While working in restaurants, I learned to make my own fresh pasta, pate, sausages, pastries, and a great many other time-consuming handmade food items. I used to enjoy making these things at home as well.
Then I had a baby.
With all the new demands on my time that a baby brings, I suddenly realized the chore that cooking can be for most people. In order to make my life easier- but still make delicious, healthy meals from scratch- I started using my crock pot almost every day. Food cooked in a crock pot is nearly impossible to burn, hard to overcook (if you choose your ingredients wisely), and needs no supervision. In other words, it is perfect for novice cooks, busy moms, or people on the go.
The crock pot is a forgiving appliance. Please do not ever feel that you need to follow a crock pot recipe exactly! The only restriction is that the ingredients all fit into your crock pot. Other than that, do not worry too much about measuring anything exactly.
Crock Pot Cheat Sheet & Tips
Cheap cuts of meat work the best. Don’t waste a nice steak in a crock pot! Look for chuck, stew meat, shoulder, leg, butt, etc. Boneless skinless chicken breast is an easy option, but can end up dry and stringy. Bone-in cuts add more flavor and richness to the dish, but are not always the best idea for small children. Skinless meat is preferable to cut down on fat.
You can adapt almost any soup, sauce, or stew recipe to the crock pot. Keep in mind that the recipe will be a bit more watery than if you prepared it on the stovetop. You can adjust for this by:
decreasing the amount of liquid added
in the beginning
sweating the vegetables before adding
them to the crock pot
substituting
tomato paste for some tomato liquid (for spaghetti recipes)
adding 1-3 Tbsp of fine cornmeal (for
chili recipes)
adding 1-3 Tbsp of Wondra flour to
the recipe at the beginning for stews
adding
cornstarch slurry as described above.
NOTE - When adding Wondra flour, cornmeal or cornstarch at the end
of cooking, make sure the dish returns to a boil and simmers for a few minutes before
serving.
If a recipe calls for you to brown the meat, do so in a skillet before
adding it to the crock pot. Browning adds distinctive flavors to the meat that will not be the
same if you skip this step. Most of the recipes I have included in this document
do not require browning because they are meant to be quick and easy with
minimal steps.
If using a large amount of alcohol as your cooking liquid, REDUCE it
first to cook off the alcohol. Chicken slow-cooked in wine is a classic and delicious
French dish that can be translated to your crock pot. But if you pour a bottle
of wine into the crock pot and cover it, the alcohol doesn’t burn off well, and
the sauce never reduces down. Pour a bottle of wine into a saucepan. Bring to a
boil and let simmer until it is reduced by about half. Then add the reduced
wine to your crock pot. That way you burn off the alcohol AND get a richer,
deeper flavor. The same is true for beer or any other alcoholic cooking liquid.
Season highly and garnish. Crock pot meals can be bland and one-dimensional. You can
minimize that by making sure the recipe has plenty of zing through balancing
the salt, pepper, and acid levels in your dish. Always taste and adjust before
serving. The addition of a fresh herb or garnish at the end really perks up a
slow-cooked dish.
My Best Crock Pot Recipe Is:
3 Cup Chicken
This is a crock pot take on traditional red braising, and can be done with pantry ingredients and frozen chicken. Serves 4
2 pounds skinless dark-meat chicken (legs/thighs)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 small onion, peeled & chopped
optional additions:
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 Tbsp freshly chopped ginger root
1 finger pepper, , de-stemmed & de-seeded
Place all ingredients in the crock pot, stir to evenly coat the chicken, and set on high for 4-5 hours or on low 6-8 hours. The chicken meat will be pulling away from the bone when done, although the longer you cook this, the better it tastes. Serve over rice or cooked Asian noodles. Garnish with a drizzle of sesame oil, sliced green onion, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds (optional).
3. If a recipe calls for you to brown the meat, do so in a skillet before adding it to the crock pot. Browning adds distinctive flavors to the meat that will not be the same if you skip this step. Most of the recipes I have included in this document do not require browning because they are meant to be quick and easy with minimal steps.3. If a recipe calls for you to brown the meat, do so in a skillet before adding it to the crock pot. Browning adds distinctive flavors to the meat that will not be the same if you skip this step. Most of the recipes I have included in this document do not require browning because they are meant to be quick and easy with minimal steps.3. If a recipe calls for you to brown the meat, do so in a skillet before adding it to the crock pot. Browning adds distinctive flavors to the meat that will not be the same if you skip this step. Most of the recipes I have included in this document do not require browning because they are meant to be quick and easy with minimal steps. 4. If using a large amount of alcohol as your cooking liquid, REDUCE it first to cook off the alcohol. Chicken slow-cooked in wine is a classic and delicious French dish that can be translated to your crock pot. But if you pour a bottle of wine into the crock pot and cover it, the alcohol doesn’t burn off well, and the sauce never reduces down. Pour a bottle of wine into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer until it is reduced by about half. Then add the reduced wine to your crock pot. That way you burn off the alcohol AND get a richer, deeper flavor. The same is true for beer or any other alcoholic cooking liquid.
