Family Favorite Crockpot Recipes
Why cook with the crockpot
As my children reached young men and young women age I found it hard to get home from work and school, get dinner on the table, homework started, and the children to their activities on time. I started to research options. Fast food – either from the drive through or out of the freezer was more expensive than I could afford and not that nutritious. I was not comfortable with hotdogs, mac-n-cheese, soup or grilled cheese every time we were pushed for time. So I started to experiment with other options. The crockpot has been the answer to my time concern. My children and I have enjoyed many dinners at our table talking and laughing instead of inhaling food as we ran out the door.
Crockpot recipes are prevalent. Many of them require more prep than I am ready to do in the morning. Therefore, you will find these recipes are quick to prepare so you don’t spend too much time in the morning preparing the meal. I have also included some of my ideas for second or third meals based on leftovers from the crockpot meal.
Slow-Cooker Tips & Tricks
Master the mystery of this appliance.
• Don't fill it up. Your slow cooker should be one-half to two-thirds full. If it's too full, it will take too long to start simmering. If it's not full enough, you risk overcooking.
• Keep it thrifty. This long, moist cooking method is ideal for inexpensive cuts of meat, since it provides plenty of time for tenderizing.
• Leave it alone. Don't lift the lid, unless you want to extend the cooking time by 20 min. To check the progress, spin the lid until the condensation falls off. If the recipe gives you reason to lift the lid, replace it quickly.
• Customize it. If you want to thicken the juices or concentrate flavors, remove the lid and cook on HIGH for the last 30 min.
• Stick to the cooking time. Slow cookers work by simmering food at a low, even temperature, so adhere to the recipe.
Soups
You can make any soup in the crockpot that can be done on the stove. Just make sure your meat is well cooked prior to adding it to the liquid and other ingredients. Pasta in soups can become mushy. I like to boil mine separately and add to the soup just prior to serving.
Chicken
CHICKEN ENCHILADA PASTA
- 2-3 chicken breasts (You can use frozen chicken)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 {4 oz.} can diced green chiles
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 2 {10 oz.} cans green chili enchilada sauce
- 2/3 cups red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheese {I used colby & monterrey jack}
- 1 cup sour cream
- Penne pasta
In the bottom of the crockpot layer olive oil, garlic, onion, red pepper, and chicken breasts. In a bowl combine green chiles, salt chili powder, and enchilada sauces. I have used an entire 10 oz can of red enchilada sauce many times because I was in a hurry. It is still very good. Pour sauces over chicken breast. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 – 9. At this time, add it, the sour cream, cumin, and cheese to the pot. Stir and let cook on high until the pasta is cooked. You can serve this single dish style by stirring the pasta into the crockpot or family style by letting people serve their own pasta and cover with sauce. If I have time, I may serve with the optional toppings listed below.
Optional toppings
Avocado, Green Onions, Black Olives, Tomatoes, Sour Cream
All in one Chicken Dinner
- 3 -4 chicken breast
- 5- 7 potatoes cut into bite size pieces
- ½ - 1 lbs baby carrots or
- 3-4 large carrots cut into bite size pieces
- Lawrys Perfect Blend Seasoning and Rub Chicken and Poultry (I buy this at Sam’s Club)
- ¼ - ½ C water
• 3-4 Chicken breasts (You can use frozen chicken breast. That is what usually happens at my house.)
• One can or jar of spaghetti sauce (I use the brand that I got on the best buy at the case lot sale).
• Shredded cheese – I like to use a combination of parmesan and mozzarella. However, if I don’t have it cheddar will do.
• Penne Pasta – I have used everything from spaghetti to elbow macaroni. I use what I have.
Place chicken breast in the bottom of the crockpot and cover with spaghetti sauce. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 – 9 hours. If the spaghetti sauce is thick, you may want to add a little bit of water to keep the dish from burning. During the last 30 minutes cooking time, boil your pasta. While the pasta is cooking, shred the chicken breast. I find it easiest to put the breast on a plate and use two forks. Once the chicken is shredded, add it back into the pot and coat with sauce. Drain pasta, add to pot with shredded cheese, stir together, and serve. I usually put a little more cheese on the table for my boys to top their dish. They are sure I use way to little cheese.
Note: I can get the pasta boiling, shred the chicken, make a salad, slice bread, set the table, and finish up this dish in 30 minutes from the time I walk in the door.
Chicken Bake This is a great way to get cooked chicken for all those recipes that call for cook cubed or shredded chicken. You can do one chicken breast or as many as would fit in your crockpot. Your crockpot will work best if it is about 2/3 full. You will need water in the bottom of the crockpot to ensure moist chicken. I usually find myself throwing in frozen chicken breast because I have not prepared enough the night before.
• Chicken breasts
• You favorite seasoning: I like Lawrys Perfect Blend Seasoning and Rub Chicken and Poultry or
o lemon pepper
• ¼ - ½ cup water
Place a layer of chicken breast on the bottom of the crockpot, sprinkle with seasoning. Repeat until you have your chicken in the pot. Carefully pour the water into the crockpot. I usually pour it on the side. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 to 9 hours. If you cook it on low for the longer time, it will shred very easily. I usually cook chicken this way at the 2/3 crockpot level. That allows me a first night meal of baked chicken and potatoes; followed by another night’s meal of chicken tacos or enchiladas; with a third night meal of chicken and rice or chicken and broccoli casserole; and a lunch of chicken salad. It is also great on chicken pizza BBQ, alfredo, or pesto.
