Crock-Pot Cooking for the Innkeepers Meals

[scrambled_eggs]

There was a forum posting a few weeks back and the crock-pot came up. Well that totally inspired me to go out in the garage and dust off the crock-pot that was idle for 3 1/2 years and now I have been going non-stop. I even had to purchase another crock-pot to keep up. I've been making a lot of healthy soups and main dishes that I can save the leftovers and have them for lunch the next day. I've been doing the prep work right after breakfast is done and it takes me about 20 minutes. I throw it all in and then by evening I have a nice meal. I started doing a search online for crock-pot cooking and I found a blog where a woman made a new years resolution to use her crock-pot every day in 2008 and wrote a blog about it. I've already made quite a few recipes from there and they have turned out great. Here is the link if anyone is interested. crockpot365.blogspot.com/ Looking at all her comments she has quite the following. I thought this might be of interest to others. I actually have more energy to clean the rooms now and I am not getting so tired since I have been using the crock-pot and I always have something to eat anytime I am hungry.

 

[Don Draper]

We are surviving on the crockpot this week! When we're busy it's just so easy to throw something in there in the morning and then your dinner is ready to go once your check-ins are done. The best thing I've done this week? A whole chicken...plunk it in, season with salt/pepper/spices, set to low for 8 hours. Done. You don't have to add any liquid to this at all. It falls off the bone, and it delicious. The first night we put some bbq sauce on the breast meat, today I am making crock pot chicken noodle soup. Thanks for the blog link, can't wait to check it out!

 

[JBloggs]

Yeah to the chicken! Toss it in a tortilla.
Giad to hear you are gun ho on the crock pot/slow cooker Oceans. I need to use mine this week too...I have slacked off, and bought pizza last night as I was too pooped to do anything.

 

[Willowpondgj]

Let me know if you come across any meatless dishes!
What I've been doing is, on Sunday mornings or afternoons, depending on how many guests we have...while I already have the kitchen a mess, I cook up a pot of pasta, a pot of rice, a pot of boiled eggs and make a simple soup, like vegetable, with any veggies I have on hand or lentil...Then we have food for lunches and dinners for at least a week, for our family of four. All the key ingredients are there for the main dishes. I make DH, DS, DD all have one day a week that they have to make dinner and this gives them a starting point for stir fries, baked pasta dishes, salads and a side (soup). I also try to cut up the fruits, like melons, and veggies on the same day, so they are ready to go for all of us....I dreaded this work at first, but it saves so much time in meal prep, plus, it only takes about 2 hours from start to finish and the kitchen gets cleaned up with the rest of the inn breakfast dishes, it's a beautiful thing!
I love my crock pot, but I've gone vegetarian and haven't found any good easy recipes...

 

[muirford]

Let me know if you come across any meatless dishes!
What I've been doing is, on Sunday mornings or afternoons, depending on how many guests we have...while I already have the kitchen a mess, I cook up a pot of pasta, a pot of rice, a pot of boiled eggs and make a simple soup, like vegetable, with any veggies I have on hand or lentil...Then we have food for lunches and dinners for at least a week, for our family of four. All the key ingredients are there for the main dishes. I make DH, DS, DD all have one day a week that they have to make dinner and this gives them a starting point for stir fries, baked pasta dishes, salads and a side (soup). I also try to cut up the fruits, like melons, and veggies on the same day, so they are ready to go for all of us....I dreaded this work at first, but it saves so much time in meal prep, plus, it only takes about 2 hours from start to finish and the kitchen gets cleaned up with the rest of the inn breakfast dishes, it's a beautiful thing!
I love my crock pot, but I've gone vegetarian and haven't found any good easy recipes....

I love my crock pot, but I've gone vegetarian and haven't found any good easy recipes...

The Savvy Vegetarian website has a slow cooker section. I would think that veggie chilies and stews would be great in a crockpot.

 

[Mary at Bridgewater Inn and Cottage]

THANKS... I'd better get my crock pot out also! Mary in Bridgewater, Va.

 

[EmptyNest]

I used to do beef stew in my slow cooker...very good...but I had to keep it in my garage..because the aroma permeates the entire house and it can take days for it to go away:-(

 

[Samster]

Thanks for the link. I tend to use the slow cooker in the cooler months. We make a lot of what I call "big" salads during the Summer. Salads with lots of fresh veggies and some diced meat on top. Pop some Pillsbury French Bread in the oven for my dh and we're good to go.
Although we have been a little worse this week about eating out or getting to go food - Chinese food lasts for several meals around here

 

[scrambled_eggs]

I used to do beef stew in my slow cooker...very good...but I had to keep it in my garage..because the aroma permeates the entire house and it can take days for it to go away:-(.

Yeah the smell might be so good with beef. I usually just do chicken and I always have my kitchen window open all the way so the smell goes out that way.

 

[The Farmers Daughter]

I discovered an amazingly delicious and simple crock pot recipe.
Take 1 - 4 lb pork shoulder
season with salt, pepper and garlic
place in crock pot with 1/4 cup water on the bottom.
pour 1/2 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce over top or more to taste.
Cook on high for 1 hour, then on low for 3 to 4 hours. Delicious!

 

[gillumhouse]

I used to get a Krakus (Polish brand that is the best I have ever found - cannot get it here) canned ham and have it thick-sliced. I would put it in the crock pot with 1 cup of real WV maple syrup amd 1/2 cup water, set on low, and cook overnight. Vunderbar!!!!

 

[sandynn]

We are surviving on the crockpot this week! When we're busy it's just so easy to throw something in there in the morning and then your dinner is ready to go once your check-ins are done. The best thing I've done this week? A whole chicken...plunk it in, season with salt/pepper/spices, set to low for 8 hours. Done. You don't have to add any liquid to this at all. It falls off the bone, and it delicious. The first night we put some bbq sauce on the breast meat, today I am making crock pot chicken noodle soup. Thanks for the blog link, can't wait to check it out!.

Did you know you can put frozen chicken in the crock pot too. I have done this many times and it is perfect. So good to have the meat ready to do what ever you want to with it.

 

[Samster]

I discovered an amazingly delicious and simple crock pot recipe.
Take 1 - 4 lb pork shoulder
season with salt, pepper and garlic
place in crock pot with 1/4 cup water on the bottom.
pour 1/2 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce over top or more to taste.
Cook on high for 1 hour, then on low for 3 to 4 hours. Delicious!.

The version here for a pork roast like that is just to add a can of Coke and a bottle of your favorite hot sauce. Makes great BBQ sandwiches.

 

[user 26]

crock pot ... mine is long gone. makes me want to pick one up at a yard sale and start over!

 

[rrh]

Ours is going right now. Have you noticed that the modern crock pots are quite a bit hotter than the originals? You could leave those old ones on for, as I seem to remember, days and not burn up the roast. Maybe it's just those lost brain cells at work again...

 

[birdwatcher]

Love to crock pot! We have two and we do use them more in the cooler months but they are the best!

 

[Penelope]

I just made spiced pear butter in mine. I usually use it to make peach, pear, or apple butter. Low and slow. Doesn't burn. Start it in the evening, cooks all night, can it in the morning. Love it!

 

[Skamokawa]

I just made spiced pear butter in mine. I usually use it to make peach, pear, or apple butter. Low and slow. Doesn't burn. Start it in the evening, cooks all night, can it in the morning. Love it!.

Please share your recipe!

-KathleenM

 

[aieechihuahua]

Thanks so much for the link! We crock pot often, and new recipes are priceless. We tend to get in a rut!

 

[aieechihuahua]

oops! posted same post twice! Sorry