Help! My Slow Cooker cooks too fast!

HELP!

I've gotten quite a few emails lately asking what to do about a hot crock, or a slow cooker that cooks too quickly, and burns or dries out food.

ick. I hate that.

First off, I'm sorry. So sorry.

There is nothing more defeating than thinking you have dinner all ready to go and come home to a gross dried-out or charred mess. I'm really sorry.

But, hopefully this will help, just a bit.

1) Make sure you are using the right size cooker.  A slow cooker needs to be quite full in order to heat evenly and cook properly. I have used pretty much all of the different types of cookers on the market, and have now collected quite a few (as of 5/2013: I have 14 in the house!!).

 I realize that storage space is at a premium, but consider getting a smaller slow cooker if you find that you aren't filling your crock at LEAST 2/3 of the way full each time you use it.

This goes against the bigger-is-better American mentality. I know. I'm sorry.

2) Start easy. Don't try out a pasta dish or a rice dish, or bleu cheese and steak roll-ups for one of your first crockpot cooking adventures. The reason they come with a little book full of stews and soups is because they are easy and somewhat fool-proof.

Try:
taco soup
beef stew
minestrone soup
lazy chicken
cream cheese chicken
white chili
enchilada casserole
sausage and vegetables
marinated meat

3) Cook for the shortest and lowest cooking time if you are going to be out of the house.

huh?

I know, it doesn't make sense.

If you are going to be out of the house for 10 hours, and the cooking time says 6-8 hours, don't set it for 10. Set it for 6, and then let it stay on warm for the rest of the time you're going to be out of the house. Worst case, the meal isn't quite done and you flip it to high while you change your clothes and set the table.

The cooking time is a range. You have to get a feel of your slow cooker (which is why you should start with the easy ones, first) and figure out due to your altitude, humidity, etc. how long things will take.

You will get a feel, I promise. I'm a complete dunder-head when it comes to cooking, yet I can slow cook. You can, too. I promise.

4) But my slow cooker doesn't switch to warm! If you don't have one of the newer "smart" pots, and you plan on being out of the house for a long period of time, you should really invest in one. 

These are the slow cookers I happen to use in my own home, and I've heard from readers that they have been able to score them for *quite* cheap at garage sales or on Craigslist.



5) I think my slow cooker releases too much moisture. Okay. Some of the newer slow cookers have a slot in the stoneware for a spoon to rest, or there is a vent hole in the glass lid. I have no idea why the manufacturers have put those things in. They certainly didn't ask me my opinion! When you release steam through these holes or slots, your food dries out. 

You can remedy this by putting down a layer of foil over the stoneware, and then put the lid on like normal. PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!! when taking off the foil---the steam will shoot right out.


6) I want to make something small but only have a geat-big-huge cooker. That's okay. All you need to do is simply insert an oven-safe dish into your cooker and then put your food into the dish. This will create a smaller cooking vessel which will insulate your food and keep it from getting over-cooked or lost in a huge machine. I use corningware or pyrex, but metal pans are fine, too. Here are my recommendations. 


7) I've done all that and it's still way too hot and it's making my countertop hot, and I think there's something wrong with it. Don't use it. Call the manufacturer. Talk to the experts who actually made the product. I'm a mom who drinks too much coffee and wears slippers all day. I can't fix it. I wish I could. I'm sorry.

If you have a hard time getting through to a particular manufacturer, please email me. I now have contact information for the different customer service channels and will try my hardest to connect you to the correct person who can be of service.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope this helps! xoxo steph




Alphabetical Listing of Recipes
Save Money by Using Your Slow Cooker
Frequently Asked Crock-Pot Questions
An Important Note About Safety
My New Year's Resolution
Slow Cooker Troubleshooting

Super Simple Cranberry Roast (beef or pork) Slow Cooker Recipe

I threw together one of the simplest roasts last week, and it was wonderful. The meat was sweet without being icky sweet, it was tender and moist, and everyone at the table had seconds.

I used frozen beef chuck, but this would be fantastic with any hunk of meat you've got lying around----beef, pork, or venison.

The Ingredients.
serves 4


2-3 pounds beef or pork roast or stew chunks
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes, or 1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)
1 (16-ounce) whole berry cranberry sauce (or 2 cups homemade!)

that's it!

