What's in your slow cooker today

[DuchessNukem]

Hope to clean up the rep of the crockpot from the "office potluck nightmare" or "dumpall dinner vessel". I love my crockpots and use them almost daily, for ingredients and for whole meals. Please do share a brief description of your slow cooker contents and their planned fate. :)

Here's my past week to kick things off (I have 2 c, 1.5 qt, 3 qt, and 4 qt models):

Wednesday:
whole oats for breakfast (in the 2 c)
chicken thighs, onions, white wine for chicken dishes (1.5 qt)

Thursday:
veg scraps, chicken thigh bones, pork rib bones for stock (1.5 qt)
chickpeas for cold salads (2 c)

Friday:
quinoa for tabbouleh and breakfast cereal (2 c)
Good Mother Stallard beans for side dishes (2 c)

Monday (today):
large chopped onion/olive oil for caramelized onion paste (2 c)

[jbsiegel]

It's not in there yet, but here's the next one for me: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/02/sp...

(Spicy Pork and Cabbage Goulash)

[Dirtywextraolives]

I putting in about two lbs of pork shoulder, cubed and making pork adobo : 1/2 cup cane sugar vinegar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, head of garlic, 2 bay leaves.

This weekend, I'll make beef vegetable soup in the crock for my boys after they come home from camping.

[dkenworthy]

I am trying a Penzey's (reader) recipe for the first time today. It calls for a whole turkey breast (I am using a half breast -- 7 pounds of turkey is a lot to try out for my small family). Rub it with a mixture of smoked paprika, poultry seasoning, kosher salt. Put 2 bay leaves in the bottom of the cooker and 1 cup of apple cider, and put the turkey breast on top, skin side up. Took about 5 minutes to get into the pot, so I hope it comes out!

Suggests cooking on low for 4-5 hours, I will check in 3 as I have half as much meat.

[Canthespam]

Sounds interesting and very easy ... I'm anxious to see how it turns out.

[chicgail]

What happens to the skin on a turkey breast when it cooks in a slow cooker? I picture slimy, rubbery. Or is your turkey breast skinned - in wich case I worry about dryness.

[dkenworthy]

Skin gets rubbery. I removed it prior to serving. Not a problem, because I only leave the skin on poultry to flavor/protect the meat. I also put the rub largely underneath the skin on the bare meat, knowing the skin would be inedible (to me, my dog loved it). The rub had enough color to make the meat look appetizing once the skin was gone.

I would rate the recipe good not great. We got a nice dinner with roasted potatoes and peas on the side. The juice at the bottom of the pot was flavorful if a little sweet. It certainly helped because the meat was a little dry, even though I cooked it to 160 F (about 4 hours on low). Meat itself was flavorful.

Enough turkey breast left for about 5 sandwiches, which certainly will be nice for lunches over the course of the week.

Given the ease of prep, I would consider making again. On the other hand, I would probably use the same rub (which was delish) and make in my Romertopf next time. Then I could add root vegies for a complete one pot meal, and the meat would probably be moister.

[Canthespam]

Thanks for the update. Sounds pretty good and I love turkey. I think I will try it and use your suggestion to add veggies.

[chicgail]

I haven't read through this whole thread so I hope I'm not repeating something. I made a bread-pudding like thing. Challah broken up into little pieces and soaked in egg, milk, cream, sugar and vanilla (rum or bourbon would have been good but I didn't use it). i sprayed the cooking pot with Pam, put half the bread-custard mixture in the bottom of if, topped it with a handful of chocolate chips and cut up strawberries (I would have used raspberries if I had them), then another layer of bread-custard and more chocolate chips and strawberries. I cooked it for two hours on high. Not half bad.

[LJS]

What WAS in my SC yesterday will never appear there again! Recipe is called Coconut Mocha Poached Pears and somewhere during the cooking process, the ingredients went from "exotic" to "weird".

Picked up the recipe from a Better Homes and Garden Special Interest Magazine entitled "Good&Fresh" and both foodie GF daughter and I were intrigued by the imagination of this issue and its interesting combinations of ingredients.

I think I will have more luck with the rest of the pages I have turned down...but, for the record, chocolate, coffee, coconut and pears do not come together in positive way in the crockpot!

[Canthespam]

My MIL made a Better Homes & Gardens recipe years ago, for a goopy chocolate pear cake ... YUCK. We didn't have the heart to be honest with her and now she makes it regularly.

Thanks for the thumbs down on this recipe.

[LJS]

Yep, sometimes it is just as important to alert CH'ers to truly bad concoctions as the good ones-honesty is a good policy. I once told a fib to my MIL-to-be about how much I liked her lima beans and ended up having to eat a vegetable I loathe for 20 years!

[buzzardbreath]

Right now a double batch of from-scratch "baked" beans are simmering away on Low in the big ol' 5 qt...by tonight, those beans will be oh so good good good!. :)

[jujuthomas]

yesterday i made chicken black bean soup

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/01/cr...

it's really good, nice kick of heat.

[foodieX2]

Nothing today but as I am busy preparing our super bowl feast. However corn beef was on sale today so I bought I big one. That will go in Monday morning so we can have a traditional NE boiled dinner that night and sandwiches to bring to work for the week.

[DuchessNukem]

Corned! Beef! Corned! Beef! Goooooooo CB!

Had my hands on a flat last week but prices haven't adjusted down yet for that green Irish holiday (pretty much the only celebration my surname gets!) and I reluctantly released it. Please enjoy the heck out of yours for me! I will be a-stockin-up when sales blow through here, soon.

[Candy]

Not a thing. I don't have time for a slow cooker. I am a pressure cooker fan.

[ludmilasdaughter]

Then perhaps you should start a "what's in your pressure cooker today" thread.

[jujuthomas]

my MIL fell yesteray and broke her shoulder, so both my slow cookers will be in action Saturday, cooking up some good food to take to them!
I'll have to consult with DH before hitting the store, will probably end up doing some sort of beef stew, maybe beef and barley soup... yum. and some sort of chicken. so many dietary restricions in their house, have to be thoughtful in what I make.

[iL Divo]

grilled a huge ribeye steak the other night for dinner but as it was almost done, hubby asked if I still had the leftover salmon patties from the night before. I had 3 left, they are a favorite of his. I asked if he wanted them for dinner and he did. so not being a large beef or steak eater, I literally had 3 small bites and froze it.took it out this morning and rendered it for it's broth with herbs and red wine and a single boullion cube. cut up the steak into small pieces and added it to the Bolognese sauce that I was workin on already in the crocker. smells incredible, I'll add the creama little before end of cooking time.
baked off croutons from last nights dinner rolls.
salad
garlic bread and the Bolognese is for dinner tonight if I can wait that long. guess it's time to get a clothes pin for my beak. :)

[seamunky]

- 1 bag of Trader Joe's washed and chopped greens (collard, turnip, mustard, & spinach)
- 1 cup chicken broth
a slice of bacon and a chunk of ham

Cooked for 3 hours. This was my first time cooking greens. It was yummy! Will do it again.

[iL Divo]

sea

can I come over?

[mamachef]

It's definitely been the weather to use the slow-cooker.
I'm making a couple different things. One is a stock, made from roasted bones and veg., as the base for an Asian beef-noodle soup. The other is braciole.

[ludmilasdaughter]

Ooo, mamachef. Would you be so kind as to share your braciole recipe? I never thought of making that in the CP.

[iL Divo]

LOVE Asian beef noodle soup

how do you do yours mama

[jbsiegel]

Chicken Adobo: chicken, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, a couple bay leaves. The chicken can be white or dark (I used dark), bone in or boneless, but should have it's skin removed. I served it over rice.

[PhillyCook]

How long do you cook this for, please? It sounds delicious. Also, what amounts do you use for ingredients? Approximate is okay!

[jbsiegel]

Here you go:
2 lbs chicken
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
"some" garlic (I usually wimp out and just use minced - about 2 tsp)
1-2 bay leaves

Skin the chiicken, put it in the crock pot. Mix all the other stuff together and pour over. 6-8 hours on low...

If the chicken is bone in, then you can serve it in pieces. If it's boneless, you can either service in pieces or shred.

Yummy, and it smells great while cooking!

[Chowshok]

I have the same in my Crock too today. 6 Chicken Drumsticks - right out of the freezer, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger, pepper corns, 1 thinly sliced onion and half a cup water, a couple of thai red chillys. Forgot the bay leaf, will probably add them when I get home. Crock on low till my wife or I get back home.
Will probably transfer in a baking dish and broil for 4-5 minutes to crisp up the skin. Will serve garnished with some thinly chopped spring onions.. Yumm.. Can't wait till dinner.!!

[PhillyCook]

How do you adjust timing for frozen chicken rather than fresh? How long did you sent it for?

[Chowshok]

I dont have the luxury of adjusting the timing.. meaning its an old type crockpot with only Off, Low, & High settings. Turned it on at about 8:15 this morning, one of us will be home by 6pm. this is the 1st time i have it going on without supervision for this long. Will let you know how it goes!!