1.Cheap cuts of meat work the best. Don’t waste a nice steak in a crock pot! Look for chuck, stew meat, shoulder, leg, butt, etc. Boneless skinless chicken breast is an easy option, but can end up dry and stringy. Bone-in cuts add more flavor and richness to the dish, but are not always the best idea for small children.Skinless meat is preferable to cut down on fat.
2.You can adapt almost any soup, sauce, or stew recipe to the crock pot. Keep in mind that the recipe will be a bit more watery than if you prepared it on the stovetop. You can adjust for this by:
a.decreasing the amount of liquid added in the beginning
b.sweating the vegetables before adding them to the crock pot
c.substituting tomato paste for some tomato liquid (for spaghetti recipes)
d.adding 1-3 Tbsp of fine cornmeal (for chili recipes)
e.adding 1-3 Tbsp of Wondra flour to the recipe at the beginning for stews
f.adding cornstarch slurry as described above.
When adding Wondra flour, cornmeal or cornstarch at the end of cooking, make sure the dish returns to a boil and simmers for a few minutes before serving.
Crock Pot Cheat Sheet & TipsCrock Pot Cheat Sheet & Tips
Pick one type of meat and one or more items from every other column to create your own crock pot dish. Add everything except for pasta, leafy greens and garnishes to the crock pot with a pinch of salt and pepper, set to high for 4-8 hours. Add pasta and/or leafy greens 30 minutes prior to serving. Stir, taste, and adjust seasoning by adding more salt, pepper, and/or acid until it is just right. If the dish is too dry, add more of your chosen liquid. If the dish is too watery, add 1 Tbsp of Wondra flour, stir, and let cook for 5 additional minutes. Repeat until it reaches your desired consistency. A slurry of 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water also works.
1. Cheap cuts of meat work the best. Don’t waste a nice steak in a crock pot! Look for chuck, stew meat, shoulder, leg, butt, etc. Boneless skinless chicken breast is an easy option, but can end up dry and stringy. Bone-in cuts add more flavor and richness to the dish, but are not always the best idea for small children. Skinless meat is preferable to cut down on fat. 2. You can adapt almost any soup, sauce, or stew recipe to the crock pot. Keep in mind that the recipe will be a bit more watery than if you prepared it on the stovetop. You can adjust for this by: a. decreasing the amount of liquid added in the beginning b. sweating the vegetables before adding them to the crock pot c. substituting tomato paste for some tomato liquid (for spaghetti recipes) d. adding 1-3 Tbsp of fine cornmeal (for chili recipes) e. adding 1-3 Tbsp of Wondra flour to the recipe at the beginning for stews f. adding cornstarch slurry as described above. When adding Wondra flour, cornmeal or cornstarch at the end of cooking, make sure the dish returns to a boil and simmers for a few minutes before serving. 3. If a recipe calls for you to brown the meat, do so in a skillet before adding it to the crock pot. Browning adds distinctive flavors to the meat that will not be the same if you skip this step. Most of the recipes I have included in this document do not require browning because they are meant to be quick and easy with minimal steps. 4. If using a large amount of alcohol as your cooking liquid, REDUCE it first to cook off the alcohol. Chicken slow-cooked in wine is a classic and delicious French dish that can be translated to your crock pot. But if you pour a bottle of wine into the crock pot and cover it, the alcohol doesn’t burn off well, and the sauce never reduces down. Pour a bottle of wine into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer until it is reduced by about half. Then add the reduced wine to your crock pot. That way you burn off the alcohol AND get a richer, deeper flavor. The same is true for beer or any other alcoholic cooking liquid. 5. Season highly and garnish. Crock pot meals can be bland and one-dimensional. You can minimize that by making sure the recipe has plenty of zing through balancing the salt, pepper, and acid levels in your dish. Always taste and adjust before serving. The addition of a fresh herb or garnish at the end really perks up a slow-cooked dish.
Crock Pot Cheat Sheet & Tips
Pick one type of meat and one or more items from every other column to create your own crock pot dish. Add everything except for pasta, leafy greens and garnishes to the crock pot with a pinch of salt and pepper, set to high for 4-8 hours. Add pasta and/or leafy greens 30 minutes prior to serving. Stir, taste, and adjust seasoning by adding more salt, pepper, and/or acid until it is just right. If the dish is too dry, add more of your chosen liquid. If the dish is too watery, add 1 Tbsp of Wondra flour, stir, and let cook for 5 additional minutes. Repeat until it reaches your desired consistency. A slurry of 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water also works.
