Comments on Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity: Operation Use My...Crockpot - Weekend Cooking

I love my crockpot. I've made soups, roasts, s...

2012-02-01T13:47:38.127-06:00

I love my crockpot. I've made soups, roasts, shortribs. pulled pork, spaghetti sauce, steel cut oats... I'm usually only gone for 9 hours, at the longest though. I actually tend to use it most in the summer. It doesn't heat up the house like the oven does, and since our air conditioner's been broke for a couple of year now that's important.

This is a fun post, I came here via Allie's bl...

2012-01-31T22:49:01.320-06:00

This is a fun post, I came here via Allie's blog. :) I LOVE my crockpot. LOVE IT. I've made a Pork Tenderloin in it a few times that I just ADORE (its an apricot glazed one). I also make cheesy chicken, chicken and stuffing and that's really about it right now. I do use it pretty often when the weather's bad, and the boyfriend is happy to be the guinea pig, so it works out well. :) Bonus is if the inside is removable? Right into the dishwasher.

And there are some recipes on here that I have got to check out, I'm always looking for new things.

Holy crap, I so bookmarked that chicken thing. tha...

2012-01-31T22:40:30.396-06:00

Holy crap, I so bookmarked that chicken thing. that looks AMAZING (will probably pare down the recipe since I dont have space for that many leftovers, even in the freezer)

Yes just the roast and the au jus (sp?) is in the ...

2012-01-30T18:22:22.920-06:00

Yes just the roast and the au jus (sp?) is in the crock pot. Then I use rolls and swiss cheese, and viola! They are really good sandwiches too. Plus the roast takes like 8-10 hours to cook, so.....

*Care - Mmmm, sopapillas. ;) And I guess 13...

2012-01-30T17:07:37.639-06:00

*Care - Mmmm, sopapillas. ;) And I guess 13 hours isn't a big issue but everything will be falling apart by then!! :)

*Ingrid Lola - I've seen those McCormick's mixes and wondered about them. I actually picked one up for Pulled Pork but ended up making from scratch. Will check out the stew packets!

*Jenny Girl - A few people have suggested using the crockpot over night! That would solve the problem of it being on for hours and hours as well as the morning prep. Now to just work myself up to actually doing it! ;)

*Elise - I've never thought to try pork tenderloin in the crockpot. One of our favorite go-to recipes is pork tenderloin...in the oven. I do get Real Simple but I'm still working on the November issue. (Yikes!!). I have a thing about reading them out of order... ;)

*Melissa (Avid Reader) - I have pretty good recipe for pork tenderloin (oven) and pot roast but I'm really interested in the BBQ chicken and goulash. Sent you an email, but no rush... ;)

*Michelle - French Dip Sandwich? Need more details!! Do you just cook the insides and then put on bread? You know I'm imagining the entire sandwich in the crock pot. ;)

I love my crock pot. You will have to post some of...

2012-01-29T11:34:15.990-06:00

I love my crock pot. You will have to post some of your favorite recipes. One of my favorite is a French Dip sandwich. And ice cream maker? Obviously my favorite of all favorites. I have so many great recipes.

I use my crock pot constantly. I use it make a who...

2012-01-25T13:44:34.058-06:00

I use my crock pot constantly. I use it make a whole chicken, pork tenderloins, BBQ chicken, pot roast, goulash, chicken noodle soup and more. I work during the day so it's a life saver. I normally try to do most of the prep (browning the meat or something) at night. Then I get up a bit earlier in the morning and toss it all in before I take a shower. Most recipes I use call for about 8 hrs on low. I'm home about 9 hours later and it's been on warm for an hour. It works perfectly. If you need any specific recipes, email me! Good luck!

I do love my crock pot for lots of things. I have ...

2012-01-24T22:52:47.215-06:00

I do love my crock pot for lots of things. I have a few different chicken recipes that I use for tacos, enchiladas, etc. And pork tenderloin + bbq sauce is never a bad thing, especially after hours of sitting. Your 13-hour dilemma is a toughie, though. Do you get Real Simple? My issue just came yesterday & the cover article is dedicated to healthy, unique slow cooker recipes.

