You can do it in your garage with the crock pot and lessen the odor in the house. Set it overnight and forget it, refrigerate it in the AM and use within a day or two.
@thismyusername if i could figure out how to post pics from my phone, I would post pics of my Jeep. A huge buck slammed into the side of it last week. $4300 in damage. He was temporarily stunned but walked away.
Queso! A true Texas staple for any gathering of folks. It ain't a party if ya don't got queso! For those not in the know, it's melted (cheddar) cheese, tomatoes and chiles (or salsa if you have no taste buds), and you can customize it to your liking.
@Thumperchick Oh, I totally do the lazy version!! :) I'll usually dress it up a little with some chipotle or cajun seasoning, and maybe some spinach. Yum!
@Thumperchick My son loves that version so much at 17 he bought a tiny 1 qt. crock pot from the local CVS drug store just so he could make it on his own.
They mention the BBQ meatballs. If we are having a family function with my husband's family and I don't walk in with a crock pot full of meat balls, there are some sad, sad faces. Not only do they guzzle them down but some of the guys have been busted smuggling meatballs out to hide and eat later. I like them but I'm not obsessed like they are. It's nice to be able to make something they love so much though.
@jqubed Very true because no one else ever makes them. Once in a while I'd make the younger kid in the group, he's older than the grand kids but years younger than his siblings, his own batch. He's so funny. He'd grab the Tuperware and run...lol.
@Pamtha I used Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, either sweet and spicy or original and grape jelly. I start off with 2 parts BBQ to 1 part jelly, stir together, and then add both in to taste. I like to have more of the savory spice with just a bit sweet, others like it the opposite. I have heard people use chili sauce and grape jelly. I also use homestyle meatballs but some people use italian style. Ridicuously simple to make, huge rewards.
@Pamtha I make those too!! Those are the second thing I usually bring. I either use just Baby Rays BBQ or I use the same sauce as my meatballs. Most of the time though, I make pigs in a blanket with the lil smokies and crescent rolls...um umm good.
Crock Pots are God's gift to single people and shift workers. The best recipes go like this: - Open the fridge - If something sounds good, throw some in the crock pot - When the crock pot is full, fill it up with water - Turn the Crock Pot on low - Go to work - Come home from work and enjoy the deliciousness
@jqubed Pretty sure those are cabbage rolls like my grandma used to make. I really miss her . . . I have her recipes but it just isn't the same without her love directly seasoning the dish.
@jqubed@Pavlov Oh yeah, Polish cabbage rolls in sauerkraut with tomato sauce. You always made a lot so there were leftovers that would continue to marinate in the fridge. They just got better and better. And you're right, Grandma and Mom made them with love. I seriously miss them. Mom and Grandma, too.
@2many2no Just fyi, like in case youre looking for these on the menu at a Polish restaurant (the only time Ive found it really useful), the word for cabbage rolls is 'gołąbki'
The favorites around here are: Pot Roast, Mississippi Pot Roast, Beef Stew, Chicken Enchilada Soup. My personal favorite - Buffalo Wing Dip. I could knock down a pot by myself if it weren't so wonderfully self-limiting.
@Pamtha@mehbee - Unfortunately, it's not my recipe. I had to be really good friends with the recipe owner for a few years and she still made me barter her for it. I think sharing it online would piss her off.
I will tell you the real secret to great wing dip - season your chicken. Seriously. Start with raw chicken breasts, season the shit out of them, bake, shred or chop - and use that to make your dip with whatever recipe you find that looks good. The basic seasoning of the meat changes everything. (Garlic salt/powder, you favorite blend with a little kick to it, salt, pepper.)
I love doing spaghetti sauce in my crock pot because you barely need to stir it like you would when it is simmering in the stove. Just make sure you use those crock condoms because otherwise it is a pain in the ass to clean.
