Sure Dooj, you don't really need a slow cooker if you're going to be home all day (I wouldn't recommend this technique if you're going to leave the house ). That is, if you have a gas stove. If you have an electric one, I don't see a problem with this and leaving the house.
You can set your oven to somewhere between 200-250 degrees, and pretty much forget about it till dinner time. Though I would recommend you get an oven thermometer and make sure the temp you set it at is the actual temp.
Sure Dooj, you don't really need a slow cooker if you're going to be home all day (I wouldn't recommend this technique if you're going to leave the house ). That is, if you have a gas stove. If you have an electric one, I don't see a problem with this and leaving the house.
You can set your oven to somewhere between 200-250 degrees, and pretty much forget about it till dinner time. Though I would recommend you get an oven thermometer and make sure the temp you set it at is the actual temp.
Given the different sizes of the heating elements, using the oven instead of a crockpot might present a significant difference in how much electricity is used... It would seem intuitively to me that the larger oven element, along with the substantially larger space that the oven needs to heat up to the desired temperature, that it would probably cost significantly more to use the oven. The magnitude of the difference -- I don't know. But if you're going to use the slow cooker quite a lot, it might be worth making the investment in a new crockpot... Seems to me that even big ones can be had for less than $30.
I have one, but don't use it much. One thing I liked making (and eating) used chicken, carrots, potatoes, barley (or rice, but I like barley much better) along with a cream of (multiple choice here... could use mushroom, celery, broccoli, etc.) something soup, and don't forget the onions and garlic and other spices (like maybe a variety of Mrs. Dash). I never write down the quantities... rather, I just wing it, using however much seems right at the time.
------------
I also got a George Foreman grill recently. You can grill (practically) anything and it seems quicker to me than stove top and oven methods... I've grilled buffalo burgers, turkey burgers, chicken, boneless pork chops, shrimp, scallops, bell peppers/onions and more.... one of the key selling points is that the grill is designed to make the fat in the food run off of the grill (and therefore off/out of the food item) into a drip tray...
I have one of those big, oval slow cookers and I like it. I forget to use it, though!
I think I've only cooked two things in mine: turkey breasts (turned out great!) and beef barely soup (would have turned out okay except for human error).
This thread is a good reminder to use mine...thanks!
Rocky, I love my George Foreman grill. Every time I tried to cook a steak in the broiler of my gas oven, it caught on fire. So now if I can't grill outdoors, I grill with George.
I use mine lots. I prefer one with a heavy, tight-sealing cover, in view of which the glass cover is verboten. It just doesn't seal well enough.
Simple roast, whether a beef cut, lamb, pork...even chicken:
-rub with some seasonings, whether rosemary, 'bouquet garni', whatever falls to hand. Do not salt!
-brown meat in a bit of olive oil. Place in crock pot
-top with some garlic & a pack of dry onion soup mix
-add a few tablespoons of red wine for boef & lamb, white for pork & chicken.
-cover & leave it all day.
That's all that's needed. But why not fill up the slow cooker? Cut up potatoes, carrots & onions and fill up the rest of the way.
An easy way to get lots of flavor is to add 'seasoning vegetables', which i buy by the pint around here. It's just finely chopped fresh onions, garlic, bell pepper & celery. You can find it frozen as well.
Enjoy. Prep usually takes 5 to 10 minutes in the AM.
I was at WalMart today... checked on crockpots... all but one model they had were under $30. The other, for about $40 has some computer controls on it... like a thermostat and digital timer.
---rereading your post--- a better experience -- a little planning will go a long way, if you do use meat and dont want to touch it... (I can totally relate...I ant cut up a chicken or make meat loaf without gloves) just have it in a ziploc baggy the night before and plop 'er right in the next moring.
There's now cooker bags - like roaster bags that you use for turkeys - but you use them to line your crockpot. They're worth their weight in gold - whoever thought of that is a saint! I tried them out a couple of weeks ago and was very happy to lift the dirty bag out of the cooker after the meal, and just drop it in the garbage - perfect!
