Crockpot- Simple Meals

I LOVE using the crockpot! In fact, I have 2, but at one time I had 4! (Wedding gifts, etc.) Anyway, you can go to the website www.crockpot.com and find a lot of recipes and tips on using them. You can use frozen meat in the crockpot, but it will affect the cooking time. My experience is that if it is frozen, it's best to cook it on low. Often the meat won't brown in the crockpot, so some recipes have you brown the meat first.

Really, the best thing to do is just start experiementing. You can use a cheaper cut roast and it will come out more tender than in the oven. Don't over use liquid since you don't need a lot and try not to peek! Keeping the lid on helps it cook faster.

Now, my favorite main dish is to add a bottle of Italian dresssing to a whole chicken, roast, or pork tenderloin. It has a lot of nice subtle seasonings and it's quick in the morning to fix. Try this with several kinds of meat and see what your family likes best!

Feel free to PM me or email me for more recipes! Enjoy!!
K.
____@____.com

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No Time to Cook Chicken

Prep time: approx. 10 minutes
Cook time: approx. 8 hours
Makes 4 servings

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - rinsed and trimmed
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion flakes
1/4 tsp pepper

Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, and seasonings together until smooth; pour mixture over chicken, making sure it is well coated.

Cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Stir in sour cream about 1/2 hour before serving.

(Serve over egg noodles.)

I always use raw (thawed) chicken, but that is just because I haven't tried to use frozen yet.

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This is probably my all time favorite crockpot dish!
Chicken & Stuffing (serves 4)
4 Boneless Skinless chicken breasts (thawed if frozen)
Salt and pepper
4 slices swiss cheese
1 can (14oz) chicken broth
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each)condensed cream of chicken soup(or mushroom or celery)
3 cups packaged stuffing mix (I like Pepperidge Farm)
1/2 cup butter, melted

Put the chicken on the bottom of the crock pot. Season with salt and pepper. Top each breast with a slice of Swiss cheese. Pour broth over chicken. Spoon soup over chicken. Dump in stuffing, drizzle with melted butter.
Cook on low 6 to 8 hours or high 3 to 4 hours.

This is an AWESOME dinner. Hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as my family does!

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Hi S...

When using chicken in the crock pot, you use all three - depending on the recipe. I have a cookbook called "Fix It and Forget It". I bought it at Sam's Club, but there are probably thousands of crock pot cookbooks. I also use www.allrecipes.com and search main dishes for crock pot or slow cooker. I have one recipe that is great because it uses frozen chicken - so if you don't have anything thawed in the AM - you can still make it.
3-4 chicken breasts
1 packet Italian Dressing (dry packet)
1 can chicken broth
8-10 hours on low

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Dear S.,

I love making soups. Chicken soup or creamy chicken with rice soup. For my family we use small amounts because there are only 3 of us.

Chicken Soup

2 frozen chicken breast
2 cans of chicken broth
and a bag of baby carrots

put in crock pot on low for 8 hours
about 1/2 an hour before eating add noodles.

Creamy chicken rice soup
2 frozen chicken breast
can of cream of chicken soup

cook on low for 8 hours 1/2 hour before cooking add rice depending on your crock pot and how much rice you may have to put the rice in longer.

I even put pork chops in the crock pot and cook. I love to use the low setting so that I can leave it in all day. I almost always use frozen foods, because I never know until that day what I am going to make.

For parties and stuff, I put the mini hot dogs in with some sauce and cook. I also put meat balls. When we go to family gatherings during the winter I take the crock pot and put hot dogs in it. Another thing is put roast beef and auju in for a easy french dip sandwhich.
Enjoy using your crock pot.

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I joined www.cafemom.com, and am a member of the "Crock Pot Moms" group. I love it!!!!!! I love coming home to a fully cooked dinner and a house that smells soooo good!

Another site I've found, but haven't used yet, is http://southernfood.about.com/library/crock/blcpidx.htm

Here's one of my favorites. This one came from a friend that e-mailed me probably every crock pot recipe ever written!!!!!

America's Favorite Pot Roast

3 1/2 Pounds sirloin tip roast, trimmed
1/4 Cup flour
2 Teaspoons salt
1/8 Teaspoon pepper
3 Carrot -- , Peeled and sliced
3 potatoes -- peeled and quartered
2 Small onions – sliced
1 Stalk celery -- cut in 2" pieces
1 2 Oz Jar mushrooms – drained or 1/4 Cup mushroom gravy
3 Tablespoons flour
1/4 Cup water

Trim all excess fat from roast; brown and drain if using chuck or another highly marbled cut. Combine 1/4 cup flour, the salt and pepper. Coat meat with the flour mixture. Place all vegetables except mushrooms in Crock-Pot and top with roast (cut roast in half, if necessary, to fit easily). Spread mushrooms evenly over top of roast. Cover and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours. If desired, turn to High during last hour to soften vegetables and make a gravy. To thicken gravy, make a smooth paste of the 3 tablespoons flour and the water and stir into Crock-Pot. Season to taste before serving. Serves 4 to 6

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4 Frozen chicken thighs or breasts
1 Can chicken broth
1 Can Cream of chicken soup
1 Cup water
3 Cups frozen veggies (I use california blend, carrots, cauliflour and broccolli)
Season to taste (we like a bit of cajun or ground red pepper).

Cook on high 4 hours or low 6-8 hours
About 30 min Prior to serving prepare 3 Cups rice
Mix rice and Chicken

I use frozen chicken and have never had any problem with it cooking through, but you can use fresh
My 14 year old daughter and 16 year old son love this!!!

