Anonymous wrote:This is pretty easy and everyone in our house (incl kids!) loves it:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/pork-carnitas-recipe/index.html

Love the Italian pot roast & chicken curry recipes from here (they do have some prep steps, but not too too time consuming):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1580084893

I have had the carnitas recipe cooking since this morning. Just snuck a taste, and yum! Thanks for the recipe. Do you usually top yours with a bbq sauce?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We use ours to do a whole chicken. I wash the chicken and put it in a gallon size plastic bag in the fridge overnight with some spices. I also cut up an onion and some celery. Add the veggies and chicken, plus some baby carrots to the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. You can do it for longer but it falls apart.

What size is your crock-pot? Mine is only 3 qts- I don't think a whole chicken would fit. And as an aside, my brother thinks his 7-qt slow cooker ruins everything because there is so much surface area. He ends up doubling or tripling recipes that are (probably) designed for smaller crock pots like mine just to keep things from sticking and burning and adding a bitter / burned taste.

5 Qt. It just fits the chicken, with some onion, carrots and celery. I've never had a problem with food burning in it and it is probably the cheapest version available. Seriously, maybe one step up from the illegal hot pot I had to make ramen in college.

We recently did pork shoulder with 5 T curry paste ( we like it spicy), a bit of fish sauce, 2 cans coconut milk, 2 T soy, and 4 T brown sugar.....we then made Asian slaw with jicama, carrots, cucumber, red onion and rice vinegar. It was super yummy on good rolls for dinner. WE even put a mango slice instead of tomato.
You just have to be creative with a crock pot. I dont think being a foodie has that much to do with it. We have three kids and we eat well every night....sometimes we have to prep during nap time but not every time.

any slow cooker recipe that says to add a "packet of XYZ seasoning" or "can of creamed XYZ" is not going to cut it for a food snob.

i tend to stick to chilis, stock, or a "sunday gravy" type of meaty pasta sauce.

I agree a pork loin with a jar of high quality barbeque sauce and a few cups of chicken broth/water is delicious after 6+ hours. I never brown it. I serve with broccoli slaw and buns. It's not Le Cirque, but little children love it.

Anonymous wrote:We use ours to do a whole chicken. I wash the chicken and put it in a gallon size plastic bag in the fridge overnight with some spices. I also cut up an onion and some celery. Add the veggies and chicken, plus some baby carrots to the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. You can do it for longer but it falls apart.

What size is your crock-pot? Mine is only 3 qts- I don't think a whole chicken would fit. And as an aside, my brother thinks his 7-qt slow cooker ruins everything because there is so much surface area. He ends up doubling or tripling recipes that are (probably) designed for smaller crock pots like mine just to keep things from sticking and burning and adding a bitter / burned taste.

Unfortunately most of the slow cooker recipes I like cannot be left cooking for the entire work day or they'll be ruined. But if you're looking for some tasty stuff to make on a Sunday, I really like this lasagna recipe:
http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2010/04/family-dinners-slow-cooker-veggie-lasagna/

I also like to cook chicken thighs (skinless, boneless, whole) with two cans of Hunt's stewed tomatoes with celery and onions, along with chopped up carrots and red bell pepper. I add salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. I cook this on low for about 6 hours. I serve it over pasta with grated parmesan. (that makes it sort of stew-like, I used canned crushed tomatoes if I want it more sauce-like)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PP...I don't bother browning meat. Just throw a pork loin or roast or some chunk of beef in the cooker with some vinegar (any kind) and water, about a half cup each, along with some chopped onions and a few cloves of garlic. Cook on low for 5-6 hrs. Drain, shred, add BBQ sauce, cook on low for another hr or so. If you can find a brand of BBQ sauce that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup, those tend to be better.... or make a big batch of homemade BBQ sauce (keeps well in fridge). Serve on rolls with coleslaw on the side.

Sounds delicious, but how much BBQ sauce? TIA

You can also buy the MCCormicks envelope for SLow Cooker pulled pork, it is reaoly good.

It's great for soups and chili.

Anonymous wrote:Some of the posters on here clearly are NOT food snobs. DH and I are repulsed by 99% of what comes out of the slow cooker. MIL raved about it, insisted on buying me one, every time she comes she tries one of her favorite recipes for us. As soon as she leaves DH tosses it in the trash telling me something about how this was the kind of crap he was subjected to during childhood.
Stay away OP, most things taste bland and like boiled overcooked meat.

You aren't doing it right.

Some of the posters on here clearly are NOT food snobs. DH and I are repulsed by 99% of what comes out of the slow cooker. MIL raved about it, insisted on buying me one, every time she comes she tries one of her favorite recipes for us. As soon as she leaves DH tosses it in the trash telling me something about how this was the kind of crap he was subjected to during childhood.
Stay away OP, most things taste bland and like boiled overcooked meat.

We use ours to do a whole chicken. I wash the chicken and put it in a gallon size plastic bag in the fridge overnight with some spices. I also cut up an onion and some celery. Add the veggies and chicken, plus some baby carrots to the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. You can do it for longer but it falls apart.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PP...I don't bother browning meat. Just throw a pork loin or roast or some chunk of beef in the cooker with some vinegar (any kind) and water, about a half cup each, along with some chopped onions and a few cloves of garlic. Cook on low for 5-6 hrs. Drain, shred, add BBQ sauce, cook on low for another hr or so. If you can find a brand of BBQ sauce that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup, those tend to be better.... or make a big batch of homemade BBQ sauce (keeps well in fridge). Serve on rolls with coleslaw on the side.

Dinosaur BBQ sauce -- you can get it at Whole Foods and Wegman's. Not super fancy, but so good.

Wango Tango! Yess!!! We lived in Syracuse for a while and were so happy to find DB sauce in the area.

Just know slow cooker food=gross.

If you are accustomed to good cooking you will loathe the product of a slow cooker.

Only thing I find it useful for is chicken stock, beans, and taco filling meat.

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PP...I don't bother browning meat. Just throw a pork loin or roast or some chunk of beef in the cooker with some vinegar (any kind) and water, about a half cup each, along with some chopped onions and a few cloves of garlic. Cook on low for 5-6 hrs. Drain, shred, add BBQ sauce, cook on low for another hr or so. If you can find a brand of BBQ sauce that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup, those tend to be better.... or make a big batch of homemade BBQ sauce (keeps well in fridge). Serve on rolls with coleslaw on the side.

Dinosaur BBQ sauce -- you can get it at Whole Foods and Wegman's. Not super fancy, but so good.