Crock Pot / Slow Cooker Recipes

Searched the forums and the most recent related thread I could find was from 2010. I'm sure we can get some new ideas going. So who has some awesome crockpot recipes? I use mine a lot for chilis, stuffed
Chicken, pork tenderloin, and even mulling wine and beer on occasion.

Crock pot food is usually good and really easy. It's about the season for busting ours out again.

One thing I've been making on the stovetop is Pork Chops with Mushroom Soup Gravy. But, it's even better with a slow-cooked pork in the crock pot.

Sear the pork (Thick cut for the crock pot, like a small pork roast, or rib meat, or bone some chops) and place in a crock pot. Mix up some cream of mushroom soup and a bit of milk to thin it just a little bit (not too much or the gravy will be thin. In fact, maybe don't thin it for a crock pot...)

Add onions or whatever you like to go with it, maybe more mushrooms!

Cook all day.

Fix up some mashed potatoes or white rice. Anything that you can pour gravy on top of.

Cook whatever kind of veggie you think will go with it. We like to make green bean casserole. My daughter's favorite, and she's making it now, so that's the default side dish currently.

Eat.

Although I dont have a crock pot, I do have a dutch oven, so same concept BUT WHATEVER! My favorite thing to make is slow cooked short ribs with whatever the darkest beer i have in the fridge is!

Rub shorts ribs with olive oil, salt, pepper or whatever seasonings you like. I prefer salt pepper and a little montreal steak seasoning. Sear the short ribs on all sides til golden brown. Scrape all the bits off the bottom and deglaze with said beer and fill till just covering the short ribs. I add a couple bay leaves and some thyme to the gravy. And cook on a low temp probably around 200-225 until fork tender! Depending on size of the short ribs, its usually about an 1 hr .. 1 1/2 hrs.

My personal favorite side is a 50/50 mix of parsnip and potatoe mash mixed with a bit of a horse radish cream.

Make a bed of the mash, and place a short rib in the center, drizzle some gravy over top and serve!

MMM good.

Feel free to use with the stout of your choice:



4 lb Pork butt or shoulder or loin, boneless
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1 White onion, large
1/2 tsp Black pepper, freshly-cracked
1 tbsp Paprika, smoked
1 tsp Red pepper
2 tsp Salt
1 bottle guinness extra-stout beer

Mix all the spices together and rub onto the pork, place onions on bottom of crock, pork on top of that, and pour beer over everything. 10 - 12 hours on low. AWESOME.

I love my slow cooker. There's nothing like coming home to dinner being hot and ready.

Here's a few of my favorites:

Split Pea Soup
Makes ~6 servings

Ingredients:
- 1 lb dried split peas
- 1 lb ham steak, diced
- 8 tsp/cubes chicken bouillon
- 8 cups water
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 potatoes, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- garlic powder to taste
- oregano to taste
- 2 bay leaves

Process:
1) Combine all ingredients in crock pot
2) Cover, cook on Low for 8 hours

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^ I like to make this one on monday and have the leftovers for lunch for the rest of the week.

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
Makes ~2 servings

Ingredients:
- ~3 lbs baby back ribs
- salt & pepper to taste
- Garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 2 bottles of your choice BBQ sauce
- 1 cup root beer

Process:
1) The night before, coat ribs with salt, pepper, garlic, 1 bttl BBQ sauce, and onions. Wrap in foil and allow to marinate overnight.
2) In the morning, add root beer to bottom of crock pot and add marinated ribs and onions. You may cut the rack into smaller pieces to fit if necessary.
3) Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours
4) Preheat oven to 375°F
5) Remove ribs from slow cooker, and re-coat with 2nd bottle of BBQ sauce
6) Bake ribs until sauce begins to caramelize, approximately 10-15 minutes

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^It's not as good as traditional smoked ribs, but for a slow cooker meal, it's pretty damn good.

Grandma's Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

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^I'm normally not one to condone "vegetarian chili", but I found this one to be surprisingly good. I'm not sure I'd consider it a "chili", but it's a wonderful "bean stew".

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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^A solid beef stew recipe. Makes a good base for your own modifications.

Chicken Provençale

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^SWMBO likes this one, and so do I

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

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^quick and easy pulled pork for sandwiches.