Brown sugar crockpot ham. Super easy and THE best way to cook ham, period.
the "recipe": Buy any ham that will fit in your pot. Even the cheaper cuts work fine, no need for the expensive spiral-sliced. Only other ingredient is ~ 2 cups brown sugar. If you happen to have any maple sugar, substitute a half cup or so of the brown sugar with maple. Maple takes this ham from awesome to so-freaking-amazing-I-don't-want-to-share-my-preciousssssssss.
Anyway, yeah, pack most of the sugar in the bottom of the crockpot, drop in the ham (flat side down), put a little more sugar over the top of the ham, turn on the pot. Visit every hour or two to savor the delicious smells. After some number of hours, when you can't resist any longer and the ham looks hot all the way through and the sugar has melted with the ham juice into a syrupy awesomesauce in the bottom of the pot, it's time to dig in.
@cranky1950Test Kitchen Cookbook We use the ribs recipe from this book. You have to do the broil step at the end for best results but the ribs turn out absolutely fantastic.
@duodec You're much more ambitious than I am. I usually just cut them to fit the crockpot, and place them on two of those round racks you get with rice cookers that die all to quickly, and cook them on low for about 6 hours then slather them with sweet baby rays and cook for another half hour.
I do a lot of canning of home made jams, jellies and fruit butters and rather then stand around my stove stirring and making sure it doesn't burn I use my giant crockpot. I can just throw all my ingredients in and leave it overnight and can the next morning. I actually have 5 crockpots, small one for queso, one for little smokies in bbq sauce, the giant one, a medium and a 3 crock one for multiple hot dips. Because it ain't a party unless there are at least 3 crockpots going.
@conandlibrarian what would you like to know? It can be labor intensive, but the results are worth it. Are you wondering about thw food prep or the actual canning? Do you have a big stock pot with the pasta strainer insert?
I make pots of beans in mine. Red beans with andouille sausage, black beans with bacon or those 15 bean blends, usually with ham. Brine the beans beforehand like America's Test Kitchen says, and the texture is great.
First of all. LINERS. For the love of God USE LINERS. They're usually in the section with the baggies and shit. USE THE LINERS. Yes, even if your pot has a removable crock. They will make your life SO MUCH EASIER. If your pot is smaller you might want to get "Oven Bags" instead, they're the same thing but not Big McLargehuge size like some of the "Slow Cooker Liners" are.
Anyway.
Potato soup: dice a potato, an onion, and whatever other veggies you want (assorted peppers are good). Slice up a couple of brats, or don't. Throw in some leftover rotisserie chicken, or don't. Put it all in the pot. Add enough chicken stock, or water and soup base, to cover everything. Put the lid on, turn it on low, go to work. Come home, add milk or cream to your taste, let it heat up again. Add Velveeta to your taste. There are a bajillion ways to thicken a soup, but for this one my favorite is... instant mashed potato flakes. Just mix some in. Or you could use real leftover mashed potatoes if you have some.
Dulce de leche: One can full-fat sweetened condensed milk. Remove the label. Or don't, if picking wet shreds of paper out of your crockpot sounds like fun. Put the entire unopened can in the pot. Add enough water to cover the can. Put the lid on. Turn it on low. Go to bed. Wake up, remove can, put in fridge to cool for a while. That's it. It's done. Put it on stuff or just eat it out of the can with a spoon, I won't tell anyone.
Any version of a Chicken Tortilla Casserole usually gets wolfed down at home or at get-togethers. It's great for Super Bowl parties. Layer everything, turn it on, and you're good to go at the end of 3 hours. Starts out very soupy, but the tortillas absorb the liquid and you're left with fattening goodness. I serve it with extra diced scallions, avocado, sour cream, & tortilla chips or Fritos on the side.
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken, shredded 1 pkg. (10-12) thick flour tortillas, cut into wedges, or strips 3 c. grated cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack or Pepper-Jack mix. I do a Jack-Pepper jack mix) 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 can chicken broth 1 can diced green chilis
Mix the green chilis, broth, & soup together in a bowl. Assemble ingredients as you would for a lasagna.