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Plop in the meat (frozen is fine), and add the onion and soy sauce. Pour in the entire can of cranberry sauce over the top. Do not add water. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 5-6. If you are cooking on high, you may need to "help" the meat break apart by taking it out an hour or so before serving by cutting it into chunks, then returning to the sauce. I like it when the meat is tender and the juice has fully soaked in.

Serve over mashed potatoes, and with a green salad.

The Verdict.

This was a fantastic dinner, and since everything was already in the house, it was free!

PS: if you're around this weekend, there's a thread on the Barnes and Noble.com message boards where I'm answering any and all slow cooker questions!

Slow Cooker Green Pepper Chicken Recipe

I've been inspired lately by reading $5 Dinner Mom and Family Feasts for $75, and have started to trim down our grocery bills. Meat is definitely the biggest expense on the shopping list, and I'm realizing that our family of four doesn't need to be eating quite as much as we do. I usually plop 4 chicken breast halves into the slow cooker without thinking, but for this dish I used 3.

Guess what? We still were full, and there was still some leftover for Adam to take to work the next day for lunch. Go figure. We ate our chicken tucked into corn tortillas and had a side of basmati rice to soak up the yummy juices.

The Ingredients.
serves 4.


3 chicken breast halves
2 large green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 (7-ounce) can whole or diced green chiles (mine were mild)
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon dried minced onion, or 1 large yellow onion, diced finely
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream (to add before serving)
corn tortillas, optional

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of the cooker, and add the bell peppers and the whole can of chiles. Add basil, onion, salt, and pepper. Stir a bit to combine. Pour in the 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, or on high for 3-4.

Before serving, use tongs to remove the chicken, and set aside. Using an immersible blender, blend the peppers and sauce left at the bottom of the slow cooker. If you don't have an immersible blender, carefully(!) pour the slow cooker contents into a traditional stand blender and pulse until fully combined. Pour back into the cooker.

Stir in sour cream until melted. If you don't have sour cream in the house, plain yogurt or cream cheese would work just fine---this is only to thicken the sauce a bit and to mellow out the peppers and chile flavor.

Slice chicken, and return to the cooker. Set to high for 20-30 minutes, or until your dinner is fully hot. Serve the meat in corn tortillas, or over rice.

Or both!

The Verdict.

I've gone on the record saying I don't like green peppers. I really don't---they remind me of soggy cafeteria pizza. But they are MUCH less expensive than red, yellow, or orange peppers, and since the flavor is so pronounced a little goes a long way. Adam and the kids don't seem to mind the flavor, and the kids actually eat raw green pepper dipped in ranch, something I would never do. So I took one for the team.

I'm happy to report that I really liked the flavor when cooked like this, and when paired with the chiles. The chicken turned green, which the kids thought was neat. They happily ate their chicken over rice with a ladle full of sauce, but ate their corn tortilla as a quesadilla.

Slow Cooker Turkey Stew Recipe

I made the most delicious turkey stew over the weekend. I've never actually had turkey stew, so I don't know if it's the best that exists, but it's definitely the best I've ever had. And, since I used leftover food from Thanksgiving, it was free!

I'm kind of bummed Adam took the leftovers to work to eat for lunch, because now I'm forced to eat peanut butter on an apple-cinnamon rice cake. Again.

The Ingredients.
serves 8

There are two parts, here. The first part is to make broth with your leftover turkey carcass. If you don't have a carcass on hand, and would still like to make this soup, jump to the next step and use 8 cups of chicken broth and 2-3 cups chopped turkey.

for broth:
use a 6 quart slow cooker.

turkey carcass, or rib cage bone-sets from 2 turkey breasts
9 cups of water
2 tablespoons granulated chicken bouillon (read label carefully for msg and gluten, I used the Herb Ox brand)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (this takes the meat flavor out of the bones, and creates a beautiful color and flavor)
1 large onion, finely diced OR 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

cook on low overnight, or for about 8 hours. Unplug, and remove stoneware from cooking element. Uncover and let cool. When cool enough to "go fishing," remove all bones from broth, leaving meat inside the pot.

note: if your slow cooker releases a bunch of steam and condensation while cooking, put a layer of foil or parchment paper down over the top, then put the lid on so you don't lose your cooking liquid.

for stew, add the following:

2 cups peeled and diced sweet potato
1 (28-ounce) can diced or stewed Italian style tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 (15-ounce) can corn, and juice
4 cloves chopped garlic OR 1 teaspoon dried garlic powder

The Directions.

