Crock Pot Recipes: Pad Patter 10.9.15

The reason why I haven't gotten a crockpot yet is my worry about time. I leave he house at 7:30 each morning. I come back at around 17:00. Most meals don't have to cook for 9,5 hours. So what happens if I put a dinner in and it's ready after 6 hours and I'm still at work? Or perhaps you can set the timer but what happens if I put a chicken dinner in and it will just stand there for the first 3 hours? Is this actually safe? Health and germs wise?
Please convince me because I've seen an amazing blog full of freezer crockpot menus. I will link to it later, I'm on mobile now.

 

This is very similar to one of our Crock Pot favorites, though I always put some ham in mine, and I use fresh potatoes instead of frozen...the cheese is the key though. Add a salad or veggie on the side & dinner's ready!

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2015/04/slow-cooker-cheesy-potatoes.html

 

Ha Ha... I have a dessert if you want for dinner I tried this week! It's chocolate!!!!

I love this one...
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/259027416039043878/

Also... this one wasn't crock pot, but easy to get ready, put it in the fridge and then when you need cook for an hour or so.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/259027416045808701/

 

I have been certified in food safety in the past, in two different states (Arizona and California) at some point. Here's my opinion/suggestions. Food is safe when outside of "safe temperatures" for about 4 hours before it's considered "bad". So if you leave the house around 7:30, having set up your crock pot around 6am (because you're not actually doing it RIGHT at 730, let's be real! ) and you have it set on a timer to start around 9am, you're golden.

Here's a conversion chart:


Most recipes are okay to be cooked on low for 8 or so hours, so that's 1700. MY crock pot switches to warm after the programmed time, and stays on warm for like 4 hours before shutting off. Mine also has the option to insert a temperature probe into the meat, and you can program it to cook until the meat is correct temperature, then will switch to warm. so there's that.

Another suggestion.... if you put your recipes in FROZEN, and program the crock pot to start in about 3-4 hours, your food is still safe, because it was frozen, taking longer to get to the room temperature/"unsafe" levels - so it is not in that "unsafe zone" for long enough to go bad. There are TONS of recipes 'round the net for "chicken dump" or "freezer to crock pot/slow cooker" options. (I ALWAYS go to Pinterest first.... always - the reason is because there are more blog postings pinned with whole lists of recipes, rather than just one. If I'm planning to have many chicken-dump recipes in my freezer for the month, I'm doing more than one at a time. Having a bunch of options right there, laid out, some of them even with grocery lists already made.... SOLD!!!!)

So... In my opinion... crock pot cooking is a miracle. and I love it. And I do use it when I'm working in the office/away from home (which hasn't been much lately).

HACKER TIP: Use the slow cooker liners, and clean up is done for you.... providing you don't accidentally cut or poke the bag stirring/shredding/ventilating.... whatever.

That said.... I have a Slow Cooker pinterest board, and a freezer cooking pinterest board. Some recipes can/do overlap.

some of my favorites:
Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili from SkinnyTaste


Honey Garlic Chicken from 6Cents
(this post also contains 3-4 other recipes that I've tried and mostly liked)


Meatballs - Buns in My Oven (not where I originally found it, but it's where I found it now! haha)
MY HUSBAND LOVES THESE. LOVES THEM.

And last one I'll share right now....

BROWN SUGAR CHICKEN from Dollops of Diane
(She also has a handful of other recipes listed [none with pictures ] that we've tried, but really this one is the main one we liked.)

