Best crockpot recipe

[Pylon]

Got one in my cabinet, and it woefully underused. I do the cooking, so a good dish I could prep and have the SO plug in at noon for a 6pm dinner would be great. Any thoughts?

[stupiddog]

My easiest crockpot recipe:

Spicy Sweet Potatoe Peanut Soup

3-4 larg Cubed Sweet Potatoes into 2 inch chucks
2-4 cups chicken stock (depending how thick you want it)
1 tsp each ground cumin and ginger

Cook on high or low depending on how much time you have until potatoes are soft. I then take a basic potatoe mashing and mash up the sweet potatoes to give in a chunky-pureed texture. Stir in

3/4 to 1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4-1 tsp red pepper flakes, cayenne, etc. whatever you prefer to add heat.

If you think the soup is too thick, add more stock. Cook another 1/2-1 hour. This is great with some good bread on a cold day.

[Girl Friday]

I love chicken stock made in a crock pot. it's not a full meal, but the crockpot is the perfect temp to make lovely rich and perfectly clear stock.

[mschow]

can you tell how you do that? Approx amounts with liquids would be really helpful. Very good idea.

[Girl Friday]

I usually use the left over chicken with bones and skin from a roast chicken with some meat left on the bones, 1 onion chopped up, 3 stalks of celery, 3 carrots, 1 bay leaf, a few peppercorns and enough water to cover everything up. I turn my crockpot to auto which apparently is high for the first few hours then turns down to low until I turn it off. I set this up before I leave for work, then when I come home it's ready to strain off and use. Of course it will need salt to taste, but I don't add that till it's done. You can get fancy and add a spring of thyme or a few sage leaves if you want. . .

[kcchan]

Oh that's a fabulous idea! I have the leftover bones of a rotisserie chicken in my freezer, and have been trying to figure out something easy to do with it without heating up the kitchen.

[LindaWhit]

That's about what I do as well - will never make stock another way again - SO easy!

[Jennalynn]

Has anyone ever tried wrapping something in foil... lets say a whole small chicken... poking some holes to drain the fat... then putting it in the crock?

One of my problems is that even if you don't put any liquid in, so much accumulates that it drowns whatever you're cooking.

Wondering if foil wrapping would help or hurt.

[jhuston]

Never tried foil, but I'm wondering if placing the chicken on a rack (or an improvised rack) would solve the drowning problem.

[jzerocsk]

If you've got the vertical clearance you can definitely elevate the chicken. A rack that fits in there is nice if you happen to have one, but if not you can probably improvise one.

[eimac]

That's why the foill is under the chicken in my recipe above - it holds the chicken above the liquid

[eimac]

Easy chicken
Season the daylights out of a whole chicken ( garlic, oregano, basil rosemary, thyme, pepper---cumin, chili powder, garlic----curry, garum masala, coriander -- each gives a different flavor)
wad up three pieces of aluminum foil into balls and place on the bottom of the crockpot and put in the chicken, breast side down . That's it.Cook for 10-12 hours
It will fall off the bone when you take it out, so be careful - pull off the skin and use the meat for burritos or serve pieces on rice or noodles

[jessi20]

.....have always wanted to try a whole chicken in a crock pot. sounds great!!! i'll put in on the family menu for next week!

[jrmd]

Do you put any liquid in there?

[eimac]

No liquid at all - just chicken - it's breast side down so the darker meat fat keeps the breast moist - but you have to season it very liberally - and there is no edilble skin - it does not brown, so jsu peel it off before serving

[LindaWhit]

"...there is no edible skin..."