Well this one was easy . . . Bud butter, or oil:
http://www.thestonerscookbook.com/recipe/better-bud-butter
You can do it in your garage with the crock pot and lessen the odor in the house. Set it overnight and forget it, refrigerate it in the AM and use within a day or two.
@Pavlov Shhh.
And stop fucking up my good crock pots.
@Pavlov TIL about budder. 0.o
@Pavlov I'm guessing NSFW link...
@PocketBrain Depends on your work . . . but yeah, probably not safe for most.
@bogie
@connorbush shoulda gotten him some budder
Italian bambi.
@MsELizardBeth you monster
@thismyusername if i could figure out how to post pics from my phone, I would post pics of my Jeep. A huge buck slammed into the side of it last week. $4300 in damage. He was temporarily stunned but walked away.
Queso! A true Texas staple for any gathering of folks. It ain't a party if ya don't got queso! For those not in the know, it's melted (cheddar) cheese, tomatoes and chiles (or salsa if you have no taste buds), and you can customize it to your liking.
@mvalleeis For those not in the know, the lazy version is a can of Ro*Tel and a pack of Velveeta. You're welcome and I'm sorry.
@Thumperchick Yes! Get super excited and brown ground beef or sausage, and you have a tailgate!
@Thumperchick Oh, I totally do the lazy version!! :) I'll usually dress it up a little with some chipotle or cajun seasoning, and maybe some spinach. Yum!
@mvalleeis chedder? Um, you mean velveeta, right? Chedder would be an oily awful mess.
@caddylikescake Right! I've mixed cheddar with cream cheese on the stove-top, with good results, but it is definitely more oily than Velveeta!
@Thumperchick My son loves that version so much at 17 he bought a tiny 1 qt. crock pot from the local CVS drug store just so he could make it on his own.
@caddylikescake, Actually, if you have sodium citrate on hand, you can use any cheese you'd like. (and here's link to how it works, & a recipe for making a creamy macaroni & cheese without making a bechamel-- http://modernistcuisine.com/recipes/silky-smooth-macaroni-and-cheese/ )
beef brisket or pulled pork
@awk Man I have a BBQ brisket recipe that makes my husband want to smack his mama it's so good!
@mehbee Could you share the reciepe? I'd like to give it a try
@TheAlmighty1 Sure, I can't take credit for it, although I wish I could.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-brisket-sandwiches-recipe.html
@mehbee Oh ehm gee. that sounds amazing. Thank you!
They mention the BBQ meatballs. If we are having a family function with my husband's family and I don't walk in with a crock pot full of meat balls, there are some sad, sad faces. Not only do they guzzle them down but some of the guys have been busted smuggling meatballs out to hide and eat later. I like them but I'm not obsessed like they are. It's nice to be able to make something they love so much though.
@mehbee You can have them anytime; they can only have them at family functions where you've made them.
@mehbee And is it stupid easy and weird ingredients?
@jqubed Very true because no one else ever makes them. Once in a while I'd make the younger kid in the group, he's older than the grand kids but years younger than his siblings, his own batch. He's so funny. He'd grab the Tuperware and run...lol.
@Pamtha I used Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, either sweet and spicy or original and grape jelly. I start off with 2 parts BBQ to 1 part jelly, stir together, and then add both in to taste. I like to have more of the savory spice with just a bit sweet, others like it the opposite. I have heard people use chili sauce and grape jelly. I also use homestyle meatballs but some people use italian style. Ridicuously simple to make, huge rewards.
@mehbee Give a man a meatball and he'll eat for a day; give a man a Crockpot...
@mehbee yes! I am of the chili sauce and jelly camp, but Lil Smokies are def the BBQ sauce camp.
@Pamtha I make those too!! Those are the second thing I usually bring. I either use just Baby Rays BBQ or I use the same sauce as my meatballs. Most of the time though, I make pigs in a blanket with the lil smokies and crescent rolls...um umm good.
