Looking for slow cooker recipes

[metallicat]

I just bought a slow cooker, and am excited to start getting into it. I made chicken cacciatore, but it didn't turn out all that well.

Do you have a favorite recipe to make with a crock pot? I'd love to hear 'em!

[redforever]

You can pretty well use any type of simmering or braising type of recipe that you currently have. But reduce the liquid by about a third to a half.

Try this recipe with a cheaper cut of beef. This is not for a carved roast. This is more for pulled beef on a bun that you serve with the juices.

CROCK POT ROAST BEEF

4-5 lb chuck roast
1 cup water
1 cup red wine
¾ cup soy sauce
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced

Dump it all in the crock pot. Set on high for 6 to 8 hours, depending on the high setting of your slow cooker.

Take it a few steps further and strain the broth and refrigerate it for defatting (requires planning ahead). While the meat is still hot, remove any fat and gristle. Shred or leave in chunks.

Serve on buns with some of the juices on the side for dipping.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/beef.jpg http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/beef1.jpg

[Kerplunk]

I've done a pulled beef BBQ type stuff in a slow cooker. Take a roast (chuck or something), put it in with a ton of BBQ sauce, and cook fo 8 hours. Take it out, shred the beef, and put it back with more BBQ sauce for an hour. Really easy to make, and leftovers make good lunches.

Edit: damn you red! although yours lacks extreme BBQ sauce...

[redforever]

I've done a pulled beef BBQ type stuff in a slow cooker. Take a roast (chuck or something), put it in with a ton of BBQ sauce, and cook fo 8 hours. Take it out, shred the beef, and put it back with more BBQ sauce for an hour. Really easy to make, and leftovers make good lunches.

Edit: damn you red! although yours lacks extreme BBQ sauce...


You can do it your way too, my recipe is more for roast beef au jus.

[redforever]

If you want a simple stew, try something like this. When I cook my stew, I just go by taste and what seems like the right amount, so these amounts might not be dead on but should be close.

I usually buy a cheaper cut of beef roast and cut it into cubes myself.

6 to 8 cups of cubed stewing beef (1.5 to 2 kg)
700 grams of mushrooms, coarsely sliced
1 onion, diced
1 to 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 can beef broth
1 can water
1 cup tomato juice
1/4 cup red wine
2 to 4 Tbsp soya sauce
2 bay leaves (the cheap pickling kind, not those evil tasting laurel leaves)
3/4 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp rosemary leaves
3/4 tsp caraway seeds
3/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp pepper
dash or two of Worcestershire (optional)

In a large Dutch oven, at medium high heat, brown your stewing beef in a bit of oil. Do this in around 4 batches. You dont want to crowd the beef cubes when browning them because they will start to release water and then you boil them, not brown them. If you wish, you can dredge your cubes in flour first and then brown them. I usually don't.

As each batch is browned, remove and put them into your slow cooker. Add a bit more oil and do the next batch etc..... When you have finished browning the beef cubes, turn down the heat a bit and add a bit more oil to the Dutch oven. Add the diced onion and mushrooms and saute until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms are a bit brown. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute or so. Add this mixture to the slow cooker. NOTE: If you want a more earthy flavor, use shiiitake mushrooms.

Add your liquids and spices and seasonings to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Deglaze the Dutch oven to remove all the browned bits. Add this liquid to the slow cooker. Stir to combine all the stewing ingredients. Turn on high and cook around 4 to 6 hours, depending on how hot your high setting is. Test after around 4 hours to see if your stew is tender.

If you want to thicken your stew, whisk 3 to 4 Tbsp of flour in 1/4 cup of water (make sure you dont have lumps!!!). Add to the stew in the slow cooker, stir to combine and cook a further 15 minutes.

I personally prefer my veggies (carrots, potatoes) on the side, not in my stew. If you prefer them in your stew, add them about half way through the cooking period.

VARIATION: If you want to make this more like a goulash or a stroganoff, add around half a cup of sour cream to your meat mixture about half an hour before it is done. Stir to combine well and finish cooking. If you go this route, add some sauteed bacon to the stew at the initial stage. In other words, brown your beef cubes, fry around 6 slices of bacon and dice, fry the veggies etc etc etc

If you make it with the sour cream, serve it with cooked egg noodles or spaetzle (German pasta).

[redforever]

I make this recipe just the normal way, on your cooktop. But if you notice at the bottom of all the instructions, it is mentioned how you could do this in a slow cooker.

The soup itself is phenomenal. I used the ham hock for added flavor as did PW.

It makes a lot, and I mean a LOT, so depending on the size of your family, even a half recipe makes a good amount. It is very hearty, serve with a nice sourdough or French bread, you probably won't even need a salad.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/08/dairy-contest-finalist-recipe-black-bean-chowder-with-yogurt-cilantro-relish/

[octothorp]

Pulled pork: get a cheap cut of pork roast (I think I usually get shoulder) and then put it in your slowcooker with:
one diced yellow onion
heinz 57 sauce (1/2 cup)
coca-cola (1/2 cup)
malt vinegar (1/4 cup)
season with small amounts of
worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
smoke-flavouring
tabasco or habanero sauce or ground habanero pepper

Leave it on high for about eight hours. Serve with mashed potatoes, or open-face on those dutch sandwich rolls.

[FlamesKickAss]

i just made this the other day, it was awesome!

