Slow cooker....?

Question

I work a 12hr shift and I am finally going to TRY to use my slow cooker for the first time (if I don't burn down my home). Any suggestions on the use, (besides read the instructions) or recipe ideas to use with a slow cooker. Thanks in advance :)

Answer 1

I love my slow cooker and highly recommend you do read the instructions. I am sure you will find many lovely ways to make your meals in the slow cooker which will welcome you home to the aroma of fresh cooked food along with the great feeling of knowing near all the work and waiting is done. Use the lowest heat setting for 12 hours and I am sure you can't go wrong. Start out using thngs that call for a fair amount of liquid to be sure it won't go dry. You won't burn down your home.

Answer 2

Put a roast in your slow cooker and add frozen stew vegatables, add worstchire sauce about a cup, add spices of your choice, add water until it reaches right before the top of the low cooker and let it cook all day on the lowest setting for a 12 hour day. This is sooo yummy!

Answer 3

Pork Stew

Ingredients:
1 Tbs oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 lb baby carrots
1/2 lb new potatoes, quartered
1 red pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 16-oz. package frozen mixed vegetables
1 8-oz. can whole baby corn, drained
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried marjoram leaves
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
2 packets brown gravy mix

Directions:
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork cubes and brown. In the stoneware, combine pork and remaining ingredients, except broth and gravy mix. Combine broth and gravy mix and pour over ingredients in the stoneware. Cover cook on Low 8 to 10 hours or on High 4 to 5 hours.

This recipe is from www.crock-pot.com

Answer 4

Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
3 lb. chicken thighs and drumsticks
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms (about 10 medium), sliced (about 2 cups)
1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup each: red and green pepper strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
3 cups instant white rice, uncooked
HEAT dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken, in batches; cook 2 to 3 min. on each side or until browned on both sides.
PLACE mushrooms, onions, peppers and garlic in slow cooker; top with the chicken. Combine tomatoes, salt and thyme; pour over ingredients in slow cooker. Cover with lid. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 5 hours). COOK rice as directed on package. Serve chicken mixture over the rice.
http://www.kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_display&recipe_id=91900&e=email

Answer 5

Slow cooker is very helpful if you want to have a meal ready as soon as you get home after work. However because it's a SLOW cooker, everything should be cooked separately to a boiling temperature before transferring to the slow cooker. Also in order to maintain temperature, I would heat the slow cooker first with hot water before putting food in.

Answer 6

Italian Chicken With Cream Sauce
(ok its a fancy sounding name but really Easy to make)

4 Boneless Chicken Breast Halves
2 Envelopes dry Italian salad dressing mix
1/2 cup Water
1 package (8oz size) Cream Cheese, Softened
1 can (10 1/2 oz. size) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can (4 oz. size) Mushrooms, Drained
8 ounces Frozen Broccoli Cuts
Fettuccine noodles

Place chicken in the crock pot. Mix the salad dressing mix with the water and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and soup until blended. Stir in the mushroom and pour the mixture over the chicken. Add broccoli cuts and cook for about 1 hour longer on high.Prepare fettuccine noodles according to package directions.Serve chicken and cream sauce over noodles.

Texas Style Baked Beans

1 pound ground beef
4 cans (16 ounce size) baked beans with pork
1 can (4 ounce size) chopped green chile peppers
1 Vidalia onion (small size), peeled and chopped
1 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce, or to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink; drain fat, and set aside.
In a 3 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker, combine the ground beef, baked beans, green chiles, onion and barbeque sauce. Season with brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder and hot pepper sauce.
Cook on high for 2 hours, or low for 4 to 5 hours.

