Share your winningest slow cooker recipes! (please)

So, I broke down and bought a little 6qt slow cooker the other day, and have been trying things out in it.  It's hit or miss, to be honest.  Amazing apple cinnamon oatmeal, but lackluster beef stew, and even worse black bread (so far).

What are your A1, five-star slow cooker recipes?  Help this (sortof) bachelor make hearty, warming slow cooker meals!  Oh, and a killer savory black bread recipe would be really appreciated...

2 large onions,  2 medium carrots , four sticks of chopped celery,   one 5 ounce potato cubed  and some salt . Clean chop & cube everything drop it in the bottom of the crock .
 Add eight or so 1.5 inch cubes of fresh beef that has some fat  in it after frying it in a hot pan to brown each side . roll the cubes of meat in some seasoned flour when all are done (  salt & peppered added to half a cup of flour ) .

If they won't all fit in the frying pan in  one go do a few at a time and place them on a plate till you have them all lightly browned & sealed on all sides  ..don't leave them frying longer than needed or else the meat will go leathery ..
 
Slip the lot in the crock on top of the veg
    Now fine chop two decent sized onions and fry then in the same dirty pan till a few edges get caramelized ,drop this in the crock on top of the meat . Use  1/4 pint of cheap red strong wine to boil up in the frying pan to remove the caramelized glaze , reduce the volume by half and pour over the crock contents ,  give a shake or three of coarse black pepper ,  add 1 pint of hot water & slow cook on auto for no more than five to six hours . ( perhaps use a timer switch ).

If you want to thicken it more  at the end of the cooking time pour off a pin t of the stock  liquid into a separate saucepan and add a teaspoon of cornflour  mixed in an egg cup of milk to the  liquid , bring it to the boil so the cornflower  breaks down & becomes a  thin sauce & it bubbles for three minutes stirring gently all the time  .


Keep stirring then  if OK to your taste pour it back over the crock pot contents , give the pot a gentle stir and leave on auto whilst you do some thing else for an hour .

 Serve up with rounds of toasted crunchy French bread stick an inch thick . You may want to add more pepper and salt to taste just before serving it up in a soup bowl .

 Note
 The gravy does not freeze well as it separates , so if you want to freeze any left overs drain off the gravy first and put it in the fridge to use in something else.
 

The crock pot is a brill way of making stock to add to future dishes    . For poultry stock use either a de fleshed fresh chicken of about three to four pounds or the cooked partly stripped out carcass of a bird the same size , break the bird up by hand  at the ribs so it will sit below the water line .
 
Add two large onions peeled & cut in half , two carrots cut in to 1 "  lengths ,  four chopped celery sticks  ( the holy trinity of cooking ) &  two teaspoons of salt ,cover with water and slow cook on auto overnight don't lift the lid to stir things , switch it off in the morning and when you come home from work  carefully remove the veg  , put them to one side covered over in the fridge for making soup with some of the stock & milk etc.
With the carcass , lift parts out one at a time and pick off the big bits of flesh , these can be souped or used in a small korma curry .


 If you want a soft but chunky veg soup with some chicken stock , part fry the veg mentioned on the top line plus a small chopped parsnip ,  so the corners go soft.
Fry the onions then the carrots then the celery in that order and do them separately ,then put them all in the crock  add half a glass of strong cheap red wine  deglaze the frying pan if able & reduce as previously mentioned ,add the elixir . Stir it in a couple of times,   cover then slow cook overnight . Some of the veg will stay hard , the rest dissolves in to mush add some herbs half way through in a muslin tied bag remove just before serving . Add 1/4 to 1/3 pint of milk and give it a gentle whizz in with a hand held whizzer to turn some in to mush and leave some chunks .
 if your desperate you can use a pack of frozen winter stew mix veg but it's not as nice as frying and caramelizing the fresh veg first

One of my favorites and incredibly simple.

Porks chops and sauerkraut. In the pot and cook till tender. 

That's the simple version and very tasty. 
If you want a bit more extravagant, season and sear the chops first. I prefer bone in chops (of coarse) but you can use without, and I've also used butt or shoulder. Slice up an apple or two, and an onion and toss that in with the kraut. I go heavy on the kraut! I make my own kraut, but that's another topic 

RoOsTeR wrote:One of my favorites and incredibly simple.

Porks chops and sauerkraut. In the pot and cook till tender. 

That's the simple version and very tasty. 
If you want a bit more extravagant, season and sear the chops first. I prefer bone in chops (of coarse) but you can use without, and I've also used butt or shoulder. Slice up an apple or two, and an onion and toss that in with the kraut. I go heavy on the kraut! I make my own kraut, but that's another topic 

Funny, I have a similar pork chop recipe. It's YUM! especially with the apples.

My kids favorite meal on cold nights was what we called Perloo, thinking of Pogo.  It was a rather loose recipe but here is the basic idea.