Combine all ingredients in a 6 quart slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until sweet potatoes have reached desired tenderness and flavors have melded.

The Verdict.

We all really liked this a lot. The girls were slow to warm up because they thought the name "turkey stew" was weird and didn't like that the broth wasn't clear, but I didn't offer them anything else to eat. When they finally tasted it, they happily finished their bowls. Adam said he liked it even better than our normal turkey soup, which is pretty high praise, since that soup is fantastic. I really liked the deep color and the sweet potatoes in contrast to the tomato base. This did not have any spicy taste, just lots of flavor.

Sweet Mustard Roast (beef or pork) Slow Cooker Recipe

I made this roast over a month ago, but I'm just now posting it. AGH!

I used a frozen beef roast for the meat, but when I shared the recipe over the phone with a friend, she made it a few days later and loved how it turned out. We really liked the beef version, so this is a double-decker recipe.

or something like that which makes better sense.

I think the baby might be sucking out all my brain cells.

The Ingredients.
serves 4


3 pounds beef or pork roast (mine was still frozen when I put it in)
1/3 cup molasses (this looks so much like melted ear wax to me) (that was kind of gross.) (sorry.)
1/3 cup dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons white vinegar (apple cider vinegar would work well, too)

The Directions.

Use a 4 quart slow cooker. If you have a larger model, that's fine, but you won't need to cook it as long---I'd check after 5 hours on low.

Dump meat into cooker. Top with molasses, dijon, and vinegar. Toss in the garlic powder. Using tongs, flip the meat over a few times to coat it nicely with the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for about 4.
The meat will be more tender if you cook it on low for a longish time.

The Verdict.

I served this meat the night we got our Christmas tree. I have video of the kids eating the meat and making yummy noises while we were trying to untangle the lights. It was a fun night, and the meal was successful. I served mashed potatoes and green beans for sides, and they were a nice compliment.

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

Happy Monday! Thank you so much for your wonderful comments and emails about the new baby. We're all doing really well, and can definitely feel your warm wishes and love floating through cyberspace.

You all are fantastically amazing. Thank you.

The above picture doesn't look like much----it's just a bowl full of shredded chicken. I felt like sharing, though, because sometimes I get questions on how to utilize the slow cooker for meal planning and for stocking the freezer, and thought this might be helpful.

While in the midst of my crazy nesting phase these past few weeks, my father-in-law reported that our local grocery store had a sale on chicken quarters for $0.57 a pound. That's a fantastic price for around here, and I popped on down to pick up a bunch of packages.

Although I did process quite a bit of chicken (de-skinned, and broke into meal-sized portions for future slow-cooked meals!) for the freezer, I also cooked quite a bit so we'd have already-cooked chicken ready to go for lunches, snacks, and dinners.

This is what I did:

The chicken quarters were bone-in thigh and leg pieces, and they did have skin. While the chicken was still fresh, I skinned a bunch and threw it into the largest slow cooker I have, which is 6.5 quarts. I was able to get 8 quarters in the pot. I also filled a 5 quart with 6 additional quarters.

And then I covered with lids and turned them on low for 7 hours. I did not add water, broth, or any seasoning. You certainly can if you'd like, but I was interested in shredded, naked chicken.

When the time elapsed, I took the lid off and let the chicken cool quite a bit before I handled it. There was plenty of juice left in the pot---enough to make a soup base if you were so inclined, or for homemade chicken broth (put the bones back in the pot for the broth!)

I then dug through to separate the bones and the chicken. You can use the chicken in a meal right away that calls for already-cooked chicken, or you can freeze for later use.

coming up soon: sweet mustard roast


more staple ideas:

homemade chicken broth
homemade refried beans
making your own "canned" beans
cooking a whole chicken
rotisserie chicken
homemade cream of mushroom soup
meal planning with the slow cooker

Slow Cooker Chicken with Apricots and Dates Recipe

Don't be turned off by the name of this recipe or the list of ingredients. It sounds a bit odd, I know---
dried apricots? dried dates? with chicken?

