We really do cook the way we grew up eating (at least I did) My mom never had a crock pot or slow cooker and I was never the least bit inclined to get one until I joined this board and saw how much you all use one.

So, any tips that I can learn from the benefit of your mistakes? .

Ame

By Tink on Monday, March 14, 2005 - 06:53 pm:

I love my crock-pot. I use it at least once a week. I don't know if there are too many ways to screw it up except not cooking food long enough. Roast, chicken, spaghetti sauce, chili, soups, pork chops, you name it, it can probably be cooked in the crock-pot. There's a great cookbook called Fix it and Forget it. Lots of duplicate recipes so you can find the one that suits your family best!

By Andi on Monday, March 14, 2005 - 07:02 pm:

I LOVE my Crockpot. I also use ours at least oncce a week. The recipe board has some great recipes and it would be hard to mess up anything in a Crockpot unless, like Tink said, you didn't cook it long enough.

Have fun with it.

By Agreen on Monday, March 14, 2005 - 07:13 pm:

I love my crock pot! I never used one until I was married. I just try things out and see how they taste. I try different recipes I find in books, or on the net. Sometimes i just through in some things! Our favorite is chicken thighs and BBQ sauce. Easy! Have fun experimenting!

By Annie2 on Monday, March 14, 2005 - 07:14 pm:

I agree with the above and love my Fix It and Forget It cookbook. I also make "baked" chicken breasts in mine which the family eats up!

By Trina~moderator on Monday, March 14, 2005 - 07:31 pm:

LOL, I was just going to recommend Fix It and Forget It! GREAT book! LOVE my crockpot!

By Palmbchprincess on Monday, March 14, 2005 - 08:53 pm:

Amy gave me mine for my 20th birthday, and I didn't use it much for the first year or so, mainly because my family was the same as yours. Now I use it to make chicken dishes, homemade pasta sauce, chili con queso, all kinds of things. Just try different things out, and remember you don't need as much water or spices if converting a regular recipe, it doesn't reduce as much, and spices are magnified.

By Reds9298 on Monday, March 14, 2005 - 09:00 pm:

I also love my Fix it and Forget It book. You will love your crock pot. I couldn't live without it!

By Missmudd on Monday, March 14, 2005 - 09:30 pm:

From another post about st pattys day, corned beef turns out really good in the slow cooker. Put it in and cover w/ water and then stick it on high for 8 hours or so. Turns out super tender and makes your whole house smell like corned beef. YUM

We use it alot for pork, either with saurkraut put in the last 2 hours or so or let it cook til tender, pour off some of the juice and then add barbeque sauce. If you like to make homemade spagetti sauce it is great because you really cant scorch the sauce, you just leave the lid off and let it bubble away for 24 hours or so.

I have 2 crockpots, one big, one smaller. I use them for different things. The smaller one I use for chili or barbequed pork, the big one for roasts and spagetti sauce.