Answer 7

Try the following
Pot roast beef with red cabbage

Free from: dairy, wheat, gluten, soya, egg and nuts
Ingredients
1.5 kg/3lb 5oz pot roast of beef
9 small red onions, peeled but kept whole
1 head fennel, chopped roughly
6 small, whole beets, scrubbed, topped and tailed
¼ medium red cabbage, sliced
2 heaped tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
several stalks of fresh parsley
4 bay leaves
1 litre/35fl oz wheat-free & gluten-free stock
300ml/10fl oz red wine (optional - if you don't want to use wine, use an extra 300ml/10fl oz of stock)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
baked potatoes
green vegetables of your choice

Method
1. Put the pot roast in the middle of a heavy casserole.
2. Surround it with the onions, fennel, beets and red cabbage. Sprinkle over the coriander seeds, add the parsley and bay leaves.
3. Pour in the stock and red wine, if you are using it.
4. Cover the pot and bring slowly to the boil. Turn down the heat and cook very slowly for 2-2½ hours. Alternatively, cook in a slow cooker overnight.
5. Allow the meat to get cold and remove any extra fat.
6. Reheat gently.
7. To serve, place the pot roast in the middle of a platter and surround it with the vegetables.
8. Serve with baked potatoes and lots of extra green vegetables.

Or Lamb, red wine and rosemary casserole with herby potato stacks and braised red cabbage
For the casserole
650g/1lb 7oz boned shoulder of lamb, cut into 2cm/¾ inch cubes
2 tbsp plain white flour, seasoned
1 tbsp olive oil
25g/1oz butter
1 tbsp tomato puree
300ml/½ pint red wine
300ml/½ pint chicken and beef stock
leaves from 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 carrot, cut into 1cm/½in dice
1 onion, cut into 1cm/½in dice
2 celery sticks, cut into 1cm/½in dice
salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the potato stacks
4 large Maris Piper potatoes
75ml/2½fl oz fruity olive oil
plus extra for greasing
2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh thyme
salt
freshly ground black pepper
For the braised red cabbage
50g/2oz butter
750g/1lb 10oz red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
3 tbsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 orange, finely grated zest and juice
250ml/9fl oz ruby port
salt
freshly ground black pepper
85g/3oz raisins

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Put the cubes of lamb in a plastic bag with the seasoned flour and give the bag a good shake so that the meat becomes well coated with the flour.
3. Heat a large frying pan until very hot. Add the oil and the butter and then the lamb and fry over a high heat, stirring now and then, until all the pieces of lamb are well browned. Don't crowd the pan; cook in batches if necessary. Transfer to a casserole dish and set aside.
4. Add the tomato puree and red wine to the pan and bring to the boil, scraping up all the little bits that have stuck to the bottom. Pour this into the casserole dish and add the stock, rosemary, garlic and diced vegetables.
5. Add a little seasoning, cover with a tight fitting lid and bake for 1-½ hours or until tender. (If using a slow cooker, cook on auto for about eight hours).
6. Remove from the oven and check the seasoning.
7. To make the potato stacks - preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
8. First slice the potatoes (no need to peel them) about two mm thick, either by hand, if you can trust your hand and knife co-ordination, or on a mandolin slicer. Dump the potatoes into a large bowl, without washing, and add the olive oil and herbs.
9. Toss well with your hands, making sure the potatoes are evenly coated. Season with a little salt and pepper and toss again to mix.
10. Brush a heavy baking sheet with a little olive oil and start to build eight stacks of the potato slices. Try to make them look random, and incorporate as many of the herbs as you can. Sprinkle any remaining herbs and olive oil left in the bowl around and over the potato stacks.
11. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown at the edges and tender all the way through. You can test this by inserting a thin skewer through the middle of a stack - it should slip through easily. Serve immediately or turn the oven low and keep warm for up to 30 minutes.
12. To make the cabbage - melt the butter in a large ovenproof saucepan.
13. Add the cabbage and stir to coat in the butter. Add the redcurrant jelly and stir until it is melted.
14. Add the vinegar, orange zest and juice, the port and some seasoning. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for approximately one hour or cook in an oven, preheated to 160c/325F/Gas 3.
15. Stir in the raisins and bring back to a simmer. Cook gently for another 30 minutes. Check that the cabbage is tender.
16. Either serve straight away, keep warm in a low oven for up to one hour or cool and reheat.