Trust me. This tastes good.

The Ingredients.
serves 6

1 1/2 pounds chicken meat (boneless, skinless thighs are the best. If you're going to use chicken with bones, fish them out about halfway through cooking)
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried pitted dates, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup orange juice

The Directions.

Put the chicken into the bottom of a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker. My chicken was frozen solid. If you are using fresh chicken, shave off about 90 minutes or so of cooking time.

Add diced onion, and spices. Sprinkle on the apricots and dates. Pour the broth and orange juice evenly over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 3-5. The chicken should be quite tender and shred easily with a fork. If your chicken isn't tender enough, stir well and cook for a bit longer on low.

Serve with quinoa or brown rice with the juices----the broth is delicious!

The Verdict.

What a fantastic combination of flavors. The chicken was super tender, with just a touch of sweetness. The dried fruit softened immensely, and kind of became one with the cooking liquid (the apricots shown in the picture were placed there as a garnish).
All of us ate our dinner happily, and my grandma enjoyed the leftovers. I'd make this again for sure.

The most expensive component to this dish was the dried fruit. The packages were $2.99 each at our local grocery store, and we finished it off by putting it in steel cut oatmeal.

Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe

Hello there! I have exciting news!

This news is probably more exciting to me than to you, but trust me---it's exciting nevertheless.

And I'm pretty sure you will never guess what my news is.

nope. that's not it.

nope. it's not that either!

My super duper exciting news is that somehow I don't seem to be allergic to pork anymore. I have no idea how it happened, but I started sneaking *real* bacon here and there at restaurants when I was pregnant, and then I got kind of gutsy and had *real* baby back ribs, and then all of a sudden I was eating pulled pork and ham.

My mind is totally and completely blown.

So I made carnitas. In the slow cooker.

And now so should you!

The Ingredients.
serves 6.

2 pounds pork shoulder
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 large orange)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 large lime)
7 cloves garlic (whole intact)
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 cup beef broth
corn tortillas
sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the salt and cumin. Rub mixture all over the pork, then plop into the slow cooker. Add whole garlic cloves. Squeeze on the citrus, and pour the beef broth evenly over the top.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the pork shreds quite easily with a fork. If your meat is still fully intact after 8 hours, remove and cut into chunks, then return to the crock and flip to high for about an hour or two.
Shred meat fully and serve on warmed corn tortillas with desired toppings.

The Verdict.

This is so totally good. I adored the citrusy flavor of the meat, and the slight smokiness from the cumin. If you don't eat pork, try using an inexpensive chuck roast instead of the pork shoulder. Adam and the girls all liked their dinner, and I'm so beyond thrilled that due to some bizarre fluke of nature I can eat pork again.

~~knock on wood~~

Chicken Enchilada Chili

It is officially chili weather.

It's been raining an awful lot here, and since I'm in California, and part of living in California means complaining every time it dips below 60, I've been making a lot of hearty comfort food.

I'm very happy that we've never lost power, so my slow cookers could continue to bubble away unattended while I watched the gutter outside overflow onto the sidewalk and lawn.

I may have even taken some video.

This is a fun twist on traditional chili, and I finished off the last little plastic container this morning. Like many soups, stews, and chilis, the leftovers are even better than the original!

The Ingredients.
serves 6

1 1/2 pounds chicken (boneless & skinless, OR fish out the bones and skin after about 4 hours)
1 1/2 cups prepared enchilada sauce (read labels carefully if avoiding gluten)
2 chopped celery stalks
2 (14.5 oz) cans tomatoes with seasoning (your choice: I had garlic and olive oil on hand)
2 (15 oz) cans pinto or kidney beans, undrained (or 1 cup dried pinto beans, soaked overnight)
1 onion, diced (or 1 tablespoon dried, minced onion flakes)
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

The Directions.

Pour enchilada sauce and canned tomatoes into the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Add beans, celery, onion and spices. Stir to combine. Place chicken on top.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until flavors have combined. If you are using dried beans, you may need to cook longer to fully soften the beans. Since I was using the chicken quarters I got on sale, I fished out the chicken after about 4 hours, and removed the bones. I then stirred the chicken back into the pot.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

The Verdict.

