<p>It finally feels like fall is here to stay…which gets me thinking about cooking with my crock pot. What are your favorite recipes? I’m especially looking for favorites that:</p>
<p>1) aren’t based on cream-of-something soup;
2) can cook all day (not just 4 or 5 hours); and
3) can be scaled down to feed just H and myself in our empty nest. </p>
<p>Bonus points for little prep time.</p>
<p>Okay folks, what’ve you got? :D</p>
<p>Oh this is more challenging then I thought! Good thread JaM! I have a Minestrone, Chicken Tortilla, and Beef Stew but all feed an ARMY, so don’t cut it (family of 5 with 3 ‘adult’ boys. As we shrink in numbers I continue to cook the same amount and freeze. I’m interested to see your responses.</p>
<p>My daughter makes this and heads off to work - both she and her husband like it:</p>
<p>[Crock</a> Pot Santa Fe Chicken | Skinnytaste](<a href=“Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken - Skinnytaste”>Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken - Skinnytaste)</p>
<p>My husband made this one last spring and we all really like it (but it’s a little more work - not much, but a little):</p>
<p>[Crock</a> Pot Picante Chicken and Black Bean Soup | Skinnytaste](<a href=“Crock Pot Picante Chicken and Black Bean Soup”>Crock Pot Picante Chicken and Black Bean Soup)</p>
<p>I haven’t tried all of these but my D has and these are some of her favorites:</p>
<p>[Crockpot</a> Cheddar Beer Chicken Tacos | How Sweet It Is](<a href=“http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/01/crockpot-cheddar-beer-chicken-tacos/]Crockpot”>Crockpot Cheddar Beer Chicken Tacos)</p>
<p>[The</a> Larson Lingo: Easiest Dinner Ever.](<a href=“http://thelarsonlingo.blogspot.com/2011/05/easiest-dinner-ever.html]The”>The Larson Lingo: Easiest Dinner Ever.)</p>
<p>Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken:
Crock Pot Chicken Terriyaki: 1lb chicken (sliced, cubed or however), 1c chicken broth, 1/2c terriyaki or soy sauce, 1/3c brown sugar, 3minced garlic cloves
<a href=“NibbleDish”>NibbleDish;
<p>And this is one of my most requested recipes:
[Slow-Cooker</a> Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe - Allrecipes.com](<a href=“http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chicken-tortilla-soup/detail.aspx]Slow-Cooker”>Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe)
Doesn’t have to take all day, but can take all day!</p>
<p>This is one of my favorites. It’s delicious over rice or noodles or even on a bun. It usually falls apart when I try to slice it so I just fork-shred it the same way I do with crockpot BBQ. </p>
<p>[Kalyn’s</a> Kitchen®: CrockPot Recipe for Southwestern Pot Roast](<a href=“http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2008/01/crock-pot-recipe-for-southwestern-pot.html]Kalyn’s”>Slow Cooker Southwestern Pot Roast (Video) – Kalyn's Kitchen)</p>
<p>Note: I add a can of black beans (drained and rinsed) later in the cooking time of my slow-cooker chicken tortilla soup above.</p>
<p>I make a Greek-ish variation on pot roast for pasta that cooks for a long time. I make a lot of it and freeze it in smaller quantities suitable for two. (I have it on a bed of greens, since I don’t eat pasta.) I add cinnamon sticks, lemon rind, extra bay leaves, and Greek oregano to a conventional Italian recipe.</p>
<p>Probably doesn’t count as having little prep time, since I caramelize the onions, carrots, and garlic and brown the roast before adding them to the crockpot. But it’s delicious! :)</p>
<p>I have made this recipe many times, and it is a favorite. You could do the prep the night before and store it in the fridge, then put the crock pot on in the morning. Starting from cold will also increase the cooking time, which will help with your requested long cooking time. I also cook it on the 8 hr. low setting rather than the 4 hr. high setting and it is great. Just make sure you use very thick pork chops. </p>
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<p>I hate to cook so when I think of easy crockpot meals I mean really easy (like all I have to do is dump the ingredients in and turnt he thing on and go to work! No prep, no mess!)
Currently my favorite: put boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-4 depending on how many you are serving) into the crockpot, dump a jar of salsa over the meat and cook on low all day. The meat will shred with a fork and you can serve over salad greens with “taco” toppings (cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guac, onions…whatever you like!) or put the meat and any toppings in real taco shells or rollup in flour tortillos! Yummy and so easy!</p>
<p>katie that is one of our favoraites, too. We dump peach salsa in and it is yummy. Also can serve over rice, add beans towards the end, etc. I have even started with frozen chicken breats even though I know you are not supposed to start with frozen. I try to thaw at least some but sometimes are more rushed than others :)</p>
<p>One that I like is to simply put a pork tenderloin in with some seasoning (thyme, S&P, or sometimes a little cajun) and a little stock. You can slice it thick for an entree or thinner for sandwiches (like a cuban), or you can add BBQ sauce near the end and pull it apart.</p>
<p>Another is pot roast with halved onions on the bottom, beef on top of onions, potatoes and carrots all around, with some beef stock. I use the stock with drippings to make a gravy.</p>
<p>Now that my nest is empty, I set aside my monster Crock Pot and found a little one for $11 at Target. I can buy a piece of beef roast (or whatever), cut it into smaller chunks, put one in my little pot on top of halved onions with a sprig of rosemary and freeze the rest. It makes enough for a dinner +, so later in the week I might shave some off for a taco/quesadilla, or a sandwich, or repurpose it some other way.</p>
<p>Easy pork chops and sauerkraut for two:</p>
<p>2-3 pork chops; I usually brown them but it isn’t necessary. </p>
<p>slice a smallish onion thinly; mix with a 15 ounce can of sauerkraut, some freshly ground pepper, and a about a teaspoon of caraway seed.</p>
<p>Throw everything together in the crock pot. Add some water if it will be cooking (on low) all day.</p>
<p>Variations: use Polish sausage instead of pork chops; add some sliced apple for sweetness…or just serve with applesauce</p>
<p>I really miss making this since H became vegetarian…</p>
<p>Yum, these all sound good!</p>
<p>Does anyone have a good beef stew that’s fairly easy?</p>
<p>I made split pea soup last week. This would be easy to size down but not necessary as it will keep in the refrigerator and is excellent reheated.</p>
<p>Throw in crock pot:</p>
<ul>
<li>A tablespoon or so of olive oil</li>
<li>A diced onion</li>
<li>Bag of rinsed dried split peas with or without the “ham flavoring” packet</li>
<li>Some garlic powder, salt and pepper (I don’t measure this stuff)</li>
<li>6 cups water</li>
<li>A little bit of white wine if its on hand (like 1/2 cup)</li>
</ul>
<p>Turn crockpot on low. Leave it on at least 12 hours/overnight. Puree if you like a very smooth soup but it is not necessary. Adjust seasonings. That’s it.</p>
<p>abasket, I made your chicken tortilla soup…very good. I did read some of the reviews and made suggested adjustments (use all chicken broth, skip the water; double the spices if you like it spicy; throw the chicken breasts in crock pot and skip the grilling). I used the green enchilada sauce. Next time I may try spicier red sauce. And I did add beans per your suggestion. Maybe will decrease amount of corn next time. Definitely going in the rotation.</p>
<p>Also saw a tip in reviews that I’ll try when making slow cooker bbq chicken: put the cooked chicken breasts in the Kitchenaid mixer with the big paddle and it shreds chicken in a flash…</p>
<p>How about some vegetarian crock pot recipes? Anyone have a good lead on those?</p>