Solid minestrone recipe, made it yesterday:

Ingredients:
- 2 cups lentils
- 4 cups + 2 cups chicken broth, divided
- 28oz can crushed tomatoes, with juice
- 2 cups kale leaves, torn into small pieces (or other leafy green)
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup carrot, chopped
- 1 sweet yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper to taste

Process:
1) Place lentils on bottom of slow cooker. Add all other ingredients on top, reserving 2 cups chicken broth.
2) Cover and cook on low, 8-10 hours
3) Bring remaining 2 cups broth to a boil. Stir into cooked minestrone, mixing all ingredients together well.
4) Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and garlic bread.

Makes 4-6 servings

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Made Pulled Pork in mine a week or so ago.

1/2 pork loin
3 apples cored and wedged
1 pack apple cider drink mix
a shake or two of liquid smoke

cook overnight.

pull next afternoon

Sometimes I replace the apples/apple cider drink mix with whatever fruit I can get my hands on. I have used peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, etc.

Airplanedoc said:

Made Pulled Pork in mine a week or so ago.

1/2 pork loin
3 apples cored and wedged
1 pack apple cider drink mix
a shake or two of liquid smoke

cook overnight.

pull next afternoon

Sometimes I replace the apples/apple cider drink mix with whatever fruit I can get my hands on. I have used peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, etc.

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Are you just shaking in the dry powdered apple cider mix or are you mixing it with water? Also, are you adding any liquid at all?
Regards, GF.

gratus fermentatio said:

Are you just shaking in the dry powdered apple cider mix or are you mixing it with water? Also, are you adding any liquid at all?
Regards, GF.

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I just sprinkle the packet on top of the loin as the meat sweats, it moistens the powder and soaks in.

I generally don't add any liquid. The liquid from the fruit and the meat is all I use. When cooked, there will be about 1/4" (in my crockpot) of liquid mostly fat.

Pork tenderloin
1 can each:
Golden mushroom soup
Cream of mushroom soup
French onion soup

Load it up in the AM and it's ready by 5 PM

Not a huge fan of crock pots, but one of my favorite uses is crock pot chicken tacos. Throw 4 or 5 chicken breasts, some taco seasoning and a jar of good salsa in there, set it on low and 6 hours later you got some tasty taco filling right there. Best with some Mexican rice to soak up the juice

Tamarlane said:

Not a huge fan of crock pots, but one of my favorite uses is crock pot chicken tacos. Throw 4 or 5 chicken breasts, some taco seasoning and a jar of good salsa in there, set it on low and 6 hours later you got some tasty taco filling right there. Best with some Mexican rice to soak up the juice

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That is a great idea! I just bought a bunch of chicken legs, deboned, and wondered what I was going to use them for.

Here's one that our family just loves - Chicago Italian Beef. And if you take the leftover liquid and use it to make rice you've got some fantastic spicy rice that goes great with damn near anything.

Bump. Any more slow cooker recipes?
Regards, GF.

Take a small crockpot and add steel-cut oats, water, and salt before bed. Breakfast is ready when you get up.

Great thread.
here is my contribution. my fav is carnitas (mexican pulled pork).

3# pork shoulder/butt, cut into cubes. or whatever size of pork fits in your pot. Toss with olive oil, and rub in spices (below).

1 large onion (quartered)- placed on bottom of crock pot- add pork on top. Toss in some garlic cloves for good measure.

Mix some cumin, chili powder, salt, cracked pepper, oregano, crumble up a few bay leaves. rub on the meat.

One or two oranges- quartered. squeeze juice on pork and toss in rinds. Sometimes I add homebrew beer if no fruit is around.


cook on low 4-6 hours. ready when it falls apart! Spread on cookie sheet and broil for 5-10 min to get it crispy; I always skip this step because of impatience.

Spritz with a bit of lime, use as a filling tacos, burritos, etc.



I also use the slow cooker for dry beans and making stock. super easy.

jcoxen said:

Here's one that our family just loves - Chicago Italian Beef. And if you take the leftover liquid and use it to make rice you've got some fantastic spicy rice that goes great with damn near anything.

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Im gonna have to try this one, thanks

I recently slow cooked soem chicken breasts that needed cooking. Started at lunch, and drained the juice and added BBQ sauce after work.

