Kitchen

[shamalamadingdong4]

On 11/16/2014 ciao_bella said:

Count me in as another who's not a big fan of crock pot meals. With the exception of soups, I think crockpots make meats dry and unappealing. It doesn't matter how much liquid, gravy or sauce is in with the meat when it cooks...it just seems to draw all the liquid out of the meat making it overly dry. I'll stick with making pot roasts in my cast iron Dutch oven.

I love my cast iron too. It makes food taste so much better.

[151949]

One of the things my DH absolutely loves is the smell of food cooking - i think it is wonderful to come in the house and the aroma of various herbs and ingredients hits you. However, one of my neighbors told me she hates that when I have the windows open she can smell food cooking odors from our house and why don't we just eat out like everyone else!!!! Whatever.

[missy1]

I had one, but never used it. I am still afraid to leave it on all day, while I am gone.

[qualitygal]

I love my crockpot, I don't use it everyday though. Nothing seems to beat tried and true recipes, that's why my favorite cookbooks and some of the finds I have in those, are from housewives just like me. Usually easy and tried and true to be sure. Go with what you like.

[suzyQ3]

I haven't had a chance to read through the responses, so I may be repeating what some have said.

I've tried numerous times to like slow-cooker cooking. I think I've bought and given away at least three of them.

The only advantage to slow-cookers is the idea that you can just dump everything in and turn it on. But my husband and I find the results to be unappealing. The flavors are not bright, fresh, or distinguishable but seem to be muddy, for lack of a better word. Even browning something, which does somewhat negate the convenience, still doesn't help much.

If we want convenience, we use our stove-top pressure cookers. We've always had wonderful results with that method.

[RainyDayGal]

I love it for soups, stews, chili, and roasts with veggies. The meat has never come out dry. But I always put beef stock in there, and it literally falls apart. It's the only way I'll do roasts.

I cook those things on the weekend. I love it because I get up and prepare them, put them in the slower cooker and I'm done for the day. I can run my errands, go out and play, and I don't have to worry about coming home and cooking dinner because it's already done.

[Sabatini2]

When I was a young mom, I tried to use a crockpot, but figured I must be doing something wrong, because no matter what I cooked, it all seemed to taste the same. SuzyQ3 said it best: "The flavors are not bright, fresh, or distinguishable but seem to be muddy, for lack of a better word."

However, I recently read a recipe online about making stuffing in a crockpot where you place some roasted turkey wings on top to add that turkey flavor. That piqued my interest, because we're a stuffing-inside-the-bird-family, and it seems that there's never enough stuffing to go around. My kids have suffered from Stuffing Deprivation. Someday I just might try that.

[ccassaday]

On 11/17/2014 Sabatini2 said:

When I was a young mom, I tried to use a crockpot, but figured I must be doing something wrong, because no matter what I cooked, it all seemed to taste the same. SuzyQ3 said it best: "The flavors are not bright, fresh, or distinguishable but seem to be muddy, for lack of a better word."

However, I recently read a recipe online about making stuffing in a crockpot where you place some roasted turkey wings on top to add that turkey flavor. That piqued my interest, because we're a stuffing-inside-the-bird-family, and it seems that there's never enough stuffing to go around. My kids have suffered from Stuffing Deprivation. Someday I just might try that.

Can you tell me where I can find that recipe.

[colliegirls]

On 11/16/2014 Sunshine Kate said:

I like crock pot cooking. As a matter of fact, I have chicken and dumplings cooking right now.

OMG, what is your recipe?? I love chicken and dumplings!! Is it good and thick???

[colliegirls]

On 11/16/2014 Fifi1 said: I'm lazy, and put in long hours at work so like the fact I can dump it all in and leave it in low. I'm doing chicken Marsala in mine today...home, but too,lazy to complete all the tasks for my traditional recipe. we shall see! I say whatever works for you, and enjoy!

Chicken Marsala???? Another recipe I want!! Please!!