[Chowshok]

The Chicken Adobo was fantastic, although it cooked for 8+ hours. I know its a long time to cook chicken, but guess what helped was that it was rock frozen. Didnt broil it as it looked great as it was. Discarded the skin before serving. The meat fell off the bones and was really tender, moist and juicy. It was great served with steaming white rice and garnished with sliced spring onions. The kids loved it. We had leftovers for lunch the next day, (removed all the bones, added a couple splashes of vinegar & sriracha before reheating), it tasted so much better.
Next time, I will crush the black pepper corns instead of dropping them whole, will not forget the bay leaves and add a couple dashes of sriracha, maybe for a little more kick. I will cook it for less time, if someone is around to supervise it.

[jbsiegel]

Glad it was good! I always do it over rice too. Liking the idea of the onions. I'll have to add those the next time. Right now, I have a bunch of it shredded in the freezer, so I have lots of opportunities!! :-)

[Wtg2Retire]

Pinto beans, which I will serve with sliced onions, grape tomatoes, avocado, and cornbread.

[PamelaD]

Beef Stew today:
into the crockpot goes a chunk of frozen homemade pureed caramelized onions, a chunk of frozen tomato paste, a good amount (~1 Tablespoon) of fresh thyme, ~1 Tablespoon of Wo sauce, and ~1 Tablespoon of soy sauce, about a third of a cup of Cabernet, 2-3 lbs beef stew meat; cooked on low for about 3-4 hours; then add some sliced carrots, halved 'shrooms, and a package of frozen pearl onions. Heat till bubbling and the carrots are done(another 1-2 hours). Will serve with roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts.

[DuchessNukem]

Beef barley stew cooling now (oh why can't I quit you, beef barley stew!).

[iL Divo]

LOVE LOVE LOVE your meal for tonight

[Chowshok]

Chicken Tacos:

4-5 Previously grilled and frozen Chicken Thighs
1 jar 14Oz Chipotle Salsa
2 Tbsp Chipotle Chilly in Adobe Sauce
2 Tbsp Chilli Powder
1 Cup (or Less) Chicken Broth

Mixed everything in the Crock and cooked on High. After 2 hours, took the chicken out and shredded it, and discarded the skin and bones. Stirred the shredded chicken back into the sauce, and cooked for 15 more minutes till it is heated through. It was great for the Soft tacos on a bed of shredded lettuce, some sour cream, salsa and some thinly sliced onions. Next time I would probably reduce the broth to ½ a cup, maybe.

[Bacardi1]

Do you think that, obviously if cooked for a lot longer, that this would work with raw boneless, skinless chicken thighs?

[Chowshok]

Oh Yes!! Have tried that too before. It absolutely works!! I have used frozen raw chicken as well as thawed ones!! Of course adjusted the time that it cooks. With boneless, skinless, we can shred the cooked meat right in the pot. I have also tried this recipe with different kind of salsa. Its fantastic everytime!

[Bacardi1]

Thanks!

[Chowshok]

Nachos today with leftover Chicken Filling for the soft Tacos:

In a baking tray, Spread a layer (or two) of Dorito Tortilla Chips, next a layer of finely sliced and sauteed 1 onion & 1 red pepper, a can of pinto beans, a layer of the leftover 2 cups of the above said chicken filling, and topped with a cup of mexican blend of shredded cheese. The tray went under the broiler for a couple of minutes and thats it!! I sauteed the onions and pepper with some adobo seasoning, it was great!

I know not the healthiest food, but the kids loved it!! Had dinner ready in practically 10 minutes!! and super tasty..

[mamachef]

Found some nice-looking string beans, and they are heading into crockpot-heaven with a nice piece of ham, to cook on "low" for many hours, with some onion. I'll top them off in the last hour or so with some diced new potatoes, and serve w/ cornbread or corn pudding.....

[iL Divo]

tri tip with homemade salsa
homemade refried beans
Spanish rice
warm flour tortillas
pear cobbler
ok so that's dinner (tri tip & salsa is all that's in the Crocker)

[beachgirlsusie]

Can you share your salsa recipe? Your meal sounds great!

[Bacardi1]

This is what's simmering away in my crockpot at the moment:

Bacardi1 Crockpot Chicken and Noodles

One package boneless skinless chicken thighs - OR - one package boneless skinless chicken breasts (in my opinion, the thighs produce a better & moister end product, but breast pieces work if you’re a white-meat-only fan)
½ a stick of unsalted butter, melted
1 can Campbell’s “Golden Mushroom” condensed soup
1 small packet dry Italian dressing mix
4 oz. container “Chive and Onion” cream cheese (I used a pkg. of Boursin "Shallot & Chive" cheese this time)
¾ Campbell soup can full of dry white wine (Chablis, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc)
One 8-ounce package white button mushrooms, rinsed & halved
Chopped/minced fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley for garnish (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Egg noodles for serving, cooked according to package directions

Add melted butter, soup, wine, Italian dressing mix, & cream cheese to crockpot. Whisk until relatively smooth. Stir in mushrooms & nestle whole chicken pieces into sauce, spooning a little sauce on top of chicken. Cook on low for four (4) hours (no lifting the cover to peek – it skews the cooking time!). Remove chicken, shred or cut into bite-size pieces, & return to pot. Serve over cooked egg noodles garnished with parsley & freshly ground black pepper.

[Terrie H.]

I've had a tiny, inexpensive crockpot for 25 years ~~ no removable crock, temparture choices are only high, low and off. Haven't used it much but wanted something more useable.

Good Morning America had one of their weekly deal segments this week and had a $70 programmable with a 6 qt. removable crock at half price. I invested. Looking forward to reading the old crockpot threads now that I will have a good one.

[DuchessNukem]

Oooo, a new toy -- and some great recipes on the various crockpot threads. Please do share when you get it. And that little older pot -- don't toss it yet! I use a 2-cup and a 1.5 qt a couple of times+ a week each -- oatmeal, small serving of beans, test a new recipe in reduced portions, etc.

[Terrie H.]

I'm not tossing the old one, but am looking forward to my new toy. The new one was such a good deal, I was happy!!

[Terrie H.]

My new toy arrived today. It's huge (he said "that will take up some space"), but I'm looking forward to using it.

[Canthespam]

Enjoy your new toy.

[DuchessNukem]

Goat stew today -- ran out of barley so tossed in some farro.

Yesterday was a chicken/apricot tagine, that I adapted for slow cooker -- ended up a bit sweetened from the apricots, fragrant from the cinnamon, lovely yellow from the turmeric. Going to whiz all the stewed veggies, apricots and cooking liquid into a sauce and serve with rice. Used this recipe as basis:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[lilmomma]

I have two cornish game hens in there all day. I am going to take the birds out and take the meat off. CHill the broth overnight and get out the fat. Then just add veggies and the meat back and make soup with it.

[PhillyCook]

I'm new to slow cooker cooking -- can you tell me more about what you did to adapt this? Did you toss the chicken with spices and brown? What about pre-cooking the onions and garlic? Did you cut the 1/2 c of water? Did you cook the apricots separately, or add them into the slow cooker?

And the big question: how long did you cook it for? And do you have an old or new cooker? Mine seems to run hot/fast, so the first dish I made in it dried out, to my great disappointment.

[seamunky]

Today:

1 lb peruano beans
1 cup cubed Smithfield ham
1/2 cup each chopped carrot, celery, onion
3 bay leaves
chicken stock

I'm gonna have to pick me up some Tabasco. I forgot I'm all out!

[foodieX2]

butternut squash and carrot ginger soup

[speakhandsforme]

Chicken nachos. So easy, so horrible for you, but so, so good.

3 chicken breasts
1 jar of salsa
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 block cream cheese OR a wheel of Laughing Cow Queso Fresco

Dump and go. Low or high, doesn't matter. Save cheese until last 30 minutes of cooking. When done, shred chicken breasts with two forks. Serve in tortillas or with chips. Easiest thing in the world, and if you use a salsa you like, it'll have sufficient flavor.

[Canthespam]

You are soooooo bad - but in a good way. How long do you cook before adding the cheese?

[millygirl]

I wonder....would this work the same with ground beef?

[Disneyfreak]

That's what I have going in my crockpot today -- minus the cream cheese. I'm considering adding that or sour cream before serving.

[Florida Hound]

Just got a call from my wife, and she asked if I would take the roast out of the fridge and put it in the crock pot. I asked her what spices and add-ins she wanted. No recommendations. Its dangerous when I'm on my own.
So I poured in a can of Progresso vegetable beef barley soup, and "iced" the roast with a can of Campbells Cream of Mushroom. Lets see how it all comes together.

[iL Divo]

it should be good florida............

[Savour]

pork tenderloin, apples, brown sugar, bourbon and ginger. Plan to serve with maybe some creamed spinach and a salad.

[iL Divo]

uuuuuuuuuuuuuh....yum............Savour
do I see a recipe following?.......... ;)

[Savour]

Sadly, we weren't fans. It needed more savory elements -- onions with the apples, maybe? Less sugar. Pork was stringy and too sweet.