I thought it was 'ok', but the wife really loved it. Kid did not try it. For some reason she says she doesn't like the texture of shredded meat.

How can someone not like pulled pork?? I'm beginning to suspect she is not my child. In fact, I am beginning to suspect she isn't actually human.

This nice.
I use a 3 - 4lb. Boston butt and put in a bottle of bbq sauce with a little liquid smoke and cook all day on low. Usually about 8 to 10 hours. The family loves it. Fall of the bone tender great for fast pulled pork, well fast when you are at work and cant watch the fire, But I don't have a smoker yet.

One beef roast, sized to your liking. You'll be trimming of the majority of the fat.
One jar (Don't know the oz size. Just to your liking) of pepperoncini peppers
One large Vidalia onion
Salt/pepper to taste

Trim the fat off of the side of the roast
Sear the roast in your cast iron pan. We're just searing it to get a nice Maillard reaction going on -- not to cook the roast.
Place roast and pan juices into slow cooker, dump your bottle of pepperoncinis on top of that.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until done
About 30-45 minutes before the roast is done, caramellize your onions in some brown sugar. You can alternatively just add diced onion to the slowcooker 1-2 hours before the roast is done

Shred ans serve on italian roll with provolone cheese and Caesar dressing or other preferred sauce.


Edit -- Just read throught this thread a bit more and clicked through one of the links. Someone beat me to it! Sorry!

Super easy beef roast:

1 packet brown gravy,
1 packet Italian dressing,
1 packet ranch dressing,
1/2 cup water

(use less of each for smaller roast)

Kids love this.

homemade dog food

Following general formula of 35% meat, 15% fat, 40% grain (No corn or wheat) and about 10% vegetable

Slow cooker 7 hours:
1 young chicken roaster, breast side down on top of:
1/2 container chicken livers
15 oz can peas
15 oz can carrots
3/4 cup raw beans
4 cloves garlic

Pull out chicken and let cool so you can shred it all, including skin.

Mash veggies in slow cooker to break up beans.

Add to slow cooker an hour to add grain and to soak up all the juice:
1 cup pearl barley

This costs $10/wk to feed 3 pugs

Weezy said:

homemade dog food

Following general formula of 35% meat, 15% fat, 40% grain (No corn or wheat) and about 10% vegetable

Slow cooker 7 hours:
1 young chicken roaster, breast side down on top of:
1/2 container chicken livers
15 oz can peas
15 oz can carrots
3/4 cup raw beans
4 cloves garlic

Pull out chicken and let cool so you can shred it all, including skin.

Mash veggies in slow cooker to break up beans.

Add to slow cooker an hour to add grain and to soak up all the juice:
1 cup pearl barley

This costs $10/wk to feed 3 pugs

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Add a little bit of seasoning to it, and that actually sounds pretty tasty. :cross:

Haha my mother always wants some. She never gets liver.

Oh man, the chicken provencale reminds me of a favorite but I rarely make cuz kids don't like it. When I male it, its lunches for the week

1# ground hot Italian sausage
2 cans cannellini beans
1 can petite diced tomatoes
Dusting of basil, oregano, and garlic salt on top.

4 hours does it.

Homercidal said:

I recently slow cooked soem chicken breasts that needed cooking. Started at lunch, and drained the juice and added BBQ sauce after work.

I thought it was 'ok', but the wife really loved it. Kid did not try it. For some reason she says she doesn't like the texture of shredded meat.

How can someone not like pulled pork?? I'm beginning to suspect she is not my child. In fact, I am beginning to suspect she isn't actually human.

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I get bored of crockpot meat as well; try quickly panfrying the shredded chicken/pork before you throw it in a tacos.

Purple Hull Peas are my favorite thing to put in the crock pot, nothing like coming home from work and smelllin' them "purpa hulls" cooking.

I love to throw some chicken, veggies and potatoes in there all day too. Pork is just fine as well, but you guys are making me CRINGE at the thought of pork tenderloin in the crock pot! I always cook my tenderloins on very high heat, usually the grill or the broiler. Pork butts and pork shoulders I love in the crock pot when I'm too lazy to use the smoker.

Meatballs is another favorite of mine in the crock pot.

For a thickener of whatever I'm cooking in the crock pot I usually add some flour mixed with cold water or some type of broth.

