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Wednesday, January 10, 2007

crock-pot sundays are the new awesome

I woke up Sunday morning to the delicious smell of split peas, onions and ham-hocks cooking away in a crock-pot on our kitchen counter. Turns out bex had dug my crock-pot out from the depths of our storage cabinet in the pantry and has deemed Sundays "Crock-Pot Sundays."

I know what you're thinking..."Bets owns a crock-pot?" The answer is yes. About three years ago I bought the crock-pot to impress my book club friends with grape jelly meatballs (and impress them I did). That means my crock-pot has been used two times. Once for the meatballs and once last Sunday.

Here are some things I was wondering about crock-pots and slow cooking:

1) Where did the term "crock-pot" come from?
2) Is there a way to make pasta not mushy when you cook it for 8 hours?
3) Can the terms "slow-cooker" and "crock-pot" be used interchangeably?

Last request:

Does anyone have any super sweet crock pot recipes to share? I'm in charge this Sunday.

Also, holy crap I'm so excited for this.

posted by Betsy @ 2:14 PM  

15 Comments:

  • At 3:58 PM, Blogger Liz Stanley said…

    yes crock pot and slow cooker are the same thing i'm pretty sure. i make lots of stuff in the crock. one of my favorites is chicken breasts, one can of cream of chicken soup, packet of cream chicken and italian seasoning cooked for about 6 to 7 hours on high and served over rice. mmmmmmm.

     

  • At 4:02 PM, Blogger Kara said…

    Grape Jelly meatballs?

    These are meatballs too, but they are easy, tasty and famous at my office Christmas Party (not from me, I just stole the recipe from the famous guy.)

    Cranberry Meatballs
    Bag of frozen meatballs
    1 can of tomato soup (don't add water)
    1 can of whole cranberries (Ocean Spray)

    Mix it, heat it, eat it.

     

  • At 4:06 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Whoa! Liz just posted the recipe I was going to post! Yeah, it's good and SO EASY.

    Seriously though, crockpots are the way to cook dinner (if you can remember to start making dinner at noon - which can be a problem for me).

     

  • At 6:20 PM, Blogger bex said…

    crock-pot sundays is going to be the best thing that we ever invented

     

  • At 8:41 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    What is a "packet of cream chicken"?

     

  • At 8:50 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Carnitas are the best in the slow cooker. Get about a pound and half of pork shoulder and throw it in the crock pot with enough water to almost cover it, and then throw in a boat load of salt. I always throw in half of a onion, diced. And then some other stuff...whatever you're in the mood for...garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano. Cook it on low for 8 hours or more and then take it out of the water and put it in an oven safe dish and kind of break up the big chunks. Then throw it under the broiler until it's crispy. Yum! I always end up eating it plain, but you could put it in burritos or tacos, or even on a salad or sandwich.

     

  • At 8:50 AM, Blogger Catherine said…

    I made pulled pork when I was "slow cookin" at home over the holidays - it was delish

    http://glutenguide.blogspot.com/2006/12/gluten-free-southern-barbeque.html

     

  • At 9:41 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Pulled pork: YUM

    Also, that Lipton Onion Soup is usually a good flavoring too.

     

  • At 10:37 AM, Blogger Betsy said…

    oh...i love the sound of pulled pork....maybe that's what i'll make. thanks for the suggestions! i found a good sounding taco soup recipe...

     

  • At 11:56 AM, Blogger Bess said…

    Throw in a pot roast in the pot with a container of fresh salsa and a can of tomato sauce. Cook it 8 hours on low or 4 on high. When there are a couple of hours left pull apart and let it cook like that. Use it for beef tacos. It is so tasty. Also you can use it the next day for beef quesadillas. So yummy. I have it in the crock pot today actually.

     

  • At 12:13 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    you're not bess from "breaking the waves" are you?

     

  • At 3:34 PM, Blogger Bess said…

    I don't think so. Nice to know there is another Bess out there though.

     

  • At 10:36 AM, Blogger carmen said…

    I have a crock pot Mac and Cheese recipe that everyone seems to love and is SO easy.

    Lg box of Lg Elbow or Shell Macaroni
    Md sz Block of Sharp Cheddar Cubed (2 sm Kraft blocks)
    Md sz Block of Mild Cheddar Cubed (2 sm Kraft blocks)
    1 Can of Evaporated Milk (12oz)
    1 1/2 Cups of Milk
    1/4 Cup of Butter (Cubed or Melted)
    1 Lg Egg (beaten)
    Salt and Pepper (I like lots)

    My tip for crock pot pasta is to not boil it first, or at least not cook it completely. Put the Mac in boiling water for 2 minutes to get the process started but then drain the water and set aside.

    Layer pasta and cheese in the pot, salt and peppering each layer. Then pour all the good stuff over the top. Cook on Low for 3 hours for a really smooth and creamy Mac, stirring it about once every hour. If you leave it in another hour or two the cheese caramelizes on the sides of the pot...some of my friends think that part is like gold.

     

  • At 11:20 AM, Blogger michelle said…

    I have two favorites.

    1. pot roast: cut-up and dump in 2 carrots, 1 onion, 1 or 2 potatoes. Cover with beef stock (I buy the cheap boxed-kind from trader joe's). Then you get a roast and cover it with flour and "brown" the sides in a sauce pan - it only takes a few minutes. Then you place the roast over the veggies and cover with some water. I also add some salt, pepper, herbs (thyme works well, so does rosemary, sage, etc.). Cook for 4-6 hours on high.

    Recipe 2 is BBQ ribs. You can use pork or beef. Super simple - throw in ribs (you can brown them first, if desired) and cover with 1/2 bbq sauce and 1/2 water. The meat will fall-off the bone - super good. This dish is even better with mashed potatoes... Also, you can substitute ribs for another cut of meet and then have sandwiches.

    Finally, Williams-Sonoma also has some good recipes - just type in 'slow cooker'.

     

  • At 5:33 PM, Blogger Impossible Jane said…

    Pasta is tricky in the crock pot. I make a fantastic mac and cheese in the pot...but it only cooks for about four hours. The recipe is similar to one that was left in the comments.

    The best, best, best slow cooker cookbook is "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook" Fabulous recipes that are modern, healthy, varied, and yummy. My favorite one is risotto!

     

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