Anonymous wrote:There's another blog out there about pre-assembling and freezing crockpot meals in the plastic liner bags. I have never tried it, but looked at the site a number of times and I think there are some really good ideas there too. Sorry, I can't for the life of me remember the name of the blog.

http://melissafallistestkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/freezer-cooking-slow-cooker-meals.html

Can you do pulled bbq chicken in the crockpot too? Is it just chicken and bbq sauce?

Anonymous wrote:Taco soup

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/02/original-taco-soup-crockpot-recipe.html

This site has a ton of recipies. I'm pasting another we love below. The original recipe did not have chicken in it. But the reviews said it was good with it. I find the chicken does OK since it surrounded by so much liquid.

A few things I've learned about using a crock pot in the last couple of years.

1. Chicken Breast CAN be overcooked in a crock, it needs lots of liquid to not dry out, so you need the crock with a timer. Chicken with more fat (whole chicken, skinless thighs), can be left on all day and get more tender as it cooks.
2. A crock with a timer is worth the money. So is a good crock. I found that the cheap ones have a crappy "low" setting. Even if they work at first, they break within a year and everything gets boiled/overcooked.
3. How full the crock is changes how it cooks. You want it about 3/4 full. I have 2 size crockpots, but you could also adjust the recipe.

White Chili – Crockpot Recipe

• 16 oz bag of frozen white corn
• 2 cans of White Beans
• ¾ to 1 pound chicken breast cut up (can be omitted)
• 1- 4 oz can of green chilies
• 1/2 chopped white onion
• 2 minced cloves garlic
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• 1 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese (optional)


Put everything in crockpot (no need to drain beans or chilis). Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or high for 4-6.

Also try skinnytaste.com I have made a ton of her crockpot recipes and not had a bad one yet.

This is easy but I am not sure if it meets the sodium reqs you talked about but....

Pork Loin (pork shoulder works too and is cheaper but loin has less fat so I go with it)
Root Beer (your choice)
BBQ Sauce (your favorite)

Since I need 8-9 hours of cooking time, I usually due 2-4 pounds and freeze the left overs for easy heating. Submerge the pork in root beer, turn on low for 8-9 hours. Drain root beer and shred. Poor BBQ sauce to desired amount.

I usually put on rolls or serve with a salad. My kids and DH love it.

There's another blog out there about pre-assembling and freezing crockpot meals in the plastic liner bags. I have never tried it, but looked at the site a number of times and I think there are some really good ideas there too. Sorry, I can't for the life of me remember the name of the blog.

I big sparkly heart my crockpot (wohm with toddler. DH is almost never home before DD is asleep due to weird hours - he goes in late). So dinner prep needs to be fastandeasy or I rely on on-demand episodes of Mickey Mouse

Couple things:
-I rarely do chicken in the crockpot because the cooking times are so much shorter than a workday. However... most recipes, you could sub bone-in chicken thighs for boneless skinless breasts AND put them in the crockpot FROZEN. This will mean you need longer cooking time... which is good because you have the whole workday
-I will toss in stuff for beef stew (potatoes, carrots, onions, spices, can of peeled tomatoes) and then just add whatever hunk of meat that is still frozen. Same idea. This is also good because you can buy meat on sale and freeze - I get a bunch of short ribs whenever WF has a sale and freeze in crockpot-sized containers.
-I love using crockpot recipes and freezing leftovers - it's generally enough for another whole dinner and lunches besides. So you've got another lovely homecooked meal waiting to go.
-Don't overlook the crockpot on the weekend - put chicken in during naptime and then go out for the afternoon, dinner will be ready when you are.
-I like the year of crockpotting blog. I refuse to use canned cream of anything, so I skip those recipes, and still have plenty to choose from.
-Most longer-cooking soups, stews, etc can be done in the crockpot.
-You can "roast" a whole chicken in the crockpot - the skin isn't crispy, though.
-last night I made a riff on John McCain's ribs in the crockpot from the crockpot365 blog. Not saying I agree with him politically but the ribs were FABULOUS. I have been crockpotting for about a decade and truly did not realize that you could do dry rub ribs in the crockpot and have them turn out!

Oooo, I like this idea! Thanks!

Sometimes I leave the crockpot on "low" for more than 9 hours when a recipe might only call for 6-8 hours. (My crock pot does not automatically "warm" and it's not programmable). So what I do is get everything ready the night before in the crock pot insert and put it in the fridge. I then turn it on low before I leave for work-- since the insert and all the food inside has to come up to room temp before even cooking, I find that 9+ hours is still fine.

Thanks everyone. Please keep the actual suggestions for recipies coming! And the advice for crock pot cooking in general. My mom is a great cook. She stayed at home while we were in school and cooked everything from scratch - I think a lot of that was out of necessity to some degree. There were not so many quick cook products and take out and ready made chickens on the market like there are today. Anyway, the point is, there is no crock pot usage in my blood, but I am willing to learn!

Turkey breast in the crock pot right now.

I just made this Monday in the slow cooker even though it is not a slow cooker recipe. I added celery and pinto beans in addition to the kidney beans and it was delicious. Whole family loved it. Served it over elbow macaroni.

I cooked it for 6 hours, then it switched to "warm" mode for another 3 and it was not mushy at all.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-turkey-chili/