You can always add some pasta or rice the last hour or 2 of cooking also, a trick that I take advantage of sometimes.

Here’s three easy ones that are in solid rotation in my kitchen:

Salsa Chicken

Large jar of your favorite salsa (doctored; see below)
Chicken breasts
cilantro

I put the salsa in the blender with some Mexican oregano, fresh garlic, pickled jalapenos and chipotle chili in adobo (you can add whatever you like) and blend smooth before covering chicken breasts in crock pot.

Cook chicken til shreadable. Shred chicken in sauce and add some fresh chopped cilantro. Make tacos or use as filling for burritos, enchiladas or whatever you like. Very easy and very tasty.

Italian Beef for hoagies

1 cup low-sodium or homemade beef broth
1 0.7 oz envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 Tbl. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. dry red pepper flakes or heat of your choice
½ tsp. garlic powder (or 1-2 cloves fresh, minced)
1 2-4 lbs. beef roast, cut into large chunks
Hoagie rolls
Giardiniera, chopped fine for garnish

Put beef in crock pot. Mix all other ingredients and pour over beef. Cover and cook until done. Remove meat and lightly shred but leave it in intact chunks.

Pour the liquid through a fine strainer into a fat separator and let settle. Once settled, pour off ju and serve with hoagie for dipping.

I make my sandwiches really simple. Bread, meat and giardiniera chopped fine. Dip in ju.

Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa

3⁄4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons lime juice
1⁄3 cup apple cider vinegar
4 minced garlic cloves
4 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 -4 chipotle chiles in adobo
4 -5 lbs chuck roast
2 bay leaves

Combine first 8 ingredients in a blender or processor on high speed until smooth.

Remove most of the fat from the roast and then cut into large chunks.

Place meat into Crockpot and pour adobo sauce over meat and add bay leaves.

Cook on high heat 6 hours or on low all day.

While still in the Crockpot, shred the meat with two forks and turn the heat to warm. Again, use however you like. Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, tortas, with fillings and toppings of choice, etc…

Super Simple Pork Chile Verde

3 pounds pork shoulder, butt, loin, or whatever you have, cut into 1" cubes, remove most of the fat (but for Heaven's sake please don't use tenderloin!)
1 large onion, cut into largish dices
1 large Poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, diced
1 large Jalapeno pepper (or a couple smaller Serranos), seeded, diced
1 12 oz jar of your favorite green tomatillo salsa
1 28 oz can La Victoria or Las Palmas green enchilada sauce (I prefer LV but either one works fine)
1 7 oz can undrained Ortega diced green chiles
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (optional but nice!)

Put the works into a crockpot, stir to coat the pork with the sauces, cook on Low 10 hours or til pork is very tender. This is always better if let cool, refrigerate at least 24 hours.

NOW - you can also make this with chicken or turkey instead of pork. It's all good.

AND if you want to thicken up the sauce a bit, add a tablespoon or two of maseca (corn flour) to a jar with a lid, add about 1/4 cup or more of water - you want a nice slurry, not a thick paste - and shake til well-blended. Add to the chile verde, turn the heat to High and let it go uncovered til the sauce is thickened to your liking.

IF you want to take the long way around, you can brown the pork cubes first in some bacon fat, add to the crockpot, then stir the onion around in there til it's translucent. You get a little more flavor this way but it takes it out of the "quick and dirty" realm.

Here's an oldie but goodie which sounds HORRID but it's so easy and so tasty! I don't even remember what we started out calling this. Now we just call it "dinner"

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can whole or jellied cranberry sauce
1 pkt Lipton's Onion Soup mix
1 bottle Russian or Catalina salad dressing

Put the chicken in the crockpot, combine the other ingredients and pour over the chicken. Cook on Low 5 to 6 hours, til chicken is tender.

Yeah, I thought, ewww, BARF! when I first read that one but so many rave reviews and I finally tried it. It's dang tasty stuff!

You can use boneless skinless thighs in it instead of, or along with, the breasts.

Homercidal said:

Crock pot food is usually good and really easy. It's about the season for busting ours out again.

One thing I've been making on the stovetop is Pork Chops with Mushroom Soup Gravy. But, it's even better with a slow-cooked pork in the crock pot.

