I want to start this thread for all of those who love to make meals in a slow cooker (Seltzer just informed me that “Crock Pot” is a brand name, and “Slow Cooker” is more appropriate for generic terms). I’ll admit, I’m a newbe at this myself. My parents have an old slow cooker that they received as a wedding gift 29.5 years ago. They’d make the occasional pot roast when I was growing up, but I mostly just laughed at it as a relic of the 1960’s. A few days ago my dad tried making chicken in the slow cooker. I thought it would be tough and rubbery from cooking all day, but it actually turned out to be some of the best chicken I’ve ever had.:eat: I mentioned this in my journal, and it seems that everyone’s got a favorite slow cooker recipe/ method. I had absolutely no idea so many people use and love their slow cookers so much!

So, if anyone is interested, please post your favorite slow cooker recipes/ methods/ stories.

a few years ago before i got my smoker and i discovered the word healthy eating, i would put pork meat in mine. ribs, pork shoulder, pork chops. you name it if it was pork it was in the slow cooker. the meat would just fall apart. I also miss my long boston butt cooking and them ribs that just fell off the bone:cry: I hope this fills up with some good healthy recipes. i would love to get that thing out again.

Here's a kinda southwestern flank steak recipe:

1 flank steak (about 1-1/2 lbs.), cut in half or thirds if you have a small Crock pot
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1/3 cup water
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown steak in oil. Transfer to crockpot. In the same skillet, sauté onion for a minute or two. Gradually add the water. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour over the flank steak. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or until the meat is tender. Slice meat and serve with the onion and pan juices.

That's the recipe as I found it. It's kinda mild for my tastes, so I generally change it up according to my tastes. I'll add rotel and take out the water/vinegar (tomatoes are the acid to tenderize the meat and you don't need the vinegar). I'll also sometimes put bell peppers in, or get a chipotle pepper and chop it (come in cans with adobo sauce). I also generally use fresh garlic instead of the powder and sautee it with the onions (and bell peppers if I use those).

I love my crock pot. I really don't use it a whole lot, but I make a mean batch of chili in it, plus I use it to cook my black beans and rice w/ chicken sausage.

Smooth Criminal posted this way back:

http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=20242&highlight=best+chicken

I just use variations of this recipe. I add carrots, celery, potatoes, and brussell sprouts. I switch from time to time between chicken breast and beef stew meat. If I use chicken, I use chicken broth and chicken taco seasoning. When I use beef, I use beef stew seasoning and beef broth. For more Filipino or Asian flavoring, use Spicy Caldereta Mix instead of beef stew seasoning. My ratio is 1 packet of mix per 1 can of broth.

The instructions on my crock pot said I could cook rice in it. It lied.

I rarely use mine. It could be good for soup and stew, but nobody in my family is all that crazy about that stuff. It would also be handy if I was going out somewhere and needed to have something ready when I got back, but that rarely happens.

It probably uses quite a bit less energy than the oven, but the girls prefer "crispy" types of meats, so it would take quite a bit of adjusting.

The instructions on my crock pot said I could cook rice in it. It lied.

I rarely use mine. It could be good for soup and stew, but nobody in my family is all that crazy about that stuff. It would also be handy if I was going out somewhere and needed to have something ready when I got back, but that rarely happens.

It probably uses quite a bit less energy than the oven, but the girls prefer "crispy" types of meats, so it would take quite a bit of adjusting.

Maybe try a roast in it sometime, even the most ghetto roast cut generally comes out pretty tender. There are some great recipes here (http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f59/)...as well as several other places online, of course.

I toss roast cuts into it sometimes to get shredded meats which go well with many things- sandwich, salads, burrito/wraps, simple sauces, chilis. I even do chicken breasts sometimes, which leaves a stock-like liquid behind. The amount of water in meat can be surprising, especially if you do something like pork shoulders; it'll eventually submerge itself in its own liquids.

I have a 7quart oval ceramic from Rival which is great for the once a week cooking style I do, but washing it can be a hassle. I find myself using the 5quart stockpot more often and will probably buy an 8quart pot to go with it. It's a pretty specialized device for shredding meats by slow cooking in my mind; soups and stews can be done on the stove just as well.

I have a 7quart oval ceramic from Rival which is great for the once a week cooking style I do, but washing it can be a hassle.

Slow cooker liners (http://www.alcoa.com/reynoldskitchens/en/product.asp?cat_id=1337&prod_id=3200). Cleanup in about a minute.

I toss roast cuts into it sometimes to get shredded meats which go well with many things...
I have a 7quart oval ceramic from Rival which is great for the once a week cooking style I do, but washing it can be a hassle.

I've never tried shredding meat, but I definitely will. I really like pork tenderloin, which is pretty cheap and very tender. I might try that in the slow cooker to make bbq pork sandwiches sometime.

My family just bought a new 6.5 quart GE slow cooker. Yesterday I tried making chicken breasts and veggies in the new slow cooker, and it really didn't work out. I was short on time and only cooked it for 5 hours. The chicken breasts were done, but not flaky tender like last time. The veggies were only half cooked.

Today I decided to go back to basics and just made a classic pot roast with a random chunk of beef that looked decent at the grocery, potatos, onions, and carrots. It will have cooked for 10 hours by dinner time tonight. If 10 hours isn't enough, I need to either start cooking on high or find a new slow cooker.

I just cook chicken breasts as normal, and shred them with a fork after they've cooked several hours (maybe an hour or two before done). That way the flavors of whatever else I'm cooking (say barbeque) get all the way into the meat.

Slow cooker liners (http://www.alcoa.com/reynoldskitchens/en/product.asp?cat_id=1337&prod_id=3200). Cleanup in about a minute.

These sound great, but the paranoid/hypochondriac part of me is worried that the chemicals in the plastic may leach into the food, especially where the food is cooked all day long. I’m sure the company has thought of that and designed a perfectly safe product. I’ll get a box next time I go to the grocery.

These sound great, but the paranoid/hypochondriac part of me is worried that the chemicals in the plastic may leach into the food, especially where the food is cooked all day long. I’m sure the company has thought of that and designed a perfectly safe product. I’ll get a box next time I go to the grocery.

I'd say the risk is similar to heating food in the microwave in the disposable containers. Depending on who you read, that's not a good thing, or it doesn't matter much.