6 boneless, skinless breast halves
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda
2/3 cup white vinegar
3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in freezer bag. Cook low 6-9 hours or high 4-5 hours. Serve over rice with veggie of choice.



and the last thing I'll say about these, besides the fact that I absolutely LOVE them (again), is that they are sooooo versatile with different dietary restrictions. We have food allergies in my house, so when I can make something REALLY fast by simply throwing things into the crock pot, I'm sold.

okay. off my soap box now.... LOL. (I love this topic.... LOVE it! )

 

Slice an onion in three thick pieces, a couple of carrots and a couple stocks of celery on the bottom of a crockpot. I used a grain fed chicken, but I do not think that matters. Wash the chicken, salt and pepper the inside and throw a bay leaf in the cavity. Gently separate the skin around the breast and rub some garlic salt, pepper and a bit of rosemary between the skin and the flesh - rub it down into the legs to, but try not to break the skin. Set on top of the veggies and put crock pot on low for about three hours depending on the size of your chicken. I used the probe on mine and set the temp at 170. Low heat. - don't add liquid.

The juice from the chicken and the veggies makes a wonderful base for gravy and the chicken tastes awesome... The only thing I found was that my chicken did not brown, so I put it under the broiler for a few minutes while I thickened the gravy.

I'm sure you could easily use other spices and even barbecue style spices for different flavours.

It took me around ten minutes to get everything in the crock pot and another ten to produce gravy, Browned chicken, salad - and I often make "baked" potatoes in the microwave.

 

Put your choice of veg at the bottom (or wad up some foil if you're anti-veg, just so the bird isn't directly on the bottom) and throw in a whole chicken. I call it fauxtisserie because it tastes like rotisserie except the skin isn't brown... but you can even brown the skin by throwing it in the oven for like 15 min at the end. Super easy.

 

I love my crock pot!! Here are some of my family favs

Cubed Steaks with Gravy (they come out sooo tender)

Cheesy Chicken and Rice (it's good with or without the corn and I've used Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken interchangeably)

BBQ Chicken

Buffalo Chicken

Pork Roast

 

Just added lots of these to my crockpot pin board. I have tons of pins here: https://www.pinterest.com/amandadawnrn/food-crockpot/


A few of our tried and true faves:


Ham and Potato Soup
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/7740630582917163/


Beef Tips
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/7740630582917127/
or
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/7740630579332476/


Black Beans (we freeze to use as side)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/7740630582238801/


Mac and Cheese (we add some ham)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/7740630580237792/




Pork Carnitas
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/309129961899494433/

 

Oh oh oh, I know you asked for dinner ideas. But this is our favorite crock pot breakfast

http://pinterest.com/pin/22236591887922789

 

I am loving all of these suggestions:

I have made both of these recipes this week and they were hits at my house:
Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
http://www.mykitchenescapades.com/2012/01/slow-cooker-chicken-caesar-sandwiches.html
Mexican Quinoa
http://www.foodfaithfitness.com/mex...-free-vegetarian-super-simple/#_a5y_p=3449527

 

I am in the middle of soccer season and we've been eating out A LOT! I was just whining about this to another soccer mom and she looked blankly at me and said "don't you have a crock pot?" . I'll be honest. I think I've only ever cooked a meal maybe twice in my crock pot. Mostly I just use it to make chicken breasts ready to be shredded for other meals. Also, in my defense... I leave the house at 6:30 am don't get home until 5:30 sometimes, so I often figured that meant I couldn't leave food in the crock pot that long. I am totally going to give it a try with the freezer to crock pot type meals. Loving the ideas here!

 

These all sound great! When I get home, I will add some of ours.

 

Browning ground beef and turkey works this way too. I put a liner in my crock pot, then I put my veggie steamer tray thing in, and set the hamburger on top of it (we buy the chubs usually) just as they are. Cook on low for like 3 hours. Ta da! Then, I throw the browned chub in my stand mixer and turn that on low.... instant ground up hamburger, to be thrown in spaghetti, tacos, or anything else you use ground beef/turkey/sausage for.

I use the veggie steamer tray to raise the hamburger out of the fat and grease, but it's sort of up to you if the grease doesn't bother you, or if you buy really lean to have very little fat/grease.

The only down side is cleaning the veggie steamer tray. I hate that process. Also, if I accidentally poke a hole in my crock pot liner with the feet of the tray... but if you don't jostle it too much, it's usually okay.

 

Ps, if you didn't know, stand mixers will totally shred your cooked chicken for you.