1.Cheap cuts of meat work the best. Don’t waste a nice steak in a crock pot! Look for chuck, stew meat, shoulder, leg, butt, etc. Boneless skinless chicken breast is an easy option, but can end up dry and stringy. Bone-in cuts add more flavor and richness to the dish, but are not always the best idea for small children.Skinless meat is preferable to cut down on fat.
2.You can adapt almost any soup, sauce, or stew recipe to the crock pot. Keep in mind that the recipe will be a bit more watery than if you prepared it on the stovetop. You can adjust for this by:
a.decreasing the amount of liquid added in the beginning
b.sweating the vegetables before adding them to the crock pot
c.substituting tomato paste for some tomato liquid (for spaghetti recipes)
d.adding 1-3 Tbsp of fine cornmeal (for chili recipes)
e.adding 1-3 Tbsp of Wondra flour to the recipe at the beginning for stews
f.adding cornstarch slurry as described above.
When adding Wondra flour, cornmeal or cornstarch at the end of cooking, make sure the dish returns to a boil and simmers for a few minutes before serving.
3.If a recipe calls for you to brown the meat, do so in a skillet before adding it to the crock pot. Browning adds distinctive flavors to the meat that will not be the same if you skip this step. Most of the recipes I have included in this document do not require browning because they are meant to be quick and easy with minimal steps.
4.If using a large amount of alcohol as your cooking liquid, REDUCE it first to cook off the alcohol. Chicken slow-cooked in wine is a classic and delicious French dish that can be translated to your crock pot. But if you pour a bottle of wine into the crock pot and cover it, the alcohol doesn’t burn off well, and the sauce never reduces down. Pour a bottle of wine into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer until it is reduced by about half. Then add the reduced wine to your crock pot. That way you burn off the alcohol AND get a richer, deeper flavor. The same is true for beer or any other alcoholic cooking liquid.
5.Season highly and garnish. Crock pot meals can be bland and one-dimensional. You can minimize that by making sure the recipe has plenty of zing through balancing the salt, pepper, and acid levels in your dish. Always taste and adjust before serving. The addition of a fresh herb or garnish at the end really perks up a slow-cooked dish.
Crock Pot Cheat Sheet & Tips
Pick one type of meat and one or more items from every other column to create your own crock pot dish. Add everything except for pasta, leafy greens and garnishes to the crock pot with a pinch of salt and pepper, set to high for 4-8 hours. Add pasta and/or leafy greens 30 minutes prior to serving. Stir, taste, and adjust seasoning by adding more salt, pepper, and/or acid until it is just right. If the dish is too dry, add more of your chosen liquid. If the dish is too watery, add 1 Tbsp of Wondra flour, stir, and let cook for 5 additional minutes. Repeat until it reaches your desired consistency. A slurry of 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water also works.
1. Cheap cuts of meat work the best. Don’t waste a nice steak in a crock pot! Look for chuck, stew meat, shoulder, leg, butt, etc. Boneless skinless chicken breast is an easy option, but can end up dry and stringy. Bone-in cuts add more flavor and richness to the dish, but are not always the best idea for small children. Skinless meat is preferable to cut down on fat. 2. You can adapt almost any soup, sauce, or stew recipe to the crock pot. Keep in mind that the recipe will be a bit more watery than if you prepared it on the stovetop. You can adjust for this by: a. decreasing the amount of liquid added in the beginning b. sweating the vegetables before adding them to the crock pot c. substituting tomato paste for some tomato liquid (for spaghetti recipes) d. adding 1-3 Tbsp of fine cornmeal (for chili recipes) e. adding 1-3 Tbsp of Wondra flour to the recipe at the beginning for stews f. adding cornstarch slurry as described above. When adding Wondra flour, cornmeal or cornstarch at the end of cooking, make sure the dish returns to a boil and simmers for a few minutes before serving. 3. If a recipe calls for you to brown the meat, do so in a skillet before adding it to the crock pot. Browning adds distinctive flavors to the meat that will not be the same if you skip this step. Most of the recipes I have included in this document do not require browning because they are meant to be quick and easy with minimal steps. 4. If using a large amount of alcohol as your cooking liquid, REDUCE it first to cook off the alcohol. Chicken slow-cooked in wine is a classic and delicious French dish that can be translated to your crock pot. But if you pour a bottle of wine into the crock pot and cover it, the alcohol doesn’t burn off well, and the sauce never reduces down. Pour a bottle of wine into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer until it is reduced by about half. Then add the reduced wine to your crock pot. That way you burn off the alcohol AND get a richer, deeper flavor. The same is true for beer or any other alcoholic cooking liquid. 5. Season highly and garnish. Crock pot meals can be bland and one-dimensional. You can minimize that by making sure the recipe has plenty of zing through balancing the salt, pepper, and acid levels in your dish. Always taste and adjust before serving. The addition of a fresh herb or garnish at the end really perks up a slow-cooked dish.
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