Growing up in the 1970s, my mom went through the "going crazy for the Crock-Pot (a trademarked name for slow cookers)" phase. I remember a lot of pot roast and chili.
Fast forward 35 years later and we modern moms have realized our mothers were really on to something. Of course, ours are sleek stainless steel or white ones and usually oval, not round, so as to accommodate a whole chicken or a big cut of beef. And while pot roast and chili are sill wonderful fron the slow cooker, there are a whole lot more options available to us today, recipe-wise.
If you haven't joined the slow-cooker revolution yet, you really should try it. There is nothing better on a busy night than realizing dinner is already done when you walk in the door. I have class on Wednesday nights, so it's a nice feeling to know my husband has dinner waiting for him and the kids instead of leaving him with all the nighttime responsibilities. And usually, slow-cooker recipes take a minimum of prep, so you get to enjoy simmered-all-day taste with like 10 minutes of bleary-eyed effort in the morning. Recipes often make a TON, so you can have lunches or even another dinner all tied up too.
Here are a couple favorite recipes of mine:
Italian Beef (I made this today, actually!);
Crock Pot Lentils: This is from Stephanie O'Dea, who used her slow cooker every day for a year and wrote two cookbooks as a result. The lady knows her stuff.
Do you have a slow cooker, and do you use it a lot? What's your favorite slow-cooker dish?
(Photo via Crock-Pot.com)
I just got one for christmas and haven't gotten the hang of it. The meat is usually dry and flavorless but everything else is flavorful.
Smarter Family: Rainy Day Rescue
- AmyKuras
on Feb. 9, 2012 at 12:00 AM