Oh I LOVED this chili. And I loved it even more that Adam and the kids loved it, and that the baby doesn't seem to mind when I eat beans. I made an afternoon snack of nachos with some of the leftovers yesterday. Divine.

There is definitely a bit of heat in the sauce. I used a mild enchilada sauce, but it still has a kick. If your family doesn't like much heat, start with 1 teaspoon of chili powder. You can always add more later to taste.

Gluten Free Progressive Dinner
and a Make it Fast, Cook it Slow give-away!

This month's Gluten Free Dinner theme is "Winter Warmers," and here's a listing of all the participants:

Creamy Potato Leek Soup
Roasted Cauliflower Soup with GF Croutons
Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with Prosciutto
Mexican Seafood Soup
Vegan Un-Chicken Roasted Vegetable Soup
Wassail (this is my recipe! and Shirley is giving away a signed copy of my Make it Fast, Cook it Slow cookbook. Click over and leave a comment under her post for entry by January 27th)

Calico Bean Soup Slow Cooker Recipe

Good news! I'm not dying, I just have a sinus infection.

yay!

Things are going well in our house, and while I haven't been posting new recipes as often as I would like, I'm still using my slow cookers daily. In fact, as of this morning, I've made 183 new recipes since December 2009.

and the baby was born January 6th of 2010.

we've been busy!

I'm happy to say that I haven't gone off the deep-end (yet.), but am instead working on a new book of 200 (brand new!!) budget-friendly crockpot recipes that will be released in January of 2011. My due date is fast approaching, as is Easter, and summer vacation, and teething.

but we do have a trip to Disneyland planned after I turn in my manuscript. In fact, I'll be speaking/demo-ing, on Mother's Day weekend if you happen to live in the Anaheim area. I'd love to meet you!

Also, I've been having an EXTRAORDINARY (I think it's a glitch in blogger) amount of comment spam lately (like 175 robot-comments a day?!) so if you've written in to ask a question and I haven't posted and responded, it's because I got slightly (okay, more than slightly. I kind of freaked out.) overwhelmed last week and deleted everything. If you've got a burning question on a specific recipe, email me directly instead of going through the comment form.

I made a free-to-me soup last night, and promptly fell asleep while it was cooking. When Adam tried to wake me at 11:15 to remind me that the soup was still on, I muttered, "it's beans. they could cook forever, it's fine."

and I was right! This soup cooked on low for 19 hours. It's delicious, and can certainly be completely vegetarian if you don't use liquified chicken the way I did for broth.

The Ingredients.
serves 10, easily


1 pound assorted dried beans (I used small red, lima, northern, black-eyed peas, split peas, pinto)
2 cans (25-30 ounces approx) diced tomatoes (whatever you have on hand---flavored, Rotel, etc.)
3 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon celery seed (or chop up a bunch of celery if you already have it in the house)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups broth
4 cups water

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Soak your beans overnight in enough water to cover completely with another 4 inches or so. Drain well and add to pot. If you don't have time to soak the beans for hours and hours, put them in a large stock pot with a bunch of water and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let your beans sit for an hour, then drain and use.

After the beans are in the slow cooker, add all of the spices and canned tomatoes. Pour in broth and water. Cover and cook on low for 10-20 hours, or until the beans have begun to split and thicken the broth. You can also remove about a cup of beans and blend, then stir back in to thicken the broth nicely (or do a few pulses with a hand mixer!)

The Verdict.

I'm the only one who has had this so far. The kids are getting pictures taken for softball, and I need to get out of here and join them on the field. I had 2 mugfulls for breakfast, and am leaving the pot on "warm" so we can all enjoy it for lunch (and probably dinner, too). The flavor is mild, and beany. I didn't add any salt to my servings, but some may wish for a bit more of a salty flavor. I plan on giving the kids a small bowl of shredded cheese to stir into their servings.

Have a wonderful weekend!

p.s. I have been posting on Totally Together this year
and you should check out Kid vs. Produce for an entertaining year-long adventure!

Slow Cooker Cheese Enchilada Stack Recipe

How is it May already? Someone has been screwing with the calendar and been pressing the fast forward button.

I made a well-received dinner the other night, and figured out how to make enchilada sauce using pantry staples that tastes like enchilada sauce instead of watered down tomatoey water.

