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Cooking Club: August's theme: Crockpot Cooking

3K views 13 replies 12 participants last post by  Dedlered 
#1 ·
I thought I'd start this one a little ahead of schedule for a change. There are so many great crockpot meals and desserts out there. I thought we could have this be August's theme.
 
#2 ·
Sounds Great Sara. I think the crockpot is one of the greatest inventions ever. I don't have a real recipe to submit but this is what I did for company we had a couple of weeks ago. I fed 14 people (some were kids). We did have other side dishes and bread but I didn't list them here. This is the basic stuff but someone (like me) might not cook a lot and be interested.

EASIEST BBQ CHICKEN
Several lbs of skinless chicken (I have a big crockpot)
1 bottle of KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce
1/2 bottle of water
I let this cook on low for about 5-6 hrs

EASIEST DESSERT
1 Angel Food Cake (mine was store bought on sale)
3 pints strawberries - washed and cut into 4ths
(I sprinkled the strawberries with sugar and let them sit in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before putting them on the cake - makes them juicy)
Reddi Whip
I sliced the cake, covered it with strawberries and lots of reddi whip

MEL'S POTATO SALAD (Mel is my SO)
Cooked peeled, cubed potatoes
1 bottle of French dressing
4 boiled eggs
Sweet relish
Miracle Whip

Drain potatoes and cover with 1 bottle (more if you use a lot of potatoes) of French dressing. Let them sit in the refrigerator over night. You might need to stir them a few times to make sure they are well covered.
Next day - Gently rinse off potatoes. You only want to wash off the excess French dressing.
Halve the boiled eggs and smash the yolks in a bowl. Add sweet relish and miracle whip. Blend until fairly creamy.
Dice the white part of the eggs and add to the potatoes.
Stir in the miracle whip/yolk part; add salt and pepper to taste.

I know this is just the very basic stuff but it is one of our favorite meals. I can't wait to read you guys real recipes. YUM
 
#3 ·
VEGETARIAN CHILI

1 med. zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices (1 1/2 cups)

1 medium green sweet pepper, coarsely chopped (3/4 cup)
1/2 c. chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 c. thinly sliced celery
2-3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 - 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 - 10 oz. pkg. frozen whole kernel corn
1 - 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. bottled salsa
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese (3 oz.)
Dairy sour cream

In a 3 1/2 to 5 qt. slower cooker, combine first 6 ingredients. Stir in undrained tomatoes, corn, drained beans and salsa.

Cover, cook on low heat setting for 8 - 10 hours or on high heat setting for 4- 5 hours. To serve, ladle the chili into bowls and top with cheese and sour cream.

Prep time:25 minutes
Cook time 8 - 10 on low, 4 - 5 hrs on high
Makes: 6 servings

Taken from Biggest Book of Slower Cooker recipes by Better Homes & Gardens

DECADENT RESPBERRY BROWNIES

1/2 c. margarine or butter
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. seedless red raspberry jam
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Vanilla ice cream (optional)
Chocolate ice cream topping (optional)
Fresh raspberries (optional)

Generously grease two 1 pt. straight sided, wide mouth canning jars. Flour the greased jars; set aside.

In a saucepan melt marg. or butter and chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs, sugar, jam and vanilla. Using a spoon, beat lightly just until combined. Stir in flour and baking powder. Pour batter into prepared jars. Cover jars tightly with greased foil, greased side down. Place jars into a 3 1/2 - 4 qt. slow cooker. Pour 1 cup water around jars.

Cover, cook on high heat setting for 3 - 3 1/2 hrs or until a toothpick inserted near the centers of brownies rolls comes out clean. Remove jars from cooker; cool for 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula, loosen brownies from side of jars. Carefully remove rolls from jars. Place rolls on their sides on a wire rack; cool completely. To serve, cut each roll into 6 slices. If desired, serve with ice cream, chocolate ice cream topping and fresh raspberries.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: High 3 - 3 1/2 hours
Cool: 10 minutes
Makes: 12 brownie slices

Taken from the same book as above.
 
#4 ·
How fun! Here's my favorite recipes:

SWEET AND SOUR KEILBASA

1 lb keilbasa, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups ketchup
1 cup grape jelly
1 cup uncooked rice

1. Mix everything but the rice together in CP and cook on low for about 3 hrs until everything is hot.

2. When you're ready to eat, cook rice on stove top according to package directions. Serve keilbasa and sauce over rice.



POT ROAST WITH GRAVY AND VEGGIES

3-4 lb bottom or top round roast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Soup can of red wine
1 envie of Lipton Onion Soup Mix (also good with the Recipe Secret Garlic and Herb mix)
4 potatoes diced up (or 1 potato per person)
4 carrots,cut up in large chunks (or about 1 carrot per person)

1. Empty soup can and Onion Soup mix into CP. Fill soup can with red wine and add to CP (can also use water).

2. Add roast and cook on low for about 4 hrs.

3. After 4 hrs, add potatoes and put heat up to high. Cook another 2 hrs. You can add carrots at the same time as the potatoes, if you like them on the mushy side. If not, wait until the last 1/2 hr, 45 mins.