[Canthespam]

Sorry for your disappointment. :-( That's the biggest disadvantage, for me, of using my slow cooker more. I do a lot of stove top slow cooking and I love to peek and taste. Of course you never know the final taste will be until you actually eat it.

I rarely if ever eat my slow cooking, stove top or cooker, until the next day. Not only does it allow me to remove the fat, but the flavor improves and if it is 'not right', I have a chance to fool around with the seasonings and hopefully improve it.

[Savour]

Welll, it had some potential. I'll have to tweak. I'm thinking onions and mustard would be good additions.

[Canthespam]

My kind of cook!

[Savour]

Alright - a reboot today - pork tenderloin, apples, onions, mustard and hard cider. I'm also experimenting with nesting a small dutch oven in my crockpot to make smaller amounts.

[melpy]

"On the farm" rabbit from one of my Vermont cookbooks.

Salt, pepper and flour a whole rabbit and brown on all sides in oil over the skillet. Put in crockpot with a sliced onion, 1/2 cup chopped salt pork (had to sustitutivo bacon), clove of minced garlic , 1/2 tsp of minced fresh rosemary and a splash of worstershire sauce and cook for 1.5 hours on high.

Served with mashed sweet potato and turnip topped with crispy shallots from the healthy hedonist cookbook.

[Cynsa]

I had the 2012 Christmas ham bone in the freezer, so I added it to the collection of ham hocks and a roast chicken carcass to make stock in the crock pot last night with chopped celery, onion, carrots, 2 serrano chilies and bay leaves with water to cover. Pre-soaked Rancho Gordo Yellow Eye beans last night. In the morning, I discarded all the veggies/bones; drained and rinsed the beans and added them to the broth for a two hour cook time on HIGH heat. Removed 2 cups and pureed in blender, added back to pot to thicken the soup. Soup's on LOW all afternoon. Added chopped kale and minced garlic, seasoned to taste with salt and pepper and cooked for 20 minutes. It's bean and kale soup for dinner.

[lilmomma]

Today, I put bl sl chicken thighs with kale carrots and celery. SOme Italian dressing on top. Some kind of stewy concoction! We will see how it tastes! LOL!

[Musie]

I have a chicken in mine. I soaked the chicken in a beer brine over night and then added some rosemary, pepper and butter under the skin on the breasts. Smells amazing.

[jujuthomas]

today, a take on black eyed peas, after having some not-so-yummy (to me) BEP on Christmas Eve, i wanted to try to make them myself.
I had about 5 cups of turkey broth in the freezer, just begging to be used, so in that went with 1 package dry BEP, a ham steak, mire poix, garlic, bay, cumin, salt, pepper and thyme.

we'll see in a couple hours if my experiment is successful! :)

[Querencia]

Not today but yesterday: Goulash Soup. A half-cup of flour; a lot of beef stew meat cut smaller; tomato puree; canned diced tomatoes; onions and potatatoes and sweet red pepper cut in chunks; sweet paprika; a bit of hot red pepper just to give the soup a bite; water to the top of the crock. Cook on LOW overnight until meat is falling apart. Temps here are falling and sleet is predicted. Goulash Soup is the thing.

[Caroline1]

My slow cooker is ALWAYS empty, but there's a nice grass fed chuck roast dawdling away in the Sous Vide Supreme. Does that count? It's sloooooooooooooooooow cooking! '-)

[waitress]

Lima beans!

[Florida Hound]

Posting on New Year's Eve, going into 2013... the crock pot is being put to one of its most popular uses at our house: a 5 hour "brew" of French Onion Soup! As soon as I log off, I'm off to the store for a loaf of French bread.

[KrumTx]

Can you post your recipe? I use my crock in winter for soups. I tried a French onion recipe last year and wasn't thrilled with it.

[Canthespam]

I too would like the onion soup recipe. Thanks in advance.

[Florida Hound]

Glad to reply. I developed this version some years ago, but it started its life (with some major differences) as a recipe in Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery, our mainstay crockpot cookbook.

FLORIDA HOUND'S FRENCH ONION SOUP
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
6 beef bouillon cubes
4 cups hot water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
8- 12 small slices Swiss cheese, divided
4 thick slices of toasted French bread

In a large skillet, cook onions in butter until lightly-to-medium browned (Allow enough preparation time for this).
In crock pot, combine browned onions with the cooking butter, bouillon, hot water, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Cover. Cook on low 4 to 5+1/2 hrs.
Add 3 slices of Swiss cheese on top of the liquid in the crock pot. Cook 20- 30 minutes more. Add a few more Swiss cheese slices to pot shortly before serving.
Place slices of toasted French bread in 4 soup bowls. Top each with a slice of cold Swiss cheese. Stir soup in crock pot and ladle over bread.
Serves 4.
Recipe may be doubled, kept hot in slow cooker and served from the pot, as above.

Let me know how you like it! (To KrumTx: Hope you are "thrilled!")
Florida Hound

[Canthespam]

Thanks so much. Sounds easy and delicious.

[KrumTx]

Ha! Thank you for the recipe. Happy New Year to you in sunny Florida.

[Canthespam]

From one crock potter to all you others .... have a Happy, Healthy New Year.

[jujuthomas]

made 15 bean soup yesterday, using the leftover ham bone from our Christmas eve ham. delish!

tomorrow, we'll have meatballs in a sweet/spicy sauce, and pulled pork reheating for our NYE party. yum.

[millygirl]

would you be willing to share your meatball recipe jujuthomas? Sounds yummy

[jujuthomas]

it's a recipe my sister uses - 1 jar of chili sauce and a jar of grape jelly poured over your meatballs (at least I made my own!) in the crock pot and heated on low until warm. I think she usually gives them 2 hours.

<hangs head> not very chow-ish but super delish... and easy.

the turkey meatballs have 2 packages lean ground turkey, 1 1/2 cups whole wheat breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, a splash of water and some seasoning. I cooked them in the oven this evening. will transfer to the slow cooker tomorrow evening.

[trolley]

hey if it tastes good that what matters. but i feel like there can be a variation to this recipe. turkey or pork meatballs with apricot preserves with something else? something would replace the jar of chili sauce but not sure what. I love sweet and sour meatballs.

[foodieX2]

apricot or quince with sriracha? or a combo of sweet with hot pepper jelly?

[trolley]

i think that'll be awesome but not sure if it can support the meatballs like a can of chili sauce. maybe some chicken broth and sriracha?

[jujuthomas]

i've seen one variation with apple jelly.

[trolley]

YES! apple jelly and pork meatballs!

[thistle5]

Chuck roast (3 lbs.)- s&p, onions, carrots, & St. Ann's Bay jerk marinade, this stuff is magic, you wouldn't think that jerk seasoning would work w/ beef, but it does...

[buzzardbreath]

This sounds delicious! Next trip to the market, a bottle of jerk marinade is going in the cart so I may try this dish. Is St Ann's Bay brand available at most supermarkets, or is it a regional availability?

[DuchessNukem]

Ah, just assembled a goat stew and set on low for lunch later today. Will add some farro that I cooked yesterday morning, at the end. Will be perfect for our Texas cold snap.

[jw615]

Corned beef.

Because I'm sick, grumpy, and DH gave the leftovers that I was going to serve away. Which I'm not upset about, because they went to someone who enjoyed them, but I did have to come up with something for dinner.

Luckily, DH said it was delicious - very tender. Apparently I did something magical to the green beans, because my stepdaughter had FOURTHS of them.

[DuchessNukem]

I second the slow-cooker corned beef love. ♥ I will cook it any time of year (and it's one cat's favorite food steal). Maybe will pick up a point next week.

Edited to add: And I do hope you feel better!

[mamachef]

Times 3 on the Corned beef tip....
especially for the world's best hash....

[Dirtywextraolives]

I have yet to try that, thanks for the nudge!

[Jelly71]

I just made one two weeks ago. It came out delicious and it was all for me. I got about 4 meals out of it. Corned beef is so good all year long. I don't know why so many people only associate it with St Patrick's Day.

[iL Divo]

" I don't know why so many people only associate it with St Patrick's Day."

I see where you're coming from.
for us, it's a memory of being there and eating it there, on that day. husband is a good ole Irish boy and he loves loves loves that meal, as does his wife. one of our very favorite meals of the year every year. it's just so dang good.
love every thing about it.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Vegetable beef soup. The house smells great.

[trolley]

precooked turkey Bolognese. i sautéed the mirepoix than added turkey. braised it in milk and then wine. that was a few days ago. now i combined it with canned san marzano tomatoes. cooking on high for 3-4 hrs.

[foodieX2]

Gah! My crock pot finally gave out. The ceramic liner has had a hairline crack for about 2 years and the last washing did it in.

So there is nothing in my crock pot today…

very sad

[DuchessNukem]

Ah no. I shed a tear for your loss.

