Favorite crock pot meals?

Discussion in Food & Drink started by fairydust007 • Jan 2, 2014.

  1. fairydust007

    fairydust007New Member

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    I love using my crock pot. I use it for most meals. It's quick and easy. It also helps me to make more than an average serving for my family so I can freeze the rest. That helps for really busy evenings or nights when I just don't feel like cooking. I love always having a home cooked meal on hand. So, what are some of your favorite crock pot meals? I just made a new recipe: crock pot ravioli. It's definitely a new favorite in my household.
     
  2. dapapas

    dapapasNew Member

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    Whenever i make a crock pot meal its usually the same thing. Pork, potatoes, onions, carrots. I need to get some recipes BADLY! I love the crock pot on those days I'm home and I'm too tired from work to stand over a stove and cook. Hopefully i can get some help with my new realized dilemma. Especially after when i just read "crock pot ravioli." I was like, "Say whaattttttt!"
     
  3. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    How long did you leave the ravioli in the crock pot?! I couldn't imagine leaving them in for 8 hours while I am off at work, they would practically be mush by the time I got home.

    I try to use my crock pot as a supplement to a meal, rather than attempt to cook the whole meal itself in it. In other words, I will just cook a roast or other cut of meat with minimal seasoning, and then pair it with fresh ingredients and sauces when I get home. That way I can use the leftover meat in many other recipes. Plus I've found that some things like sauces and spices don't hold up well during the slow cooking process - particularly if you are including other ingredients that will give off a lot of moisture and juices, which dilute everything else too much.

    A braised pork roast can quickly become a taco or burrito filling, then the next day it can be part of a ragu sauce over pasta, or the obvious with some bbq sauce on a sandwich, or I can make a stew or chili with the rest of it.
     
  4. dapapas

    dapapasNew Member

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    That's actually a good idea. I don't usually have left over meat with the carnivores in my house. But i like the idea of cooking one time, and having what you've made be able to use multiple times. Thanks ohiotom76!
     
  5. smlewis00

    smlewis00Member

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    I absolutely love my crock pot! I use it very frequently! Two of my crock pot favorites are homemade chili and green beans, potatoes & smoke sausage.
    For the chili, I begin by frying my hamburger. I then put the fried hamburger in the crock pot. I add chili powder, tomato juice and tomatoes from the garden or canned. (I have a garden and can my own tomatoes and tomato juice.) I also add kidney beans, onions, and occassionally I add green peppers. To thicken the chili, I sometimes add tomato paste. I leave the crock pot on the lowest setting, and occassionally stir it. (As a side note: I only make chili in my crock pot if I am going to be home for the day-or if I will only be away for a short while. The reason for this is because the chili will stick if you do not stir it.)
    For the green beans, potatoes and smoked sausage I begin by peeling my potatoes. I do like to leave some of the skin on for the nutritional value. (I grow my own potatoes in my garden, so I usually use the yellow potatoes I grow.) I then add green beans. (Also fro my garden-I can them as well.) I then chop up Ekrich smoked sausage. (Ekrich is just my personal preference.) I sprinkle a little onion powder for flavor, and chop up a small onion. I then cover it all in water and leave it in the crock pot on low for the day. It is so tender and delicious!
     
  6. suncoast15

    suncoast15New Member

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    Reddit.com/r/slowcooking is where I get all of my crockpot meal ideas. To be honest, there are a ridiculous amount of things you can apparently do with your crockpot, but I am too scared to try some of them! Cheesecake, certain pasta dishes, etc...these things don't sound like they should be made in the crockpot. I'm sure there are people out there who have perfected their technique but I am far from doing that.

    Favorite meals: asian teriyaki chicken, chicken cacciatore, chicken sweet potato chili, vegetarian bean chili, ground turkey chili, BBQ pulled chicken, and BBQ pulled pork.
     
  7. jtucci21

    jtucci21Member

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    If you're cooking for two, you can make some pretty good chicken enchiladas, but it's a two day process. You end up with a lot of extra chicken though, so you could have chicken, potatoes and veggies one night, then use the leftovers for the enchiladas.

    Day one: potatoes on the bottom, carrots next, then a mix of light and dark meat pieces (or if your crockpot is big enough, a whole chicken), then brown onions in a pan then deglaze with chicken broth and pour over the chicken pieces in the crock pot. Set to low and leave!

    Day two: Shred chicken and mix with shredded cheese and chopped scallions then season with salt and pepper. Generously spoon this filling into corn tortillas and roll them into cylinders. Place these cylinders into the bottom of the crock pot, mix up a little bit of milk with a can or two of cream of mushroom soup and pour that tastiness over the enchiladas. Grind some pepper on it and leave it. Shortly before serving, sprinkle on some more cheese and scallions. Top with sour cream and serve. I like mine with Worchestershire too :)

    Ok, so not real enchiladas, but my favorite southern bastardization of them.