Lend me your crock pot recipes!

Easy Barbeque Stew:

Layer chopped onion, bell pepper, small, minced serrano pepper, and a bay leaf, then the pork chops* on top. If you have time, saute the veggies first, but if you are in a rush, just throw them in. Pour some low sodium beef stock over this so that the liquid isn't covering the tops of the pork chops, just the sides. Add about 1/4 cup red wine and a dash of Lea and Perrin's sauce. Sprinkle fresh or dried thyme, ground black and cayenne pepper, and diced garlic across the tops of the pork chops. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until the pork is falling off the bones. Add about 1 cup of Sweet Baby Ray's original barbeque sauce during the last thirty minutes and stir.

As you can see, this isn't an exact science, but it sure tastes good served over rice with a ladle of the gravy. If you don't like rice, serve over roasted new potatoes.


*I buy whatever is on sale and trim off most of the fat. Bone-in chops will have more flavor, but boneless will work fine, too. You can use beef tips instead, but I prefer the pork. I have the largest Kitchen Aid oval slow cooker, so I can cook 2 lbs. or more in mine. For a smaller oval crock pot, a pack of three chops will be enough.

Red beans
1onion
1 bell pepper
2 stalk celery
1 clove garlic
1lb red beans
1 lb sausage
1 lb ham seasoning pieces
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 quarts vegetable stock
1 capful of crab boil
Chop all veggies. Combine everything and cook on low 7-8 hrs. Inthe last hour uncover and smash two big spoonfuls of beans stir until desired thickness.

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies, drained (hot or mild, depending on preference)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 15-ounce cans of diced tomatoes, including juice
1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt and pepper
4 corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 avocado diced and tossed with lime juice to prevent browning
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

Place chicken in Crock-Pot® slow cooker.
In a separate bowl, combine chilies, garlic, onion, tomatoes, 1/2 c chicken broth and cumin. Blend and pour over chicken.
Cook on high for 3 hours. When chicken is tender, use the tines of 2 forks to shred. Adjust seasoning and add additional chicken broth if necessary.
Just before serving, add tortillas and cilantro to Crock-Pot® slow cooker. Stir to incorporate. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve in soup bowls, topping each with shredded cheese, diced avocado and a squeeze of lime.


Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Recipe from Tasty Kitchen
Serves: ~12 people

1 envelope Taco Seasoning (I use Old El Paso Reduced Sodium)
6 pieces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 16-ounce jar Salsa (I switch between brands, but Newman's Own is my favorite)

Dump everything into a crock pot and give it a little stir to blend the seasoning with the salsa. You do not need to add any water to the taco seasoning. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. When done, the chicken should shred easily when stirred with a fork.For tacos, serve the chicken with soft flour tortillas, guacamole, lettuce, shredded cheese and/or sour cream. This is very versatile and can be used for enchiladas, nachos, tostadas, quesadillas, etc. Any leftover chicken can then be used for tortilla soup (make it the next day or freeze the chicken to use at a later time).

That looks great. How do you go about the chicken not completely shredding? I make BBQ chicken in the crock pot about once a month and I can't take the chicken out without it falling into a million pieces.

This thread has been a refreshing surprise. It seems like most recipes I've researched require dumping a can of "cream of" into the pot. I'm glad to see folks encouraging cooking from scratch.

For chicken soup or stews, I have better luck using pre-cooked added in the last 30 - 60 minutes. Pre-cooked meaning the leftover roasted or smoked chicken from Sunday. Cooking raw chicken on low heat all day is not a great idea from a food safety standpoint from what I've read.

Alternatively, if you need pieces of flavorful, juicy chicken for something, there is nothing easier than popping a salted whole chicken in a large slow cooker for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours on high. Add no oil or liquid, just a few aromatic herbs if you like. You won't get a crisp skin like roasting, but it will brown a bit, and the meat is very tender and juicy.

After you remove the meat, add the bones back into the cooker to simmer all night for stock. Some folks like to add a little apple cider vinegar to a long simmering stock so you get the health benefits of nutrients from the bones.

That's a lot of mileage from a $5 chicken.