Readers share their favorite Crock-Pot(r) slow cooker recipes
Inexpensive Crock-Pot(r) Slow Cooker Recipes
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Inexpensive Slow Cooker Recipes
I don't concern myself with too many recipes. (My husband says I should be more concerned) However, there are some shortcuts that I make do with. For potroast the best pieces are the least expensive. I put this in with a little water and maybe some dry onion soup mix. If I don't have that then I use onion, salt and pepper. I keep dried onion in the cupboard all the time. It comes in handy. Then I plop in potatoes and carrots and cook it to death. The drippings are great for gravy and the house smells wonderful to anyone coming home after a long day. Leftovers are great, too.
I really like to make soup. Soak 1lb. beans over night and drain. Add 2 ham hocks, one onion, a couple of celery stalks with the leaves, 5 peppercorns, salt to taste, 8 cups of water. Cook all day and mix up a batch of corn bread (recipe on the box) and you have a filling meal a couple times over. Really good on cold days.
For chicken I usually just cover the pieces with canned tomatoes that are spiced with peppers or onions or herbs. You can find them in the store. Real easy. Then make rice and you have chicken cacciatore without the fuss.
Wendy in Kirkland, WA
In response to the request for slow cooker recipes for inexpensive cuts of meat here is a recipe:
Bachelor Roast
- 1 medium roast (any size, even the cheap, tough cuts)
- 1 can coca-cola
- 1 16 oz. bottle of ketchup (generic, or whatever is on sale)
Put all ingredients in slow cooker and cook it for several hours until the meat falls apart and your house smells great! The coke will break down the tough fibers in the meat, so even the toughest comes out tender and tasty. This recipe is good enough to serve to the best company, and leftovers (if you have any) make good BBQ sandwiches.
Lynn in PHX
My husband bought me a slow cooker last year and asked if I could try making some things in it. Here's one of the resulting recipes...
Vegan Baked Beans
(It tastes like the canned stuff!)
- 1 lb. pkg. dried navy beans
- cold water for soaking beans
- mustard (your choice on type)
- 1/2 c. molasses
- 1 tsp. sea salt or Bragg's Liquid Amino's
- 1/3 c. honey
- Smart Dogs (or any other brand of tofu hot dogs)
- 1 large onion, chopped, sauteed in extra virgin olive oil until slightly brown
Take the navy beans and place them either in your slow cooker or some large bowl. Add enough water to cover the beans by 3-4 inches. Allow it to sit overnight. In the morning, (or whenever) drain the water out and rinse the beans. Now add enough fresh water to cover the beans by about 1 - 1 1/2 inches. Put the slow cooker on high all day. Get all the other ingredients ready... slice the Smart Dogs into 1/4 or 1/2 inch slices (whatever you like) and get all the seasonings together. Now shut off the slow cooker and add all the ingredients. Stir well and let it sit for about 30 minutes to an hour to allow the flavors to mingle. Then serve. (If you really want the flavors to mix, then put everything away in the refrigerator when you've finished cooking everything and take it out the next night for dinner. Serves 4-6.
EK
Slow Cooker Beef, Pork and Chicken Recipe
Quick Onion Pot Roast
This roast needs no prior browning. Brown meat in the slow cooker and forms a brown gravy. Prepare vegetables separately.
- 1 pkt onion soup mix.
- 3lb lean beef pot roast trim off any fat
- 3 Tbs flour in 3Tbs water, mixed to a paste.
Sprinkle onion soup over the bottom of the slow cooker. Add pot roast. Cover and cook on LOW about 10 hrs. or 5 hrs. on HIGH. Pour accumulated juices into a saucepan; skim off fat. Add flour-water paste and bring to the boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Serve over sliced meat.
Barbecued Pot Roast
- 1 tsp salt
- 2lb lean pot roast
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 24 peppercorns
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
Sprinkle salt over the roast and place in slow cooker. Spread tomato paste over meat; imbed peppercorns into paste; top with onions and worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook on LOW 8-10 hrs. Serve meat with accumulated gravy.
Marinated Chicken & Pork
- 3 lb chicken pieces
- 2 cloves garlic,crushed
- 1 lb lean boneless pork cubed
- 3 tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1/2 tsp rosemary
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups beef broth, (Campbell's)
Place chicken pieces and pork cubes in a large bowl. Mix all other ingredients thoroughly, pour over chicken and pork. Allow meat to marinate in sauce for about 2 hrs. (you could leave it over night) Transfer chicken,pork and marinade to slow cooker. Cover pot, turn on LOW and cook 6-8 hrs.or until chicken and pork are thoroughly cooked. Serves 6.
Tarragon Chicken
- 3-4lb chicken
- 2 Tbs soft butter
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp tarragon
- 1 Tbs dried parsley
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 Tbs vinegar
Gravy
2 Tbs cornstarch in 2 Tbs cold water, Stirred until smooth.
1 cup accumulated cooking liquid.
Rub chicken with butter; place in slow cooker. Combine seasonings and herbs and sprinkle evenly over chicken. Add vinegar. Cover and cook on LOW about 8 hrs. Do not remove lid during this time. Remove chicken to hot platter.
Prepare gravy by combining the cornstarch mixture and 1 cup accumulated liquid in a saucepan. Heat and stir until mixture boils and is thickened. Serve over hot chicken. Serves 4.
Trudy C.
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