A year of slow cooking recipes

Too hot to cook? Heck, it’s too hot to eat!

The Indian Chicken looks deeelish and easy to do in a crockpot. It’s not a recipe I would try, unless the recipe looks fairly easy. This one looks like I could actually succeed at making this exotic recipe!

Mmm, sounds great…thanks for link Deb:

http://www.lawrys.com/Recipes/Main-Dish/Slow-Cooker-Country-Chicken-Stew.aspx?cmpid=2012-fb-lawrys-10-02

They say a crock pot is a busy mom’s best friend! I’m not even a mom and it’s just me but I have TWO crock pots! I love, love, love to cook in them and freeze stuff. So dang easy!

I”m not crock pot cooking tomorrow but will be smelling the house up (I’m the only one who likes the smell of it) I’m making collard greens – they will cook all day though. Minimum of 8 hours. I’m doing a super big batch so it might go 12. Sometimes I’ll do them in the crock pot if I know I won’t be home to watch the stove. Hmmm… now I’m thinking I might go get a chuck and some veggies and make some stew, too. It’s gonna be crummy here, too, and I won’t want to go out tomorrow morning. Gonna have to think on that one…

What is it that you try to make? Need to know that first. You could be adding too much liquid. You definitely do not want a lot of liquid. Also, try to cut veggies and meat the same size (or close to it) that evens out the cooking so they all “get done” about the same time. Do you have a newer or older model?

With beef I cut up onions (quarter them and keep them big and chunky) and place the beef on top. Sometimes I might put some canned tomatoes on the bottom (diced) but probably no more than 1/4 of a can.

Unless you are making something that should have a gravy (like a stew) you don’t want much in there and even with a stew most of the liquid is added much later, closer to the end of cooking. The crock pot really pulls the juices out of meat and veggies and the higher the water content the more liquid it will pull (and that doesn’t mean the meat will or should get dry – if it gets dry it was cooked too long). And of course, the cardinal rule is never, ever lift the lid! Unless the recipe calls for it or it’s near the end of cooking and you are adding say a can of corn or peas that just need to be heated through. Every time you life the lid you need to add another hour of cooking.

ETA: I’ve never cooked chicken breasts in the crock pot but are they boneless/skinless or have the skin on? If they have the skin, ball up some tin foil and put it in the bottom and then put the breast on top, that way the fat drips down and stays off the food. Got that tip on the Atkins site!

Welcome 🙂

There are foods that need liquid, but best following a recipe or directions you find somewhere. That’s the stuff I cook the most. I’ve done beans and chili (awesome) and I’ve done whole grains to make a porridge. Those dang things are so versatile and what I like is I don’t slave for hours… it does!

Great tips JBBM! Kilroy, I’ve found myself with a crockpot brew too liquidy so as a quick fix I add a spoonful or two of instant potatoes. Obviously, that only works for a meat & potatoes brew, but I make mostly stews and soups anyway.

Pulled pork is really easy. I follow the recipe on the seasonings packet, but sometimes it’s a bit spicy for me so I add some apple sauce.