I love pulling out my crockpot in the fall and winter and just having that nice smell of something good cooking throughout the day. I also love the thought that I am done planning dinner and it is only 7AM!! (on my way off to work)

I am looking for crockpot recipes and was wondering if others have to use 2 pots when they are cooking for their crowds?

I have a very large crock pot and that seems to be enough for us...at this point!

I use these packets called "Crockery Gourmet" by Superior Touch that I buy at a produce place here. You just add the mix to water, then the meat, then veggies. My kids love it! But I would like more recipes and will be watching the thread.

I saw another post about bread makers. I lost the mixing piece for mine! I keep thinking I will get online and see if I can order the piece. I miss the smell of crock pot AND baked bread!

here's one of my favorite crock pot recipes. I also love the crock-pot in the fall and winter months.

Oriental Chicken

3 lb chicken, cut up
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp dry ginger (or 2 tsp fresh)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T brown sugar
2 T cornstarch
2 T cold water
1/4 cup slivered almonds (I usually make without)

Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and sugar. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8 hrs. Gravy can be made by thickening sauce with cornstarch, then adding cold water and almonds. Serve gravy over chicken. (you can garnish with more almonds but again, I usually skip this.)
I also serve with rice.

Trust me, your house will smell wonderful, and the chicken is very tender and just melts away from the bones.

boy, I'm getting hungry just typing this. : )

That does sound good!

I have a large crockpot so currently I can get by with one.
Diane

I don't have any specific recipes, but I've had great inspiration from "Fix it and Forget it Cookbook". There are several in the series, including one for entertaining and one for cooking light. It has helped me to understand how much water/liquid I need and cooking times more than anything. Since crockpot cookery really isn't a science, like baking the book gets me started in the right direction, then I can take from whatever I find in the house.

As far as 2 pots, I've done it when I got whole chickens at buy-one-get-one-free. I plopped both chickens into their own pot, then froze the meat for use in later recipes.

I have 3 crockpots right now and I'm thinking I want another one....bigger than the others. My largest is 6 quart, but it's not large enough for some soup recipes that I have. Or maybe I'll try the new turkey roaster I bought last Thanksgiving. It's huge and would work pretty well to slow cook all a soup or stew all day.

This month's issue of Good Housekeeping rated the best crockpots out there. I have it somewhere in the house - if anyone is interested in finding out more let me know and I will look for it. If you have this issue pls post the info here or /and on the products page - thanks,

On a Crockpot Safety Note - I use to have a stainless steel crock pot where the outside of it got VERY hot! You couldn't even touch the outside with it burning your hand. I notice one day when I was cleaning it up that the cord was against it all day and it melted the cord!

So, be careful and keep the cord pushed away from the side of the crockpot!

I love cooking in the crock pot in the winter!

I just made this on Monday and it was a real hit and so really, really easy.

When all of my gang is home I generally would use 2 crockpots and if there is extra freeze it so you might want to consider buying double of everything if this sounds like something your gang would eat.

Pot Roast
rub with cumin
brown
place in crockpot (8 hrs low)
pour 24 oz. of salsa over it and leave!

!/2 hr before it is ready add a can of washed black beans and a bag of frozen corn.

Serve over rice.
That's it!!

One of my sons likes to add more salsa on the meat when it is served but it is just so simple and pretty tasty.
Let me know if you try this and how it goes over in your house!

I have one large crockpot and use it probably 5 nights a week. I have the crock kind that will lift out and go into the fridge - love that feature!

As far as recipes - I normally put frozen meat in mine around 8am on low and then figure out at lunch what I'm doing with that meat - lol - if it's ribs I dump on barbeque sauce. Chicken I put on taco seasoning, italian dressing, honey barbeque sauce, a can of cream of mushroom soup - you get the idea - something gets dumped on it and it continues to cook until 5pm on low when it is perfectly done and dinner is served! lol Roasts (pork or beef) I add potatoes and carrots after I add the cream of mushroom soup.

I think my crockpot has kept us all sane and from eating cold cereal for dinner the last three years.

Laurene
mom to 6 - triplets are 3 yrs old

Laurene, thanks for the inspiration.
I stuck a frozen chuck roast in my crock pot at noon, on high. Added some beef broth for liquid but wasn't sure what I wanted to end with.
Later added some dry onion soup mix.
Turned out great.
Diane

My brother (who is single and really doesn't cook!) told me about crockpotrecipes.com. They have some interesting recipes which I am definitely going to try. The crock pot has been my best friend lately :)

I have a question about cooking with my crockpot: sometimes my stuff gets dried out because I leave the house at 8:15 to drop off the kids, and don't get back until 6. Do you attach a household timer to your crockpot? If you do, can you explain to me how you do it? I don't think I can do mine that way, but maybe I'm missing something. My crockpot doens't have a dial, but instead has a button you push once for 4 high, a second time for 6 high, 3rd time for 8 low, and fourth time for 10 low.

I think there are specific things you can cook that many hours - a stew or soup would work but most meats need a very low heat to cook that long - a ham or thick roast could cook on low that long but everything else (chicken or pork chops) would be probably not so great. Hope that helps!

I also never add water to my crock unless I'm making stew because the meat and vegis create their own liquid and it seems to be just right.

I often put a frozen roast in my crock pot. By late afternoon it is just falling apart. That's the way we like it. Then I cook some pasta and just throw it in with the meat - with the natural juice and the shredded beef my kids love it and it's so easy. You could probably throw in some frozen peas or carrots too if you wanted.

A couple of weeks ago, I put a beef roast & pork roast in it and cooked it the same way. Instead of the pasta - I had some fresh rolls and BBQ sauce and the kids loved it!

My other crock pot recipe is Red Beans & Rice (The rice is cooked separate).......It's easy and my kids love it too.

Patti,
if you cook all day you'll probably need it on low. Most slow cookers recommend some liquid to ensure even heating and food not drying out. It does of course make a difference what you are making.
Your cooker sounds like mine. Does it go to a warming cycle after the one you choose?
I think you could put a timer on it. Of course you need to keep the food at the correct temperature to prevent bacteria growing,etc.
Diane