Slow Cookers Rock
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| Fri, 01-09-2009 - 6:31am |
We recently talked on here about crock pots/slow cookers and how great they are for the budget. I subscribe to Mary Hunt's daily email and today she said:
Why Slow Cookers Rock
Slow cooker devotees rave about their appliances with levels of enthusiasm usually reserved for triple-coupon day at the supermarket or the discovery that the IRS owes them money. I proudly place myself in their company.
Ask any one of us why we love our slow cookers and three main themes will crop up over and again. 1) They make the cheapest cuts of meat taste amazing. 2) They're shockingly simple to use. 3) Using one means your dinner's ready and waiting for you when you come home from work. Add it all together and that means a great way to cut a family's food costs. What's not to love about that?
Once you get the hang of planning ahead in the morning so you can relax come dinnertime, the most challenging thing about slow cookers is finding the perfect recipes. To that end, I offer three new ones for your slow-cooking pleasure. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Barbecue Pork Sandwiches
1 14-ounce can beef broth
3 pounds boneless pork ribs
1 18-ounce bottle barbecue sauce
12 French sandwich rolls, split
Pour the can of beef broth into slow cooker and add boneless pork ribs. Cook on high heat for 4 hours, or until meat shreds easily. Remove meat and drain. Using two forks, pull meat apart to shred it. It may not seem like it's working right away, but keep working at it and it will. Stir in the entire bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce. Cover and cook on high for another 30 minutes or until completely heated through. Fill split rolls. Serves: 12.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 10.75-ounce cans condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
1 onion, finely diced
1 10-ounce package refrigerated biscuit dough
Place the chicken, butter, soup, broth and onion in slow cooker. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on high. One hour before serving, open biscuits. Roll each one to be about 1/4-inch thick and cut into 1/2-inch strips. Add to the slow cooker, laying on top of chicken and liquid. Overlapping strips of dough will occur. Continue cooking until the dough is no longer raw in the center, about 1 hour. Note: Dough will not cook into biscuits as you might think. It will become like traditional dumplings. Serves: 6 to 8.
Slow Cooker French Beef Dip Sandwiches
1 3-pound boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed
1 10.5-ounce can condensed French onion soup, undiluted
1 10.5-ounce can condensed beef consommé, undiluted
1 10.5-ounce can condensed beef broth, undiluted
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
8 French or Italian rolls, split
Halve roast and place both halves into a slow cooker. Pour the soup, consommé, broth and bouillon over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until meat is tender.
Remove meat and shred with two forks. Serve on rolls. Skim fat from cooking juices and serve as a dipping sauce. Serves: 8.

Goal #1:
Thanks for the receipes.
Norma
"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus
Huge slow cooker fan here.
I have two cookbooks - Fix it and Forget it and Fix it and Forget it Lightly. Both are most likely available at your local library. I get a ton of great receipes from both these books.
I would buy a slow cooker but we eat very little meat and most of the recipes I see are for meat dishes. If anyone has good vegetarian dishes, please share!! I'd love to have dinner ready when I get home each day.
Dee