Is it one where you might find a replacement crock at a thrift store? Or do you get to go.... shopping? :)

[foodieX2]

Shopping!! Woo hoo!

This one had a good run but its time to go to the big pantry in the sky.

[Canthespam]

:-( RIP ...

I have an All Clad with the nonstick cast-aluminum insert ($250) that is my primary cooker. I like being able to brown etc. on the stove in the insert, and I don't have to worry about it cracking, but I find that it does run hot and cooks things way faster than suggested cooking times. Also the lid is not see through and I do love to peek.

I also have a $40 Hamilton Beach Stay or Go at our vacation house and I really really like it, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one if I needed a replacement.

[DuchessNukem]

Beef stock in the largest pot, chicken thighs in the 1.5-qt. Will make some whole oats overnight in the tiny pot for breakfast, and some beans (thinking black beans) tomorrow.

[cavemanu]

On the go at the mo we have Broccoli soup to which I shall add some crumbled Stilton cheese.... yummy!

I made a slow cooked french onion soup at the weekend which worked really well, particularly the day after it was made.

Am re-connecting with my slow cooker now that we have solar power at the house, even in the dark short days of a UK winter you can get enough rays to use a low energy consuming device like this for free so it makes for even more eco-friendly and economical suppers!

[DuchessNukem]

Excellent use of solar power/slowcooker! Don't forget potatoes and sweet potatoes bake(/steam) well in the cooker too -- can make a few ahead for the week.

[jujuthomas]

chicken taco soup today! mmmm... one of those super-easy recipes where you throw in some cans of beans, a can of corn some salsa and frozen chicken with some chopped onions, chilis and taco seasoning.

not sure if that's dinner or just our lunches this week, depends on if I get myself out to the grocery store. :)

[Canthespam]

What time is lunch served??

Drained kidney beans how many cans, drain the corn, what kind of chiis, canned or raw, and how many?? Much liquid or a thick hearty soup? Recipe please - it sounds great. I always like to start out with a recipe, after I've made it I may or may not improvise the next time.

[jujuthomas]

It comes out rather stew-ish, depending on how liquid your salsa is.

I used:
4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 chopped onion
1 15 oz can each - black beans, cannelini beans and red kidney beans - WITH liquids. The recipe also calls for a can of vegetarian baked beans, which I never have.
1 15 oz can whole kernel corn with liquid
1 4 oz can chopped chilis - I think this one was ortega - says HOT on it.
2 Tbsp home made taco seasoning
about 1/2 a jar of salsa - I was cleaning salsa jars out of the fridge I think both were medium. You could also use a can of diced tomatoes.

put it all in the crock pot and cook on low for 6 or so hours. make sure the chicken is at the bottom so it doesn't dry out. Remove and shred the chicken, put it back in and let it warm back up.

I ended up making a Chicken curry for dinner, so we haven't tasted the soup yet. It's ready to go for lunches, I threw 1/2 cup or so of rice into the bowls before the soup.

[Canthespam]

Thnk you so much for the detailed recipe. I haven't told my husband yet ... he'd have me going to the market ASAP! One day this week though.

[jujuthomas]

you are very welcome, I hope you enjoy! :)

[mamachef]

My old standby on a rainy day; shredded cabbage and onions, slow-cooked in chicken stock. To be served over noodles, w/ horseradish sour cream and a sprinkle of poppy seeds. Might brown some kielbasa to toss in; may not.

[iL Divo]

either way sounds wonderful.
a whole cabbage or less? how much onion?
do you thicken the stock at all-how much stock? dollop horseradish sour cream?
can you tell I wanna make it ;-)

[mamachef]

You know, cabbage cooks down so much that a medium head will serve a family of 4, despite it looking like more than you could possibly eat in its' raw state. So, a med. cabbage, knife-shredded about 1/4" in. thick, 1 onion sliced about the same, and toss it up w/ some salt and pepper; dill is also nice in this - and then you have to seriously pack it into a large crockpot. Pour about a cup of hot strong chicken stock (or veg, or water if that's what you've got around, and just let it go on it's merry way on low, 6--8 hours. It creates a lot of liquid, so you don't need to worry about it boiling away. Then when you get home, just boil the noodles and serve in bowls. I don't thicken this, and some people add cut-up potatoes to the mix, but it's a pretty free-form, cooperative little thing - no matter what you do to it, it's going to taste damn good. Make sure you have good bread on hand. Bon apetit. (oh, for the cream...1 c. to 1 t. - 1 T. strong, finely-grated 'radish, dash salt, dash lemon juice) and then the poppy seeds, which are optional.

[lilmomma]

Mama chef. fresh dill? Sounds yummy.

[iL Divo]

this is going in my slow cooker today.
CAN NOT WAIT. we love cabbage in this house.
just because I have a lot of potatoes I'm going to add 2 small ones just to use 'em up.
I've made frozen chicken stock that I've been wanting to use for something and now I have it. I'll make a basic bread dough for use with dinner tonight and for the cream, I have aunties lemons galore and brand new horseradish. I can't use poppy seeds cause my love hates 'em, I love 'em but he hates 'em so they'll stay in the jar.
sorry, gotta go, it's time to slice the veg and get all in the crocker :)

[jujuthomas]

this looks so good. I'm imagining it with some pierogi and ham. mmm.

[iL Divo]

mamachef, so good, so clean and refreshing, so filling, sooooo gone..........thank you.

fortunately or unfortunately, I made amount for 2 large servings because didn't know if the kid would be here or not to eat, he wasn't. so, just enough for us to finish off.

[DuchessNukem]

Well I made a small batch of this today and a sample tasted quite good. Going to dig out some ham from freezer to complement it; also going to matchstick half a green apple for garnish with the horseradish cream. Funny how a recipe can stick in your head, been waiting for a good chance to try this. :)

[iL Divo]

Duchess, I loved this recipe from mamachef.
so did my husband.
love it when I ask for and receive something that is so good and will sure to be repeated several times again.

[mamachef]

Hey, I'm late to the game but so very happy you liked it!! Pure easy comfort, right?

[mamachef]

Hey, loving that apple!! This worked for y'all?

[DuchessNukem]

Late back atcha lol. The fresh green apple worked nicely to complement the veg and ham flavors. And the next day, I whizzed the small amount of leftover cabbage/onions in the miniblender into a bit of appetizer soup -- smooth, not pungent, richly flavored and textured.

[mamachef]

And another great idea!!

[iL Divo]

funny I'm reading this today.
Steak & mushroom barley soup...
smells lovely in the house

[lilmomma]

recipe please il divo.

[iL Divo]

Lilmomma-I am just this sec seeing this. I'll sit down today and write it out for you as best as I can remember. Although recipes are my favorite things and I read them till my eyes fall out- I'm not a recipe girl usually ~ I shoot from the hip. I made it up as I went because I had all ingredients and it was freezing outside. Give me a few hours as the gym is calling me ;:-/

[iL Divo]

hiding behind a couch with embarrassment for being so late in this report................

"Steak and Mushroom Barley soup"
slow cooker/crock pot on low
6-8 hours mine was done

2 fillets, sliced, cut, quickly pan seared in butter with salt and pepper, 2 minced shallots, 1 small onion chopped, 4 cloves garlic sliced thin, 3-4 long sprigs thyme (branch stripped of leaves). cook 3 minutes then dump in Crock pot/slow cooker

new skillet, 2 large portabella's, sliced thin and cut into smaller pieces, sauteed in butter and olive oil, salt pepper just until all absorb butter, 3 minutes. add 3 T of white vermouth, stir, cook on low until liquid evaporates, dump in crock pot.

*APPROX 4 cups beef stock that fortunately I'd made, but use canned or boxed if no fresh> in crock pot.

2 handfuls, my hands are small, of barley into crock pot.

lid on, after 3 hours taste for seasoning. I added salt/pepper/onion powder/garlic powder, plus a tiny bit red pepper flakes because my husband likes a little bite. stir, lid back on.

with a couple hours left, I stirred and tasted&added
2 T sherry vinegar for tang.
1 peeled carrot cut into baby sized cubes (size of peas)
1 medium peeled potato cut into same size baby cubes
lid back on

20 minutes before done added:
2 T sour cream
2 whole scallions sliced diag, whites and greens
stirred, lid back on, serve

*Stock, not sure if you like it really soupy or thicker so not as much broth.
the barley really drank up the broth as did the potatoes and mushrooms.
so good, so filling, hope you enjoy

ps, I'd have added a small branch of rosemary and left it in while cooking then removed but husband is not fond of rosemary although I am. just mentioning it because I'd like the flavor it would impart if it went in.

[Canthespam]

Sounds absolutely fantastic .. thanks for taking the time to post it.

Many people (the canned mushroom soup cooks) complain that too much prep work is required in a lot of recipes ... DUH.. how do you expect to get real taste and flavor.

