Crock Pot Recipes: Hearty Food for your Family

Using a crock-pot is an easy and efficient way to make dinner for your family. It's an especially wonderful cooking method during frosty winter months. Nothing beats coming home to a hot and hearty crock-pot meal when it's cold and already dark outside. Read on for tips on how to use your crock-pot correctly as well as how to cook meats, vegetables, and use herbs and spices for best flavor. You'll also find flavorful hearty recipes your family is sure to enjoy.


Tips for making successful crock-pot recipes:

Refrain from opening the lid during cooking. This allows heat to escape. If you must do so, add another 20 minutes to your cooking time to ensure food is properly cooked.

Never pre-heat your crock-pot and then add frozen foods. This can cause cracks and breakage.

For crock-pot recipes containing frozen meats, add 4 - 6 hours cooking time on low or 2 hours on high.

Some ingredients tend to break down over extended cooking times. When possible, add toward the end of cooking cycle. For dairy products such as milk, cream, or sour cream, add during the last 15 minutes.

Seafood is easily overcooked. It is best to add to crock-pot during the last hour of cooking time unless otherwise stated in recipe.


Crock Pot Vegetable Medley

This crock-pot recipe uses flavorful fall vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 bunch celery, sliced
1 small rutabaga, coarsely chopped
1 medium cabbage, sliced
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 dozen baby carrots
1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) V-8 juice
1 envelope dried onion soup mix
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon dried parsley
½ tablespoon ground black pepper
1 can navy beans, or other cooked beans

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in 3 to 4-quart crock-pot. Cover and cook on low 8 - 9 hours or until vegetables are tender.


Italian Green Beans

This crock-pot recipe was adapted from about.com Southern U.S. Cooking.

Ingredients:

8 ounces sweet Italian sausage
1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes, chopped
3 cans (4 ounces each) sliced mushrooms, undrained
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried leaf basil
¼ teaspoon dried leaf oregano
½ teaspoon dried parsley
3 cans (15 ounces each) Italian style green beans, 2 of them drained
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Brown sausage and drain. Add all ingredients to crock-pot except green beans. Mix thoroughly and simmer for 15 minutes. Add green beans to crock-pot and mix thoroughly. Cook in crock-pot on low up to 3 hours. Alternatively, you can bake at 250° in a covered casserole dish for 45 minutes.

Tips for using vegetables in crock-pot recipes:

When using root vegetables like onions, carrots, and potatoes, first slice into ½ inch think pieces, then place on bottom of crock-pot. These vegetables cook more slowly than meat.

Tender vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, and tomatoes are easily overcooked. Add them during the last 45 minutes of cooking time.


Crock Pot Chicken Creole

This crock-pot recipe can easily be made as spicy as you like using Louisiana hot sauce.

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken thighs
1 cup celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 can tomatoes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
½ teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Louisiana hot sauce to taste
2 cups rice, cooked

Preparation:

Lightly spray bottom of crock-pot with cooking spray. Place chicken in bottom of crock-pot.

Combine remaining ingredients (except rice) and add to crock-pot. Cook on high 4 - 5 hours or on low 7-8 hrs.

Serve chicken mixture over hot cooked rice.


Crock Pot Oriental Cashew Chicken

This crock-pot recipe has an Asian flair.

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch strips
5 large mushrooms, sliced
4 green onions, sliced into 1/2" pieces
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated ginger
½ cup fat free chicken broth
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (8 ounces) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
½ cup cashews, toasted
½ cup Chinese pea pods
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
Cooked rice

Preparation:

Place chicken and mushrooms in a slow cooker. In small bowl, mix green onions, soy sauce, ginger, broth, salt and pepper. Add to crock-pot. Cover and cook on low about 4 hours. Add bamboo shoots, cashews and pea pods. Turn crock-pot to high.

In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water. Stir into chicken mixture in crock-pot. Cover and cook on high 20-30 minutes or until thickened, stirring at least once.

Serve over hot cooked rice.


Tips for using meats in crock-pot recipes:

Remove skin from poultry and trim excess fat from other meats before cooking.

Meats cooked in a crock-pot will not have the appearance of meats cooked in the oven. If you prefer the taste and look of browned meats, cook your meat in a pan with a little oil first, then add to the crock-pot.

When making roasts or stew, pour liquids over meat. Because crock-pot cooking retains moisture, do not add more liquid than the recipe calls for.

It is not necessary to use expensive cuts of beef when cooking in the crock-pot. In fact, cheaper cuts cook better, becoming moist and fork-tender over longer cooking times.


Crock Pot Beef and Onions

Try serving this crock-pot recipe with crusty French bread and a crisp green salad.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ pound boneless beef round steak
1 package (8 ounces) sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large onion, sliced into rings
1 can French Onion soup, condensed
1 package herb-flavored stuffing mix
¼ cup melted butter
5 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Cut beef into 6 serving size pieces. Layer beef, mushrooms and onions in crock-pot. Pour soup over top. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Before serving, combine stuffing mix and seasoning packet (comes with stuffing mix) with butter and half-cup liquid from crock-pot. Place stuffing on top of meat in crock-pot and cover. Increase heat to high and cook for 10 minutes or until stuffing is fluffy. Sprinkle with cheese; cover until melted and serve.

Zesty Crock Pot Beef and Vegetables

This crock-pot recipe is a meal in itself.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup onion, chopped
2 cups pre-shredded coleslaw mix
1 10-ounce package frozen whole corn
1 9-ounce package frozen cut green beans
1 14.5 ounce can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
4 cups spicy vegetable juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation:

In large skillet, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat.

In crock-pot, combine meat mixture, coleslaw mix, frozen corn, frozen green beans, stewed tomatoes, spicy vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, basil and pepper.

Cover and cook on low heat 8-10 hours or on high heat 4-5 hours. Makes six servings.

Tips for using herbs and spices in crock-pot recipes:
Food can lose flavor and color during extended cooking times and this is especially true with dried herbs and spices. At the beginning, try adding half the amount of dried herbs and spices recommended in the recipe, then do a taste test and adjust seasonings as needed toward the end of the cooking cycle.

Fresh herbs are flavorful and add color to the finished dish, but it is best to add them at the end of the cooking cycle.


Crock Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

Serve this crock-pot recipe with crackers or soft bread sticks.

Ingredients:

1-½ pounds lean beef chunks
1 cup onion, chopped
½ cup carrots, chopped
2 medium sized potatoes, diced
8 cups water
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
¾ cup pearl barley
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Brown beef chunks in oil and transfer to crock-pot. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours.


Easy Crock Pot Chop Suey

If desired, substitute ground beef in this crock-pot recipe.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 pound ground pork (not sausage)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup light soy sauce
½ cup uncooked regular long-grain rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
3 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables
Crisp chow mein noodles, optional

Preparation:

Spray inside of crock-pot with vegetable cooking spray. In separate pan, cook meat over medium heat five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion and celery. Cook five minutes longer or until meat is browned; drain well. Stir in remaining ingredients except frozen vegetables. Spoon into crock-pot. Cover and cook on low heat 8 - 9 hours. Stir in frozen vegetables. Cover and cook on low heat 15 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Serve with crisp chow mein noodles if desired.