There's now cooker bags - like roaster bags that you use for turkeys - but you use them to line your crockpot. They're worth their weight in gold - whoever thought of that is a saint! I tried them out a couple of weeks ago and was very happy to lift the dirty bag out of the cooker after the meal, and just drop it in the garbage - perfect!
I got a box of four of those liners for about $2 at Walmart yesterday... 50 cents each bag. It seems like a lot... but it sure did make clean up easier. :D
A couple of weeks ago, I got a magazine with a bunch of recipes and other tips about slow cooking/cookers. This morning, I made my first concoction from one of the recipes.
I made a Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya. It was awesome. AND I have about two thirds of it left, now in containers cooling in the fridge, getting ready to go in the freezer. Thems was some gooooood eats!
I got a box of four of those liners for about $2 at Walmart yesterday... 50 cents each bag. It seems like a lot... but it sure did make clean up easier. :D
Yeah, but can you make soup in them? Last weekend we made turkey noodle soup with the carcass of a smoked turkey, and a pot of chili. Today I made potato soup with a ham bone tossed in. Friday I will make lentil stew.
It's better if you mix the soup up first, place the liner in the crock pot and then ladle the soup in.
I love the liners - I'd pay someone $5 to scrub the thing out without the liners, so for me, the $0.50 for each baggie is a steal!
Somehow I missed that the liner is used WITH the crockpot. I had this mind picture of those bags you can make pot roasts in the oven with. My mistake. :)
Somehow I missed that the liner is used WITH the crockpot. I had this mind picture of those bags you can make pot roasts in the oven with. My mistake. :)
Indeed... the jambalaya had substantial moisture in it... and when finished, still (almost) was the consistency of a thick soup.
Yeah, Linda, I use mine to fix turkey breast. I have had tons of compliments on how tender the meat is. In fact, I just cooked one the other day and still have one serving left. Hubby even ate alot of it. He would rather have red meat any day, but really like the turkey.
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Sushi
Sure Dooj, you don't really need a slow cooker if you're going to be home all day (I wouldn't recommend this technique if you're going to leave the house
). That is, if you have a gas stove. If you have an electric one, I don't see a problem with this and leaving the house.
You can set your oven to somewhere between 200-250 degrees, and pretty much forget about it till dinner time. Though I would recommend you get an oven thermometer and make sure the temp you set it at is the actual temp.
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Rocky
Given the different sizes of the heating elements, using the oven instead of a crockpot might present a significant difference in how much electricity is used... It would seem intuitively to me that the larger oven element, along with the substantially larger space that the oven needs to heat up to the desired temperature, that it would probably cost significantly more to use the oven. The magnitude of the difference -- I don't know. But if you're going to use the slow cooker quite a lot, it might be worth making the investment in a new crockpot... Seems to me that even big ones can be had for less than $30.
I have one, but don't use it much. One thing I liked making (and eating) used chicken, carrots, potatoes, barley (or rice, but I like barley much better) along with a cream of (multiple choice here... could use mushroom, celery, broccoli, etc.) something soup, and don't forget the onions and garlic and other spices (like maybe a variety of Mrs. Dash). I never write down the quantities... rather, I just wing it, using however much seems right at the time.
------------
I also got a George Foreman grill recently. You can grill (practically) anything and it seems quicker to me than stove top and oven methods... I've grilled buffalo burgers, turkey burgers, chicken, boneless pork chops, shrimp, scallops, bell peppers/onions and more.... one of the key selling points is that the grill is designed to make the fat in the food run off of the grill (and therefore off/out of the food item) into a drip tray...
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Linda Z
I have one of those big, oval slow cookers and I like it. I forget to use it, though!
I think I've only cooked two things in mine: turkey breasts (turned out great!) and beef barely soup (would have turned out okay except for human
error).
This thread is a good reminder to use mine...thanks!
Rocky, I love my George Foreman grill. Every time I tried to cook a steak in the broiler of my gas oven, it caught on fire. So now if I can't grill outdoors, I grill with George.
