Crock Pot cooking is all the rage, you know. There are cookbooks, blogs, Facebook groups, probably even fraternal aid societies dedicated to crock pot cooking. It’s easy! Anyone can do it. Except me. I’m not kidding. Tales of a Crock Pot Washout could have been my title here.
I can describe my crock pot meals in three words:
- bland
- grey
- gray
Yeah. Even two words could sum it up, if I could settle on my favorite spelling for grey/ay.
See this yummy-looking stew?
I didn’t make it. Obviously.
And I follow the conventional crock pot wisdom. Yes, I sear the meat first. Yes, I add salt and spices at the end of the cooking time. Yes, I’m happy to hear ANY suggestions you have!
Will you help me love my crock pot?
Give Away Seven a Day 
I like the crock pot much better if I’m gone during the day. Smelling a roast cook for 8-10 hours is too long sometimes.
I find that my newer crock pot cooks at a higher temp than my old one, so things get overdone more easily. And the “smart” pot I had a while ago was good for nothing but soup. It burned everything else before it turned itself off.
I’m a crock pot so-so user. Definitely not a fan of “it’s the best thing ever” caliber.
Pollo Verde – frozen chicken breasts, as many as you need, chopped onion, canned Salsa Verde, most of a bottle for a family meal. I use Hernadez brand. Cook on low most of the day, shred, use as taco, burrito, or quesidilla filler. I could go on. I’ve found it’s best to find recipes that you don’t “know” what it’s supposed to look like. But regular chili works pretty well too. Have fun, don’t stress too much. I have a new crock-pot recipe for tonight. It’s a buffalo chicken dip, I’ll let you know 🙂
Noooooooo! Just spent half an hour typing recipes and they disappeared. I’ll redo them after church. :p
I dig my crock pot for the stew meat/roasts/taco nights. I have never seared a single slab of meat prior to throwing it in the pot. In fact, I don’t even use thawed meat. It all goes in frozen, hard as a rock. This weekend I did make 6 meals for the freezer that will be cooked in my crock-pot, so we’ll see how those go and if they are yummy, I will pass them along. I leave you with this:
3 large sweet potatoes cubed
1 onion chopped
1 can black beans
1 large can chopped tomatoes
2 large carrots chopped
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
Throw it all in the crock pot, forget that business of waiting until the end to put in the spices, and cook on high until the veggies are soft. Enjoy with corn bread.
I love using the crock pot and try to once a week during the winter months. Do you try and create your own recipes or do you follow another recipe? I never sear my meat and I add my spices in while the food is cooking. I suggest you follow a recipe. I have some on my blog or check Pinterest for more options.
Hmmm. How about you use it for batch cooking meat? That would be a great start. You would love your crock pot for getting the main ingredient tucked in your freezer for future meals. Go from there? I pretty much stick to the 2 or 3 ingredient crock pot meals. Simple. Don’t have to think sort of recipes. I adore my crock pot and have a whole Pinterest board devoted to it. And, a series on Saturdays 🙂 Love it. Love it. And love it some more. http://pinterest.com/hodgepodgemom/slow-cooker-love/
🙂 You know, I thought of you when I wrote this post! Batch cooking is a great idea… that’s exactly how I cook with other things. I love to have batches of rice or broth on hand to make quick meals.
I also need to re-read your post about your Christmas-gift crock pot. My lid just broke and I’m taking my sweet time replacing it. A higher-quality crock pot might just solve my issues!