crock pot dinner ideas

[mamapoppybee]

I know many of us live crazy lives and as the weather gets warmer the crazyer they become. Thought we could share some set and forget meal ideas to lighten the load.

http://therecipecritic.com/2012/07/slow-cooker-cashew-chicken/

[G3farms]

Plain and simple here.

Quarter or half potatoes as needed to fill
Quarter a large onion
Three or four carrots
Nice roast in the three pound range
Half cup water

Fill the crock pot with the veggies, salt and pepper the meat laying it on top and add water.

We like to cook ours long and slow, six to eight hours. Melts in your mouth.

Oh forgot the skillet of corn bread and cold milk.

[blueblood]

Yes, let's talk food.  I am hungry.  Thanks for the recipe.  I will try this soon.  I am a big fan of General Tso chicken as well.  I need to learn how to fix that.

[mamapoppybee]

1 large stew meat or roast cut to stew size
onion chopped
Beef Stroganoff

1 can of mushrooms
1 pack cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sourcream
2 packs brown gravy mix
2 beef boulion cubes
1/2 cup water
 1 16  oz pack pasta( i prefer egg noodles)

place meet onion water and crushed boulion cubes in crock pot cover and set on low.  In a tupper ware container placed cubed creamcheese, sour cream and gravy add into crock pot the last hour of cooking and bump heat to high. I also add mushrooms at this time. serve with pasta or mashed taters.

[riverbee]

our crock pot sure has seen it's use this winter, i'll have to post up a couple recipes for shredded beef and a hearty hamburger soup, this would require going through my neat and organized stack of crock recipes........

i did post one here though, it's good stuff!:

Easy Slow Cook French Dip

[Bamabww]

Excellent idea mamapoppybee.

Crock-Pot White Chili
Serves 6 - 8
Ingredients
4 cans (approximately 14 ounces each) navy beans
2 cups diced, cooked chicken
3 cups chicken broth
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (approximately 4 ounces each) diced green chilies
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
Preparation
1. Place beans, chicken, and chicken broth together in crock-pot.
2. Saute chopped onion and garlic in oil until transparent.
3. Add spices and green chiles to onion mixture and stir well.
4. Add to crock pot mixture and stir well.
Cook in crock- pot on low for 2 to 3 hours. Garnish with sour cream, chopped green onions and Monterey Jack cheese if desired.
Goes well with cornbread or crackers.

[mamapoppybee]

http://www.recipecrock.com/crockpot-cheese-tortellini-and-sausage/

i found this looking for some new ideas and thought i would share. Gonna make some this weekend!

[Jen]

I LUUUV anything tortellini ~

Gonna print this one, and Bama's Crock pot White Chili ~

[blueblood]

Jen that tortellini recipe looks good.  I know the pork sausage would taste the yummiest but I wonder how a healthier chicken sausage would go with that.

Wayne, we have been fixing white chicken chili around here for years...the kids love it.

[minz]

‘you know a crock pot once in a while is good thing but..’ That was the beginning of some sad eyes from my bride.  Generally she gets home at 6 PM so by the time she walks in the kids and I have a balanced meal on the table, she felt guilty and started making them things about 3 times a week, so we would not have to do it.

[mamapoppybee]

so i made the  tortellini tonight here are the tweeks i made.  did the sausage but added the left over smoked chicken i had bc i thought needed more meat! replaced tomatoes with diced red bell pepper. did two things of creams cheese and added about a 11/2 cups parmisan the last 30 mins. also threw in two crushed garlic cloves for flavor. the extra cheese made it more creamy of a sauce.  Happy eating.

[Jen]

MAMA!!! I'LL BE RIGHT OVER! YUUUUUUUUUUM!

[mamapoppybee]

Mama has a new crock pot dinner.  Doing a beef Ragu!  I did about 2lbs cubed beef. you can use stewing or chop a roast. placed in bottom of crock pot add a third cup cab sav or Merlot depending on your liking. one whole onion chopped one whole bell pepper chopped  a jar of spaghetti sauce garlic and Italian herb mix to your liking. cook on low for about six hours last hour and a half add mushrooms.  Serve over pasta of your choice.

[Jen]

One whole chicken, thawed, take out gizzards nsuch. Rub chicken with olive oil inside and out. Sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, chopped garlic or garlic powder or jarred chopped garlic, rosemary, and tyme. Stuff the inside with large chopped onion and celery. Crock on low all day. Make a quick gravy/sauce to go over rice, or put the yummy seasoned broth in the freezer for soups.

[riverbee]

the crock pot has seen some use this winter, mostly for beef roasts.

simple.
most beef roasts of any cut do not require any liquid, and do not require any searing before placing in the crock.  just season and throw it in the crock and slow cook for 8-10 hours. we like some juice or gravy, but i don't care to add  any of the cream of whatever soup recipes to it.
i recently did an arm roast (good cut) and a lesser cut of a beef roast in the crock.
season the roast if you like, throw it in the crocker, add a package of liption onion soup mix, rub some of it into the top of the roast, the rest around the bottom, add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water, stir it up, put the lid on. crank it on high for 1 hour, crank it back to low.  total crock time 8-10 hours.

i don't add veggies (tators, carrots and onions) in my crock pot roasts, i prefer to do separate in the oven, although i will add a few veggies at the end for someone else in my household who likes the veggies cooked in the sauce. 

[Jen]

Perfect Riv    I haven't done a big roast beast in the crock yet. Thanks!

[tbonekel]

One whole chicken, thawed, take out gizzards nsuch. Rub chicken with olive oil inside and out. Sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, chopped garlic or garlic powder or jarred chopped garlic, rosemary, and tyme. Stuff the inside with large chopped onion and celery. Crock on low all day. Make a quick gravy/sauce to go over rice, or put the yummy seasoned broth in the freezer for soups.

So, do you add any water? I always have trouble knowing how much water to add to chicken when cooking it for broth.

[efmesch]

Should I be embarrassed or shamed about the whole pack of you-----Here we are, THE Worldwide Beekeeping forum and not one of you has mentioned the most important seasoning ingredient.  It goes with mushrooms, with garlic, with turmeric, with salt, ----the list goes on and on.  You can use a little of a lot. It goes with EVERYTHING.

How did you all forget HONEY?

[Jen]

I sure didn't Ef, but I eat honey everyday, in my tea or coffee, on my oatmeal or grits, toast with peanut butter and honey is one of my favs, I put honey in my plain yogurt or cottage cheese, and I bake with it to some degree. But personally, I'm not a fan of honey on meat, I like salt and pepper on meat 

[efmesch]

......, I'm not a fan of honey on meat, I like salt and pepper on meat 

Jen, do you say that after having tried it out on your palate or only after "imagining what it tastes like?