All by myself.

except for the part where I got a little help from the Internet.

I love the Internet.

The Ingredients
serves 6

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (the whole can)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried minced onion (or 1 small onion, finely diced)
8 corn tortillas (check labels for hidden gluten)
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4-ounce) can sliced olives, drained
6 tablespoons sour cream

The Directions

First off, this is vegetarian (well, except that I used chicken broth because I always have chicken broth in the house, and I think vegetable broth kind of smells like compost).

If you want to add meat, you should use already cooked pork, beef or chicken (great use for shredded chicken!).
This is NOT because the meat won't cook---it definitely will, but while it cooks, it will give off so much liquid that your enchilada stack will be soggy and gross.

And nobody wants that.

Anyhow. Use a 4-quart slow cooker. In a large mixing bowl, make enchilada sauce by combining:
broth
tomatoes
spices
onion
Stir well and set aside. Put a layer of tortillas into the bottom of your slow cooker (you may need to tear a few). Add a handful of cheese, and some sliced olives. Scoop a large spoonful of sauce on top. Repeat layers until you've run out of ingredients.

Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until cheese has melted, is brown and bubbly, and the top layer has begun to pull away from the sides. Let it sit unplugged for about 15 minutes before serving with a dollop of sour cream.

The Verdict

We all cleaned our plates. It's a bit messy, but this tastes fantastic and was super easy to throw together.
You could make this on Wednesday, which happens to be Cinco de Mayo!
Already.
how is it May? what is going on?
I must be getting old. or something.

other stuff you should make for Cinco de Mayo and then invite me over because we've got nothing planned:

fajitas
easy chicken tacos
tamales (impress your friends!)
tamale pie
enchilada casserole
enchilada chili
carnitas
taco dip
chimichangas (so much fun!)
albondigas soup
rotel and sausage dip
Mexican Breakfast casserole
tortilla soup

and then for your leftover drink mix:
margarita chicken

also, I thought I'd post a review and give away today on Totally Together Reviews, but it's not quite ready to go yet.
Instead, you can get your give-away fix over on my friend Shirley's blog!

Slow Cooker Puffy Pizza Casserole Recipe

Hello all over again! I've got my coffee, and am beginning to feel somewhat-human again. I've been wandering the living room in a complete daze trying to process the past few days.

Thank you so much to everyone who took time out of their busy lives to come see me at the Food and Wine Festival. I had so much fun putting faces to email addresses and blogger handles.
I love how enormously huge and scary and yet how small and friendly the Internet can be all at the same time.
You are all wonderful, thank you.

Who's ready for pizza? While I was doing my year-long slow cooking challenge, I got a few cheeky comments from people who were certain that my family was missing out on eating pizza because I was preparing a slow cooker meal everyday. Since we're gluten free, we don't actually eat all that much pizza anymore anyway, but the comments still got my brain buzzing, and I wondered if I COULD make pizza in a crockpot.

I can now say: yup.

It's not the same, but it's close enough to a deep-dish style pizza to satisfy any and all pizza cravings, and it comes right out of your crockpot.

Life is good.

The Ingredients.
serves 8


1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (1.5) ounce packet of spaghetti mix (if using store-bought, look out for hidden gluten. I like the McCormick brand. You can also make your own using the recipe below)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water

for puffy topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour (I use Pamela's Baking Mix as my AP flour)
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
20 pepperoni slices
1/2 cup sliced olives, optional

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Mix
yields 1 packet

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons green pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

The Directions.

Use a 4 quart slow cooker (if you only have a 6, that's okay, it will just cook faster. Check it after 3 hours on high.)

In a very large skillet, brown beef, onion, and garlic on the stove top. Drain fat, and add spaghetti sauce mix, oregano, tomato sauce, and water. Stir over low heat until tiny bubbles appear. Remove from heat and scoop into the slow cooker (you might want to spray it with cooking spray).

In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for your puffy topping: flour, milk, eggs, and cheese. Pour evenly over the top. Place pepperoni slices and olives on top of the topping.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or until the topping has turned golden brown, puffed up, and pulled away from the sides.
I have not tried to cook this yet on low. I'd check it after 6 hours (in a 4-quart, 4 hours in a 6-quart).
If you do opt to cook it on low, I'd love to hear your timing results!