And therein lies the crime. :-)

[jessi20]

the never fail and much recycled pot roast recipe that you can infinetly vary:
-1 can cream of anything soup (i like celery or mushroom) use low sodium
-1 can beef stock again, low sodium...it can get way to salty otherwise
as much black pepper as you like
-1 beef inside round/rump/brisket...heck even flank steak any tough cut will do. I have also used pork roast.
-carrots thick cut
-pearl onions or thick cut chopped onions
-peeled potatoes (whatever kind you happen to have)
-throw it all together and simmer all day.
-i add green beans about an hour before serving but have also used lima beans, leeks, sugar snap peas.......as i said, infinetly variable. the liquid left behind is a very yummy gravy.

i also love boiled dinner:
-1 corned beef...use the one that comes brined in a packet. don't follow the directions, remove it from the packet and throw in the brine.
-peeled potatoes
-thick cut carrots
-pearl onions or chopped onions
-cup of water
-wedges of cabbage
-throw everything in the crock pot and simmer all day
-remove the food from the crock pot and discard the water.

there really are no measurements as it depends on the size of you crock pot and how much food you need. crock pots are so forgiving.......enjoy!

[mschow]

Someone gave me this recipe a few years ago and it sounds strange, but turns out well:
1 4 lb chuck roast
1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing (dry packet)
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (dry packet)
1 package Knorr Brown Gravy mix (dry packet)
1 cup red wine (use water if you prefer)
1 cup water
Sear meat (you don't have to, but I do if I have time). Place in bottom of crockpot. Add dry packets and liquids. Cook on high. I also sometimes add baby carrots halfway through and frozen pearl onions about an hour before serving time.

[MeffaBabe]

I love making all my soups in my crockpot. Toss everything in- go to work- dinners ready when I get home. Makes the best chicken soup.
I also love to do the pork shoulder and pot roasts.
I love my crockpot so much I actually have 2 that I use year round. They are great for the summer if you want a great dinner without heating up your house.

[childofthestorm]

I just experimented with this and it turned out great.

- chunks of goat meat i pulled out of my freezer
- 2 cans of coconut milk
- 2-3 tbsp of tom yum paste
- other aromatics, like onion, garlic, etc.

Had it on low for about 8 hours, then took the meat out and pulled it off the bone, shredded it, and wet it with some of the braising liquid. Really, really good.

[jzerocsk]

I don't know if it's the best recipe ever, but bean soup always amazes me in the crock pot. Everytime I make it, I walk out the door thinking to myself "It's just water with stuff in it. It will never work!" and then I walk in the door at the end of the day and I'm still shocked that it actually did work.

[JGrey]

I think I got something close to this off Chowhound a long time ago:

Lamb shanks
red wine
garlic
rosemary
mushrooms

And whatever other spices (peppercorns, bay leaves) or veggies (carrots, celery, potatoes) you want. Comes out great, and you can reduce the juice at the end if you want to get really fancy.

[macca]

Lamb shanks are great this way. I usually sear mine first, and add a bit of tomato paste. When the lamb is cooked, I add some butter to the juices, and thicken if needed. Great served with garlic mashed potatoes.

[drgnflychic]

Pulled pork

5 lbs. pork butt or shoulder roast
1 cup black coffee
1 can beef broth

Add all in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. Shred the roast and serve on crusty rolls with BBQ sauce, some coleslaw, and french fries.

It's one of my favorite meals! The acid in the coffee makes the meat fall apart, it's so tender.

[jono37]

I have a new favorite crockpot recipe; I defy anyone to find an easier recipe anywhere, anyhow!!!

DULCE DE LECHE

Take any number of cans of sweetened condensed milk you can fit in your pot, put them in, cover with water and set on low. In about 8 hours, you've got perfect dulce de leche!

[jinet12]

Unopened cans in a single row? Then what do you do with tha Dulce De Leche when it is done?

[jono37]

The cans should be unopened, and I think they can be in a row, or stacked, or however you want as long as they are completely covered by water. Once it is done, let them cool, then open the cans and spread on pastries or crackers, place on ice cream, stuff between biscuits for alfajores, an Argentinian specialty.

[Jennalynn]

I have always been afraid of exploding dulce cans... this sound absolutely perfect!!

[jinet12]

Brown some country style or beef ribs, then throw them in the crockpot, cover with your favorite BBQ sauce, and cook them all day..usually 10 hrs...Wonderful!

[coffee_addict]

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recip...

these alton brown pepper pork chops are amazing!!

[Jennalynn]

They sound great, but they need tending.

You have to mess with the heat after 1.5 hours... so not good for when you want to turn on and go.