[iL Divo]

thanks Canthespam, very kind of you.
I see I forgot in my haste and embarrassment to **include my addition of green cabbage thinly sliced at the point where I added the mushrooms to the butter and olive oil.
**1/4 of a small green standard cabbage, sliced paper thin.
I like the flavor that browning them a bit in the fat gives cabbage, that's why I added it at that time with the shrooms.
sorry for neglecting an ingredient because it basically disappears in the soup but adds subtleness.

[foodieX2]

Alas my slow cooker has been very lonely this week. My bread maker has been doing double time though. I made sweet dough for cinnamon rolls, a really nice focaccia dough, whole wheat honey dough for the most delicious rolls and right now I have wholewheat/flax pizza dough in there.

[hambone]

Dust.

[PesachBenSchlomo]

Today the crockpot isn't so interesting - just a turkey carcass and some water, but yesterday, oh, yum! Chile Verde made with "country style" boneless pork ribs, scorched and peeled Poblanos, lots of Tomatillos, a few Serranos, a couple of large onions, a head of roughly chopped garlic, fresh oregano, fresh basil, fresh thyme, bay, etc. Delish.

[DuchessNukem]

Tonight we had potato soup with turkey, and stuffing croutons (all T-day leftovers): chicken broth, leftover mashed potatoes, leftover turkey, carrots, spices, sherry, just simmered for 2 hours in crock to warm and meld. Toasted stuffing croutons to top.

And for overnight: a frozen 1.25# hunk of top round roast, a head of peeled and sliced garlic, a tab of butter, a dash of Chardonnay; in the 1.5 L pot. Have a couple ideas for what to do with it but will depend on tasting

[perrottwilliamson]

I would never have thought of cooking oatmeal (or figs in vanilla syrup) in the slow cooker. Great ideas!

[Florida Hound]

Oh, yes, yes, yes! Get with the program... you'll love oatmeal this way. (Just a word of encouragement from down Florida way.)

[Becca Porter]

I have the new Cooks Country chicken and dumplings in my crockpot today. I'm gonna have to calling chicken stew though. My husband doesn't sanction carrots and peas in c & d.

[jujuthomas]

this weekend I'll be cooking some turkey wings for gravy stock, as recommended in one of the thanksgiving threads.

[lilmomma]

Today I put a rump roast in with a bottle of beer, gardiniera, a packet of Italian dressing seasoning and chopped onions. I saw somewhere that you should shut it off when the temp is 135 degrees but in 7 hours it already got to 195 degrees. I hope it is not too dry. The directions said to cook it on low for 10-12 hours. Who knows.

[foodieX2]

Today I have a tradtional pot roast going. When I get home I will mash some potatoes to go with it. I am hungry already!

[tiffeecanoe]

I have some BBQ chicken going for lunch.

[tcamp]

My crockpots have been in active use over the past few days due to recent flood of good ideas here Over the weekend, tapioca pudding, carrot ginger soup (foodieX2), turkey drumstick with onions, chili, veggie stock (freezer cleaning). Today, applesauce and veggie curry (sisterfunkhaus). It is nice to have a week's worth of dinners and lunches ready to go.

[lilmomma]

I cut up onions and put in a turkey leg with bbq sauce.

[sisterfunkhaus]

Today it was chicken stock. tomorrow it's dried black beans in the morning, then I'll add the fixins for chili.

[tiffeecanoe]

Tapioca Pudding today! I had an unopened gallon of milk that expired a couple of days ago.

http://www.balticmaid.com/2012/06/cro...

[DuchessNukem]

Ah that sounds tasty. Can't recall last time I had tapioca pudding... we're probably talking >10 years. May have to go shopping Monday for some pearls. :)

No cinnamon? Lol. That's how mom made it "fancy".

[tiffeecanoe]

I actually add a pinch of cinnamon and cardamom! It's a pretty good recipe - I love it best still warm.

[tim irvine]

Mmmm, dad always called it fish eggs and glue ... We ate it often and still do.

[jbsiegel]

For us it was fish eyes and glue

[mamachef]

Oooh, lucky you, tiffecano!! I LOVE tapioca pudding. I could eat an enormous bowl, right now.

[magt]

This was really tasty.

Asian Chicken Thighs

1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c soy sauce
1/3 c honey
2 cl pressed garlic
a good squirt of Sriracha
8 boneless skinless thighs

mix first 5 ingred for sauce. layer chicken and sauce in slow cooker and cook on low 7-8 hours. Served with brown rice and some stir fry veggies

[foodieX2]

Today: carrot ginger soup, heavy on the ginger. yum! made a double batch so I can freeze some for later.

Tomorrow: braised short ribs

Saturday: meatballs and gravy

[The Dairy Queen]

I'd love your recipe for carrot ginger soup, if you'd like to share.

~TDQ

[foodieX2]

so easy! This makes a lot but you can easily cut in half. It also freezes really well.

5 lb bag carrots-roughly chopped. (I use organic and just wash them, not peeled)
1 large onion, 2 medium or a few small, sliced or roughly chopped
10-12 quarter sized slices of fresh ginger (more or less to taste)
2 cartons chicken broth (or veggie)
3-5 garlic cloves depending on size, smashed
S/P to taste
1 TBS olive oil or butter
crystalized ginger (optional)

Place carrots in crock pot and cover with chicken broth.
Sauté onions in olive oil until soft. Add ginger and sauté another minute or so until fragrant.
Add onions/ginger to crock pot
Add garlic to pot as well and stir well
Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10, You want the carrots to be really soft.

Once carrots are soft use an immersion to blender to puree to desired texture-I like mine really smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender let cool slightly and then process in batches in a blender or food processor.

garnish with chopped crystalized ginger.

Enjoy!

[The Dairy Queen]

Sounds wonderful. THank you very much!

~TDQ

[tcamp]

I'm making that this weekend. Looks great!

[jujuthomas]

I love carrot soup... I got this recipe from the cafeteria here at work. I cooked it on the stove, but it would work in the slow cooker as well, I think.
Thai carrot ginger soup:
3# young carrots, peeled and rough chopped
1# onions, sliced thinly
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
1 leek sliced thinly, washed
2” piece of ginger, peeled and chopped fine
2 cloves garlic
1 apple, ripe rough chopped with skin
1 stalk lemongrass, whole, bruised with a knife
1/8 # butter, cubed
½ tsp red thai curry paste
1 cup orange juice
½ bunch cilantro chopped
4 cans coconut milk
2 tbsp olive oil
Fish sauce to taste
Lime juice to taste
Method:
Add the butter and oil to a heavy bottom stock pot. Turn the heat on low. Add the onions, celery and leeks. Sweat out the onions, celery and leeks until fragrant and soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, ginger and thai curry paste. Mix well and cook for two minutes. Next add the carrots and lemongrass. Cook for five minutes. Add the stock and coconut milk along with the orange juice and apple. Bring to a boil and season again with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes. Working in batches puree the soup in a blender. When it is smooth add the chopped cilantro and fish sauce and lime juice to taste. It usually only take a tsp of each.

[lrostron]

A 4 pound beef bottom roast for pot roast veggies and gravy tonight.

[PattiCakes]

Pork (cubes) in green chili/tomatillo sauce. I did a mash up of several recipes from www.allrecipes.com. Added black beans & corn at the end.

[DuchessNukem]

Ah, we just finished off a small pot of goat curry for lunch.

And fixing to throw in some chicken thighs so we'll have chicken-at-the-ready for the weekend. And a small pot of chickpeas for hummus.

[jujuthomas]

goat curry??? that sounds delicious. I don't know that I can GET goat in my area, but I would totally make a goat curry if I could! must investigate. :)

[DuchessNukem]

Hey, it ain't easy to get your hands on goat. Supermarket butcher looked kinda offended when I asked. I found it through a CSA-style organic/local delivery service (greenling.com, not near you -- yet --, sorry).

I was even wishing it were a little stronger flavored; nice fresh cuts and cooked up tender but very mild -- I've had more assertive lamb. The curry was a home-cobbled recipe which turned out nicely. I've got goat shanks from same vendor in the freezer and still deciding what recipes to use; will be in the slow cooker.

[jujuthomas]

we have a butcher near us, I'll have to check in with them next time I get a craving. When we're in St. Lucia I get goat in a number of applications - my favorite being a goat roti - a sort of curry wrapped in a flatbread. YUM.

[MSK]

I use my All Clad 6 qt slow cooker (no 1970’s anachronistic connotations here) at least once a week in the winter. Constantly trying new recipes, the family's favorites tend to lean toward pulled pork and short ribs.

I think this appliance's crowning moment though was this week when I found a leg of goat at a new high end meat purveyor that opened in my area http://www.belcampomeatco.com
I had no idea what to do with it but it was beautiful in the case I just had to have it.

Most of the slow cooker recipes I came across were for Carribean curries or Moroccan tagines, which I will be sure try when my audience is more adventurous but I had great success with this stew from Robert Irvine

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ro...

(7.5 hours on low

)

It was so fabulous that the kids didn't bawk when I told them that they were not actually eating lamb.