The Verdict.

I was given this recipe from a good friend of mine (who is rather shy and doesn't want her name on the internet!), and was so eager to give it a try. She usually cooks it in the oven, but said that sometimes it puffs over the side of her baking dish, and makes a huge mess in the bottom of her oven.

I loved the way it worked in the crock. I didn't vent the lid at all---it puffs up beautifully and completely satisfied my family's cravings without needing to worry about gluten or tipping the delivery guy!

more pizza stuff:
pizza soup
pizza fondue

go read about PowerAde Play! there's a chance for you to win $125!

Slow Cooker Coconut Red Beans and Rice Recipe

It's the 24th of May, and it is STILL COLD OUTSIDE.

dude. this is getting old.

I'm trying my hardest to not complain, and to instead pretend it's tropical outside. It looks like in order to have a somewhat-tropical environment this holiday weekend, I'm going to have to crank up the thermostat and inflate some plastic palm trees.

or I could just eat some leftover coconut red beans and rice.

The Ingredients.

serves 8

1 cup dried small red beans (soaked overnight, then boiled for 10 minutes)
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (14.5-ounce) can coconut milk (full fat is best. if you prefer to not use full-fat, add a drop or two of coconut extract to intensify the flavor)
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups long grain basmati white rice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 limes, cut in wedges (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Sort beans, and soak overnight in a bunch of water. In the morning, drain the water and dump the beans into a large pot of fresh water. Boil rapidly on the stovetop for at least 10 minutes before draining and putting into your crockpot.

Red beans MUST be boiled on the stove before added to the slow cooker to kill a possible toxin that occurs naturally. Want more info? click here.

Add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pour in the whole can of coconut milk (the creamy stuff, too), and chicken broth. Stir in raw rice and kosher salt. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until beans are bite tender. Before eating, squeeze on a bit of lime juice for a fun tropical twist.

The Verdict.

These are some killer beans. I loved how everything cooked together in one pot, and how coconuty the rice tasted. My grandma took home a big Tupperware and reported back that they froze and reheated quite well (she nuked to reheat).

I used chicken broth because I like the flavor it provides, but if you'd prefer to keep your meal purely vegetarian, you should use veggie broth. I don't think water would provide enough impact.

more stuff with beans:
dried bean tutorial
cowboy beans
traditional chili
white bean and apple chili
beans and weenies
black bean soup
calico bean soup
bbq beef and bean sandwiches
smoky refried bean soup

and more in the archives!

Slow Cooker Big Easy Meatloaf Recipe

It's the summer! And evidently that means that I neglect the computer.

oops! Sorry about that.

But I have been crockpotting, and I'd like to share a meatloaf I threw together that we enjoyed out in the yard.

I really appreciate that I can use the crockpot on a hot day and not have it heat up the house the way the oven or stove does. I also appreciate that the kids and I can be out in the yard playing in the water instead of hanging out in the house while I tend to dinner.

The Ingredients
serves 4-6

1 pound lean ground turkey or beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 fully cooked andouille sausage links (6-ounces, total)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I put a metal loaf pan into the slow cooker and baked the meatloaf in it (no need to add water, just put the loaf pan into the crock), but if you'd prefer to not use a loaf pan, you can just make a blob with the meat and put it directly into the crock.

Anyhow, take the casing off of the sausage, and chop it into pieces. Toss it in a mixing bowl with the ground meat, all the spices and the beaten egg. Mix well; I always use my hands. Shove the meat mixture into a 9 x 5 x 3 baking pan and put this pan into an oval crockpot (or plop the meat blob into the crock all alone).

Cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3 to 5 hours. You'll know the loaf is done when it's brown on the top and it starts to pull away from the sides. If you're not using the loaf pan, the meat will cook faster---check after 4 hours on low, 2 to 3 on high.

When thoroughly cooked, turn off and unplug the cooker and let the meat sit for about 15 minutes before removing from the pot.

