The heavier the inside unit, the better.
We take a crockpot on the road with us and wife loves having it.
There are a multiple websites out there that have crockpot recipes. Two that we use
crockpot365.blogspot.com and 365daysofcrockpot.com. Both cover meals and desserts
On caveat; pasta in a crockpot does not work well if not a short cooking cycle - breaks down.
The heavier the inside unit, the better.
We take a crockpot on the road with us and wife loves having it.
There are a multiple websites out there that have crockpot recipes. Two that we use
crockpot365.blogspot.com and 365daysofcrockpot.com. Both cover meals and desserts
On caveat; pasta in a crockpot does not work well if not a short cooking cycle - breaks down.
Those are two great sites for crockpot cooking. Another system to look into is Once A Month Cooking (OAMC), which is basically doing make-ahead freezer meals (make the meal from the raw ingredients, put in a Ziploc freezer bag, then pick one from your inventory and cook it as you get hungry). Do some google searches for "make ahead meals", "slow cooker", "crockpot", and "once a month cooking" to get recipes, you'll be amazed at the kind of meals you can prepare in such a simple appliance! Here's a couple resources to get you started:
http://onceamonthmeals.com/once-a-month-mom-slow-cooker-meals/
http://www.pinterest.com/2stinkingcute/oamc-freezer-meals-once-a-month-cooking/
There are also some really good books available, here's one I have:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gourmet-Sl...dp/1580087329/
The nice thing with the slow cooker is that it's extremely low effort to cook in, and you can time things to be ready when you get home (some crockpots have a delay feature and since everything cooks for hours and hours, you can set it up to be ready for dinner time after work). Here's one of my favorite recipes:
BBQ Root Beer Chicken:
6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (frozen or not)
2 bottles of BBQ sauce (I usually get 2 different flavors to mix it up a bit, Kraft is good - one sweet, one savory)
12 ounces of Root Beer (flavor cooks out and just leaves it sweet like pulled pork)
Whatever spices you have on hand (garlic powder, onion powder, Kosher salt, parsley, etc.)
Cook on low for 5 hours, then pull it all out and shred with two forks (leave the liquid mixture in the pot). Throw it back into the crockpot for another hour. This is basically like an ultra-tasty version of pulled pork, very sweet, but using healthier chicken and way less effort than smoking the meat.
I also sometimes just do plain chicken with some garlic salt sometimes - same idea, shred it up, and then throw it in Ziploc bags. Use it on sandwiches, mix it in with some mashed sweet potatoes for a quick lunch meal, fry it up with some olive oil, etc. For the same price as those little pre-made chicken strips you get in the deli, you can get a huge amount via DIY and do shredded, strips, etc.
The heavier the inside unit, the better.
We take a crockpot on the road with us and wife loves having it.
There are a multiple websites out there that have crockpot recipes. Two that we use
crockpot365.blogspot.com and 365daysofcrockpot.com. Both cover meals and desserts
On caveat; pasta in a crockpot does not work well if not a short cooking cycle - breaks down.
365 days of crockpot is great. i have tried a few of those recipes.
seems like you are confusing a crockpot and a Dutch Oven.I'd buy at a yard sale before goodwill or a thrift shop. Walmart could be cheaper for something new and uninfected.
Things to look for on a crockpot.
Brand, size, style (two types, looks like a crock pot, looks like a baking pot on a tray).
Non stick food area.
Ability to stick the "pot" in the oven.
Our two most frequent uses; I make a batch of steel cut oats and fill containers to last me a week in the fridge, Slow cook a roast and shred the meat for taco's or sandwiches.
that's a pretty serious crockpot.I use my crockpot all the time.
the indispensable feature for me is a timer and warm setting... I'm thinking of getting a new crockpot because I saw one with a brown/sauté option and that would be great for making one-pot meals even when the recipe calls for meat to be browned before putting it in the slow cooker, but I'm not sure if that would count as low-end.
this is the one I've got -- http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach..._title_kitchen
and this is the one I'm thinking about upgrading to -- http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-MSC-...I2NFU0I4MPIAG7
Came in here expecting advice on how to deal with crazy people.
