Learn to cook 10 excellent crockpot meals

• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 can cream of potato soup
• baby carrots
• celery
• pepper

This was really easy to make, especially with the addition of a package of pre-cut carrots and celery. All I had to do was drain the water out of them and dump them in, put the chicken on top—I put it in frozen and it came out fine—and top the whole thing with soup and pepper.

This turned out much better than I thought it would. Since there’s no added milk or water, the condensed soup makes a pretty decent sauce. My only complaint is that it wasn’t spicy enough. I think I might up the pepper a bit next time.

I tried this recipe:

• 3/4 cup black beans (soaked overnight and rinsed)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 packet chicken taco seasoning
• 1 can Rotell tomatoes and peppers

and I added

• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 red bell pepper

I cooked it for 8 hours. The chicken turned out very tender, however it was black on the outside from the beans, so I couldn’t ever serve this to someone.

The bell pepper turned into mush. Maybe in the future I could put it in later.

The beans were the best part by far. The Rotell juice made a kind of broth for them, and they tasted perfectly spicy. 3/4 of a cup was probably too much, however. I’d like to cut it to 1/2 and just cook one chicken breast in the future.

Overall, I’ll count it as a success, since, presentation aside, it was pretty yummy.

bb ribs
1 bottle sweet baby ray’s bbq sauce

Add ribs, pour over sauce, push button, leave house. Come home to falling off the bone deliciousness…..

Not dinner, but definitely an excellent breakfast for a crowd on a ski trip, or a big family on an regular weekday. Its hot and ready whenever the first person gets out of bed.

4 c. milk
2 c. water
2 c. steel cut oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 apple cored, peeled and diced

Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook for 8 hours. If possible, after the first hour or two (before you go to bed) stir the pot to mix. Otherwise the cinnamon floats to the top and makes the surface very brown—tastes ok, but looks burnt.

Serve with whatever toppings you like.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1612,159183-246200,00.html

I omit the brown sugar. At the end, I take out the ribs, put the sauce in a skillet and reduce it until its bubbly and thickened. Mmmm.

Made beef stew today. I didn’t make the whole thing in the crockpot, but I did cook the meat in water with onions & seasonings for the hours that I was at work. Then when I got home, I transfered the meat into a stew pot and finished it off according to my favorite beef stew recipe with the potatoes, carrots, beef broth and seasonings to taste. I spent 10 minutes flouring & browning the meat & loading all the goods in the crockpot, then 20 minutes on the stove at the end when I added the vegetables. I’m calling it Hybrid Beef Stew because I don’t think I’d have liked it as much if I’d made it all in the crockpot. BUT, I also know that I’d never have made it at all if it weren’t for the time it could sit in the crockpot to slow cook the meat, while I was at work. Call this one #4! Yay.

Made a beef & mushrooms dish to serve over noodles. The sauce sounded good with green onions, beef broth, ketchup and worcestershire sauce. It was ok, but not anything I’d hurry to make again.

Similarly, a week ago, I made a pork chop dish that I also thought would be good. We ate it, but it certainly was not excellent….sigh. This is not an easy goal. But I’m determined to do it.

I’ve decided to try a different approach. I’m sending an email to all of my “Martha Stewart” friends. One of them has got to have a decent crockpot recipe.

until the weather gets cooler. My crockpot has definitely been replaced by my ice cream machine on the counter these days. Grilling is so fast and easy, that I’m going to renew this crockpot quest when its too chilly to go outside to cook.

This was a hit. My family gobbled it all up with NO leftovers. It was basically skinless chicken drumsticks, tomato sauce & chicken/veggie broth, veggies and seasonings. Served it over pasta with parm cheese, hot peppers & salt & pepper on the side and voila! dinner! I’ll definitely make this one again.

If anyone else would like to try it, I got this recipe from the better homes & garden website:
http://www.bhg.com/recipes/slow-cooker/chicken/our-best-slow-cooker-chicken/?page=8

This is so cheating. But I started with the McCormack seasoning packet for slow cooker pulled pork and followed the directions on the packet. Added brown sugar, ketchup, some water and a little vinegar and voila! 8 hours later we came home to pulled pork sandwiches. Mmmm.