A month ago or so, our Lifestyles Editor Andi Joseph got a Crock
Pot. She wrote, and I quote,
”
How about some crockpot recipes for the working woman who wants
to get home and just relax?
A month ago or so, our Lifestyles Editor Andi Joseph got a Crock Pot. She wrote, and I quote, “How about some crockpot recipes for the working woman who wants to get home and just relax? (My mom just bought me a crockpot and I’m hunting the Internet for recipes!)”
I remember several years ago I wrote a Crock Pot column and shared my recipes and those from my readers. Then, a few weeks later, I received a letter (e-mail wasn’t available then) from the Crock Pot company’s attorney, telling me that I had done some wrong. I had used the Crock Pot name without permission – and had used it a lot of times.
And therefore, I needed to use the words “slow cooker” in the future instead of Crock Pot. However, if I really wanted to use the Crock Pot name, and encourage readers to use Crock Pots, I needed to use the “TM” trademark symbol every time I used the term Crock Pot.
Well, what’s a columnist to do? It’s about 10 years later and I still cannot find the darn “TM” symbol on my keyboard, but I still love my Crock Pot (the new version). So here it is: another column about Crock Pots and how wonderful they are for anyone who works outside their home or who just wants dinner ready without a lot of fuss.
I hope the Crock Pot company and the Crock Pot attorney will understand that I’m just a Crock Pot fan and have, really, the best of intentions.
– German goodness: The next two recipes come from the “Fix-It And Forget-It Cookbook” by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good. This is one of the best cookbooks for Crock Pot recipes: tons of simple and delicious ideas from real people all over the United States who have tested the recipes at home.
German Potato Soup
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, trimmed and diced
2 carrots, diced
1 cup chopped cabbage
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 cups beef broth
1 lb. potatoes, diced
1 bay leaf
1-2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt, optional
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds, optional
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup sour cream
– Combine all ingredients, except bacon and sour cream, in Crock Pot. Cover. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
– Remove bay leaf. Use a slotted spoon to remove potatoes. Mash potatoes and mix with sour cream. Return to slow cooker and stir in. Add bacon and mix together thoroughly. Serve piping hot.
Powerhouse Beef Roast with Tomatoes, Onions and Peppers
3 lb. boneless chuck roast
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. oil
2-3 onions, sliced
2-3 sweet green and red peppers, sliced
16-oz. jar salsa
2 14 1/2-oz. cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
– Brown roast and garlic in oil in skillet. Place in slow cooker.
– Add onions and peppers. Combine salsa and tomatoes and pour over ingredients in slow cooker.
– Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Slice meat to serve. (Ladle vegetables & sauce over top.)
– Old favorites: The following have been in my recipe book for years. Tristan Terry of San Martin sent me the Italian Pot Roast recipe. My sister, Britta, made up the burrito recipe. The rest I’ve made up and tweaked over time. Hope you enjoy!
Italian Pot Roast
3 to 4 lb. boneless chuck roast
1 large jar marinara sauce
1/2 lb. mushrooms
n Put all ingredients in Crock Pot. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Serve over cooked spaghetti.
Crock Pot Stroganoff
2 lbs. beef tips
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can French onion soup
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
– Combine first four ingredients in Crock Pot. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
– Stir in sour cream. Cook on high for 15 minutes. Serve over cooked egg noodles.
BBQ Pork Sandwiches
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
4 oz. can green chilies
5 lb. pork shoulder or butt roast
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup apple juice
1/2 cup prepared BBQ sauce
1/2 cup chili sauce
Salt and Pepper Snyder
10 hamburger rolls or other rolls
– In slow cooker, combine onion, garlic and chilies. Place pork on top. Pour in all other ingredients. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.
n Lift pork out; shred with two forks. Return to sauce and heat 25 more minutes. Serve in rolls.
– (Note: This is good party food. You can keep the pork warm in the Crock Pot for up to an hour on low. Add more water if it becomes too dry.)
Britta’s Chicken Burritos
4 chicken breasts (can be frozen)
2 cups salsa
2 cups water
1 cup rice
6 tortillas, warmed
3 cups shredded cheese
Lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, etc.
– Put chicken, salsa and water into crock pot on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred with two forks, adding some cooking liquid if needed to keep the meat juicy. Keep warm.
– Measure 2 cups of remaining liquid (add water if necessary) and put into saucepan with 1 cup rice. Bring to a boil, then cook on low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender. (Alternate method: Put 2 cups liquid into glass bowl with 1 cup rice. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender.)
– In the center of each warmed tortilla, place shredded chicken, rice, cheese and any other burrito fixings that you like. Roll and serve.
– To go with the above: Thank you to Gary Plomp, who sent a potato salad recipe developed by his wife, Alicia. It is simple and adjustable. As Gary says, “Easy money, my friend … enjoy!”
Alicia’s Potato Salad
7 russet potatoes
Chopped celery
Chopped olives
Diced pimentos
Chopped sweet pickles
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Mustard (optional)
Hard boiled egg (optional)
– Boil potatoes and cut into chunks. Add chopped celery, chopped olives and diced pimentos. Add chopped sweet pickles. Add mayonaisse to desired consistency; mix and mash potato slightly with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste.
– Optional: Add mustard for added flavor and garnish the salad with a sliced or sectioned hard-boiled egg.