3 moms found this helpful

www.savingdinner.com

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OMG!!! This one is SOOOOOOOOOOO good!!! I just got it from my cousin and it's the easiest one you'll find!
Ready?

Put a frozen pork roast or loin in the pot (yes, you can start it frozen!!!).
Pour one can of apple pie filling over and around the pork.
Pour one bottle of BBQ sauce in,
Stir a bit.
Cook until pork is done (use a meat thermometer to gauge).

Yum:)

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I love my crockpot and use it alot. For chicken, you can put it in there frozen or thawed. And one thing I love to make in there is a roast. Put a roast in there, add about a half cup, to a cup of water, cut up potatoes, carrots, onions, etc in there, season it once before you leave and then when you come home, your house will smell heavenly. When I use to work, I use to use it so much more, but I still do, especially if we have alot going on, or I want to scrapbook that day or do other things and I dont want to watch something cook ya know? It is great and you get all the mean in one pot. Then you can make some biscuits to complete the meal if you want. I love it. I use my toaster over too, alot more then my normal one for things. I love that thing. I was not using it that much and my MIL told me about using hers all the time for almost everything and now I do too and love it.

S. Bailey CLD
Aurora
www.tendermomentsdoula.com

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you might try the website www.savingdinner.com they have a variety of different recipes and some of them include crockpot recipes...I believe that you can download a sample recipe (not sure how many ingredients they use)...then if you want more recipes it is a minimal fee.

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I use my crockpot 4-5 days a week! The most basic and easy meal is this: Put chunk of meat into crockpot. Pour 1 cup of sauce over it. Cook on low all day. It's super-tender by the end of the day and perfect with a quick sidedish/veggies. The 'chunk of meat' can be anything... pork roast, whole chicken, roast, etc. The sauce can be anything liquid... BBQ, any salad dressing (Italian is great), terriyaki, soy, etc.

As for chicken thawed or frozen... if it's a whole chicken (which I do most because it's cheapest) it's best to have it thawed if you want it done by dinnertime. I do the whole chicken because it literally falls off the bone at the end of the day. A whole bird give 3-4 cups of meat so I save it and freeze for other recipes. I seem to have alot of recipes that call for "1 cup cooked chicken". If I'm doing smaller pieces like chicken tenders, I just throw them in frozen. If I'm doing chicken breasts, I usually thaw them first in the microwave, but if they are frozen or partially frozen it doesn't really matter. It just adds an hour or so to the cooking time.

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There are a ton of recipes out there, but here are a few of my favs!

I do a whole chicken (thawed) and put it in the crockpot with a bag of frozen green beans (or whatever veggie you like). Season the chicken inside and out with salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic, onion.

The chicken literally falls off the bone. Its so tender and tastey. This will give you about 2 cups of brother, so you can make soup for another meal.

The other one I LOVE is throw 3 or 4 breasts (I put in frozen boneless skinless breasts) with a cup of water, jar of salsa and a can of black beans. Let that sit all day and then about 15 minutes before you are ready to eat shred the chicken with a spoon and then put a cup of minute rice in there. You can either put this mixture into tortillas or eat it by itself. I usually do a side of refried beans with some chips.

Chili: brown a pound of ground turkey or ground beef then put it in the crockpot along with 3 or 4 cans of diced tomatoes (there are some great spicey ones), 1 can of whole kernel corn, 1 can of black beans, 1 can of garbanzos, and 1/2 jar of salsa, 1 squash, 1 zuccini (both sliced). Season that the way you like it.

Yum, Yum! I love my crockpot!
B.

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Google for crock-pot recipes and you'll find a bunch! THere are also some great crock-pot cookbooks out there. I typically end up doing frozen because I forget to defrost before... and it still turns out nicely. Just need to cook for a longer period of time.

Some of my favorites...
1. Get some round roast (or beef of liking). Put in cup of beef broth. Can of stewed tomatoes. Some onions. Green peppers. Really - whatever you like. Throw some seasonings -basil leaf, cumin, s&p.

2. Get a whole chicken (but bones can be an issue) or turkey roast or some chicken breasts. Put in some celery, chicken broth and wild rice.

3. Pork roast or even beef roast. Throw it in with a bottle of lawry's marinades and a little more water.

good luck! crocks are the best! I think I'll do a crock for dinner tonight!

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I love to use the crockpot and do so two times a week. Some ideas: if you like brats - get a pack or two, throw it in the morning, put on low, cover with water, add salt and pepper. When you get home you can saute green onions, peppers, whatever you like to go on them.

Beef chuck roast/pork roast/pork tenderloin/turkey tenderloin: get two packs of Zesty Italian (dry mix) and add to 2 cups of water. Pour over the roast. You can also season with just salt/pepper, some garlic, Marjoram, etc. - whatever you like. You can add potatoes and whatever other veggie you like. If you are going to be gone all day I would just make mashed potatoes when you get home. The veggies will be soggy when you get home so that won't be a good idea. If you have an hour before you eat go ahead and cut up the veggies to cook them for a bit. Mini carrots are nice but take a bit longer to cook.

Chicken's are nice and I think you could do frozen especially all day. They will be very tender and fall apart very easily by the end of the day.

Hope some of these help!!

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An easy recipe I've done is: 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can cream of chicken soup, four chicken breasts and a package of dry french onion soup mix. I've used frozen chicken when I've had all day to let it cook, but if you need the meal in less than four hours I would use thawed or precooked chicken. I also picked up a cookbook a couple of years ago (Fix it and forget it) that is all crockpot recipes from appetizers through desserts. Good luck!!

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There is a great crock pot cook book-5 ingedients or less is the name of it. I used thawed chicken. An easy one is thawed chicken, a jar of salsa, let it cook all day and serve over rice

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