The Verdict

I loved how the andouille sausage livens up this meatloaf (which can sometimes be pretty darn boring). I also liked that I was able to use up the two sausages I had roaming about the freezer and a package of ground turkey meat. We ate our meatloaf in the yard with some potato wedges. The kids always dip meatloaf into A-1 sauce.

always.

more meatloaf!

traditional meatloaf
blue cheese and cherry meatloaf (sounds weird, but it's totally good)

I haven't started reading The Help yet, have you? I ordered it through Amazon, and sent it off with Grandma with strict instructions not to bring it back until July 1 so I could meet a few writing deadlines. She read it in three days, and LOVED it. I'm so looking forward to diving in!

brand new in the GF/CF world: My friend Diane just released her new cookbook, available for download. It's a great price, and a wonderful resource. She is also offering an affiliate program if you'd like to help out with advertising (this is not an affiliate link, btw, just helping to get the word out!).

Orange Honey Tilapia Slow Cooker Recipe

Fish! It's what's for dinner.

I love making fish in the crockpot. I love making pretty much anything in the crockpot, but the ease of making fish is just so wonderful, I'm surprised everyone doesn't cook fish this way.
It's easy.
It's moist and flavorful.
It doesn't heat up the house on a hot day.
it doesn't stink up the kitchen.
and clean up is practically non-existent.

SCORE!

I had a bunch of frozen tilapia in the house that I bought in bulk, and needed a new recipe. My kids hands-down favorite tialpia is Parmesan Tilapia, but I wanted a super low-fat dinner to counteract the gobs of Cheesy Creamed Corn I ate the other day.

The Ingredients.
serves 4

4 tilapia filets (frozen is just fine)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 (10-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
aluminum foil
salt and pepper to taste at the table

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Lay a length of foil on your countertop and place the fish directly in the middle. Dribble balsamic vinegar and honey over the top of each fillet, and place a handful of drained mandarin oranges on top (my kids like to drink the juice!).

Fold over foil and crimp the edges to form a packet. Put the foil packet into your slow cooker, and put the lid on (if you'd prefer to have one fish fillet per packet for serving, divide the sauce and the oranges). Cook on high for two hours, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. If your fish was frozen, it may take another 30 minutes or so, but you should still check it after two hours. Season to taste with some salt and pepper at the table.

The Verdict.

We all loved this, and I was able to share my grandfather's story about mandarin oranges really being boneless baby goldfish. It's a bit odd---but the kids loved the story the same way I did when I was growing up!

more fish in foil:
fillet of sole with pesto
salmon with a sweet and spicy rub

and more on the way!

ps: my friend Sean started a new endeavor called Punk Domestics. If you liked the idea of making homemade yogurt, I think you'll get a bunch of great ideas. He's also looking for submissions, if you're interested!

Country Captain Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

Hello! I'm going to share my absolute new favorite recipe of all time with you today. Hold on to your socks---this is a great one, and no one will ever know how super simple it was to throw together.

It'll be our secret.

I got excited to make Country Captain after watching an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay, where this was the featured dish.

[aside: am I the only one who feels badly for the poor challenger who thinks he/she is being filmed for their own Food Network special? My heart just breaks for them.]

There are lots of listed ingredients, but chances are you already have most of the stuff on hand.

The Ingredients.
serves 6

1 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (mine were frozen solid)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced (someday I want one of those peeler thingies)
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup raisins (or 2 T currants. I like raisins.)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup raw long-grain basmati white rice (to add later)
1 pound fully cooked shrimp (to add later, I used frozen already-shelled)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of your stoneware. Add chopped apple, onion, and bell pepper. Add garlic and all spices. Toss in the raisins and the entire can of diced tomatoes. Stir in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until chicken is tender, but still intact. Using tongs, remove chicken carefully from the slow cooker and place in a covered dish to keep warm.

Stir in raw white rice. Cover and cook again for about 30 minutes, or until rice is bite-tender. Stir in frozen shrimp, and recover cook for about 15 minutes, or until shrimp is heated through.

Serve rice and shrimp mixture on a plate with chicken pieces arranged on top.

The Verdict.

I wish I had eaten more of this--I mistakenly wandered from the table to tend to the baby. The rice cooks beautifully in the curried sauce, and the shrimp softens nicely and provides a great texture against the rice and raisins. My kids love how raisins plump when slow-cooked. My dad ate all the leftovers, and called twice with high praises.

The shrimp is the most expensive component to this dish, and while I adore all things shrimp, it isn't a necessity. Your chicken and rice will be still be quite lovely if you choose to omit this ingredient.