I just got a slow cooker myself and this was the first thing I made

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Slow-Cooker-French-Dip/Detail.aspx

[notoepik]

If you want a simple stew, try something like this.... <snip snip>... If you wish, you can dredge your cubes in flour first and then brown them. I usually don't.



If you do use flour with a little salt and pepper to dredge the cubes before you brown them, it will make the juice on the stew thicken while it cooks.

[redforever]

If you do use flour with a little salt and pepper to dredge the cubes before you brown them, it will make the juice on the stew thicken while it cooks.

yes I know, but quite often I go the goulash or stroganoff route and then I dont want it as thick, so I just do the thickening step, if needed, at the end.

[redforever]

This is not Thom Yum soup but is quite easy and tasty.

Thai Chicken Soup

6 skinless chicken thighs
4 cups chicken broth
8 carrots, diagonally sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 piece peeled ginger root, 2 1/2 inches long, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks lemon grass, cut into 1-inch pieces, or 1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 can (15 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
1 medium red or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cup straw mushrooms, drained or fresh sliced akes
1-2 Tbsp Thai yellow curry paste (or green or red if you cant find yellow)
fresh lime wedges
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Combine chicken, broth, carrots, onion, ginger root, garlic, lemon grass and crushed red pepper in a slow cooker. Cover; cook on low-heat setting 6-7 hours or high-heat setting 3 to 3 1/2 hours. If necessary, skim the fat off from the soup.

Remove chicken. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken and return to pot.

Add the coconut milk, bell pepper, mushrooms, curry paste (start with 1Tbsp and add more if you like spice) and cilantro. Cover; let stand 5-10 minutes. Discard any large pieces of lemon grass. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle peanuts over each serving and serve with fresh lime wedges. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro if desired.


http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh30/flameforever/soup.jpg

[stang]

My wife has a delicious ham and scalloped potatos recipe...But its not like normal scalloped potatos I dont think... Its made with mushroon soup and cheese.

SHe also has a Killer rib recipe.. it rivals anything I have done on the BBQ, and has a yumy sauce that goes so good with rice.

I will have to get them from her and put them up...

[metallicat]

Thanks for the recipes guys, I appreciate it. Keep em coming.

[Bobblehead]

I have a question - you are supposed to cool things long and slow, but what if, according to the emat thermometer it is cooked in 3 hours? Do you let it keep going?

I had this happen last weekend, and the roast was cooked but tough. Was I supposed to let it keep going for a few more hours, or was it just a tought roast and there was nothing I can do about it?

And yes, it was a cheaper cut which I know usually means tough, but I though slow cookers were supposed to be good for these type of cuts?

[redforever]

I have a question - you are supposed to cool things long and slow, but what if, according to the emat thermometer it is cooked in 3 hours? Do you let it keep going?

I had this happen last weekend, and the roast was cooked but tough. Was I supposed to let it keep going for a few more hours, or was it just a tought roast and there was nothing I can do about it?

And yes, it was a cheaper cut which I know usually means tough, but I though slow cookers were supposed to be good for these type of cuts?


With a slow cooker, you are not cooking the meat until it is done as per a thermometer reading. You are cooking it until it is tender. Slow cooking turns tough into tender, very well done, but tender.

So to answer your question, 3 hours is not enough time for a cheaper cut of meat or roast to be tenderized. Cook it as long as the recipe suggests.

[Bobblehead]

With a slow cooker, you are not cooking the meat until it is done as per a thermometer reading. You are cooking it until it is tender. Slow cooking turns tough into tender, very well done, but tender.

So to answer your question, 3 hours is not enough time for a cheaper cut of meat or roast to be tenderized. Cook it as long as the recipe suggests.

Thanks. I was figuring that, but didn't want to waste a cut trying it out.

I think I may try that again tomorrow night.

[Ice]

My favorite thing about the slow cooker is taking five minutes to throw something in on my way out the door in the morning and have dinner ready when we get home from the rink at night.

Sure, the pot roast, pork, chili, stew, etc. recipies are nice. But the best thing about the slow cooker for me is when I throw in a few chicken breasts, or some pork ribs, pour a bottle of BBQ sauce over them and let it cook all day. When I get home I can whip up a salad and dinner is ready in about five minutes.

[metallicat]

I've got some ribs in the slow cooker right now, anyone want to come over?

But I have a real question...the recipe didn't seem to call for much liquid. In fact, the only real liquid besides the marinate for the ribs, is Coca-Cola. Do slow cookers work just as well without a ton of liquid? The ribs aren't completely submerged.

[redforever]

I've got some ribs in the slow cooker right now, anyone want to come over?

But I have a real question...the recipe didn't seem to call for much liquid. In fact, the only real liquid besides the marinate for the ribs, is Coca-Cola. Do slow cookers work just as well without a ton of liquid? The ribs aren't completely submerged.

Yes they do because not much liquid is lost through evaporation with a slow cooker.

If some of your ribs are not completely submerged, stir and rotate once or twice during cooking. But do that in a hurry because you lose a lot of heat when you open the lid and start stirring and mucking around.

[metallicat]

Ok, thanks for the help, I appreciate it!

[metallicat]

So I prepared a tomato sauce for spaghetti in the slow cooker this morning, and I came home to find the sauce burned around the edges, and the entire thing having a burned flavour. Wtf? I thought that wouldn't happen? Dinner is ruined :whaa: