Slow Cooker Recommendations

[LTS3]

The slow cooker is here It arrived a day earlier than expected but that's great FedEx totally ignored the instructions to place the package inside the lobby instead of the entryway (the entryway is unsecured so packages have been known to disappear) but I was home anyways and when I saw the FedEx truck heading towards the front of the building, I gave the person 15 minutes to drop packages off before I headed down to get my package.

The slow cooker is a bit bigger than I need but that's ok. It's sitting on my counter right now. I'm undecided on whether to leave it there or rearrange a bottom cabinet and stick it in there so it's not in the way.



As you can see I don't have much counter space next to the stove. The counter on the other side of the stove is the same size. This side has the GFC outlet so I'll just use the slow cooker on this side.

Winchester what do you think of putting a baking sheet or something under the slow cooker to contain any bubble overs? I've been reading on various food-centered web sites and some recommend putting the slow cooker on something to keep the counters from being affected by the heat and stuff (trivets, pot holders, trays, etc). Some even recommend to put the slow cooker directly on top of the stove, reasoning that a stove is built to handle heat while counters are not.

And this being TCS, the obligatory cat picture

 

[Winchester]

Nice! Very nice!

If you have a nice wooden cutting board that fits your area, by all means, put your crock pot on top of the cutting board and use it that way. Not plastic because of any warmth it might create. I hesitate to use it on your stove top UNLESS you're going to be home to keep an eye on it. I worry about stoves coming on, cats rubbing against knobs, that sort of thing and then the stove top getting hot. That's just me, though, and it's called paranoia.

What's your countertop? Granite? Quartz? Laminate? I don't know that I'd use a metal sheet, again because of heat on the countertop.

Happy Cooking!

Don't tell me, let me guess..............Kitchen Aid sells cats!

 

[LTS3]

It's granite. I was thinking of a baking sheet with trivets underneath to allow any heat to dissapate

Don't tell me, let me guess..............Kitchen Aid sells cats!

You didn't know that? Leroy oddly didn't care for the boxes. Usually he hops right in or at least chews on the flaps. He might decide to check them out later.

 

[rubysmama]

That was quick! Looks good. You will have to let us know how your first slow cooked meal turns out. Cute kitty, btw.

 

[foxxycat]

lovely looking!! I like the cat pics. Glad to know Honeybee isn't the only one who chews on the flaps. That's her favorite thing the dingbat.

 

[arouetta]

Well it seems that I'm late to the party.

LTS3 Your crockpot looks freaking awesome but I think you are going to find very quickly that it's too big. I have a 3 quart crockpot and it's a little big for a family of three. I made a stew for work in a 7 quart crockpot, just a tad bigger than yours, and the entire evening shift at Target ate well (lots of people came up and said they had seconds and thirds) and still left a third of the stew untouched. During my brief time of telling my husband to stuff it and living alone, my 3 quart crockpot would not only feed me, I'd have three to four days worth of leftovers.

Good crockpots are designed to not heat the counter. There are rubber feet that lift the bottom high enough that airflow underneath keeps everything cool. Don't bother to use a barrier of any kind, it's not going to help at all, and the shape of the barrier might hinder the needed airflow. I do pull my crockpot forward when in use so that I can get good airflow behind, even Destructo-boy (Midway) has never bothered it in 10 years.

DO NOT put it on your stovetop. I had a gaming buddy whose mother did that, somehow a burner got turned on, the rubber feet started melting, lots of smoke, so Mommy Dearest then picked it up and put it on the granite counter to prevent a fire and those half-liquified rubber feet damaged the countertop.

Oh, and the cookbook Fix It and Forget It sucks. I regret I wasted the money on it. Look on Pinterest instead, lots of people post their crockpot recipes on it.

 

[LTS3]

I like leftovers so I don't mind the slow cooker being on the large size. Leftovers can be put into the freezer.

I made this today in the slow cooker: Make Teriyaki Chicken in the Slow Cooker, Win Dinner It didn't come out as nice and glossy and shiny as on the web site but it was still good. I put a little too much cornstarch mixture into the sauce and it came out a little too thick and gloppy but I'll thin it out with water tomorrow. The chicken thighs were on the small side so I think I only have enough leftovers for 2 or 3 days tops. The entire recipe cooked in just 2.5 hrs on low. I had it set for 3 hrs and just switched it to warm when it was done.

 

[Mother Dragon]

Has anyone used the Crock-Pot® Choose-A-Crock™ Programmable Slow Cooker? It comes with three different crocks - 6 quart, 4 quart, and a divided 2.5 quart. This seems like a perfect solution for various dishes, but I wonder if the smaller size crocks cook as well because there must be an air space between the bottom of the crock and the heating element. Also, Crock-Pot brands seem to be of much lower wattage. This unit is very heavy to put away with all three nesting crocks in place. It's also quite tall in that configuration.

I have a 7 quart KitchenAid, but that's a bit large for many smaller dishes. Also, I seem to remember that there's glitch in the timer. (I haven't used it in a very long time.)

I'm considering the 6 quart KitchenAid or the Cuisinart 3-in-1. Has anyone used either of them?

 

[LTS3]

Well I just bought the Kitchen Aid 6 qt (see post above) and have used it exactly once so far and like it It's easy to use and clean, although the ceramic pot is heavy and I have to be super careful not to drop it while washing and drying it. I'm looking for another easy recipie to make in the slow cooker this weekend.

I ended up reorganizing a bottom cabinet, moving the half shelf up a few notches (finally figured out how to do that after 7 years) and putting the slow cooker in the bottom on top of a piece of the shipping box it came in. I plan to have another gliding shelf installed so I can more easily get the slow cooker out.

 

[Mother Dragon]

Thanks for the good information. I really am leaning toward that one because of the temperature sensors that prevent overheating. I'll probably order it from BB&B and use a 20% off coupon. They usually give me the discount and let me keep the coupon. If I have a problem, they bend over backward to fix it.

Here area couple of recipes you might like:

Cheesy Crockpot Chicken

6 chicken breasts, no skin, no bone
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste
1/4- 1/2 cup sherry



1. Rinse chicken and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place in crockpot.
2. Mix undiluted soups and pour over chicken. Cook on low all day, 8-9 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before serving, add sherry, and stir well. Let cook 30 minutes additional.
Serve over rice or noodles.
Note: Leftovers both freeze and reheat well. The" sauce" to this is incredibly good....



Servings - 6
Cooking Time - 9:00
Prep Time - 0:08
Source - Sharon Frye, 1 Jun 1998





King Ranch Chicken Soup

Page Street Publishing

King Ranch Chicken Soup

From “Real Food Slow Cooker Suppers” by Samantha Skaggs (Page Street Publishing) Makes 6 servings

8 tablespoons butter 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup all-purpose flour 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 4 teaspoon chili powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (mild, original or hot, depending on your heat preference) 1 medium jalapeño, minced (seeds and membranes left intact for spicy, removed for mild) 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar, Mexican blend or Colby Jack cheese, plus more for serving Tortilla chips, for serving Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving, optional

Instructions: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.

Add the garlic and sauté until it is fragrant and light golden brown, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth. Increase the heat to a simmer and whisk continuously for several minutes, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt. Add black pepper to taste and set the sauce aside. Place the chicken breasts in a large slow cooker.

Top them with the diced tomatoes with green chiles and jalapeño and pour the sauce over the top.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through but not overcooked.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, stir the cheese into the slow cooker and cover the slow cooker for the time being.

Pull the chicken into large chunks and stir it back into the slow cooker.

Cover the slow cooker and cook for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and all of the ingredients are heated through. Stir well.

To serve, crush the tortilla chips into a bowl and ladle the soup over the top, garnishing with extra cheese and the cilantro, if desired.

I'm making the cheesy chicken tonight. It's great with mashed potatoes. I don't know if I'd use six B/S chicken breasts. I used two very big ones and cut them into bite-size pieces. I also brined them and added some garlic powder to the brine. I use the larger amount of sherry. I've cooked this on the stove and it's done in about an hour, so I'll probably cook it on high for about three hours.

Let me know how you like them. I can look to see if I have others.