I'm not sure about you, but I have fallen victim to some serious crock pot flops! Yuck! In fact, until recently, I was actually afraid to use them because I was afraid of coming home to something gross not even resembling something I would call dinner, let alone actually feed to my family. That being said, with the craziness of my family's schedule, soccer practices, violin lessons, flag football, swimming lessons, and on and on, I actually dusted mine off and have had some pretty successful attempts at crock pot cooking lately! Whew! However, I still feel pretty limited as to what I might try to make in one. That is until I received this new cookbook in the mail.
It's called 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes and has recipes to fit all occasions and tastes! Some of the recipes that I can't wait to try include, Sumptuous Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Chicken and Dumplings, Chili with Black Beans and Grilled Chicken, Zesty Seafood Chowder, Apple Cranberry Upside-Down Cobbler, and Old-Fashioned Gingerbread (the list doesn't stop there). And if the recipes weren't enough, this book features a section highlighting each recipe's specialties (entertaining worthy, vegetarian friendly, can be halved) along with recipe specific tips and is packed with lots of extra crock pot information to help make sure your slow cooker meals turn out yummy every time! When I asked my kids what they might like, they picked Kid's Favorite Fondue. It looks yummy, kind of like a pizza dip. Want a peak?
Kid's Favorite Fondue
Serves 6
Thanks to my dear friend, Marilyn Linton, writer, editor and volunteer extraordinaire, for this oh-so-easy “fondue.” Creamy and delicious, it is a great hit with adults as well as kids. Give everyone their own fondue fork and serve with thick slices of French baguette, quartered, celery sticks or slices of green pepper.
Small (maximum 31⁄2 quart) slow cooker
Blender or food processor
Fondue forks
1 can (28 oz/796 mL) tomatoes with juice, 1, (see Tip, left)
1 tsp dried oregano, 5 mL
1 tsp salt, 5 mL
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, 750 mL
Sliced baguette
Celery sticks
Sliced green pepper
1. In a blender or food processor, process tomatoes until relatively smooth. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Add oregano, salt, and pepper to taste, and cook on High for 1 hour, until tomatoes are bubbly.
2. Add cheese to slow cooker in handfuls, stirring to combine after each addition. Reduce heat to Low and serve, or cover and keep on Low until ready to serve. Using fondue forks, dip bread or vegetables into fondue.
v Vegetarian Friendly / pg 32
Tip
If you’re in a hurry, bring the tomatoes to a boil on top of the stove after they have been processed. Then transfer to the slow cooker. Reduce the cooking time in Step 1.
Excerpted from The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes, Second Edition by Judith Finlayson Photograph by Colin Erricson © 2011 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
This giveaway opens immediately and ends Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at noon. The winner has 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be drawn. This giveaway is only open to residents of the US and Cananda.
*Disclaimer - I was provided a cookbook for review, but all opinions remain my own. No money was compensated.
Not so sure it's a tip, but every since I got my crock pots and now have teenagers, I know what I am getting them when they move out. A crock pot! How much easier is it to make a home cooked dinner than with a crock pot before going to class or work in the morning?
ReplyDeleteI love beef stew in the crock pot! To prevent soggy potatoes and carrots, I usually par-boil them on the stove then add them to the slow cooker about a 1/2 hour before serving with the slow cooker on high. Make sure there is enough broth in the slow cooker as well. Thank you for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteMy super easy fave crock pot recipe: 4 frozen chicken breasts, 1 container of salsa. Cook. Shred. Now you have chicken for enchiladas, nachos, tacos, or tortilla soup. Stir in a block of cream cheese after shredding for a fabulous enchilada filling. YUM!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite recipe is slowcooker apple butter. It makes canning it a breeze, because you can cook it over night.
ReplyDeletehttp://katiesperk.blogspot.com/2011/09/overnight-apple-butter.html
I love a crockpot roast! You can use about any kind of meat, and it falls apart everytime!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite slowcooker recipe is BBQ chicken or pork chops. Soooo easy and delicious every time!!! I use boneless skinless chicken or boneless pork chops (you don't have too though, can be bone in as well), a bottle of any kind of BBQ sauce you can imagine and slow cook for 6-8 hours. Turns out great every time! :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite food in the crock: sloppy joes - easy for anyone to grab whenever they're hungry - especially when we have busy days!
ReplyDeleteMy tip: don't forget to oil your crock OR use liners - makes clean-up much easier!
Three envelope chicken is my favorite. It is so simple and tastes like you worked really hard on it :)
ReplyDeleteMy new favorite crock pot tip is always use the crock pot liners. They make clean up a breeze. I love them & don't use my crock pot without them. :)
ReplyDeleteMy fave tip is using tin foil to wrap up apples, peaches, potatoes, or onions while I roast chicken or cook steak in the crockpot....prop the chicken on the wrapped fruit or veggie, same for the steak...use a more fatty cut of steak.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite crock pot recipe is shredded BBQ chicken. So simple to make and good on salads, sandwiches, potatoes, or alone.
ReplyDelete