Crock pot meals?

You all have inspired me.  I need to break out the crock pot we got as a wedding gift.

We had one and used it for the first few times when I was pregnant with Sammy. But whatever it was I made the last time totally didn't appeal to the pregnancy-screwed tastes and smells I was coping with. So in one of my less intelligent moves, I sold the damn thing the next week!!

Now I wish I had it again as I'm going to be getting home relatively late with my new job (7ish) and NOT in the mood to cook.

Must see about getting another one...

My crockpot is my fave cooking appliance.  It has made my life so much easier.  I throw something in usually in the mornings, and by supper time, we have the best smells in our kitchen.  Plus, it is so easy for us to do rather than faffing around cooking on days when we are both exhausted when we get home. 

I got a crockpot last christmas and used it for a while but only for a few recipes.  Some of the recipes suggested here have given me inspiration to use it again.  I'd love to do a chili in there but DH hates beans... and its no fun cooking for one    Any suggestions on something non-bean to put in chili in place of kidney beans? (BTW, i know this is a silly question because the two main ingredients to chili are mince and kidney beans, but doesnt hurt to ask)

Pinto beans are MUCH better, IMO, than kidney (blech!!!!!!).

There are lots of bean-free chili recipes other there, like this one:

http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotchili/r/bl38c8.htm

Pinto beans are MUCH better, IMO, than kidney (blech!!!!!!).

There are lots of bean-free chili recipes other there, like this one:

http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotchili/r/bl38c8.htm

WONDERFUL balmerhon!  I've just printed out 3 of them which are bean free and I look forward to making one this weekend! 

so i was inspired to make a chicken stew like concoction... want to make dumplings with it (don't have any bisquick in the house, and don't want to make buttermilk biscuits).

my mother-in-law makes beef stew n' dumplings using suet.  they're lovely (and i'm not a big lard/suet fan).  she cooks them in the broth while it's simmering hard (just shy of a boil).

how do i make, can i make these type of dumplings in the crock pot?  does the liquid/gravy really need to be hard simmering? 

UPDATE- the dumplings worked out great.  i turned the crockpot up to high (it had been on low all day) about 1/2 hour b/f putting dupmlings in.  the liquid was gently simmering- yippee! 

Glad this thread has been revived. I must get the old slow cooker out this week. DH has just started working days again for the first time in a long, long time - and the biggest difficulty in getting used to being "normal" again has been that neither of us ever wants to be the one to have to cook when we get home!!!

If you're in the US, the "Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook" is great for having several recipes of the same dish (sent in by different people) so that you can compare, and pick and choose ingredients you like, etc.  Some are a crock of **** and some are crock-tastic.

It you're in the UK then you know the problems with trying to adapt American recipes.  Since I'd been crocking for years before we came over, I wanted to use the recipes I knew.  But if I was just beginning I'd get a UK Slow-Cooker Cookbook.

The Crock Pot is the best when you have small children who choose the dinner-cooking hour to be at their most trying.  Also, if you come home from work at 6/7:00 with tired hungry kids who need to be fed now.

Nothing like the smell of BBQ ribs...

But there are lots of other good things too.  Make spaghetti sauce with onions, carrots, tomatoes, zuchinni, garlic, wine, spices.  All you have to do when you get home is boil some pasta.  If you don't need huge quantities, still make a big batch and freeze half.  Yes, I have a dinky English freezer but it's worth the space to have a quick meal!

Lots of yummies have been mentioned on this thread.  You can adapt some recipes to be cooked slow too.  Soups, stews, even curries, pot roast, chicken cacciatore, shrimp jambalaya, swedish meatballs - just what I'm remembering right now.

So hey!  Get Crocking!   

If you're in the US, the "Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook" is great for having several recipes of the same dish (sent in by different people) so that you can compare, and pick and choose ingredients you like, etc.  Some are a crock of **** and some are crock-tastic.

That book is available here, too.  I bought it on Amazon.co.uk.... then sold it on eBay a few weeks later as i found the majority of the recipes to be, as you say, a crock of ****!  Just not the kind of stuff we would eat, i suppose.

I've noticed quite of few of these recipes call for raw meat to be cooked in the crockpot and then whatever it's cooked in - tinned tomatoes, broth, other liquids are consumed.

Is there any bacteria concerns with slow cooking?

It's a concern of mine with small children.

Found this:

http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumers/food-safety-topics/food-processing-labelling/slow-cookers/index.htm

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:NNSBkr-jgzsJ:www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/factshts/FN-SSB.003.PDF+bacteria+crock+pots&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2

at the mom, i am on healthy eating kick so i am scouring to find low fat recipes i can do in my slow cooker, will post some when i find some lol.

I have the fix it and forget it cook book.  Most of the recipes are using tinned soups and processed stuff but there are quite a few good ones in there that don't use processed foods.  I love my crock pot for soups especially after a roast - lamb soup is a favourite. 

also, Aimee's recipe for the chicken and taco seasoning is great.  We do that for enchiladas.  I put it on in the morning and then put the enchiladas together at supper time, 30 min in the oven and done.  Delicious!

And staple meals for us are beef brisket with veg and whole chicken and veg.  Just great to be able to come home and have it all ready for us.  Particularly on nights when we're all going every which way at different times.

Hmmmmm I think I'll go make some spaghetting sauce this weekend!

Hmmmmm I think I'll go make some spaghetting sauce this weekend!

Snap!  Me too.