@InFrom And he'll OD from BBQ meatballs...until they run out and he has to convince his wife to make some more.(at least in my house)
Crock Pots are God's gift to single people and shift workers. The best recipes go like this:
- Open the fridge
- If something sounds good, throw some in the crock pot
- When the crock pot is full, fill it up with water
- Turn the Crock Pot on low
- Go to work
- Come home from work and enjoy the deliciousness
This recipe hasn't failed me yet.
Gwumpkies.
@2many2no What is that?
@jqubed Pretty sure those are cabbage rolls like my grandma used to make. I really miss her . . . I have her recipes but it just isn't the same without her love directly seasoning the dish.
@jqubed @Pavlov Oh yeah, Polish cabbage rolls in sauerkraut with tomato sauce. You always made a lot so there were leftovers that would continue to marinate in the fridge. They just got better and better.
And you're right, Grandma and Mom made them with love. I seriously miss them. Mom and Grandma, too.
@2many2no Just fyi, like in case youre looking for these on the menu at a Polish restaurant (the only time Ive found it really useful), the word for cabbage rolls is 'gołąbki'
Homemade soup of any kind.
The favorites around here are: Pot Roast, Mississippi Pot Roast, Beef Stew, Chicken Enchilada Soup.
My personal favorite - Buffalo Wing Dip. I could knock down a pot by myself if it weren't so wonderfully self-limiting.
@Thumperchick Share the wing dip recipe please??
@Thumperchick Yes please share
@Pamtha @mehbee - Unfortunately, it's not my recipe. I had to be really good friends with the recipe owner for a few years and she still made me barter her for it. I think sharing it online would piss her off.
I will tell you the real secret to great wing dip - season your chicken. Seriously. Start with raw chicken breasts, season the shit out of them, bake, shred or chop - and use that to make your dip with whatever recipe you find that looks good. The basic seasoning of the meat changes everything. (Garlic salt/powder, you favorite blend with a little kick to it, salt, pepper.)
I love doing spaghetti sauce in my crock pot because you barely need to stir it like you would when it is simmering in the stove. Just make sure you use those crock condoms because otherwise it is a pain in the ass to clean.
@show_the_maw That's the only way I make my sauce!
I throw chicken in with a jar of salsa to make tacos. Easier than even the BBQ meatballs.
@sammydog01 I did that today.
QUESO!
duh, meh
@talkingbeatles Same. It's the best way to keep warm liquid cheese at the ready.
carnitas. we adapted the following recipe to make in a crockpot:
http://ourbestbites.com/2013/04/carnitas-mexican-pulled-pork/
you still need to shred the pork and broil it in the oven though. but, oh man... this stuff is awesome!
Brown sugar crockpot ham. Super easy and THE best way to cook ham, period.
the "recipe": Buy any ham that will fit in your pot. Even the cheaper cuts work fine, no need for the expensive spiral-sliced. Only other ingredient is ~ 2 cups brown sugar. If you happen to have any maple sugar, substitute a half cup or so of the brown sugar with maple. Maple takes this ham from awesome to so-freaking-amazing-I-don't-want-to-share-my-preciousssssssss.
Anyway, yeah, pack most of the sugar in the bottom of the crockpot, drop in the ham (flat side down), put a little more sugar over the top of the ham, turn on the pot. Visit every hour or two to savor the delicious smells. After some number of hours, when you can't resist any longer and the ham looks hot all the way through and the sugar has melted with the ham juice into a syrupy awesomesauce in the bottom of the pot, it's time to dig in.
Usually, it's chili. Yummmmm.
Chicken posole in red sauce.
RIBS
@cranky1950 Test Kitchen Cookbook We use the ribs recipe from this book. You have to do the broil step at the end for best results but the ribs turn out absolutely fantastic.