BBQ COUNTRY STYLE RIBS

2 lbs boneless country style ribs
1C pineapple juice
2T brown sugar
1 clove garlic
1C Apricot preserves
1 1/2 C BBQ sauce
1T soy sauce

Cook on low about 8 hrs


BBQ TURKEY SLOPPY JOES

2 lbs ground turkey
2 med chopped onions
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/3 C red wine vinegar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T Liquid smoke, divided
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
8 bulkie rolls split and toasted

1. In a skillet, lightly brown ground turkey and drain off any liquid.

2. Transfer turkey into CP and add 5 tsp of the liquid smoke and all of the remaining ingredients.

3. Cook on low about 6 hrs. Stir in remaining tsp Liquid smoke at the end. Turn off CP and let sit uncovered ATLEAST a 1/2 hr (I usually go an hr) to let cool down so you won't burn the heck out of your hands while trying to eat. This does taste better the next day.
 
#5 ·
These all sound great! One of our favorites is the simplest!

frozen skinless chicken breasts,cover with sweet and sour sauce. add onions,green peppers,etc. cook on low for about 6 hours. serve over cooked rice. I've been known to just add rice to the crockpot!!!!:toothy: :D
 
#6 ·
My crockpot is one of my favorite kitchen items! I use it all the time. I prefer the "dump and run" kind of crockpot recipes-- my theory is, if I'm going to cook a bunch of stuff on the stove, why bother with the crockpot?

Here are a few of my favorite "dump and run" crockpot recipes:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES

3-4 lb roast
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 bottle any beer

Pour the beer and soup mix over the roast in the crockpot and cook on low all day. Shred the meat, and serve on hoagie rolls (we add sauted green peppers and onions, and mozz cheese) using the juice as a dip, "au jous" style.

The more expensive roasts (ie: sirlion tip roast) will just fall apart when cooked this way. Cheaper roasts work just as well, they just have to be shredded with a fork before serving.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

MOM'S SUPER-EASY BBQ RIBS

1-2 lbs boneless spare ribs
salt & pepper to taste
1 bottle BBQ sauce

Put the ribs in the crockpot, salt and pepper to taste, and cook on low for approximately 6 hours. Drain grease. Return ribs to crockpot, add sauce, and cook on low another hour or until ready to serve.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BEER PORK CHOPS

4 pork chops
1-2 large onions, sliced
4 chicken boullion cubes
1 bottle of beer

Layer onion in bottom of crockpot, top with chops, then add beer and drop in boullion cubes. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

CROCKPOT ROAST

4-5 lb roast
2 large cans stewed tomatoes
1 sliced onion
2-4 cubed potatoes
1/2 bag baby carrots
1 envelope onion soup mix

Combine all in crockpot and cook on low all day. Obviously, this one can be varied according to what you have on hand.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have some more complicated recipes that I do make in the crockpot, but these I know from memory! ;)
 
#7 ·
GMMBP- do you find you b/s chicken breasts come out dry in the CP? I've tried several different recipies and the chicken always comes out dry. Is it just me? What can I add to keep the juices in?
 
#9 ·
We had a pile of Smokies (like fat hot dogs) uncooked in their packages left over from the graduation BBQ, so I cut them up in inch long bits (this would work on hot dogs too)

Into the crockpot I dumped the following and stirred it up before adding the hot dog chunks:

grated rind of one lemon grated on the big holes of my box grater right into the crockpot

the juice of one lemon minus the seeds, which go bitter on cooking.

about a cup and half or so of ketchup, maybe a bit more or less

a chopped up onion, big one
4 cloves garlic chopped a bit

2 heaping TBSP of brown sugar more or less
some ginger powder (about a tsp)

and finally 1 kilogram (about 2 lbs) of the chopped up smokies.

I cranked it up on high as this was 10 am on Sunday and we were heading out for church.

Came home around 1230 and we fed 5 adults who were sniffing around for more it was so good.

I truly hate the wet and sloppy extra juice from crockpot cooking, so I was delighted to find this did NOT turn into barbecued hot dog soup but remained a thick and sticky bbq treasure.


