Am I the only one using a Crock Pot?

[LuxLiving]

Today in the crockpot for FOUR hours is:

St. Louis Beans w/Italian Sausage

2 cans Ranch Style Beans undrained
2 can Pinto Beans - Drained
1 can Rotel - mild
1 small can of mild green chilies

1 lb. of Owen's Italian Sausage browned first w/onions & garlic.


Normally we make this w/hamburger but I needed to use up this Italian Sausage that had been hanging in the freezer.

If using the crockpot for an all-day cook, I'd likely leave the regular beans undrained as it might be too dry otherwise. Serve w/cornbread or crackers.

[rob62521]

Here's a recipe I've tried...except I don't put in the peas because my husband doesn't like them. I put in another vegetable instead.

Crockpot Chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup
3 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
I celery rib, chopped
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 package (10 oz.) frozen peas, thawed
2 tbsp. diced pimentos, drained
Hot cooked rice

Combine soup, flour and peppers in crock pot, stir until smooth. Stir in chicken, celery, onion and green pepper. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or until meat is cooked through. Stir in peas and pimentos. Cook 30 minutes longer. Serve over rice.

[PauletteGoddard]

These recipes sound good!

My husband bought a crock pot last week, but we're not yet using it, although we did get to the point of clearing out clutter from the kitchen shelves and removing the crock pot from the box. I borrowed Slow Cookers for Dummies and Saving Dinner from the library and they have crock pot recipes.

LuxLiving, are "ranch style beans" known as anything else?

[LuxLiving]

Paulette Goddard,

Similar is a can of chili beans, ones that already have a bit of seasoning in them - but Ranch Style beans is a brand name available here.



Comes in a can that looks like this:

http://www.conagrafoods.com/brands/r...tyle/index.jsp

Oh, and this is considered SPICY to wimpy me & FrugalSon, so afterwards I always serve some kind of cold fruit like peaches, fruit cocktail, pears or orange sherbert - something to cool the pallete down! :

[Hot dog]

Try throwing a can of cranberry sauce in with your roast along with the cream of mushroom and spices It is really good

[honeichild]

Great ideas. Someone gave me a crock pot and I have yet to use it.

[lou12341]

I Love My Crockpot Even More Now That I've Discovered The Crockpot Liners!

[baking23]

Originally Posted by lou12341

I Love My Crockpot Even More Now That I've Discovered The Crockpot Liners!

I can completely understand that!

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I used mine tonight for corned beef

[jeffbergman]

My favorite recipe in my slow cooker is Asian barbequed briscut.
1 large first cut briscut
16oz beef broth
1 bottle of Asian barbeque sauce
1/2 pound sliced carrots

Mix barbeque sauce and beef broth. Put 1/2 of carrots on bottom of slow cooker add about 1/3 of sauce. Next put in briscut add the rest of carrots and sauce.
Cook on low for 10-12 hours. Take out briscut wrap in foil and refrigerate. Refrigerate remaining sauce and carrots. After several hours skim the fat off the top of sauce and reheat reducing down about one half. Slice cold briscut against grain of meat, heat and add reduced sauce. Enjoy!

[StressLess]

That Bestest Beef recipe someone posted is also good made with a boneless pork roast--made it last week, served with egg noodles and green beans, and DH loved it. (He's usually not wild about pork roast OR gravy.)

Wouldn't want this every week, but it's nice for a change:

A ring of smoked sausage, such as Hillshire Farms, cut into chunks, about an inch thick
A jar of spaghetti sauce
Raw onion, cut into small wedges
Green pepper, cut into reasonably bite-sizes pieces or strips

I don't remember the exact time (I made this up)--it cooks faster than some recipes because everything's in small pieces. I think probably 3-4 hours on Low. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, noodles or pasta. The sauce acquires an interesting smoky taste.

[aurielle]

I've tried crockpot cooking about a half-dozen times and nothing turns out good. Either too bland, or way too salty if using canned soup or especially onion soup mix, or just tastes like soup with meat in it. The only thing that turned out halfway okay was a sort of a sweet n sour pork roast recipe but I ended up coming down with the flu at the time I cooked it and I couldn't eat it but it smelled good and DH liked it.

I think part of the problem is, we don't eat a whole lot of beef or pork so I tried mostly chicken dishes and I just didn't care for the taste of any of them when cooked in the CP. I think I'd like doing the 'dump in a bottle of BBQ sauce with the meat' kind of recipe but DH hates BBQ sauce.

I'll stick with my usual ways of cooking for now

[Aleta]

You can buy a sirloin tip steak which is normally a tough piece of meat and it will almost melt in your mouth in the crock pot. I bought some recently for 2.99 a pound and you just use onions and seasonings. It allows you to use less expensive cuts of meat to save money.

[rob62521]

Originally Posted by Aleta

You can buy a sirloin tip steak which is normally a tough piece of meat and it will almost melt in your mouth in the crock pot. I bought some recently for 2.99 a pound and you just use onions and seasonings. It allows you to use less expensive cuts of meat to save money.

You are right. I buy cheap beef roasts and cook with potatoes, carrots, onions, and beef bouillion. The leftover beef and broth I put in the fridge and cook with egg noodles a day or so late for wonderful beef and noodles!

[Ima saver]

I like roasts in the crockpot, but the time I tried chicken is was awful It tasted just like boiled chicken! On my roast, I pour a package of dry ranch dressing and it tastes great.(hidden valley)

[daphneg2006]

I love my crock and am using it today as a matter of fact. My hubby has trouble chewing meat so I am cooking pork chops with carrots in it. They come out so tender and basically melt in your mouth. I add season salt or Mrs. Dash and depending on my mood whatever else I find around the house.

[rob62521]

Another easy recipe using chicken breasts would be some converted rice, a can of cream of chicken soup, a can of water, some frozen vegetables out of the bag, a can of mushroom soup, and 3-4 chicken breasts. Cook 7-8 hours. Yummy!

[rob62521]

Here's a recipe for those of you who might have some leftover ham for Easter dinner:

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

6 to 8 slices of ham
8 to 10 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup grated cheddar or american cheese
1 10-ounce can cream of celery or mushroom soup
paprika (opp.)

Put half of ham, potatoes and onions in crock-pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grated cheese. Repeat with remaining half. Spoon undiluted soup over top. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. (High: 4 hours).