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TheEvan
I use mine lots. I prefer one with a heavy, tight-sealing cover, in view of which the glass cover is verboten. It just doesn't seal well enough.
Simple roast, whether a beef cut, lamb, pork...even chicken:
-rub with some seasonings, whether rosemary, 'bouquet garni', whatever falls to hand. Do not salt!
-brown meat in a bit of olive oil. Place in crock pot
-top with some garlic & a pack of dry onion soup mix
-add a few tablespoons of red wine for boef & lamb, white for pork & chicken.
-cover & leave it all day.
That's all that's needed. But why not fill up the slow cooker? Cut up potatoes, carrots & onions and fill up the rest of the way.
An easy way to get lots of flavor is to add 'seasoning vegetables', which i buy by the pint around here. It's just finely chopped fresh onions, garlic, bell pepper & celery. You can find it frozen as well.
Enjoy. Prep usually takes 5 to 10 minutes in the AM.
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Shellon
Whatever slowcooker you purchase, make sure the things comes out for washing.
Probably now they all do, but look to be sure first.
So much easier to serve and no cords to wrestle with when washing, or goes into dishwasher.
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Rocky
I was at WalMart today... checked on crockpots... all but one model they had were under $30. The other, for about $40 has some computer controls on it... like a thermostat and digital timer.
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GodsGirl2
I received one for Christmas to help me multitask,but I am so lost using it..
Evan, is there any difference in time cooked for the size of the roast? And do you have any other recipies :).
The George Forman grill though, LOVE it!
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TheEvan
In theory, yes, Godsgirl. In practice, though, it makes little difference. Whatever the size, put the food in, turn it on, and let it go all day.
We do our chili this way as well.
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Belle
Dooj, if time is the biggest problem, check with your library to see if they have "Desperation Dinners" (http://www.desperationdinners.com) or "Sugars and Flours: How They Make Us Sick, Crazy, and Fat"
Both of these books have ridiculously delicious, quick, easy and healthy dinners that can be prepared in record time.
That being said:
I LOVE MY CROCK POT!! (Sorry, I call 'em crock pots)
I agree with Shellon, get one that has the removable dish.
I've got a ton of recipes on the puter at home, but here's a few ideas:
The first two are from Cooking Light Magazine which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE - Can't remember where I got the last one.
BBQ Sammiches
(Great for tailgating)
5 tablespoons dark brown sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (1-pound) flank steaks
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 (2 1/2-ounce) submarine rolls, halved
Red onion slices (optional)
Dill pickle slices (optional)
Combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar and pepper; rub over both sides of steaks.
Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, onion, and next 9 ingredients (onion through salt) in an electric slow cooker.
Add steaks; turn to coat.
Cover with lid; cook on high-heat setting for 1 hour.
Reduce heat setting to low; cook for 7 hours. Remove steaks; reserve sauce.
Shred steaks with 2 forks. Return shredded steak to cooker; stir into sauce.
Spoon 1/2 cup steak mixture onto bottom half of each roll; top with onion and pickles, if desired.
Cover with tops of rolls.
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 435(22% from fat); FAT 10.4g (sat 4.2g,mono 4.2g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 26g; CHOLESTEROL 47mg; CALCIUM 77mg; SODIUM 668mg; FIBER 3.1g; IRON 4.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 57.2g
****************
Red Beans & Rice
3 cups water
1 cup dried red kidney beans
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 (14-ounce) package turkey, pork, and beef smoked sausage, thinly sliced (such as Healthy Choice)
1 bay leaf
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Combine first 12 ingredients in an electric slow cooker.
Cover with lid; cook on high heat for 5 hours. I cook on low for 8-10 hours
Discard bay leaf; stir in salt.
Serve over rice; sprinkle servings evenly with green onions.