I'm going to copy my original post over in Homestead Gardens from my OAMC thread, as it has two of my favourite things to do with a crockpot, cooking beans for bean salads, or any fast vegetarian entree (I used to store and freeze them for fast food and that is especially nice in summer when a marinated bean dish is particularly welcome)

OAMC, the easy way, no burnout, just good home cooking in the freezer - Homestead Garden Forums

".......section, lets take a little change and go do some vegetarian meals to bring this OAMC into real budget relief.

A gentle primer for the humble bean, on how to cook and eat with less gas!

Cheapest EASIEST way ever to cook is using the crockpot. Pour beans to about a quarter of the crock. Fill with water, stir, drain and fill again. That rinses the beans the first time.

Put a tsp or half tsp of GARLIC POWDER in with the beans. (smells good, BUT the reason to do this, is IT REDUCES THE GASSINESS OF THE BEANS!)

DON'T put anything else, not salt, not sugar, not tomatoe sauce not vinegar NOTHING else! in there with those beans or they will go all tough and won't cook down to tenderness EVER! it's a chemical thing, trust me.

Now let er rip (ahem, cook) for several hours and when you think about it, change the water, drain out, replace with fresh hot water and some more garlic powder.

That reduces the gassy factors again AND LISTEN TO ME HERE ---RINSING DOESN"T GET RID OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS! The B vitamins and all the minerals are still happily tucked in the middle of the bean all safe and ready to use. The bean has a natural little jacket on remember?

Now at some point towards the end of the day, you will come by, and test the beans by

pulling out a spoonful and blowing gently on them. When the skins crack and peel away they are done. Or you can mush them gently, but I always like the weirdness of the skins cracking and peeling.

RINSE ONCE MORE WITH HOT WATER! or cold if you plan to freeze the beans.

You now have COOKED beans ready to use in any recipe calling for them.

You can now proceed onwards to chili or baked beans or soup.

I like to then take 2 cup portions of the cooked rinsed beans and put into no name zip lock sandwich bags and freeze flat in the freezer.

EACH ONE IS NOW EQUIVALENT TO A ONE LB CAN OF BEANS or so in a recipe

I am now badly allergic to legumes so I don't do this anymore but that is how to precook huge amounts of beans."

OK so then what I used to do in the summer was marinate said cooked bean portions in some salad dressing (commercial or hm) and sprinkle on salads for a protein rich, fiber rich low fat healthy main meal.

And here is my favourite crock pot bean recipe of all time:
Sue Greggs Baked Beans: (these come out like the best baked beans in a can)-- sue has a website with more of her recipes and techniques at www.suegregg.com

Cook in crockpot overnight or till tender
3 cups dry white beans in 6 to 9 cups water (follow my bean cooking in the crockpot directions above) Rinse well when done.

Drain those beans and combine back in that crockpot with:
1 big onion chopped
1- 28 oz or 29 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup molasses
2 TBSP Honey (I have omitted at times but it adds a nice flavour)
2 tsp dry mustard (that is the mustard powder)
up to 1-1/2 tsp salt to taste.

cook on low all day.

Freeze leftovers (they freeze best if its' a bit soupy).
 
#10 ·
I have the same problem when I make BBQ pork chops in the CP...anyone have a solution? TIA!








milach said:
GMMBP- do you find you b/s chicken breasts come out dry in the CP? I've tried several different recipies and the chicken always comes out dry. Is it just me? What can I add to keep the juices in?
 
#11 ·
ITALIAN CHICKEN
______________


1 Whole Chicken
1 bottle of italian dressing
1 Onion
I rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil and place the peeled onion inside the cavity.

Add 3/4 bottle of salad dressing and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. Chicken will fall off the bone. I serve with rice and a salad!
 
#12 ·
Reduce the time. When they are cooked, they are cooked. That is a sign of being overcooked, and chops and chicken breasts because they are very lean don't have the fat marbled thru them that ribs, sausage or tough pot roasts do. The fat is where the juice is in slow cooking.

Solutions?

Do them on higher heat for less time which kind of defeats the whole point of cp cooking or cook them differently. I refuse to do chops and bnless sknless brsts in the crockpot.

Some recipes you can sub chicken thighs or pork steaks as they have a lot more fat marbled thru.
 
#13 ·
Crock Pot Sticky Chicken

My variation of a recipe that's been around the block a few times.

1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Add spices to chicken. Refridgerate overnight. Toss in crockpot. Cook on low all day.

I make a large recipe of this spice mixture to keep handy. You can use it on a whole chicken, rubbing the spice under the skin and in the cavity, or chicken pieces. I like to use it with a big bag of frozen drumsticks that come in a resealable bag.

The chicken comes out extremely tender, and the broth you're left with at the bottom starts a fantastic soup.
 
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