Crock pot...this is a toughie because I don't ...

2012-01-24T14:18:29.418-06:00

Crock pot...this is a toughie because I don't like the idea of leaving something on all day. I use mine for roast, soup, and chicken stock, since I don't have a stock pot.
Check Allrecipes.com for some ideas

George Foreman grill: burgers, chicken, anything grilled. use in winter only.
Springform pans for cheesecake
Food processor for cookie dough
Now an ice cream maker...that is something I should have since I LOVE LOVE LOVE ice cream. but I don't. Probably a good thing :)

I love my crockpot. My favorite thing to make with...

2012-01-24T11:33:13.664-06:00

I love my crockpot. My favorite thing to make with it is beef stew - with the McCormick's beef stew mix in the little red packet. I've found it cooks perfectly in 8 hours. love it.

Yea, what was the 13 hour issue? Mine only has of...

2012-01-23T18:03:26.077-06:00

Yea, what was the 13 hour issue? Mine only has off, low and high. I put in a beef or pork roast and a big jar of peppercinis and leave till done.

How did the Trifle come out?! :) My sopapillas were a HUGE hit.

Thank you all so so so much for your comments! ...

2012-01-23T12:37:35.785-06:00
Thank you all so so so much for your comments! I had hoped to respond to you all individually here on the blog but I was Internet-less most of the weekend and had NO idea this post would spark so many comments! I appreciate all of your tips and links and recipes. If you have your email linked to your user ID I might drop you an email sometime this week. You guys are all AWESOME!!

I mainly have done a chili that my dad taught me, ...

2012-01-23T01:18:20.774-06:00
I mainly have done a chili that my dad taught me, although I learned I could do it in a standard pot no problem, but there is something nice about having your chili cook slowly and have the smell of the chili spice filter through one's place. I have also made Apple Cider as well.

I bought myself a good slow cooker cookbook from C...

2012-01-23T00:55:31.524-06:00
I bought myself a good slow cooker cookbook from Chronicle Books last year and I've used my crock much more since then. Now I make a delicious steak and black bean chili every few weeks, soups, stew and still do pork and beef for sandwiches and tacos. Most of the recipes in the book have instructions for the high setting and the low so that you can choose a time length that works for you. So, I think what I'm saying is that if you find the right cookbook, you're more likely to use your slow cooker regularly!

I'd think about putting something in the crock...

2012-01-22T21:11:29.676-06:00
I'd think about putting something in the crockpot before you go to bed then letting it cook all night. In the morning you can let it cool, then pop it in the fridge before you go to work and just reheat when you're ready to eat. I used to use my crockpot a lot but have really gotten away from it. I may just have to take this as my kick in the butt to get mine out!

What a fun post, Trish! I've had so many kitch...

2012-01-22T16:30:24.063-06:00
What a fun post, Trish! I've had so many kitchen gadgets & appliances over the years. I gave away my bread machine after a few years when I discovered I preferred making my own by hand. I have a Pannini Press/Griddle that I've used twice. My daughter gave me a beautiful Trifle dish that I've never used for Trifle, but it looks gorgeous filled with fresh lemons, limes and oranges. :) I have TWO Bundt pans and use them a few times a year (Bundt Cakes). And I could never live without my KitchenAid Mixer (going on 30 years now!), my Immersion blender, or my cookie gun!

As far as my crockpot, however, I only have a couple of recipes that have been worthwhile. The first is the Roast with Onion & Mushroom Gravy that I linked to above in Chris' comment. The other is very simple. I take a rack of baby back ribs (extra meaty) and cut it up into 3 or 4 separate slabs. After seasoning with salt & pepper, I throw the ribs in my crockpot (sprayed with Pam) and cook on low for 8-10 hours. I don't add any liquid! When I get home from work, I take the ribs out, lay them on a foil-covered cookie sheet, slather them with KC BBQ sauce (both sides) and either throw them on the grill to sear or (if it's too cold/snowy/raining) put them in a 300 oven until the salad and beans (or fried onion strings) are ready to serve. I don't let them cook too long or they get dried out. They're really ready to eat as soon as they come out of the crockpot. If your crockpot dies (or you wind up giving it away!), you can always make them this way.