[PesachBenSchlomo]

My little upstate NY county has had a pretty good-sized influx of Mexican families so I shouldn't have been surprised to have found a nice selection of dried, whole chiles. I got Arbol, Pasillas and Anchos, to make red chile out of a nice piece of chuck which I will brown, some red beans soaked and then simmered in the 7 Qt slow cooker and some canned tomatoes. with some sauteed onion, garlic. I soak the chiles, grind them, strain the tough seeds, and throw them in with everything else, toast and smoosh some whole cumin, and add it with salt, ground black and white pepper, some cayenne, dried thyme and oregano. and simmer it all as slowly as I can until the meat is tender but not mushy. If there is a lot of liquid I stir in some long-grained rice and let that cook for the last hour or so.It may not by authentic anything, but I could eat it for several days straight and look forward to more.

[Jeanne]

PesachBenSchlomo that sounds really good!

[lilmomma]

Last night we had a sausage escarole soup. Today, I put in a chuck roast with some sliced onions and mushrooms. 1 packet of onion soup mix and cream of mushroom soup. I boiled some egg noodles to eat with it.

[travelerjjm]

I did a chuck roast with sliced onions, too, but I added Hatch green chile and salsa. We'll probably eat it with tortillas.

[lilmomma]

What is Hatch green chili? Store bought? I must get this. Its spicy right?

[travelerjjm]

Hatch is a town in New Mexico, USA famous for its chile. Most grocery stores here in NM sell green chile in the autumn. People around the country order it for delivery by UPS. We tend to buy a box each year (25#, I think) and have it roasted at the store. It comes in mild, medium, hot and burn-your-tongue-out hot. We buy mild or medium and freeze most of it.

[lilmomma]

travelerjjm, I wonder where I can get some in Chicago. Is there a bottled chili I could buy?

[travelerjjm]

These are just the peppers. Just chiles not chili powder or sauce. You can find canned Hatch chiles in some stores. Here is one brand: http://www.vitacost.com/hatch-farms-f... (Please do not consider this an advertizement or endorsement of any kind. I have no relationship with the company or the seller.)

[cleopatra999]

Lillmomma: do you have a recipe for the sausage escarole soup?

[lilmomma]

sorry...just saw this now.

It is basically just cut up onions, potatoes, carrots, or whatever you have.
I add some cut up cooked sausage that was leftover. Maybe a can of beans, like cannellini beans.
Let it go on low for 4 hours. The last hour, I add my chopped up escarole. I sometimes put the escarole in at the start, but the color is better if you throw it in at the end.

Nothing fancy, but the kids eat it up!

[bitchincook]

I have two cookers, a contemporary large one and a baby crock-ette from 1976. Both are going right now. There's polenta in the crock-ette and Italian pot roast in the other one. I don't get home until about 9:15 on Monday nights, so I like to have dinner ready and waiting for DH and me.

[DuchessNukem]

Sweet. Will be a feast.

Tonight I'm doing goat two ways: Greek-style goat stew, and goat curry. Both cookers to go overnight since need long cooking.

[DuchessNukem]

Three cookers going this morning: whole oats in the little guy, butternut squash for soup in the 1.5 qt, and 4 fat sweet potatoes baking whole in the 4-qt. Yesterday was chickpeas.

[buzzardbreath]

Last night I made a large crock pot full of chicken soup and stock: chicken thighs/bones, chicken breast with bone-in, carrots, onions, celery, lots of poultry seasoning...soup for dinner and stock for holiday cooking

Today, I am making a "mess" of white beans with hocks and bacon...for dinner and for freezing...just because I like them ;-)...

[greeneggsnham]

I tried this Vietnamese Chicken recipe from the crockpot 365 blog yesterday.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/...

I used boneless thighs and only cooked it for 5 hours on low. It was a little flat just out of the slow cooker, but a squeeze of fresh lime with some siracha sauce and fresh cilantro made it pretty good. I also served it with rice and a simple sauteed cabbage which added some much appreciated crunch to the meal (slow cooker chicken tends to be a little TOO tender to me). I think this would actually be great with a slaw as a side to add some crispness and freshness as well.

[girlwonder88]

I found this just today and am making it for tonight; yay to huge packs of Costco chicken thighs in the freezer.

[Disneyfreak]

I am saving this whole thread to my profile so I can go through it later. I have a couple of crockpots -- all are large.

My go to recipe is chicken breast, canned corn, canned beans and salsa. Let it cook on low all day. The chicken falls apart. We then use it over rice or in tortillas. I know is it not sophisticated, but the kids love it and it is one of those things I can toss together right before I run out the door.

I also make pork butt in the crockpot. I crisscross cut through the fat then rub it with salt, pepper and spices. I put it fat side down in the crock pot and let it cook on low all day. Then I remove it from the pot - remove the extra fat and pull the meat. Add bbq sauce and put it on sandwiches. I made it for my daughter's movie night with a bunch of high school aged friends and the kids went nuts for it.

[The Dairy Queen]

Disneyfreak, I have an identical recipe I use to your chicken breast one, except that I use flank steak and frozen corn (and the canned beans and jar of salsa) instead of chicken and canned corn.

~TDQ

[Disneyfreak]

I"m going to have to try that.

[jujuthomas]

I love the chicken/salsa/beans/corn recipe. I use frozen boneless breasts so they don't dry out too much.

your pork butt sounds great. I have a party coming up - might have to try that. :)

[lilmomma]

Disneyfreak, I just started a new thread about my "chicken chili" recipe which is essentially the same as yours. I was looking for ideas to kick it up a notch or vary the flavor. What seasonings do you add?

[jujuthomas]

i just started this in my crock this morning. Added an entire can of Hatch chilis from whole foods - it may be too hot for me to eat, but DH will LOVE it!

[Jeanne]

The best baked beans ever - yes some cooking ahead of time, but well worth it -

Mayme’s Beans

1 lb pinto beans – soak overnight
Add 1 ½ tsp salt
3 T oil

Bring to boil, cover and simmer until tender. Drain.

Add:
4 oz diced bacon
1 medium onion, cut fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T molasses (light)
½ tsp worcestshire sauce
½ C catsup
1/3 C brown sugar
1/3 tsp dry mustard
1 ¼ T cornstarch mixed with 1 ¼ C cold water
3 T apple cider vinegar – at end

Stir carefully, cover & cook slowly on top of range for 30-40 min or bake at 350˚ for 1 ½ hrs. (may take longer)

OR:
Put in crock-pot & simmer away. Add vinegar at end.

I cook them on high for 6 hrs and then the crockpot goes to warm until I want to serve them. Perfect.

I made a double recipe last weekend for a party and as usual, everyone loved them!
------------------------

And the best Mexican beans ever - made them numerous times when hosting my Mexican fiestas - huge hit.

Drunken Beans

1/2 pound bacon, chopped
1 large while onion, chopped
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano*
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
3 cups dried pinto beans, picked over, soaked in cold water at least 4 hours and up to 12, and drained
1 1/2 quarts water plus additional if necessary
1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapeno chiles, coarsely chopped
a 12-ounce bottle dark Mexican beer such as Negra Modelo or Dos Equis
2 teaspoons salt plus 1/2 teaspoon if necessary

* available at Mexican markets and some specialty produce markets.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a 6-to 7-quart ovenproof kettle cook bacon, onion, oregano, and garlic over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until onion is browned lightly. Add beans, water, jalapeno, and beer and bring to a boil. Bake mixture, covered, in middle of oven until beans are soft, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Add additional water if beans begin to dry out. Mixture should be soupy with beans very soft but not falling apart.)

Stir in 2 teaspoons salt and bake beans 10 minutes more. Check seasoning, adding remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt if necessary. (Beans may be made 2 days ahead, cooled, uncovered, and chilled, covered.)

Note: Can also prepare beans in pan as above - after they come to a boil turn off heat. Put beans in crock pot, cover and cook on high 6-8 hours or overnight. If too liquidy for what you want, turn to low heat and keep simmering. Beans are supposed to be a little "soupy".

Serves 10-12.

I start both recipes in a pot on the stove and then put them in the crockpot to cook over night - they turn out perfect.

[tiffeecanoe]

Well nothing, but we're having guests this weekend and was thinking about doing Pepperoncini Beef! I made it once before with great results. Delicious on toasted ciabatta with provolone!

Ingredients
1 (3-4pound) beef chuck roast
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 (16 ounce) jar pepperoncini - in the past I used the rest of a sliced jar and took the stems off a smaller jar.
knorr french onion soup (or lipton!)
can of beef broth

cook 7 or so hours I think.

[The Dairy Queen]

I might try this this week!

~TDQ

[tcamp]

That is a good meal. I have a very similar recipe and it works well for those busy evenings when everyone is dropping by the kitchen at different times to eat.

[girlwonder88]

I make an even easier version of this with pork and it's one of the best things to come out of my crockpot.

Dump a jar of pepperoncini, juice and all, over a boneless pork roast. Cook all day on low.

Shred, discard juice.

Serve with fabulous corn tortillas, cotija, cilantro, salsa, maybe some beans. Amazingly good.

