What's your favorite crock-pot dish?
I got a crockpot this weekend. I've never owned one before, the manual came with a couple I guess demonstration meals but I wanted to hear from the real foodies.
Whats your favorite thing to cook up in a crock-pot?
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16 Comments:
Oriental-style pulled pork, chili, corned beef and cabbage, or a Hungarian goulash often show up in our crock pot at home. Search out the "Fix It and Forget It" line of cookbooks - they are really good, as is anything from the folks at Cooks Illustrated. I also head out to the local restaurant grocer to acquire a couple of bags of the Soup Supreme line of just-add-water frozen soup mixes. They're super easy to heat up in a crock pot and it's easy to sexy them up.
Lilith at 9:58PM on 10/19/09
Pot roast for sure. Brown up some chuck roast, put in the crock pot, toss in some gravy ingredients, (can be as simple as cans of cream of mushroom soup mixed with onion soup mix and water, to wine and broth).
After a couple hours add some carrots, onions, mushrooms, and new potatoes. Serve with egg noodles, or leave out the new potatoes and serve the pot roast over baked or mashed potatoes. Wonderful cold weather meal.
bobcatsteph3 at 10:12PM on 10/19/09
I love making chili. Some people are really serious about their chili, but I have a simple recipe that I always cook in the crock pot. Saute onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes, add a few pounds of hamburger. Drain the fat, dump the meat mixture in a crock pot. Add a few cans of kidney beans- juice and all- as well as a few cans of fire roasted tomatoes- juice and all. Season liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika, and tons of chili powder and cumin. It's a pretty lazy recipe, but I kind of make up for it by serving it with homemade jalapeno cheddar corn bread.
PumpkinBear at 11:25PM on 10/19/09
Burrito bowls. Pork shoulder in the crockpot with diced chiles, cumin and chili powder--cook until you can shred it. Make spanish rice. Put mound on plate--make indent and place scoop of pork, add lettuce, sour cream, grated cheddar, tomatoes and onions. Kids adore it.
PoorOldMama at 8:06AM on 10/20/09
Ropa Vieja! It comes out sooooo tender and perfect. Flank steak, chopped up onion and green pepper, 1/2 cup red wine, a jar of pasta sauce or a couple of cans of tomato sauce, salt and pepper, sazon goya, 1 jar roasted red peppers, 2-3 cloves minced garlic, and a bay leaf. Season the meat and sear the flank steak first to seal in flavors, put in crock pot with remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until tender, flake meat with 2 forks and mix with sauce; serve with white rice.
I also make lasagna in the crockpot, using no-boil lasagna noodles, and it comes out great -- use ground beef browned w/ a jar of pasta sauce (optional: chopped up onion w/ the ground beef), a jar of alfredo sauce, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan and approximately 9-10 noodles -- make 3 layers: a little sauce on the bottom, 1/3 noodles,1/4 ground beef mixture, 1/3 alfredo sauce, 1/4 mozzarella cheese -- repeat layers 3 times, final layer: remainder of ground beef, rest of cheeses, cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 4 1/2. Once done, take off cover and let it cool for 1/2 hour or so (liquids on top will reabsorb).
gbania at 10:09AM on 10/20/09
Any soup or stew that loves long cooking times is great in the crock pot. I love baked beans and hot dogs (as my family says, Franks and Beans). Applesauce is good, or a fruit compote. I also make homemade cranberry sauce in it. Have fun and enjoy! It's nice to come home to a ready made meal :)
kmgagne at 10:28AM on 10/20/09
Chili for sure.
I also use the crockpot to make homemade stock. I freeze leftover chicken bones and when I have a bunch accumulated, throw them in the crockpot with carrot, celery, onion, salt, pepper and a bay leaf. Garlic if I remember. Pull out the chunks and put the pot in the fridge overnight to defat. Much easier than when I used to make a big huge stockpot full. And the crockpot keeps the pot from boiling, theoretically, keeping my stock clear.
sarajane at 10:51AM on 10/20/09
I've used it to slow-cook a whole chicken overnight, then it's all ready to be de-boned in the morning. The technique - clean and dry a whole smallish roasting chicken, sprinkle with herbs and spices, dot with butter (or rub with oil before the herbal sprinkling) and set it right in on low (at least 8 hours). I add a few TBSP of white wine or chicken broth just for flavor and to keep it from sticking.
moibec at 10:52AM on 10/20/09
i LOVE my crock pot-you'll fall in love too!
my favorite dish to make is my traditional new year's day meal-kielbasa, pork, sauerkraut, and a good bottle of beer.
throw together some mashed taters and you have one hell of a tasty dinner ahead of you.
i'm salivating just thinking about it... :)
gastronomeg at 11:29AM on 10/20/09
On the unconventional side, one thing I love to make in the crockpot is chicken stock. Just add your ingredients and let it cook on low for 10 to 12 hours and you'll have the darkest, most flavorful stock that can then be reduced and frozen in ice cube trays. Polenta and grits are also a breeze in the slow cooker, creamy and delicious with minimal effort in just 2 hours.
Like everyone else, I love to make chili in mine, especially turkey chili the day after Thanksgiving when you don't really feel like cooking. Pozole was also a revelation and I just made a Carolina barbecued pork shoulder over the weekend that became delicious pulled pork. Yum! Julia Child's recipe for choucroute (the French version of sauerkraut) with browned meats and sausage is also a showstopper!
Otabenga at 2:14PM on 10/20/09
Irish stew! Slice 5 potatoes, 3 carrots and 2 medium onions and put in crockpot. Bring 2 1/2 cups chicken stock to a boil on stove and pour into crockpot over veggies. Place 2 lbs lamb shoulder on top of veggies, cover and cook! Sooo much flavor for so few ingredients. It's my winter economical go to.
EliEats at 3:09PM on 10/20/09
I have one but rarely use it. The only thing I've made in it is cholent, a Jewish sabbath bean/barley/meat stew.
SavtaShayna at 3:15PM on 10/20/09
Thanks everyone!
I'm making the Irish stew today because I conveniently had all the ingredients at home already.
They all sound great, I'll have to take a stab at ropa vieja, the chili and pot roast soon too. Within a few weeks I should be able to cover all the suggestions :)
AyeEat at 5:15PM on 10/21/09
I do have to say that I like making stock in the crockpot. Skim every so often, and I don't have to worry about keeping the heat low enough. Oh, so flavorful and yet easy.
Chili is a no brainer and I foresee many stews in the crockpot this winter--particularly on sledding party days. And speaking of sledding parties, there's nothing like spiced hot apple cider to warm up the kiddies and adults when we first come through the door.
dhorst at 6:50PM on 10/21/09
Kahlua pork: easy & tasty, not to mention that it makes a bunch of shredded pork for a lot of other dishes. I found it on the Web:
for a 5lb pork shoulder: rub with 1TB of liquid smoke, then rub with 1-2 Tb of sea salt (I probably use more, & I haven't found that I've ever oversalted it). Put in crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until fork tender. Shred pork with a fork, moist (if need) with the liquid that collects in the pot. The meat makes great pulled pork sandwiches, tacos, enchiladas, and hash.
AnnieNT at 8:11PM on 10/21/09
BBQ style beef short ribs...any type of bbq sauce, jazz it up with spicy mustard, honey and onion....add short ribs and let cook on low for 6 hours..super easy and tastes delicious...
Italiancupcake at 8:43PM on 10/21/09