Crock pot!

[Sum Dum Gai]

Since Thyme seems to be absent, I'll take her place.

The overwhelming majority of crock pot food can be classified as bland mush. Yes, I know that everyone here is a superb cook that uses their crockpot to make stuff other than bland mush. When you guys throw frozen vegetables, a can of cream of X soup, and a hunk of fatty meat in yours, the resulting meal is like four star quality. I'm not talking about you guys. I'm talking about every meal I've ever had from a crock pot, which are made with frozen veggies, a can of cream of X soup, and a hunk of fatty meat which comes out as bland mush.

If they didn't make such amazing chili and soups, I'd say the things should all be banned.

[kgb18]

Dark, you should check out the chicken and acorn squash recipe I posted. Actually most of my crock pot recipes do not call for frozen veggies or cream of whatever soup. I have one pot roast recipe that does call for a can of cream of celery soup, but that's the only one.

[lexxy703]

Other than one hashbrown casserole recipe I don't like cream of X soups to cook with. My mom made them all the time & I just think they are blah.

[lilyofcourse]

Dark it took me a long time to learn how to cook with mine. and there are times it still doesnt come out right. I have found that adding water to just about everything makes it gross. Only when I am using tomato paste do I add water. The rest of the time you just concentrate flavors by cooking in there own juices.

And yes what comes out is soup/stew like. But thats fine when you are feeding a large group of people.

[kgb18]

I never use water. I always use either chicken or beef broth for the necessary liquid.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Oct 4, 2011 13:45:53 GMT -5 Bob Ross said:

So DW and I got this fancy-shmancy slow cooker / crock pot as a wedding gift, which I've discovered is awesome since all I have to do is a bunch of stuff into it, set the thingy, then come back hours later and it's done.

For example, last weekend I made ribs and they were deee-licious.

Any ideas for other recipes to try? (nothing poisonous, please)

Here's about 12 pages of recipes. Format is Word.

Attachments:

crockpot recipes.doc.jpg (108.5 KB)

[Malarky]

I don't make anything using cream of crap soup.

Yesterday's crock pot meal was 4 browned boneless pork chops covered in 4 sliced apples and 1/2 cup if sauteed onions with 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon ground mustard. It came out a bit runnier than I expected, so I thickened it up with a tablespoon of potato starch. Served with noodles and salad.

[thyme4change]

Mine came with a really good spaghetti recipe that even cooks the dried spaghetti for the last hour of the cooking time. You just have the brown the ground beef or turkey first.

Spaghetti only takes about 15 minutes to make without the crock pot. Why would you need to slow cook this?

Dark - I did show up in post 38 and said that crock pot meals suck. I do agree with you. Mostly they are mushy. I'm not a fan of stews, soups or casseroles. I find that crock-pot cooking seems to appeal to people who like those categories. It is what it is.

[Sum Dum Gai]

I love stew, soup, and chili now and again. I prefer my meat done outside of a crockpot though. It's a good way to cook less than great cuts of meat, because it keeps them from being tough, and I can definitely see the time saving thing, I just tend to prefer meals done the old fashioned way (you know, my wife slaving over a hot stove for hours).

[thyme4change]

I thought cooking cheap meat in the crock-pot was suppose to be the best way to tenderize it - but giving it low moist heat for hours and hours on end? I thought that was the whole point of the crock-pot - to buy cheaper cuts of meat?

No?

[thyme4change]

Turns out like a sort of spaghetti casserole I guess you could say.

I'm sorry, but...

[Sum Dum Gai]

I thought that was the whole point of the crock-pot - to buy cheaper cuts of meat?

Yeah, but I'd rather just eat a better cut of meat that can be grilled or whatever. We don't eat meat at every meal, or even dinner though. I'd rather cut beef down to one day a week and eat a really good steak than have it three or four times but only eat brisket, which you pretty much have to slow cook.

[thyme4change]

Ah - got it. Yes, I definately prefer to just eat high quality meat than to make cheaper cuts work. When you can pick and choose your cuts you don't have to be as creative. I have friends in the Ag business that buy a cow every year and split it with friends. She had some recipes just because she has to get rid of those parts. I just never buy those parts to begin with.

[weltschmerz]

This thread is making me hungry. I'm nibbling on fresh figs, and while delicious, they're not quite hitting the spot.

[thyme4change]

This thread is making me hungry. I'm nibbling on fresh figs, and while delicious, they're not quite hitting the spot.

You must have a thing for poison kidney beans and mushy meat.

[weltschmerz]

Oct 4, 2011 16:56:38 GMT -5 @toughtimes said:

Mix some onions in with the figs and stick it on a hamburger. That should hit the spot.

Lol! I don't eat meat, but thanks.

[Sum Dum Gai]

I don't eat meat

I'm sorry.

[weltschmerz]

And just for the record, I'm not doing it for my health.
:::lights another cigarette:::

[thyme4change]

I don't eat meat

"You don't eat no meat?!?! That's alright, I'll make lamb."

[weltschmerz]

I AM making a roast pork for my son, who is coming for dinner. I'm not one of THOSE people.

[weltschmerz]

Oct 4, 2011 17:04:55 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

I don't eat meat

"You don't eat no meat?!?! That's alright, I'll make lamb."

As long as you clean it with Windex first.

[thyme4change]

;D

[Malarky]

Oct 4, 2011 17:04:01 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

And just for the record, I'm not doing it for my health.
:::lights another cigarette:::

[Malarky]

I lied.

The post with Pat Benetar's potato soup got me thinking that maybe I did have a cream of crap soup that I bought when I tried that. It was delicious, but not something that I ought to be eating.

I did find a can of cream of chicken soup that I incorporated into tonight's chicken pot pie. Normally, I'd make my own gravy.

[tiredturkey]

I know I am going to get a lot of faces for this, but we do an amazing beef tongue in our crockpot by putting down a layer of sliced onions and garlic, laying the tongue on top and adding another layer of onions and garlic plus salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup water or beef broth, set on low and cook for 12-14 hours or so. When falling-apart tender, remove skin from tongue and discard. Awesome sliced on sandwiches, cubed over rice or noodles, and the last little bits, combined with the broth, make a great soup with carrots, celery, potatoes, etc. Lots of Texas folks like breakfast tacos with sliced tongue and pico de gallo. Particularly with a top-shelf margarita!

[Sum Dum Gai]

Yeah... there are some parts of an animal that should just be thrown away. Except turkey giblets... those are just too good in the gravy to throw out.

[tiredturkey]

Yeah, I know, "parts are parts". Just some parts taste really good! No, we don't do prairie oysters. I don't even do raw oysters. But if you want to talk sashimi........

[weltschmerz]

I know I am going to get a lot of faces for this, but we do an amazing beef tongue in our crockpot
------------------------
OMG, I LOVE tongue! I used to eat it all the time. I slowly simmered it with garlic, rosemary and red wine. Delicious!

[tiredturkey]

[quote OMG, I LOVE tongue! I used to eat it all the time. I slowly simmered it with garlic, rosemary and red wine. Delicious![/quote]

I'm going to try that! Maybe cut little slits in the tongue and stuff them with garlic slices, drape rosemary sprigs over the top and add red wine instead of water/broth???

Of course, what isn't good with garlic, rosemary and red wine?

[weltschmerz]

You still need some water or broth, because it needs to be simmered for hours. I just added a splash of wine. Damn, it was good.
I stopped eating tongue even before I stopped eating red meat. It's veal tongue, and I haven't eaten veal in decades.