Pollo Durango
- 3 – 4 chicken breasts
- 1 large can of green enchilada sauce
- Sliced mushrooms – I like mushrooms so I use about 8 oz. My children wish I would use fewer.
- 1 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheese
Place chicken breast in the bottom of the crockpot and cover with enchilada sauce. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 – 9 hours. During the last 30 minutes cooking time, remove the chicken from the pot and shred. I find it easiest to put the breast on a plate and use two forks. Once the chicken is shredded, add it back into the pot with the sour cream, cheese, and mushrooms stir to coat. Cover and let cook for at least 20 minutes. This can be served with rice, tortillas, or both. If I serve it, with tortillas, I chop lettuce and we eat it like a taco. We like it best with cilantro lime rice.
Cilantro Lime Rice – this is a non-recipe, recipe. You will want to do this to your taste. Cook rice as you normally would. While rice is cooking, Chop desired amount of cilantro for your taste, Add lime zest to cilantro, Juice the lime. When your rice is cooked and still warm stir the cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice to the rice and stir.
Note: I can do the final prep for this dinner during rice cooking time. Once again another 30 minute to the table meal.
Beef
Sunday Roast
• Beef Roast
• Salt and Pepper
• Sliced onion
• Potatoes cut in quarters
• Baby carrots or carrots cut into two inch pieces
• 1/3 cup water
Place roast in crockpot. Rub with salt and pepper. Place sliced onion on top and around roast. Place carrots and potatoes on top of onion. Pour water down the side of crockpot. Season potatoes and carrots with salt and pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 – 8 hours.
Meatloaf and Dollar Potatoes
This technique can be used with your favorite meatloaf recipe. Make your meatloaf. The shape of your crockpot will determine which of the two procedures you will use.
1. If you have an oblong crockpot, you will use this method. Prior to placing it in the loaf pan line your pan with an extra-large piece of tin foil, large enough that you can use the excess as handles to get the loaf out of the pan. Lift the meatloaf out of the pan by foil. Place in your crockpot cover with the foil handles.
2. If you have a round crockpot, use this method. On a large piece of tin foil shape a meatloaf that will fit in the bottom of your crockpot leaving about 1 inch on the sides of your loaf. Place into your crockpot and loosely cover.
Wash enough potatoes for one per person in your family. Carefully slice your potatoes into about ¼ inch slices without slicing through the whole potatoes. You should have a piece of potato skin holding each potato together. Season potatoes to taste. Put about 1/3 cup water in the crockpot. Place potatoes into the crockpot. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
Taco Meatloaf
You can vary your meatloaf by creating a taco twist. Simply trade your traditional spices for taco seasoning, the ketchup for tomato sauce, or both for taco sauce. Substitute crushed corn chips for the bread crumbs. Add a little shredded cheese and you have taco meatloaf.
Christmas Meatballs
This recipe makes me laugh. It is so simple, everyone raves about it, and will not believe how easy it is. I serve it every Christmas at an open house and there are many who come with these in mind.
- 1 bag of prepared frozen meatballs. I get mine from Sam’s club.
- 1 jar BBQ sauce – once again the one I got on sale at the caselot sale
- 1 can soda – I usually use diet coke because that is what I have. However, I have used 7 up, Sprite, and coke successfully. Rootbeer or fruit flavored (grape, orange, grapefruit) soda not that great.
Place meatballs in crockpot. Pour BBQ sauce over meatballs. Use that soda to clean out the BBQ sauce jar and pour over meatballs. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Note: This is can be served as “finger food” with toothpicks or straight pretzels or as part of a meal. My boys like them on rice or in meatball subs.
Pork
Kalaua Pork• Pork loin – select the amount appropriate for your family. My crockpot holds about 4 lbs of loin.
• Liquid smoke
• Sea salt
• ¼ - ½ cup water.
Place pork loin in crockpot. Cover loin with liquid smoke and sea salt. Turn loin to reveal unseasoned meat. Season with liquid smoke and sea salt. Continue turning and seasoning pork loin until all meat is seasoned. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Shred and serve. My family likes this on sandwiches with jalapeno jelly. However, it is very good with rice or baked potatoes. For a Hawaiian twist serve with white rice, pasta salad and teriyaki sauce on the side.
This is also good as a second meal in quesadillas.
BBQ Pork
This recipe can be used with pork loin, family style pork ribs, or pork roasts. I also use it with chicken and beef, as well as meatballs.
• 3 – 4 lbs meat.
• 1 jar BBQ sauce – once again the one I got on sale at the caselot sale
• 1 can soda – I usually use diet coke because that is what I have. However, I have used 7 up, Sprite, and coke successfully. Rootbeer or fruit flavored (grape, orange, grapefruit) soda not that great.
Place meat in crockpot. Pour BBQ sauce over meat. Use the soda to clean out the BBQ sauce jar and pour over meatballs. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
If I want pulled pork sandwiches, I will use a pork loin or roast. However, for a second day meal of pulled pork sandwiches the ribs are fine. Using ribs usually leads to a first day meal of BBQ ribs on rice.
Leftovers can be used on BBQ pork pizza. This is a little different pizza than most have had. I shred the pork and stir in the sauce. If the sauce is extremely thin, I will reduce it in a saucepan while I clean up the dinner dishes. I just put all the crockpot contents into the saucepan and let it simmer away while dishes and homework are done. Then meal two is easy prep. On your pizza crust – you can use homemade, premade, or pita bread, spread the meat and sauce. Top with diced green chilis, frozen corn kernels, and pepper jack cheese. Bake in 350 oven for 12 to 15 minutes or as directed by dough recipe.
