Share your favorite slow cooker recipes - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Off Topic

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Share your favorite slow cooker recipes

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I bought myself a Crock Pot for Christmas -- just a bare bones, cheap, simple one to see if I like it, rather than go for something expensive. So far, in just a few days, I've made a yummy oatmeal with steel-cut oats, apples and coconut milk, and a black bean and mushroom chili. Both are successes! Filling, tasty, and healthy.

If you have any favorites to share, I'd love to get your recommendations. I put a request out on FB and got some great links and ideas, but I thought some of you here might have ideas as well. Meatless recipes and those with lean, veggie-based ingredients are particularly welcome, but I do eat meat too. Trying to cook more and have more quick, healthy meals ready to eat so I'm not so tempted to eat take-out.

Thanks in advance!

Off Topic

45 replies

Latest reply was from

Anonymous

I use mine at least once a week, if not more. There are so many recipes around, and I get a lot of them from Pinterest. I do have a now-staple soup I make in it, and I'll send you the link if I can remember between here and the kitchen. You know when you get 10 feet away and can't remember what you were headed to do?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ooh, Janet, I have been wanting to do this and actually debated it but didn't buy yet -- I will be curious to see how it goes for you. And following the recipes. My one concern is that I wouldn't end up using it enough (for the storage space it takes). And what size to get. The thing is, we have a rice cooker that we use all the time and I actually use it for slow cooking of certain things, too (legumes and stewed fruit and oats) -- but the trouble with the fancy new one we have now as compared to the older one we used to have is that once it gets hot it won't continue to work....(hard to explain but basically its 'smart' technology doesn't want it used for anything but rice).

Laurie

Veteran

My crock pot collects dust on a basement shelf. Great idea for inspiration! Can you share that black bean recipe? I have a bowl of soaked beans that were ready for use with a ham hock that went bad....good timing!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Heh, Lisa, I went up to my bedroom twice this morning to do some little task and then got distracted by some other little thing and forgot my original goal. Third try finally worked. A Pinterest board is a good idea. I've gotten away from Pinterest a bit because the sponsored posts were driving me nuts.

Suz, funny thing: the crock pot purchase led to a huge cleanout of a big storage cabinet in our kitchen. I ended up taking out shelves and moving them around, and getting rid of some unused appliances to make a space for the crock pot. It took the better part of an afternoon but was long overdue as the cabinet has never been an optimal configuration for the way we use it. I am a fan of "a place for everything and everything in its place" so it feels so much better to not have a bunch of crap crammed in every which way! Considering I've already used the cooker twice in a week, I think this was a good purchase. It was all of $24.

Laurie, here's the recipe:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/w.....ent=safari

Mine turned out a little watery but I let it cook down and that helped a lot. I think I either used a little too much broth or should have drained the canned beans.

L'Abeille

Veteran

Now you're speaking my language! I have owned, and regularly used, at least one crockpot at a time since the 1990s. My new kitchen includes an appliance garage built to house them and the rice cooker.

Some top uses include:
Making soup stock (bone broth) from a post-roast chicken carcass (or turkey, or ham bone) and vegetable trimmings.
Curry of any kind (chicken, lamb, chickpea...). Pumpkin and squash particularly will cook down nicely becoming part of the sauce. Tagines (Moroccan stew) likewise.
Chili.
Legume soups like lentil or split pea.
Tomato-based pasta sauces.

I use it to make a veggie side for potluck dinners (or for a roast in the oven on a timer): sliced sweet potato and sliced rutabaga/swede/yellow turnip, just lightly tossed with olive oil. Disappears right away.

The recipe I use to create converts is for pulled pork. Use a lean piece of pork (tenderloin is perfect), add 1 cup of cola, cook all day; shred and mix with 1/2-1 bottle of BBQ sauce.

Also for general approach: to your meat or beans plus veggies, add something sweet (jam, cranberry sauce) and something savoury (salad dressing, hot sauce) from the condiments shelf in your fridge. Works every time.

The website ayearofslowcooking.com has 1000 recipes and tips all tried tested and commented on, including more obscure recipes like making yogurt or paneer in your crockpot. Highly recommended to take a look.

carter

Veteran

Oh, fun! My crockpot is making pot roast for my dinner right this very second;-)

I have a large 6qt cooker that I've had since I married my first husband, nearly 30 years ago. Still going strong (the crock pot, not the husband!). I used it a ton while the kids were growing up and I was working long days. It's perfect for split schedules...one eats after volleyball, the other eats before soccer, etc. I haven't used it much since my son went to college in August, but he's still home on Christmas break, so out it came.

However, I may not be very helpful, because the majority of what I make in there is meat, and I really don't use recipes. I just throw in whatever sounds good at the time (or whatever I need to use up) and flip the switch. 5-8 hours later, dinner is served!

