After a five-year maternity leave, I went back to work last week. It’s a huge adjustment and we’re all trying our best to find our ways through the changing waters, but it’s exciting all the same. One thing that’s become crystal clear, however, is that I am going to have to ramp up my organizational skills when it comes to managing our household. No more procrastinating about chores or meal planning; I just have to have a plan and do it.
Last night I chopped up a bunch of fresh potatoes and carrots and tomatoes from the garden, tossed in some frozen venison stewing meat and lots of spices, then turned the crock pot in this morning before I left for the office. It’s such a great feeling to have dinner scratched off the to-do list before you’re even had your morning coffee. I think I’ll be using the ol’ crock pot more and more as my career unfolds, and this is where you come in. I have basically one recipe I use my crock pot for: stew.
What else can I make in there that’s easy, cheap, tasty and doesn’t just turn to brown goop after simmering all day? Do you have any great recipes or tips that will help this new working momma out?
I have a crock pot question – I see all these great recipes but they say ‘add cooked chicken’ or ‘brown the meat’ – doesn’t this kill the beauty of the crock pot?? Like I want to thrown in uncooked meat and some sauce and have a gourmet meal when I get home….help!
You could look up a recipe for goulash, or spanish birds (pickles wrapped with skinny sliced beef, also called rouladan I think).
I think it’s all about the sauce…you can use beer, apple juice, etc…
My kids love bbq back ribs, and in the winter, I just throw the ribs in the crock pot with some homemade sauce, or a store bought sauce if I’m feeling lazy. They end up so tender, fall off the bone, and I always get rave reviews those nights!
so Andy’s 2 fave meals i make, i make in the slowcooker. Butter chicken and pulled pork. I’ll get you the recipies. I love the slowcooker!
I’ve made beef stew, chili, meatloaf, pulled pork (just dump a bottle of BBQ sauce on a pork loin et fini), or pulled chicken. All super easy.
I LOVE my slow cooker! We make lazy mans cabbage rolls in there, 6 bean chili, roasts, ham, I even make spaghetti sauce in my slow cooker, then when I get home all I have to do is cook the noodles. And for me because I’m usually up around 5:45am to get my workout done and kids out the door I do as much the night before as possible. I have two excellent slow cooker recipe books. I totally suggest seeing if you can borrow a few from your library, write down the recipes you love and then take the books back.
I have the company’s coming crock-pot cook book. There are quite a few really good recipes in there. Like Tamara, I do a roast in there. It’s quick, easy and delicious.
I wish I did… I don’t crock though! I feel like maybe I should, but my kids are non-stewy sorts. Meh. I hate mealtime a lot of the time.
My crock pot stand-by is a beef roast, a few chopped up onions and a packet of onion soup mix with some water. I pick up a package of nice soft buns on the way home and it makes fantastic beef sandwiches with au jus. It’s easy and usually feeds us for a few days.