And for those who want a beefy taco soup, this one is delicious. Pretty much like Megan's mom's. Yumm!

Sorry for the long comment. Next to books, I love food/cooking! :)

Chris, this sounds just like mine only I use a can...

2012-01-22T16:13:19.905-06:00
Chris, this sounds just like mine only I use a can of beef broth instead of the red wine. I think I'd like the wine better! Here's the link: Pot Roast with Gravy

I just Pinned that BBQ Beer Chicken recipe to try ...

2012-01-22T16:08:17.460-06:00
I just Pinned that BBQ Beer Chicken recipe to try this week. It looks incredible!

Jeane, I'd love to see your creamy bacon-chick...

2012-01-22T16:03:54.809-06:00
Jeane, I'd love to see your creamy bacon-chicken dish recipe! Sound delicious.

I just got a crockpot for Christmas too, so I want...

2012-01-22T15:27:15.835-06:00
I just got a crockpot for Christmas too, so I want to find more recipes. We've used it once and it wasn't exactly a success, so I'd like to find more recipes I can make. Another favorite of mine is White Chicken Chili, the simplest recipe ever.

Two cans of low sodium chicken broth and an equal amount of water.
Two or three chicken breasts or thighs.
Two cans of cannelini beans.
Frozen corn (optional)
cilantro (sort of optional! I love it, but if you think it tastes like soap, leave it out)
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
serrano chili, or jalapeno is you like milder spice
salsa, sour cream for toppings.

Add chicken stock and water to the crock pot. Cut chicken into small cubes or strips. Sweat onions, garlic, and serrano in butter on the stove. Add to the pot after 5 minutes or so. Add cannelini beans. Let cook for 8 hours on low, 4 hours on high. Add half the cilantro and corn to the pot ten minutes before serving. Top with sour cream, salsa, and the rest of the cilantro. It's the perfect cool weather meal, but this could easily be a summer dish because of the corn and cilantro, too. Serve with guacamole and chips!

I feel you on the long day...I only started using ...

2012-01-22T13:41:19.891-06:00
I feel you on the long day...I only started using mine when I was unemployed. I love making various chilis in my crockpot. I'll cook the meat for it the night before and have everything ready to simply dump into it and turn on.

Now that I'm back to working, I think I'd probably just come home during lunch to turn it on if I were to use it during the week...but I work close enough to home to have that flexibility.

I love my crockpot! I usually use it to cook meats...

2012-01-22T13:37:41.202-06:00
I love my crockpot! I usually use it to cook meats on low because they always turn out so tender and don't dry out like they do in the oven. I also use it for chili and marinara sauce.

There are recipes that you will need to prep, but there are many out there where you simply toss everything in and go. Just look for those. The only prep I usually have to do is chopping up vegetables and you can do that the night before then leave it in the fridge ready to toss in.

I'm not sure what to tell you about the long cooking times, but some things will be fine--just make sure that they are things with plenty of liquid. Usually with the lid on, you don't lose liquid that quickly. I have a programmable one that you can set to cook on low for 4 or 8 hours then it will automatically switch to warm so as not to overcook the food if you're gone for a long time.

Good luck! Hopefully it will make for quick meals so that you'll have more time to spend with your family in the evenings.

I have to admit you've got me stumped with the...

2012-01-22T12:27:01.239-06:00
I have to admit you've got me stumped with the loooooong cooking time. I love my crock pot, but the things I use it for have much shorter cooking times. Of course, I don't cook meat, but I imagine that would hold up better under the longer cooking time??? Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing how you do with your "mission." :D

Too bad that I don't have a crockpot, so I can...

2012-01-22T08:12:59.009-06:00
Too bad that I don't have a crockpot, so I can't really help you here.

You need this blog: http://crockpot365.blogspot.c...

2012-01-22T07:44:22.443-06:00
You need this blog:

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

A couple years ago, this blogger challenged herself to use her slow cooker every day for a year. And she used it for EVERYTHING, even soap. She has some great recipes. She must have done pretty well, as she's had to cookbooks come out since then! Good luck!