Have fun with it, and make double (or triple) batches whenever you can to always have something healthy ready when you don't have hours to wait.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I like roasts/large cuts of meat in it, like carter, although I've gotten away from that because there's just the two of us and there's leftovers for days and days... The thing I make most is probably chicken stock, when I have a chicken carcass from a roast chicken, either homemade or bought from the store. I use the recipe from the Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes cookbook, which I would also recommend in general. A lot of slow cooker recipes are really bland and not particularly healthy (cream of mushroom soup etc). The America's Test Kitchen slow cooker cookbook is also worth a look, although they're totally fixated on browning stuff before it goes in the slow cooker, which IME doesn't make that much of a taste difference anyway.

Isabel

Veteran

I am like Carter. I don't really use recipes - that is what I love about it. BUT, one thing that I do love to do is cook pork in soda...I kid you not. The acid breaks down the pork to make it uber tender. I use Coke in particular -but you can use anything. Even fizzy water. Then I pour that out after a few hours and add barbecue sauce. It makes an awesome pulled pork.

I also like "dump cakes" in the slow cooker.

Have fun !

Emily K

(website)

Veteran

Similar recommendation to Laura's -- I have Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. I marked quite a few recipes that caught my eye, but I haven't followed-up by making many of them. One that I did make, Mom's Beef Stew, is really good and I've made it several times. Even though I haven't used it a lot, this book survived my big cookbook purge, so it's earned a pretty solid recommendation!

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I ended up using an electronic pressure cooker more often than a crock pot as I can cook up beef stew in 45 mins so I do it even on work nights. But that said many of the same recipes can be made in it - especially those involving beans or bone in meats and poultry.

I do have a lot of other very quick recipes however - most can be done in 30 mins. from start to finish. Thai coconut chicken soup with rice all in one pot. Chicken Tiki Masala can be done in one pot if you have pre-cooked rice on hand.

If you're not worried about heavy cream, I made this last night and it was divine (and great for lunch today as well):
http://therecipecritic.com/201.....c-chicken/
I used fresh garlic and dried oregano and a little dried thyme for the "italian" seasoning. I served it with steamed broccolini.

If you eat pasta, linguine with clam sauce is super easy to make too.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Great suggestions!

Chicken tikka masala is one of my favorite foods ever, so I'd like to try that -- one pot recipes are great too. I've been getting Blue Apron meals from time to time and I like them, but I'm not a big cook, so everything takes me longer than the times listed.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I have a question. Why wouldn't you just cook the same dish in a regular pot?

Meredith

Veteran

Angie, I think a lot of Americans are afraid to leave a pot on low on the stove or in the oven they are leaving the house whereas we're more comfortable letting the appliance go for 8 hours while we're at work.

Janet, this is a meat dish, but maybe you will appreciate the Tex-Mex flair (and it definitely satisfies as an alternative to takeout). I created it to copy one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Dallas and it's about as easy as it gets.

Brisket Tacos
Cut a brisket to fit the crock pot, season with salt and pepper and place fat side up. Add a box of broth or stock (I use beef, but any will work). Add a sliced onion if you have one handy. Let it cook on low for about 8 hours or until tender.

Shred the meat (leaving some larger chunks) and serve on tortillas with sautéed poblano peppers, onions, and melted cheese. Used the broth as a gravy or add salsa.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I own an elderly crockpot and an elderly rice cooker, both of which I use frequently. For the slow cooker I nearly always end up modifying meat recipes by making sure the meat and onions bit is sautéed in a skillet first, and then transferring to the slow cooker because I hate gray meat. I purchased something called an Instant Pot this week (my husband claimed if we only had one he would be able to cook ... biggest lie of 2016 including trumped up ones) and am hoping it will be useful on the sauté front as well as the brown rice front.

SandyG

Veteran

I only cook a few things in my slow cooker but the pulled pork recipe sounds delicious. Mainly I cook 2 whole chickens with various seasonings in my 6 qt cooker and shred/ cube the meat for lunches and dinners, or freeze part of it for a quick dinner later. It's less messy than my big oven and everything turns out tender and moist.

Echo

Veteran

I use a slow cooker because in a regular pot the heat comes only from the bottom. Many things can get overheated that way or cause things to be overdone on one side, no matter how low one leaves the heat. Additionally, some things are better when they are cooked low and slow. It breaks down the collagen and fat in meats and enhances the flavours in many soups, sauces or chilis. It is convenient to be able to set the slow cooker and have a meal ready when one comes home.

We make beef roasts in ours, and we just made a chicken burrito filling (chicken breasts, a large can of Rotel, taco seasoning and a block of cream cheese added at the end) for tonight. I also agree that curry in great in a slow cooker.

anne

Veteran

I bought one about 4 years ago when I first went back to work. It didn't prove that good as most recipes cooked for less time than I was away for. That one broke and I didn't miss it too much.

However DH recently bought some rice cookers which also function as slow cookers and I have been using them some of the time. They are great when you are going to arrive home and want to eat straight away (e.g after a late dance class or a Saturday family outing - I never feel like cooking after these)
Also my understanding is that they don't heat the kitchen up as much as an oven or a stovetop (I have noticed the whole kitchen can heat up just from boiling something on the stovetop.) That's a significant reason in my book.

