prefer)
1-2lb potatoes, peeled n cubed
BBQ sauce mix (made using tomato purιe,  soy sauce and brown sugar)
Water to cover

Cook for 6-8hrs, break up the chicken using forks (falls apart easy), is quiche the cooked potatoes a bit. Beautiful on fresh rolls w coleslaw, with rice or pasta.

Pumpkin carrot soup

(I make this all the time for work- satisfying and low fat)

Chopped pumpkin and carrot (1lb each), plus a potato if you want
low-sodium stock
chopped onion and garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook down, blend. I add a dollop of low-fat Greek yoghurt before serving to make it creamy!

boarder42

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 9332
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #29 on: April 23, 2015, 05:29:50 AM »
Good for you, I love my slow cooker.

Bolognese sauce

1lb beef or chicken mince (raw)
Garlic, chopped onion, grated carrot, chopped tomato
Can or two of beans
Jar of passata (purιed tomatoes) or canned tomatoes
Chilli powder, Italian herbs, basil- any other spices you use
Water as needed

Chuck it all in, stir to break up the mince, and leave it to cook for 6-8hrs. I love bolognese as you can sneak a lot of veggies in there. I do a massive batch and freeze it in old soup containers - pull one out in the morning and cook up some pasta when you get home- easy dinner!!


Pulled BBQ chicken

1-2 diced chicken breasts (or thigh, or beef if you prefer)
1-2lb potatoes, peeled n cubed
BBQ sauce mix (made using tomato purιe,  soy sauce and brown sugar)
Water to cover

Cook for 6-8hrs, break up the chicken using forks (falls apart easy), is quiche the cooked potatoes a bit. Beautiful on fresh rolls w coleslaw, with rice or pasta.

Pumpkin carrot soup

(I make this all the time for work- satisfying and low fat)

Chopped pumpkin and carrot (1lb each), plus a potato if you want
low-sodium stock
chopped onion and garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook down, blend. I add a dollop of low-fat Greek yoghurt before serving to make it creamy!

can you elaborate on your bolognese sauce with quantities and types of beans.  i assume cannili or some other white bean. Do you blend them or leave them chunky?

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3053
  • Location: Emmaus, PA
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #30 on: April 23, 2015, 05:33:14 AM »
Chuck roast

Dark meat chicken

Dry beans/lentils

Season as desired, throw some potatoes and root vegetables in there, turn on. We just make it up as we go along. Make sure there's plenty of water if you won't be overseeing it.

Those double-sized cans of tomatoes also add good nutrients, flavors, and water.

charis

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3162
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #31 on: April 23, 2015, 07:09:35 AM »
roast of any kind

1/2 a cup chicken stock
1/4 cup balsamic
one medium onion diced
6 cloves of garlic diced
a bunch of crushed red pepper
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
grind rosemary and thyme 1 tbsp each
salt and pepper

poor liquids over roast then seasonings then onions and garlic.  low for 8 hours.

pull out roasts and shread ... use immersion blender to make gravy. add roast back in.. i thicken it with purred cauliflower b/c i'm Paleo

We did this pulled pork yesterday and made a gravy with the strained gravy and served on rolls.  It was delicious and easy with lots of leftovers. Served with rice and veg.

boarder42

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 9332
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #32 on: April 23, 2015, 07:44:46 AM »
this isnt slow cooker:

But that gravy i do with the roast in the slow cooker above.  you can make stove top and its just as awesome.  you just saute the onion and garlic til translucent then add the rest of the ingredients.  then put in a blender and puree.  i use this as sauce for my Socca dough pizzas too.

Lis

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 774
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #33 on: April 23, 2015, 08:36:41 AM »
Bumping to follow, and to add one of my own.

The beauty of a crock pot is almost anything you make will come out wonderful. Some more than others. And then, once in a blue moon, it sucks. I did a pantry clean out once... I had a few veggies that were about to turn bad, some fresh herbs I really wanted to try. Threw it in with some chicken and broth/water and called it a soup. Unfortunately it was gross. You live and learn!

One of my favorite recipes is a pot roast... I remember my mom slaving away making it in the oven. Turns out it's super easy in the crock pot. I have a relatively small cooker and this barely fits, so adjust sizes as necessary.

2 1/2 - 3lbs chuck roast (great when its on sale!)
Root veggies (I typically go with onions and carrots, sometimes potatoes)
Non root veggies (usually just frozen peas for me)
A clove of garlic or some garlic powder (everything tastes better with garlic!)
1/2 cup liquid (Red wine is my favorite. White wine is decent. Balsamic makes it very sweet. Water makes the meaty flavor stand out. That's all I've tried, but you can put in pretty much anything)

Many recipes call for you to brown the roast on all sides first (flour and some salt/pepper needed), but I honestly skip this step. All the flavor you 'lose' just gets picked up by the veggies.

Put the roast in, then chopped root veggies (NOT non root veggies), then pour whatever liquid over all of it. It may seem like it's not enough liquid, but trust me, it is. You'll get plenty of gravy/sauce. Throw it on for 8 hours on low. Anywhere between 7.5-8 hour mark, throw in your non root (frozen is fine) veggies and stir in and let cook for another 20-30 minutes. Voila!

Service with some egg noodles, or mashed potatoes, or just have it by itself! This recipe is very flexible. I usually let this cook while I'm at work so it sits on low for about 8-8.5 hours, plus the 20 or so minutes for the non root veggies.

Lis

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 774
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #34 on: April 23, 2015, 10:07:39 AM »
Slightly off topic, but since we're on the subject of crockpots...

Mine has the ceramic bowl, not too much bigger than your standard stock pot. A handful of recipes I found calls for using a  "non-reactive pot," which apparently is either glass or ceramic. In the effort of saving money and not going out and buying a new pot, can my crock pot bowl do double duty and work on top of the stove top as well? Gas stove, if that makes a difference (not sure if it would work on my old glass top).

Edit: Apparently not, at least if you have a crockpot (not a generic slow cooker): http://www.crock-pot.com/service-and-support/product-support/product-faqs/help-and-how-to-use/oven-and-microwave-safety/help-and-how-to-use-oven-and-microwave-safety-faq.html

Figured I'd leave this up in case anyone else had the same question. Sigh... time to scour garage sales.
« Last Edit: April 23, 2015, 10:14:23 AM by Lis »

Krolik

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 114
  • Age: 46
  • Location: S.Florida
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #35 on: April 23, 2015, 02:09:21 PM »
This one has many ingredients but easy to make. When I made it I skipped celery and it was still very tasty.  I think I have this recipe from budgetbytes.

Rosemary Garlic Beef Stew

•½ lb. (4 medium) carrots
•½ sleeve celery
•1 medium onion
•2 lbs. red potatoes
•2 Tbsp olive oil
•4 cloves garlic, minced
•1½ lbs. beef stew meat
•Salt and pepper
•Ό cup all-purpose flour
•2 cups beef broth
•2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
•1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
•1 Tbsp soy sauce
•½ Tbsp brown sugar
•½ Tbsp dried rosemary
•½ tsp thyme

Instructions
1.Dice the onion and slice the carrots and celery. Wash the potatoes well and cut them into one inch cubes. Place the onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes into a large slow cooker.
2.Place the stew meat in a large bowl and season liberally with salt and pepper. Add the flour and toss the meat until it is coated. Set the floured meat aside.
3.Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sautι the garlic in the hot oil for about one minute, or until soft and fragrant. Add the floured meat and all the flour from the bottom of the bowl to the skillet. Let the beef cook without stirring for a few minutes to allow it to brown on one side. Stir and repeat until most or all sides of the beef pieces are browned. Add the browned beef to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the vegetables.
4.Return the skillet to the burner and turn the heat down to low. Add the beef broth, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme to the skillet. Stir to combine the ingredients and dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Once everything is dissolved off the bottom of the skillet, pour the sauce over the ingredients in the slow cooker. The sauce will not cover the contents of the slow cooker, but it's okay. More moisture will be released as it cooks.
5.Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours. After four hours, remove the lid and stir the stew, breaking the beef into smaller pieces as you stir. Taste the stew and adjust the salt if needed. Serve hot as is, or over a bowl of rice or pasta.


MandalayVA

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1569
  • Location: Orlando FL
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #36 on: April 23, 2015, 02:21:36 PM »
This one has many ingredients but easy to make. When I made it I skipped celery and it was still very tasty.  I think I have this recipe from budgetbytes.

Rosemary Garlic Beef Stew

(ingredients and directions

This is a GOOD recipe that will make your house smell awesome.  It was the first Budget Bytes recipe I made, and Beth has a lot of slow cooker recipes.

DollarBill

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 897
  • Age: 49
  • Location: Austin TX
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #37 on: April 23, 2015, 02:29:18 PM »
Beef Bourguignon:
•3lbs Stewing Beef (Chuck), cut into 2 inch cubes
•1 Large Yellow Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
•2 Carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
•2 Cloves Garlic, peeled
•Bouquet Garni (3 Sprigs Parsley, 2 Sprigs Thyme, 1 Sprig Rosemary, 1 Bay Leaf and 3 – 5 Peppercorns, all bundled together)
•1bottle good, rich, red Burgundy or California Pinot Noir
•6oz lean Salted Pork (bacon or pork belly will do), diced
•1 lb. Button Mushrooms
•1/3 cup Flour
•Salt and Pepper

It's better if you pan sear the meats but not necessary. It's also better if you can add the veggies later but again it's not necessary.

I also do a pork butt every week or two. Just don't get a spiral cut shoulder...go for the butt! I don't normally add anything to it but if you pack brown sugar all around it then it comes out extra tasty.
« Last Edit: April 23, 2015, 02:33:48 PM by DollarBill »

geekette

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2550
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #38 on: April 23, 2015, 11:00:57 PM »
Slightly off topic, but since we're on the subject of crockpots...

Mine has the ceramic bowl, not too much bigger than your standard stock pot. A handful of recipes I found calls for using a  "non-reactive pot," which apparently is either glass or ceramic.

Stainless steel is also non-reactive. You don't want to use aluminum, cast iron, or unlined copper for recipes that call for non-reactive cookware.

jengod

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1219
  • Location: Near LAX
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #39 on: April 23, 2015, 11:21:23 PM »
Crockpot Oatmeal

1 cup GROATS (totally unprocessed oats, probably available in the bulk bins at your local hippie store)
4 cups WATER
splash of vanilla
1/2 tsp of salt

Set it to low, wait 6 hours, give or take

= GREAT oatmeal, no waiting.

FrugalKube

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 175
  • Location: Pacific NW
    • The Gamer's Lounge
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #40 on: April 24, 2015, 01:03:15 AM »
Great recipes! I am a big fan of the crock pot. I've done some good beef and broccoli and a good flavorful chili



LiseE

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 189
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #41 on: April 24, 2015, 04:13:35 PM »
bump to follow

FFA

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 525
    • Financially Free Australia
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #42 on: April 24, 2015, 04:59:43 PM »
Many recipes call for you to brown the roast on all sides first (flour and some salt/pepper needed), but I honestly skip this step. All the flavor you 'lose' just gets picked up by the veggies.

great thread i will give some of thrse a try. Three questions i have for you slow cooker gurus :

1. As above... Is it better/worthwile to brown the meat first?
2. do you need to immerse everything in liquid? (Always leaves me a thin stock that needs a lot of reducing or thickening. But i worry if not the stuff above the waterline will be dry/tough)
3. in the mustachian spirit, has anyone worked out the cost of cooking in this way. As much as I love the simplicity and flavours; I have often wondered how much electricity it chews up being on for so long. the thought of buying a pressure cooker crossed my mind to substantially reduce cooking times...

Thanks in advance!
« Last Edit: April 24, 2015, 11:52:56 PM by FFA »

Noodle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1316
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #43 on: April 25, 2015, 09:23:25 AM »
My absolute favorite slow cooker recipes come from the old "year of slow cooking" blog. The author then went on to publish a couple of cookbooks that should be pretty cheap on Amazon at this point. Here's a list of recipes: http://www.ayearofslowcooking.com/2007/12/alphabetical-listing-of-recipes.html

Their family has a gluten intolerant member so there aren't many processed foods, and the recipes tend to be very simple--not a whole lot of prep before stuff goes in the pot.

I confess, the following is not healthy (and does, um, have some processed foods) but I like it so much I make it for special occasions: http://www.ayearofslowcooking.com/2008/09/buffalo-wing-soup-crockpot-recipe.html

1967mama

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2164
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Canada
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #44 on: April 25, 2015, 01:14:36 PM »
Three questions i have for you slow cooker gurus :

1. As above... Is it better/worthwile to brown the meat first?
2. do you need to immerse everything in liquid? (Always leaves me a thin stock that needs a lot of reducing or thickening. But i worry if not the stuff above the waterline will be dry/tough)
3. in the mustachian spirit, has anyone worked out the cost of cooking in this way. As much as I love the simplicity and flavours; I have often wondered how much electricity it chews up being on for so long. the thought of buying a pressure cooker crossed my mind to substantially reduce cooking times...

Thanks in advance!

About energy use:http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/010528j.cfm

Browning meat first: I almost never brown the meat first unless I am short on time. So if I need a spaghetti sauce in 3 hours, I will quickly fry up ground beef and throw it in with the tomato sauce. It also depends on the fat content of the meat. So ribs, for example, I boil first then drain and throw in crockpot.


MBot

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 506
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #45 on: April 25, 2015, 05:17:53 PM »
For some reason pork shoulder and roast is always expensive here but chops go on sale for 1.50 a pound. So I put a few chops in with a cup of water and some salt, let it cook all day, and pulled pork is the delicious result. Usually I add some vinegar and sugar at the end to cut the fattiness.

The only fussy bit is ensuring all the pork chop bones are out of it after.

Megma

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 744
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #46 on: April 25, 2015, 09:33:50 PM »
Three questions i have for you slow cooker gurus :

1. As above... Is it better/worthwile to brown the meat first?
2. do you need to immerse everything in liquid? (Always leaves me a thin stock that needs a lot of reducing or thickening. But i worry if not the stuff above the waterline will be dry/tough)
3. in the mustachian spirit, has anyone worked out the cost of cooking in this way. As much as I love the simplicity and flavours; I have often wondered how much electricity it chews up being on for so long. the thought of buying a pressure cooker crossed my mind to substantially reduce cooking times...

Thanks in advance!

About energy use:http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/010528j.cfm

Browning meat first: I almost never brown the meat first unless I am short on time. So if I need a spaghetti sauce in 3 hours, I will quickly fry up ground beef and throw it in with the tomato sauce. It also depends on the fat content of the meat. So ribs, for example, I boil first then drain and throw in crockpot.

I also never brown the meat first.


+1 to the year of slow cooking blog. She has made everything in a crockpot.

louloulou

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 58
  • Location: New Zealand
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #47 on: April 26, 2015, 12:28:14 AM »
following so I can find these recipes again later

grantmeaname

  • CM*MW 2023 Attendees
  • Walrus Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 5961
  • Age: 31
  • Location: Middle West
  • Cast me away from yesterday's things
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #48 on: April 26, 2015, 08:05:27 AM »
1. As above... Is it better/worthwile to brown the meat first?
A ton of flavor forms on the surfaces of the meat when you sear it. You can certainly do without if you don't mind the flavor, but I've always found it to be well worth the additional effort. When I cook in the crockpot I generally sear the meat while I'm making breakfast/doing dishes/doing work in the next room and throw it in the crockpot on my way out the door for the day.
Quote
2. do you need to immerse everything in liquid? (Always leaves me a thin stock that needs a lot of reducing or thickening. But i worry if not the stuff above the waterline will be dry/tough)
Maybe get a smaller crockpot? The inside of the one I have is a cylinder with maybe 6 inches diameter and 8 inches deep, so the roast and handful of veggies fits pretty snugly and it doesn't take quarts of liquid to cover everything. I chose it because it was $2 at goodwill and not because it was small, but now that I have it I like it a lot better than the enormous ones I grew up with.
Quote
3. in the mustachian spirit, has anyone worked out the cost of cooking in this way. As much as I love the simplicity and flavours; I have often wondered how much electricity it chews up being on for so long. the thought of buying a pressure cooker crossed my mind to substantially reduce cooking times...
Google suggests that a crockpot uses in the range of 200-250W, so 8 hours of cooking is about 2 kWh of electricity. That would cost me 13 cents, so it's basically negligible.

FFA

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 525
    • Financially Free Australia
Re: Crockpot Recipes?
« Reply #49 on: April 26, 2015, 08:11:03 AM »
thanks 1967mama and grantmeaname !