@duodec You're much more ambitious than I am. I usually just cut them to fit the crockpot, and place them on two of those round racks you get with rice cookers that die all to quickly, and cook them on low for about 6 hours then slather them with sweet baby rays and cook for another half hour.
Pork loin
I do a lot of canning of home made jams, jellies and fruit butters and rather then stand around my stove stirring and making sure it doesn't burn I use my giant crockpot. I can just throw all my ingredients in and leave it overnight and can the next morning.
I actually have 5 crockpots, small one for queso, one for little smokies in bbq sauce, the giant one, a medium and a 3 crock one for multiple hot dips. Because it ain't a party unless there are at least 3 crockpots going.
@caddylikescake I would love to learn more about the canning. I actually have never done it before and this seems like a good way to get into it.
@conandlibrarian what would you like to know? It can be labor intensive, but the results are worth it. Are you wondering about thw food prep or the actual canning? Do you have a big stock pot with the pasta strainer insert?
Pork roast, corned beef, pork neck bone.
Pork made with Stubb's pork marinade. I don't like pork generally, but the marinade combined with the slow cooking makes it more than edible.
I make pots of beans in mine. Red beans with andouille sausage, black beans with bacon or those 15 bean blends, usually with ham. Brine the beans beforehand like America's Test Kitchen says, and the texture is great.
@BethanyAnne I do cassoulet in a crock pot, which is fancy for beans and duck in duck fat.
Posole. Yum. I also use the crock pot to make chicken stock. 24 hours on low. And lentil soup. And braised lamb shank. Really, I use it all the time.
Cock n Bull Stew is my favorite, but I can make just about anything in a crock pot. Works very well for camping.
First of all. LINERS. For the love of God USE LINERS. They're usually in the section with the baggies and shit. USE THE LINERS. Yes, even if your pot has a removable crock. They will make your life SO MUCH EASIER. If your pot is smaller you might want to get "Oven Bags" instead, they're the same thing but not Big McLargehuge size like some of the "Slow Cooker Liners" are.
Anyway.
Potato soup: dice a potato, an onion, and whatever other veggies you want (assorted peppers are good). Slice up a couple of brats, or don't. Throw in some leftover rotisserie chicken, or don't. Put it all in the pot. Add enough chicken stock, or water and soup base, to cover everything. Put the lid on, turn it on low, go to work. Come home, add milk or cream to your taste, let it heat up again. Add Velveeta to your taste. There are a bajillion ways to thicken a soup, but for this one my favorite is... instant mashed potato flakes. Just mix some in. Or you could use real leftover mashed potatoes if you have some.
Dulce de leche: One can full-fat sweetened condensed milk. Remove the label. Or don't, if picking wet shreds of paper out of your crockpot sounds like fun. Put the entire unopened can in the pot. Add enough water to cover the can. Put the lid on. Turn it on low. Go to bed. Wake up, remove can, put in fridge to cool for a while. That's it. It's done. Put it on stuff or just eat it out of the can with a spoon, I won't tell anyone.
Chicken and sausage jambalaya.
coffee-balsamic pot roast or I recently tried making yogurt in my crock pot which turned out not great but pretty good for a first timer.
Cocktail weiners simmered in a 50/50 mix of grape jelly and Heinz bottled chili sauce; its a holiday and New Years staple here.
Any version of a Chicken Tortilla Casserole usually gets wolfed down at home or at get-togethers. It's great for Super Bowl parties.
Layer everything, turn it on, and you're good to go at the end of 3 hours. Starts out very soupy, but the tortillas absorb the liquid and you're left with fattening goodness.
I serve it with extra diced scallions, avocado, sour cream, & tortilla chips or Fritos on the side.
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken, shredded
1 pkg. (10-12) thick flour tortillas, cut into wedges, or strips
3 c. grated cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack or Pepper-Jack mix. I do a Jack-Pepper jack mix)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced green chilis
Mix the green chilis, broth, & soup together in a bowl. Assemble ingredients as you would for a lasagna.