Here is one recipe I saw on facebook and have tried. It was easy, went down well with the family and I've put it on the meal plan for this week
http://www.delish.com/cooking/.....ken-recipe

Not perhaps relevant for you, but if I was going to buy another slow cooker, I would buy a really big one, with a pan that you could fry on the stove top with (to save on washing up). That's because we feed largish numbers regularly.

minimalist

Veteran

These days, my slow cooker is used almost exclusively for...beans.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/0.....-tips.html
http://theplate.nationalgeogra.....ulk-beans/

(Blue Apron times are inaccurate even for experienced cooks, btw.)

cindysmith

Veteran

One of my favorite things to do with my Crock-Pot is to throw some chicken in it (life a few boneless skinless breasts) and toss a bottle of Italian dressing over them (you could substitute barbeque sauce or whatever strikes your fancy)

Another one is the chicken, a bag of frozen cut broccoli, and some Velveeta.

I dont kitchen well, so I love these girls

http://thefrugalgirls.com/5-in.....er-suppers

kerry

Veteran

I love my slow cooker and use it more than I thought I would. We mostly do meat dishes in it though. I like it most because I can sauté/brown items right in the cooker before putting it on to slow cook - no extra pans, cleans up easy.

One of our favourites is a pork shoulder - after cooking we shred the meat for tacos, pulled pork sandwiches etc.

I highly recommend the William Sonoma Slow Cooker cookbook - everything we've tried has been delicious and it uses real ingredients.

RobinF

Veteran

I don't use mine as often as I would like, I'm usually gone from home on work days for 10 or 11 hours and most recipes are shorter than that. But on weekends I like to cook chicken breasts to use for the week. I just put them in the pot with some water and salt and pepper and cook until falling apart, then shred them and store in the fridge to use in soups, tacos, etc. I think they're better for us than the canned chicken which we were using.

That oatmeal sounds yummy!

L'Abeille

Veteran

Why I use a slow cooker is because I am gone for 8-10 hours and I want to eat when I walk in the door. Or alternatively to cook something overnight.

This was actually easier with the old ones that didn't cook at such a high heat. My new one cooks hotter but after 4 hours switches to the keep-warm setting which is close enough.

K2

I make a super easy Tex mex chicken dish that always gets compliments. I use chicken thighs, thrown in a jar of apricot jam,use the jar to measure A jar and a half of salsa and add a package of taco seasoning. Great with brown rice.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

One question -- is the "keep warm" business safe? (I mean from bacteria growth.)

I wish I could figure out how to make my current rice cooker work the way the old one did. It shuts off automatically when it thinks it is "done" and I can't program it to go back on until it cools down so it is far less flexible than my older machine was, despite being (admittedly) a bit better for rice. I do love the rice cooker, though -- it is a brilliant appliance, and I never thought I would use one before we bought it!

L'Abeille

Veteran

Suz, I'm pretty sure the newer ones are safe at the "keep warm" setting. That (food safety and temperature) is why the newer ones cook hotter; there was a worry that with a very slow warm up phase, food (especially meat) could spend too long at a temperature that would allow bacteria to grow, before reaching the safe cooking temperature that kills them. It is safer to bring the food more quickly to a bacteria-killing temperature, and then maintain it at that level with the keep-warm function.

Emily K

(website)

Veteran

I do agree with Angie's comment, in general. Nearly anything that can be made in a crockpot can be made using a pot on the stove-top or an oven-safe pot (like Le Cruset) in the oven on super-low. Using methods other than the crockpot allows use of more flavor-building techniques and is preferable, in my opinion. And, my favorite recipes, crockpot or not, have considerable ingredient lists and commensurate prep time--be forewarned, the stew recipe I mentioned earlier is like that--I would have written it out for you except that there are, like, 30 ingredients.

Janet, your purposes might also be well-served simply by making large recipes from which to eat or freeze, and by using the strategy of devoting two hours of prep and cooking on Sunday to making a week's full of healthy, grab-and-go meals. Mel Joulwan, who writes an eponymous blog and has a couple of *fantastic* cookbooks out, uses that technique a lot. She's got a lot of good recipes on her website--I made/enjoyed so many of them that I felt I *owed* it to her to purchase the books as they came out

Anonymous

I have used mine for all sorts of things. Now that I'm on a vegan diet, I don't cook meat in it. Tomorrow I'm going to make a vegan minestrone soup recipe that has a ton of veggies in it. Chili and spaghetti sauce are great in the crockpot.

kerlyn

Veteran

We love our crock pot for chili, pulled pork, beans, etc. I like that it doesn't heat up the kitchen, and I feel safer leaving the crockpot on than I would the oven or a stovetop burner.

Meredith, I'm going to try that brisket recipe. Brisket tacos sounds perfect for this coming week!

My Mom used to put an inexpensive cut of meat, like a chuck roast, in the slow cooker. After 8 hours or so, it was so tender and falling apart. Amazing what that long, slow cooking can do!

JAileen

Veteran

I almost never use my slow cooker. I'm in the pressure cooker camp. A friend borrows the slow cooker for her Christmas party to put glogg in it.

I do use it to make onion confit. The confit is a superb savory jam-like spread to put on toasted french bread with cheese, such as chèvre. It cooks down to about 25 percent of its original volume, and it seasoned with thyme. Unbelievably good.

12