Sear the pork (Thick cut for the crock pot, like a small pork roast, or rib meat, or bone some chops) and place in a crock pot. Mix up some cream of mushroom soup and a bit of milk to thin it just a little bit (not too much or the gravy will be thin. In fact, maybe don't thin it for a crock pot...)

Add onions or whatever you like to go with it, maybe more mushrooms!

Cook all day.

Fix up some mashed potatoes or white rice. Anything that you can pour gravy on top of.

Cook whatever kind of veggie you think will go with it. We like to make green bean casserole. My daughter's favorite, and she's making it now, so that's the default side dish currently.

Eat.

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Didn't have the hours to make in a crock pot so made in a pan on Tuesday. Wife loved it, and it went great over mashed potatoes with green beans. Well played.

jcoxen said:

Here's one that our family just loves - Chicago Italian Beef. And if you take the leftover liquid and use it to make rice you've got some fantastic spicy rice that goes great with damn near anything.

Click to expand...

ConAcide said:

One beef roast, sized to your liking. You'll be trimming of the majority of the fat.
One jar (Don't know the oz size. Just to your liking) of pepperoncini peppers
One large Vidalia onion
Salt/pepper to taste

Edit -- Just read throught this thread a bit more and clicked through one of the links. Someone beat me to it! Sorry!

Click to expand...

I've done it with just a jar of pepperoncinis and it was pretty good, I just prefer pulled pork, so I havent made it again.

backflowtech said:

This nice.
I use a 3 - 4lb. Boston butt and put in a bottle of bbq sauce with a little liquid smoke and cook all day on low. Usually about 8 to 10 hours. The family loves it. Fall of the bone tender great for fast pulled pork, well fast when you are at work and cant watch the fire, But I don't have a smoker yet.

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I do mine with a normal bbq sauce bottle and nearly as much apple cider vinegar, plus a little garlic and pepper. Once done, pull the liquid out, then add ketchup and reduce to a thicker sauce. Makes great pulled pork. If you have the time, pull the liquid and then put in the freezer for a bit to make it easier to skim the fat off, then continue with reducing.

Went to a church dinner recently and one of the offerings (npi) was pulled turkey on a hardroll. And it was awesome. The cook said she put a small whole turkey in the slow cooker overnight. In the AM, after it falls apart, remove the skin and bones, leave however much juice you want, add sauce/flavorings to taste. It was unbelievable!

midfielder5 said:

Great thread.
here is my contribution. my fav is carnitas (mexican pulled pork).

3# pork shoulder/butt, cut into cubes. or whatever size of pork fits in your pot. Toss with olive oil, and rub in spices (below).

1 large onion (quartered)- placed on bottom of crock pot- add pork on top. Toss in some garlic cloves for good measure.

Mix some cumin, chili powder, salt, cracked pepper, oregano, crumble up a few bay leaves. rub on the meat.

One or two oranges- quartered. squeeze juice on pork and toss in rinds. Sometimes I add homebrew beer if no fruit is around.


cook on low 4-6 hours. ready when it falls apart! Spread on cookie sheet and broil for 5-10 min to get it crispy; I always skip this step because of impatience.

Spritz with a bit of lime, use as a filling tacos, burritos, etc.



I also use the slow cooker for dry beans and making stock. super easy.

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I do mine similarly, and it is hands down one of my favorite meals, not just crockpot meals. It freezes well for meals later. I may try the orange next time, as I know thats normally a thing they do for carnitas.

- one pork shoulder or butt roast (do not use pork loin roast)
- one onion, diced
- (2) 7 oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- one 7 oz. can salsa verde

I only use the adobo sauce, not much of the peppers, but I don't like it very spicy. Put all items in crockpot for 8-10 hrs. Pull pork apart well, removing large pieces of fat/junk. Take as much of the pork as you want and spread in a loaf pan with some liquid. Broil on high a few minutes until crispy, turn and stir, repeat broil, 2-3 times. This makes or breaks the meat really. Gives it that carnitas texture without the deep frying in lard. Put on tacos with avocado, onion and cilantro, sprinkle with lime. Absolutely delicious, better than a lot of restraunt carnitas.

To freeze, after you pull the pork, before broiling, put into containers with liquid and freeze. Thaw and broil to prepare.