Among Friends

[Cakers3]

@gloriajean  Hi GJ - somebody mentioned putting the veggies at the bottom and I do the same for roots veggies like carrots, turnips, etc.

Also make sure your crock pot is at least half full or else your meal will not cook evenly.

You might have needed to cut your carrots smaller.

I love my crock pot for beef stew! (Add a little stout beer for a great flavor - LOL)

[ECBG]

I cook a lot in the crock pot in the winter.  

Although it says that "things can't over cook" definately there is a "best" result.  

Large roasts (5 + pounds) get six hours.

Small to medium get 4-5 hours.

I don't do anything over six and a half hours and that would be a really                 large roast with sauce almost to the top.

Vegies are always done with a little broth.

I always cook on low.

If I use high, it's only about four hours and it won't be as good.

Google will bring up many crock pot recipes.

Some of the best recipes are from the Crock Pot web site.

Good luck!

[Toppers]

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@software wrote:

I'm glad you mentioned the pork in the slow cooker, yes the cooker does great when using pork shoulder or pork butt.  I completely agree.   And still all a matter of personal taste.   I may be doing my chicken wrong but it always comes out tasteless from a slow cooker.    

Throwback to my childhood, I guess.   Pot roast in a slow cooker is so yummy!

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@Toppers wrote:

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@software wrote:

Personally, I would never do a pork roast in a crock pot.   A crock pot does best with meats needing a long slow cook time, which is usually cheaper cuts of beef, pot roast & such.    I don't even like chicken in a crock pot.    Put your veggies in the bottom first, season your meat and put it on top of the veggies.   You can put onion on top of the meat if that's what you like.    I also like to add Worcester sauce or other kind of flavored sauce with the water or broth.   Those old crock pots are the best.    

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@gloriajean wrote:

I hardly ever use a crock pot, but I got my sister's old one when she went to the Nursing Home.  Last night I decided to pull it out and made a pork roast in it before I went to bed, added onion, seasonings, potatoes and carrots.  Well this morning the meat was fine but the vegetables were tough.  So I sliced the meat, made gravy, put the sliced pork in the gravy, it was dry, and I cooked the carrots and potatoes separately - potatoes are cooking now, and will add them to the dutch oven.  I usually make my pot roasts on top of the stove - guess that's the best way.  

Does that happen to you? Maybe I did something wrong.  I put it on low for the night.  Don't carrots cook in there?  

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Hi @software,

I like using a slow cooker to make many different kinds of meals.

I have had good sucess making pork and chicken recipes/meals, although I know that others may not like using their cookers to make those types of meals.

I have made pork ribs in my cooker, and other recipes where pork comes out really tender, and the same with chicken, too. 

You're right about a cooker being good for cheaper cuts of meat, too. I have used cheaper and less tender cuts of meat in recipes and the meals have turned out well. 

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Hi @software,

I'm sorry that you haven't had good luck with cooking chicken in your slow cooker.

If you haven't tried looking already, I think that there are some really great and really easy websites out there, regarding crock pot recipes.

Some that come to my mind off of the top of my head are: allrecipes, Betty Crocker, and Pillsbury, and the "Fix It and Forget It" slow cooker recipe websites, too.

Some of these recipes just require a few ingredients for their recipes too, where it just literally requires putting the ingredients in the cooker, and then just basically turning it on with just a little prep. time involved, first.

The older that I get, the less time I like spending in the kitchen. That's just my own personal preference, since I have been cooking for many years now. 

[software]

I rarely cook anymore.    When I find chicken on a GOOD sale, I prefer to poach it.    I've had great success.    And the broth is to die for.    I can do so much with it, sometimes just making a great chicken salad is all I need.  In the winter, it will make a great chicken & rice soup.    Almost as easy as a crock pot.   I usually put it on while cleaning the house or doing laundry.    It just needs to be checked every now & then.   I also have one of those Ron Popeil rotisseries.  It's awesome.   Thanks for the suggestions.

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@Toppers wrote:

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@software wrote:

I'm glad you mentioned the pork in the slow cooker, yes the cooker does great when using pork shoulder or pork butt.  I completely agree.   And still all a matter of personal taste.   I may be doing my chicken wrong but it always comes out tasteless from a slow cooker.    

Throwback to my childhood, I guess.   Pot roast in a slow cooker is so yummy!

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@Toppers wrote:

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@software wrote:

Personally, I would never do a pork roast in a crock pot.   A crock pot does best with meats needing a long slow cook time, which is usually cheaper cuts of beef, pot roast & such.    I don't even like chicken in a crock pot.    Put your veggies in the bottom first, season your meat and put it on top of the veggies.   You can put onion on top of the meat if that's what you like.    I also like to add Worcester sauce or other kind of flavored sauce with the water or broth.   Those old crock pots are the best.    

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@gloriajean wrote:

I hardly ever use a crock pot, but I got my sister's old one when she went to the Nursing Home.  Last night I decided to pull it out and made a pork roast in it before I went to bed, added onion, seasonings, potatoes and carrots.  Well this morning the meat was fine but the vegetables were tough.  So I sliced the meat, made gravy, put the sliced pork in the gravy, it was dry, and I cooked the carrots and potatoes separately - potatoes are cooking now, and will add them to the dutch oven.  I usually make my pot roasts on top of the stove - guess that's the best way.  

Does that happen to you? Maybe I did something wrong.  I put it on low for the night.  Don't carrots cook in there?  

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Hi @software,

I like using a slow cooker to make many different kinds of meals.

I have had good sucess making pork and chicken recipes/meals, although I know that others may not like using their cookers to make those types of meals.

I have made pork ribs in my cooker, and other recipes where pork comes out really tender, and the same with chicken, too. 

You're right about a cooker being good for cheaper cuts of meat, too. I have used cheaper and less tender cuts of meat in recipes and the meals have turned out well. 

---

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Hi @software,

I'm sorry that you haven't had good luck with cooking chicken in your slow cooker.

If you haven't tried looking already, I think that there are some really great and really easy websites out there, regarding crock pot recipes.

Some that come to my mind off of the top of my head are: allrecipes, Betty Crocker, and Pillsbury, and the "Fix It and Forget It" slow cooker recipe websites, too.

Some of these recipes just require a few ingredients for their recipes too, where it just literally requires putting the ingredients in the cooker, and then just basically turning it on with just a little prep. time involved, first.

The older that I get, the less time I like spending in the kitchen. That's just my own personal preference, since I have been cooking for many years now. 

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[inmemoryofmylittlesis]

Really good advice here. I like using my crockpot and do best when I have specific directions. I've never fixed pork in it though.

[Nataliesgramma]

I cook pork in bar-b-que sauce on low and make pulled pork sandwiches...

[Group 5 minus 1]

When I am adding vegtables like carrots or potatoes to a crock pot I will par boil first.

[Group 5 minus 1]

Or you could use canned potaotes and carrots.

[Toppers]

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@ncascade wrote:

Or you could use canned potaotes and carrots.

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Hi @Group 5 minus 1,

Sometimes I will do this too, if I want to save time.

I will just drain them and rinse them first though, to reduce the salt that is in them.

[viva923]

I own 5 crock pots, use them year around for most everything I cook.

I do add water or broth to most dishes I make. I just made angus roast last week  (used a 2 quart bottle of Dr. Pepper for the cook broth) and oh my gosh, it was melt in your mouth great.

last night did a ham and noodle bake.

I own many crock pot cook books and use these recipes.  I am not good at making up my own out of the blue meals.