[DuchessNukem]

Yesterday did whole oats, and wet-rendered a tiny bit of beef fat (a just-for-grins experiment that seemed to work surprisingly well).

Today in three different cookers: chickpeas for hummus and utility; butternut squash for soup; and lastly, foil-wrapped beets and naked sweet potatoes roasting together (hoping that won't be a sticky mess when those are done!).

[DuchessNukem]

Today, in the 1.5 qt: beef barley stew (leftover rare steak from weekend away, peppers and corn and turkey broth I'd frozen this summer, chopped onion and carrot and celery sticks that were aging from before the trip).

And a tiny bit of stock in the two cup from chicken bones and veg ends from freezer.

Came home to a tight freezer so need about a week and a half of (pre-holiday) freezer eat-down. It's gonna be "Chopped: Home Version" lol.

[cleopatra999]

at what point do you add the barley? can it go in right away?

[DuchessNukem]

I just toss it in at the beginning. I don't mind if the barley isn't perfectly plump and distinct; also adds to the stew-y texture.

[jbsiegel]

Anybody have a good recipe for chicken wings? I'd rather not have the traditional spicy sauce...something different. Ranch? Plainer? Something really off the wall?

[Kontxesi]

http://centercutcook.com/slow-cooker-...

Except using canned green chiles instead of chipotles in adobo. Not to mention the chicken taco filling, cheese sauce, refried beans, guacamole.... In the kitchen all day today!

[travelerjjm]

We did these a couple of nights ago http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cabbage-... as noted above. I'd made different cabbage rolls before and my wife really didn't like those other ones. She LOVED these! We even had leftovers today for breakfast. The only thing we did differently was to double the sauce.

[greeneggsnham]

Thanks for the link, Jim. I made these last night, with double the sauce as you suggest. This was not a hit with the kids (they didn't buy the "it's kind of like an eggroll" comparison. I thought it was tasty with a good dose of ground pepper and tabasco. Husband was a big fan.

[travelerjjm]

Glad you and you husband liked them. Bummer that the kids didn't like them. They are now on our "regular rotation". Maybe they'd like 'em better wrapped in something else.

[cleopatra999]

these look really good. I love cabbage rolls. Think I could do with brown rice? would I need to adjust anything else? I wouldn't think so since it is cooked already.

[travelerjjm]

I would think it would be ok.. Since the recipe calls for cooked rice anyway, it probably won't make any difference.

[todao]

Tonight - braised Tri-tip, onions, garlic, cabbage, celery, herbs and spices.

[PesachBenSchlomo]

Short ribs and sauerkraut with a little brown sugar, and I also threw in some marrow bones, just because.

[mamachef]

Oh, PesachBenSchlomo, what a memory. My Grandma Ida used to make something very much like this, and I'd forgotten all about it. You see the sugar, and think, "this will never work." But it does.

[chileheadmike]

My slow cooker is a Weber Smokey Mountain. Its got some Cowboy Lump charcoal and some cherry wood in it. It's been 250 F for the last 7 hours. I gotta big old hunk o' brisket in there that will be done sometime tomorrow.

[mamachef]

Thinkin' real hard about making crockpot spaghetti sauce, for home and for clients. Yep, that's exactly what I'll do - one vegetarian, one full of meaty goodness.

[jw615]

Did corned beef in the slow cooker for dinner tonight for DH and step daughter. Now have Italian beef going in another slow cooker overnight for sandwiches tomorrow.

[Bean Counter]

Put a pork shoulder plus a can of chipotles in adobo puréed with a cup of oj. Shredded and made pork tacos for din din. Would be a lot easier if my son didn't expect homemade tortillas.

[Cynsa]

Boneless Country-Style ribs with two bottles of Anchor Steam beer, a sprig of rosemary from the garden and one sliced onion. I seared the meat before adding it to the crock pot. Makes its own gravy.

[jujuthomas]

saturday was white turkey chili
sunday the bones from the roast chicken and some veggies went in overnight to make stock.

[travelerjjm]

Just threw some beef cabbage rolls in.
Will start posole tomorrow night so I can have it for Saturday breakfast.
Beef rump roast goes in Sunday morning.

[amyamelia]

"baked" beans; with salt pork, maple syrup, onions, plus some odds and ends (don't tell my darling hubby) like zucchini relish nobody likes and the salsa we never finished but I stashed in the freezer before it went bad. Yummy smelling this morning and even yummier tasting tonight! Too bad the little ones aren't excited about it at all.

[DuchessNukem]

LOL. A saucy bean dish can gently shelter a number of bits of veg, like a mama hen pulling in her chicks. :)

[synergy]

Mix of chicken breasts/boneless thighs, 1 can of rinsed black beans, 1 can of condensed chicken soup, garlic, 1 jar salsa. Cook on low for 7-8 hrs. Comes out shredded. Can make tacos, enchiladas, or just over salad. YUM

[lilmomma]

Today, I am making pepper steak with a recipe from Southern Food. Hope its good!

[mamachef]

DuchessNukem, quit spying on me!! ;)
Today I have one going with a beef roast, garlic and onion, in beef broth. Half will be quasi-traditional French Dips, and the other half Italian beefs that I'll serve on crusty rolls with gardiniera and sauteed broccoli rabe; The other is pork tenderloins in a tomato-based bbq sauce that I'll shred and serve on buns with a twisted up slaw that includes fennel and kohlrabi. Bon Apetit, y'all: have a great safe weekend.

[melpy]

Today I put baby back ribs in there because I couldn't do the long process of watching them. Turn our great.

[marfood]

Can you please tell me how you did the baby back ribs in the slow cooker? Thank you.

[gansu girl]

I'm riffing off of Ina Garten's Lentil Vegetable Soup recipe - used black lentils, added a small head of savoy cabbage and didn't have room for the leeks . . . http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/lentil-vegetable-soup-recipe/index.html. Smells good, so far, although I don't think it's going to be ready for tonight. So - tomorrow!

GG
http://www.semisweetonline.com

[Musie]

I've got baked potatoes in there at the moment. So far I'm not too sure. They've had 6 hours on high like the original recipe called for, but I'm thinking the original recipe must have used smaller potatoes. I've put them on for a few hours more.

[DuchessNukem]

Lamb/barley/veggie stew for dinner earlier. Was terrific despite confusing a frozen baggie of watery pureed squash for a cloudy chicken stock.... but the texture of the squash helped thicken the stew and only needed a bit more salt to compensate. Note to self: attach Sharpie to freezer door to properly label incoming.

[Heidi cooks and bakes]

Tonight I'm going to get a headstart on tomorrow's meal: chicken gumbo. I'm slowly working my way through the recipes from Cook's Illustrated's slow cooker cookbook. I picked this one next because I have the chicken thighs in the freezer, and just had to pick up the veggies and andouille sausage to make it work.

DH has NO idea what okra is, so this will be his initiation! Bless him, he's willing to give it a try, so it should be fun.

The one thing i like about this recipe is that you start the roux on the stove top, then finish it in the oven. While it is browning, (about 45 minutes, they say) I'll be prepping all the veggies. I'll brown the veg, and the chicken and sausage just get nestled into the crockpot.

It's only a short cooking time of 4-6 hours, so I'll be putting it in the fridge overnight then pulling it out and using my timer to cook it since I'll be at work all day. I'm not sure if I'll cook up some rice as well, but corn muffins are definitely going to be on the menu!

[LJS]

That is a GOOD cook book...just wait until you get to the Sticky Wings! I am making a batch for a big family parth this weekend and I am doing doubles because last time I seriously under-estimated how popular they would be.

[pagesinthesun]

Oh yeah! I think I'll try the sticky wings this weekend, too! Any other recipes that you have liked from CI's slow cooker cookbook?

[Heidi cooks and bakes]

oooh, i've had my eye on them. but i'm the only wing lover at home. maybe i'll whip up a half batch, because they do sound right up my alley!

[lilmomma]

ca you summarize the recipe?

[pagesinthesun]

Sure!

3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c soy sauce
2 T minced ginger
4 garlic cloves
1/2 t cayenne
4 lbs chicken wings (tips discarded (or used in stock) and wings split)
S and P
Vegetable oil spray
1/4c water
1/4 c tomato paste

stir 1/4 c sugar, 1 T soy, ginger, garlic, 1/4 t cayenne into slow cooker. Season chicken, add to slow cooker and toss to coat. Cook 4 hrs on low
Then you mix the what is left of the ingredients to make a glaze. Brush the chicken with half mixture and broil the wings 10 inches from broiler to char and crisp (10-15 min). Then flip and brush the other side and broil again (5-10 min).

Sound yummy, huh? Let me know how they turn out if you make them. I'll do the same if I do indeed make them on Sunday! Cheers

[lilmomma]

Do you think this would work with pork ribs?

[Candy]

I never use my slow cooker to cook in. Keeping something warm is about as far as I go. I am a pressure cooker fan. I just don't have the time for slow cookers.

