I have a crock pot
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:31 pm
Now all I need are some recipes. 
Woo-hoo!!
Crockpot Recipes
Anything from Pam or Pam1 was posted by yours truly.
Southern Food Crockpot Recipes
A couple of my favorites...
Chicken "Alfredo" with Broccoli
(you can sub fronzen green peas for the broccoli; add them about five minutes before the end of the cook time)
Beef Stew
(do add the bar-be-cue sauce suggested in the "notes.")
Keep in mind, at least here in the states, that a lot of crockpots have had their cooking temperatures raised so they cook hotter than the crockpots of twenty or so years ago that a lot of recipes were written for. A good rule of thumb is to check for doness half way to two thirds through the recommended cooking time.
Never cook anything in a crockpot that is less than half full.
Unless you are making soup, try not to add more than a cup of liquid at the start of a recipe, even if the recipe calls for more. The flavor of your meat will leach out into the liquid, and you'll have a terrific broth but flavorless meat.
When possible, I always add my meat to the crockpot frozen, even though the manuals suggest not doing so. Try to make sure the frozen meat isn't touching any of the crock. Use a layer of vegetables or a rack if needed. You do not need to add additional time to the recipe when using frozen meat, and the meat usually turns out much better.
And try not to lift the lid once cooking. That generally adds a good half hour to the cook time each time you do so.
Have fun and enjoy!!