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 413(5% from fat); FAT 2.5g (sat 0.7g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 21.1g; CHOLESTEROL 18mg; CALCIUM 102mg; SODIUM 749mg; FIBER 10.1g; IRON 6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 76.3g
**************
AWESOME CHICKEN
INGREDIENTS:
* 4 to 6 chicken breasts
* 2 green bell peppers, sliced
* 1 can chopped stewed tomatoes
* 1/2 small bottle Italian dressing (low-fat if desired)
PREPARATION:
Place chicken breasts, green bell peppers, stewed tomatoes and Italian dressing in the slow cooker or crockpot and cook all day (6 to 8 hours) on low.
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George Aar
I'm a slow cooker, but I eat really fast - does that make up for it?
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Belle
Only if you serve enough wine so we don't notice.
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washingtonweather
I used slow cookers a lot since I had school at night.
I plop whole chickens in them-- use them for all kinds of stuff.
Anything you can plug in other than an oven or stove is cheaper utilities-wise.
You can throw meat...potatoes......chuck roast and a bottle of barbeque----omigosh
I love my crock pot!!!
Even my kids love it when I throw a whole chicken in there--it comes out way less dry than the roasted ones.
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washingtonweather
---rereading your post--- a better experience -- a little planning will go a long way, if you do use meat and dont want to touch it... (I can totally relate...I ant cut up a chicken or make meat loaf without gloves) just have it in a ziploc baggy the night before and plop 'er right in the next moring.
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Shellon
God made crock pots right after bleach.
And naps
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ChasUFarley
There's now cooker bags - like roaster bags that you use for turkeys - but you use them to line your crockpot. They're worth their weight in gold - whoever thought of that is a saint! I tried them out a couple of weeks ago and was very happy to lift the dirty bag out of the cooker after the meal, and just drop it in the garbage - perfect!
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Rocky
I got a box of four of those liners for about $2 at Walmart yesterday... 50 cents each bag. It seems like a lot... but it sure did make clean up easier. :D
A couple of weeks ago, I got a magazine with a bunch of recipes and other tips about slow cooking/cookers. This morning, I made my first concoction from one of the recipes.
I made a Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya. It was awesome. AND I have about two thirds of it left, now in containers cooling in the fridge, getting ready to go in the freezer. Thems was some gooooood eats!
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Abigail
Yeah, but can you make soup in them? Last weekend we made turkey noodle soup with the carcass of a smoked turkey, and a pot of chili. Today I made potato soup with a ham bone tossed in. Friday I will make lentil stew.
I LOVE my slow cooker!!
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ChasUFarley
Yes - I've done it.
It's better if you mix the soup up first, place the liner in the crock pot and then ladle the soup in.
I love the liners - I'd pay someone $5 to scrub the thing out without the liners, so for me, the $0.50 for each baggie is a steal!
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Abigail
Somehow I missed that the liner is used WITH the crockpot. I had this mind picture of those bags you can make pot roasts in the oven with. My mistake. :)
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Rocky
Indeed... the jambalaya had substantial moisture in it... and when finished, still (almost) was the consistency of a thick soup.
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Ca_dreaming
Crock Pots/Slow Cookers are awesome.
just made Beef Stew and it was yummy!
4 red potatoes peeled and sliced
1 large onion """"""""""""""""
1 large bag of frozen (defrosted) mixed veggies
layer these in the same order in pot
2 lb roast, I use sirloin tip. slice and dice and put in separate bowl
sprinkle 1/4 c. of flour on top
salt and pepper to taste, stir in the bowl til all meat is coated.
Add meat to crock pot then a
1/2 c. water
put lid on ,turn on high and it is done in 5/6 hours
at low 10/11 hours.
stir it up so the flour that is on the meat thickens the bottom juices and serve.
Serves about 6-8 people.
Enjoy!!!
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coolchef
dreaming
you PEEL red potatos???
FOR SHAME
LOL
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ChasUFarley
coolchef... I'm starting to think and you and I are cullinary soul mates!
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act2
Yeah, Linda, I use mine to fix turkey breast. I have had tons of compliments on how tender the meat is. In fact, I just cooked one the other day and still have one serving left. Hubby even ate alot of it. He would rather have red meat any day, but really like the turkey.
I also make veggie soup, beef short ribs, etc.
So easy.
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