[DuchessNukem]

This early a.m. I've got the dreaded Doritos consomme (actually, will just be Doritos stock) in the 1.5 qt for a project.

Later today, small amounts each of chicken thighs, butternut squash, beans, and lamb, in separate pots, for the enchilada project.

Edited to add: holding the lamb for another day. Everything else is in the tiny cookers.

[lilmomma]

What is Doritos consomme?!?!

[King of Northern Blvd]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cppOoj...

[travelerjjm]

Interesting. Is it salty? Are the leftover solids good for anything besides compost?

[Kat]

Spicy chicken stew with cannellini beans.

[Disneyfreak]

Recipe please.

[Musie]

I have A LOT on my plate at the moment, so the slow cooker is out with force! Yesterday my other half made creamy clam chowder in the slow cooker, and it was delicious. He is a novice cook and he was pretty leased with it.

Today I made some pear sauce and I just popped in the ingredients for a healthy potato leek soup for tomorrows supper. I've also got slow cooker baked potatoes on the cards this week and perhaps beef and guiness too.

Gotta love the slow cooker for feeding you nice meals whilst saving you time.

[DuchessNukem]

Yesterday I made more quinoa and brown rice (small amounts). I saw a $27 special at Target for a 3-in-1 Crockpot (3 small separate crocks, ~14 oz each) and had to have it. Will be fun for the holidays!

I just threw a corned beef into the 3-qt. St. Patty's needs to be a quarterly holiday. :)

[Florida Hound]

Funny you should ask. We did up a batch of Slow Cooker oatmeal overnight and it was perfection this morning! (Double boiler style: a large bowl resting [floating] in the crock pot 1/2 full of water. In bowl itself, its 1 cup steel cut oats to 4 cups water, set on low. And go to bed.) We will do that about once a month. We recently experimented and found that overnight grits can be great with the same treatment. For grits with my wife's taste buds in mind, the liquid in the bowl is chicken broth.
And come to think of it, we will do a roast in the crock pot about once a month. BBQ sauce, or mushroom soup over it, a few cut up carrots or onions in the liquid, etc... We've used Coca Cola as the liquid a couple of times for the roast. The couple of times we tried wine, we did not like the taste- the wine seemed to overpower the meat.

[DuchessNukem]

I'll use white wines and beers freely in the crockpot but I'm cautious with red wines, they seem to flatten flavors a bit.

My husband loves to find grains in the slow cooker for breakfast: whole oats, wheat, rye, etc.; a favorite is called "Amber Waves of Grain" from sproutpeople.org -- 11 grains together. I use it for sprouting and for cereal.

Oh, and for today I had Rancho Gordo's Christmas Lima beans for side dishes in the mini-pot, followed by quinoa for tabbouleh.

[pagesinthesun]

Don't you just love Rancho Gordo?! I have cooked and eaten beans my entire life. I got very frustrated a couple of years ago when I couldn't get grocery store beans to soften no matter how long I simmered them, so I ordered a few Rancho Gordo bean varieties and I am amazed at perfect the flavor and texture of their beans. Rio Zape is my favorite!

I'm putting beans on my slow cooker list of to-dos!

[sisterfunkhaus]

I must get really fresh beans because I have not been impressed with Rancho Gordo. I have even tried several unique types, like Mother Stallard, and we weren't wow'd. I The only one that seemed any better than store bought were the garbanzo beans. Those were sublime. Maybe I am missing something. I have never had an issue with making dried beans in the crockpot, and I salt them too.

[jw615]

Hoping to do some caramelized onions later this week.

Tomorrow, tomato-less(I'm allergic) chicken tortilla soup.

This weekend, probably a turkey breast.

[DuchessNukem]

What's your prep on the turkey breast? That sounds interesting.

[jw615]

I usually just do some sort of spice rub. It's generally some sort of variation on the 'sticky chicken' recipe that's out there on a lot of sites, because DH loves it. Calls for:
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

I usually end up doing about half the salt and more of the other spices, and then throw in whatever I feel like sounds good and would mix well from my spice rack. I usually just eyeball the measurements, so if you have basic kitchen skills, it should be pretty foolproof. Mix it all together, rub it on the turkey breast, and throw in the pot with a few quartered onions if I have them on hand. Cook for 8 hours or so on low. You don't need to add stock or anything, and when it is done I always strain the liquid and then make gravy.

It turns out really tender. DH and my step daughter love it, and even I like it, and I generally prefer dark meat.

[DuchessNukem]

That does sound nice; funny that we tend to only buy whole turkeys. I'd definitely try this (but you're right, that does call for a lot of salt!).

[random amblings]

Also have made this, and it comes out awesome!!

[DuchessNukem]

Last night threw lobster shells and veg scraps in for lobster stock in the 3-qt.

Today, three giant yellow onions, chopped, for caramelized onion paste (test batch last week was wonderful).

[mitchell25418]

Hi - was wonder if you'd sahre your carmelized onion paste recipe? Sounds great, and doing it ahead of time is a huge plus. Thanks.

[DuchessNukem]

Nothing elaborate to them, sorry! Simply slice your choice of onions, pile into crockpot, add a bit of olive oil or butter, then cook till nicely browned (I think I went about 9-10 hours on low in the 3.5 qt). Cool, then toss into food processor or blender and whirl till smooth. Freeze in meal-sized amounts (1/2 c to 1 c for us, in ziplocs laid flat). Can add plain yogurt to make creamier.

[DuchessNukem]

Brown rice today, for side dish

Maggie, I make a mean beef-barley soup in slow cooker. Can't wait for cooler weather again.

[Canthespam]

I'd love to have your recipe - my all time favorite soup. I make in on the stove. I just made some yesterday, but I've never made soup in my 6 qt. slow cooker.

Thanks in advance.

[DuchessNukem]

I wish I had a definitive recipe but I'm a twiddler, the recipe changes every time (it's why I'm a crappy baker). Stews just tend to get whatever's available in fridge/freezer; sometimes I brown the meat, sometimes a frozen block gets dropped into the pot. Barley goes in at the same time as base ingredients since I don't mind if it starts to meld with the broth.

Your own stovetop stew recipe will likely do very well in the slow cooker, just consider the amount of liquid added since the crockpot won't boil it off. :)

[Canthespam]

Thanks Duchess. I guess I was more concerned about the cooking time, but of course after 4-5 hours I can check the tenderness of the meat.

I would use the same ingredients that I use for my stovetop barley soup... really killer soup..

I use short ribs on the bone and 5-6 marrow bones, when the meat falls off of the bones, I know it it done, and I remove the bones and let it cook down to a thicker liquid, and I add the marrow back into the finished soup.. although I love it salted with bread... bad stuff - fat-wise.

[DuchessNukem]

Oh man, that sounds fab. :)

[Canthespam]

I like my soups thick with a lot of meat. We make a meal out of it, with maybe a salad and bread.

3 lbs. short ribs on bones - trim off as much fat as you can
4-5 soup bones - marrow if possible
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup pearl barley
2 carrots - cut up
1 stalk of celery - cut up
Salt and Pepper
1 package Goodmans (or whatever brand you find) packaged soup mix, long cellophane package, corn, lima beans etc.. with a small package of mushroom and seasonings in a separate little package at the end of the roll.) Save the little package of mushrooms for later.
_____________________________________________________________

Put 10 cups of water in a dutch oven. Bring to a boil and add the meat, bones and some salt.. Keep skimming the foamy stuff off of the top. maybe 10 - 15 minutes. Then and all of the vegetables (including the packaged veggies). Not the mushrooms.

Reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer 2 - 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat falls off the bones.

Remove the meat and the bones and continue cooking the soup uncovered until it thickens a bit. Add the small cellophane package of mushrooms and cook about 15 minutes longer.

If you use marrow bones, scoop out the marrow and put back into the soup.

Keep the meat refrigerated separately. Put the soup in a bowl or container and cool down in the sink with ice water. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day remove the thick layer of fat from the top, add the meat, which has been cut up in smaller pieces. Reheat, salt and pepper - enjoy..

Freezes well.

Maybe someday I will try this in my slow cooker, but I've been making it on the stove for so many years that I hate to change anything.

[Maggiethecat]

I've got a beef roast in the crock pot today, along with a couple of oxtail (to help make the gravy) and a bunch of carrots. I'm making mashed potatoes on the side, otherwise I would have thrown some cubed red potatoes in as well. It's one of my specialties...everyone who has ever had it, loves it.

I'll be using my slow cooker again in another day or two to make applesauce.

[iL Divo]

Maggie
the kid has a frozen beef roast that he wants to use in his crocker tomorrow. he asked me if I had any ideas, I said I'd look here for something out of the ordinary.
you say your beef roast is one of your specialties mind sharing the recipe of how you do it? TIA

[Musie]

I use my slow cooker probably only once a week at the moment. I last used it on Saturday to make chili, a popular dish to come out of the slow cooker in our home.

[meatn3]

Figs in vanilla syrup. I add them to oatmeal, serve with ice cream or just eat them on their own.