Those are two great sites for crockpot cooking. Another system to look into is Once A Month Cooking (OAMC), which is basically doing make-ahead freezer meals (make the meal from the raw ingredients, put in a Ziploc freezer bag, then pick one from your inventory and cook it as you get hungry). Do some google searches for "make ahead meals", "slow cooker", "crockpot", and "once a month cooking" to get recipes, you'll be amazed at the kind of meals you can prepare in such a simple appliance! Here's a couple resources to get you started:
http://onceamonthmeals.com/once-a-month-mom-slow-cooker-meals/
http://www.pinterest.com/2stinkingcute/oamc-freezer-meals-once-a-month-cooking/
There are also some really good books available, here's one I have:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gourmet-Sl...dp/1580087329/
The nice thing with the slow cooker is that it's extremely low effort to cook in, and you can time things to be ready when you get home (some crockpots have a delay feature and since everything cooks for hours and hours, you can set it up to be ready for dinner time after work). Here's one of my favorite recipes:
BBQ Root Beer Chicken:
6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (frozen or not)
2 bottles of BBQ sauce (I usually get 2 different flavors to mix it up a bit, Kraft is good - one sweet, one savory)
12 ounces of Root Beer (flavor cooks out and just leaves it sweet like pulled pork)
Whatever spices you have on hand (garlic powder, onion powder, Kosher salt, parsley, etc.)
Cook on low for 5 hours, then pull it all out and shred with two forks (leave the liquid mixture in the pot). Throw it back into the crockpot for another hour. This is basically like an ultra-tasty version of pulled pork, very sweet, but using healthier chicken and way less effort than smoking the meat.
I also sometimes just do plain chicken with some garlic salt sometimes - same idea, shred it up, and then throw it in Ziploc bags. Use it on sandwiches, mix it in with some mashed sweet potatoes for a quick lunch meal, fry it up with some olive oil, etc. For the same price as those little pre-made chicken strips you get in the deli, you can get a huge amount via DIY and do shredded, strips, etc.
Chili is also awesome in the crockpot, of course. The long cook times at low temperatures really infuses the flavor in the food. Ground beef chili, ground turkey chili, ground chicken chili, vegetarian bean chili, all kinds of stuff you can make!
Korean beef ribs are also great:
http://joelens.blogspot.com/2010/04/korean-style-short-ribs-crockpot.html
I love an idea of crockpot. Even the word sounds delicious.
HOWEVER,
I'm not a fan of slow cooked food. Most of the time, they're tough, chewy, 'shreddy' meat that I don't care for (similar to pulled pork).
I'd rather eat something that's high heat and tender inside.
I love making beef stew. But even then, I sear the meat on a skillet separately and add them almost last = super tender and juicy + all the wonderful slow-cooked veggies & potatoes.
But I AM keeping an open mind. Maybe there's a decent reason for crockpot? I do love soup.
I made this yesterday, but used bone-in pork shoulder. Delicious and extremely little effort. :thumbsup:
chili
I love an idea of crockpot. Even the word sounds delicious.
HOWEVER,
I'm not a fan of slow cooked food. Most of the time, they're tough, chewy, 'shreddy' meat that I don't care for (similar to pulled pork).
I'd rather eat something that's high heat and tender inside.
I love making beef stew. But even then, I sear the meat on a skillet separately and add them almost last = super tender and juicy + all the wonderful slow-cooked veggies & potatoes.
But I AM keeping an open mind. Maybe there's a decent reason for crockpot? I do love soup.
I love an idea of crockpot. Even the word sounds delicious.
HOWEVER,
I'm not a fan of slow cooked food. Most of the time, they're tough, chewy, 'shreddy' meat that I don't care for (similar to pulled pork).
I'd rather eat something that's high heat and tender inside.
I love making beef stew. But even then, I sear the meat on a skillet separately and add them almost last = super tender and juicy + all the wonderful slow-cooked veggies & potatoes.
But I AM keeping an open mind. Maybe there's a decent reason for crockpot? I do love soup.
I usually do soups and chilis with mine, maybe the occasional pot roast.
it's mostly for the convenience factor. there's no magic food that requires a slow cooker or tastes significantly better when cooked in one... food tastes about the same as if I'd cooked it on the stove, but I get the convenience of being able to throw everything into the slow cooker in the morning, going off to work, and coming home to find a hot dinner waiting for me.