Crockpot lovers unite

**cross post from veggie forum as not much response)

So being as overworked (and underpaid) as the next guy I like a budget meal.

Being single means I have to cook it.  I

I totally heart my crockpot. I can have a hot meal waiting when I get home.

But I"m running out of ideas.

I've made soups galore, chilli, spaghetti sauce, and I have a recipe for sweet and sour cabbage I want to try this weekend when I get some "brats" ("" because I'm veggie and use tofurky brats).

I'd love any suggestions veg or not. I can often vegitize many non veg recipes. I can't be the only crockpot lover out there.

I'm not a veggie, but I do love my crockpot!

I typically make soups/stews in it. It's also very useful for making stock out of roast chicken carcasses (sorry), but is probably overkill for veggie stock, since that only takes half an hour or so on the stove. It's great for cooking dried beans - as long as there's plenty of water, it's a lot easier to keep them from scorching. You can also make apple butter in a crockpot (MUCH easier than making it on the stove). I can say for certain that dulce de leche does NOT work in a crock pot, or at least if it does, I totally botched it.

You might try making pot pie-like dishes in it - you'd probably add biscuits for a topping after you get home from work, then let them cook for a while. That's still pretty similar to a stew, though. How about casseroles? Braised veggies?

Allrecipes.com has a section for vegetarian slow-cooker recipes: http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Main-Dish/Slow- Cooker/Vegetarian/ViewAll.aspx It looks like most of them are soups/stews, but it might give you new ideas for flavor pallettes.

No! You are not alone! I am also single & I love it when there is a hot meal waiting at home for me on cold days. My favorites are stews, but I really don't use recipes. I throw in whatever I have & accept the results accordingly.

My favorite is loading it up with all the great fall/winter veggies from the farmers market (especially all root veggies), tossing in a diced onion, lots of herbs & spices, and covering everything with broth. When I get home get all the veggies out& turn the pot on high. Then I mix up a batch of that healthy Bisquick mix & put big scoops all over in the broth & cover for about 30 minutes or until they look done. That way I have a great veggie stew with thick gravy & dumplings & it lasts forever. I also use the veggies & gravy in an omelet in the morning with a dumpling on the side... yum!

A new recipe I haven't tried yet for pumpkin bread pudding may not be healthy enough, but I might tweak it. http://cookingequipment.about.com/od/dessertr ecipes/r/Pumpbreadpud.htm

I have also found a regular bread pudding and an apple cinnamon variation: http://baking.about.com/od/crockpotbaking/r/b readpudding.htm 

http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotdess ertrecipes/r/bl60c5.htm

Let me know how it turns out if you try any of them. :)

In the interest of getting the discussion moving, here is the result of a forum search

Crockpot

I had great fun reviewing these past posts on the topic.  Lets add to the archive!

Here's what I'm cooking tomorrow

Black Bean and Beef Chili  vegetarians, use textured vegetable protein in place of the ground beef.

I doubt you could alter this, but I love to throw one or two pork tenderloins in the crock pot and just pour BBQ sauce or teriyaki sauce over it.  If I use BBQ sauce, when the meat is cooked I shred it and have BBQ pork sandwiches.  I just happen to love pork tenderloin.  It's very, very lean and low in calories.

One vegie thing I do with my slow cooker is to make polenta.  After dinner, when I am cleaning up the kitchen, or in the morning when I am getting ready I put polenta and water  and a little salt in the cooker on high.  I stir it every 15 minutes or so for about an hour, then turn it down to low and leave it overnight (or overday, depending).  It makes a great breakfast with milk and dried fruit, or dinner side dish with a little butter or marinara sauce.  Any leftovers I put in a loaf pan and refrigerate.  Once it is cold it can be sliced and pan fried or layered in a casserole.  Yum!

Original Post by hhh6868e:

No! You are not alone! I am also single & I love it when there is a hot meal waiting at home for me on cold days. My favorites are stews, but I really don't use recipes. I throw in whatever I have & accept the results accordingly.

My favorite is loading it up with all the great fall/winter veggies from the farmers market (especially all root veggies), tossing in a diced onion, lots of herbs & spices, and covering everything with broth. When I get home get all the veggies out& turn the pot on high. Then I mix up a batch of that healthy Bisquick mix & put big scoops all over in the broth & cover for about 30 minutes or until they look done. That way I have a great veggie stew with thick gravy & dumplings & it lasts forever. I also use the veggies & gravy in an omelet in the morning with a dumpling on the side... yum!

A new recipe I haven't tried yet for pumpkin bread pudding may not be healthy enough, but I might tweak it. http://cookingequipment.about.com/od/dessertr ecipes/r/Pumpbreadpud.htm

I have also found a regular bread pudding and an apple cinnamon variation: http://baking.about.com/od/crockpotbaking/r/b readpudding.htm 

http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotdess ertrecipes/r/bl60c5.htm

Let me know how it turns out if you try any of them. :)

 Sounds like a great suggestion.

I bet it would work great with knoepfla (a German dumpling, some what similiar to Gnocci).  I have tons of veggies in my kitchen right now.  And I'm going shopping after work (though I prefer the produce stand down the street from where I live.

I often cook beans in it, in large batches and than freeze all but what I would use in a few days. That way when I make chilli or soup they are already to go, with out the salt of the canned.

Has anybody tried using it for cooking whole grains such as wheat berries, or uncut whole oats for breakfast.  I like the steel cut oats, but I've been thinking of trying the whole ones. I'm trying to expirment with new foods and span my horizons.  I'm not a big corn bread fan, so I'm not sure if I would like potenta or not, but I'm willing to try almost anything at least once.

I already have a programable coffee pot (won it at my company Xmas party last year) so I have hot coffee waiting when I get up. Having a hot breakfast would be like sprinkles on the cup cake.

I never thought of bread pudding in a crockpot. I may have to try that when I'm off this weekend. 

I can vouch for the pumpkin bread pudding in the crockpot. Can I count it as a serving of veggie?  

Thanks, crankyone.  Definitely going to try the pumpkin bread pudding in the crock pot.  Sounds really yummy.  If it turns out the way I hope it will, going to take it family get together Christmas Day.