[Querencia]

When I had a job that kept me away from home from 6-6 I used to roast a turkey breast in the crockpot. I would put it in without liquid, just salt. It even browned a little. Otherwise, I have a generic stew-type recipe (stew, curry, beef Burgundy, Carbonade Flamande, African chicken, all similar): put 1/2 cup flour in dry crockpot; stir in an 8-oz can tomato sauce; add salt and any such things as paprika, bay leaf, pepper; add any ingredients appropriate to the sauce (eg peanut butter and red pepper for African chicken, curry powder and garlic for curry, etc), add liquid (water, wine, tomato juice, stock, beer for Carbonade Flamande), then add solids (beef stew meat, cut-up chicken breasts, lamb, onions and green peas for curry, potatoes and carrots for beef stew, mushrooms for beef Burgundy) and let all cook for 8-10 hours. If you are working you can assemble everything the night before and dump it in the crockpot next morning before leaving for work. I do not brown the meat. Nobody cares. Just be sure you have plenty of liquid so you'll get a lot of sauce.

[dragonfare]

I put pork shoulder disguised as boneless spareribs dry in a crockpot, then add chipotle pepper powder, and curry powder [Spice Islands], cook all day on low, then turn up heat for last 30 minutes. Serve with a spoon.

[DiveFan]

There have been quite a few posts recently, found if you search on "slow cooker" instead. Simple bean and braised meat recipes adapt easily to the crockpot. Soups and stews, even more so. Chicken and fish, I don't know. Just do any sauteing and browning ahead.
Red beans and rice (my recipe): http://www.chow.com/topics/434272
EDIT - Posole, pretty much any recipe using canned hominy.
I've been thinking more about taco fillings lately:
Beef chuck roast: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/433095
Pork shoulder: http://www.chow.com/topics/339352
Best tip - crockpot must always start on high for two hours, then down to low for the rest.
Second best tip - go easy on any added liquid especially if meats are present.
Is your crockpot timer electronic or reliable SO :-)?

[Pylon]

Sadly, neither. :D

[Sarah]

Years ago, NYTimes had a crock pot cassoulet recipe that was really good. Maybe it's still online?

[jrmd]

This may not be the best but it is probably the easiest: add bbq sauce and pork tenderloin to the pot. Turn on before work then shred after work. Voila, pulled pork. Very tasty.

[bigjimbray]

The easiest thing that I like is a sirlion tip beef roast with dry onion soup and a glass
of water. make mash potatoes gravy from the crock pot juices and a couple of
vegetables and peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream, and ice tea.

[winedubar]

YUUUM - this sounds like sunday dinners at my gran's house. dee-lish :)

[Davwud]

My two favourite things to do in a crock pot are

Jerk chicken. Make sure there's plenty of gravy for the rice. Which you whip up when you get home.

I've also been into taking chunks of cow or pig and tossing it into the pot with some kimchee and letting it go.
again, serve over rice.

DT

[jhuston]

Wow Davwud, I'm Korean yet it never occurred to me to throw kimchee in the crockpot. I bet it would be delicious. Could add more garlic, tofu (firm), reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms -- many ways to have fun with your idea. Thanks for the inspiration.

[operagirl]

You wouldn't have to reconstitute the mushrooms really, since the crockpot cooking would rehydrate them . . . unless there's dirt in them?

[JennyHunter]

Do you just use regular store bought kimchee? Enough to cover the meat? Any water, etc?? My husband and I love kimchee but don't have it home very much. THis sounds delicious for a fall supper.

[Davwud]

I have a friend who's wife is Korean and their family makes it.
To be honest, I couldn't tell you whether store bought or home made would work better than the other. I imagine they would be as good as the kimchee was.
I do believe I added a bit of water but not much. I had like a 3lb roast or something like that and put in enough so that it would make lots of "Gravy" to cover the rice.
Basically, it was a throw together idea that went extremely well.

DT

[jayt90]

Pork side ribs, smothered in kimchi, braised 3 hours in a Staub, but it could have been a crock pot! Thanks for the inspiration, Hugh!

[Davwud]

Nice!!!!

You're welcome
DT