Browned sausage of some sort (elk with Italian seasonings in this house).  Cut up onion browned in the sausage pan.  Deglaze the pan with some water.
Throw all that in the crock pot.  Add 2 cups of brown rice, a handful or more of walnuts.  A layer of chunks of cauliflower or browned eggplant is good too.  A spare handful of lentils is good too.  Add bullion broth with some curry spices to just cover, about 4 cups to cook the 2 cups of rice.  Let it simmer away all day.  A touch of something acidic, like a can of tomatoes near the end or serve with yogurt.  The acid often helps the spices and herbs bloom.

My computer is hating Sfg forum today I hope this posts.  It took over an hour to type and let it sort itself out.  Some script is running amok i guess.

This Betty Crocker recipe is from 1969 when I got married (the first time).  This is my guide.  No sugar, please.  It's fun to read it to see how cooking has evolved.  However, browning the meat first is important for flavor and that can't be improved.  
Chop your veggies into bite size:  carrots, celery, potatoes.  Place in slow cooker.  Chop an onion and garlic and lightly cook in oil in a skillet.  Remove and place in crock pot.  Flour the beef cubes with 1/2 cup of flour (in bowl or shake in a bag along with the salt, pepper, paprika, and allspice/ground cloves), brown in remaining oil, turning often for even browning.  Place in pot.  Add seasonings to pot [if not added to flour] : salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, paprika and allspice/cloves.  Add water to pot.  (I'm sure I add more than 2 cups??  Probably like 4 cups)  Cook on low-med for hours.  Add cup or so of frozen peas the last 10 minutes.

I had DH buy a round steak for making stew!  See what you started!!

Easy peasy "recipe"

Place a whole thawed chicken in crockpot seasoned as you please with 1/4 cup of water.  Cook on low all day (with my schedule is usually 10-12 hrs).  Comes out fall off the bone tender with lovely juices.

Herblover   +1

I like to make Bisquick drop biscuits by steaming them over the broth during the last few minutes.

1/3 cup honey mustard
1/3 cup light brown sugar (or Splenda equiv or a little molasses perhaps)
1 small onion cut in wedges
1 bottle dark beer

Mix together (preferably the night before cooking)

1 lb Kilbasa, cut into largish pieces
1 lb sourkraut, drained

Mix together w/ sauce in crockpot and cook on high for 4-5 hours.

YUMMM!

This is not as exciting as a whole meal, but it is the base to many great soups. Take a bunch of chicken bones or the remains of a whole cooked chicken, put it in the crockpot. Toss in an onion and a carrot. Fill the crockpot with water, toss in some herbs (I use Italian spices.)(Salt/pepper if you want too). Cook all day (8 hours or more). You will have a wonderful broth. If you have the time you can run a second batch off of the same bones. It will be weaker and less favorable. I just mix the two together when I am done. Anyways, pull out the bones and soggy veggies, cool the broth in the fridge to make it easy to skim off the fat. Enjoy.

Take a whole chicken, remove the icky bits from inside. Take two lemons and cut in half. Put two halves on the outside and the rest back to back on the inside. You can rub salt and pepper on the outside. I do not generally bother. Cook for 6-8 hours. The chicken will fall off the bones and be flavored with lemon. You can save the broth from the chicken, but I find it a little difficult to use, do to the strong lemon flavor.

Have you tried using only 1/2 or 1/4 a pint of the broth in making three pints of veg soup ? 
use plain stock for the other liquids.
The lemon idea should make an interesting difference especially if you try and maks an Italian minestrone type soup

 I've made some freezerbag holders out of 4 unch black rin water pipe . cut thm in 7 inch length and cut once north to south so it can exapned
 sand the edges dead smooth so teyb won't cut the bags
 .
Slide a bag in the tube  3#2/3 fill with stcok  carefully transfer to fereezer and stand them upright for 24 hrs till it is froxen solid then either tied off the bag or if like me you can . heatseal the vac pac.

 We have about 15 pints , half & quarter  pints of various stocks in the freezer for the slow cooker 7 soups as well as about 25 pints of pressure canned stock
.
  If you want to use the frozen bags of stock in the slow cooker ,  defrost it first and bring it to the boil for 4 min . Stuff out the pressure canned jars goes straight in.

For slow cooker recipes already tested, this blogger seems to have a good handle on use of the cookers.  I've tried a couple the recipes, and have been pleased:  http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
Nonna

herblover wrote:Easy peasy "recipe"

Place a whole thawed chicken in crockpot seasoned as you please with 1/4 cup of water.  Cook on low all day (with my schedule is usually 10-12 hrs).  Comes out fall off the bone tender with lovely juices.

Only 1/4 C water?  That's not a typo?

Online this morning www.msn:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/recipes/24-slow-cooker-recipes/ss-BBgg6Cq?ocid=DELLDHP

A family favorite is this savory Cajun dish




http://cappyandpegody.blogspot.com/2013/01/deer-meat-sauce-piquante.html

I just spent some delightful time going thru your blogspot Cajun Cappy !!  I'm gonna have to try that Chicken Spagetti !

Brainchasm

This is so simple and out of this world delicious--

Shredded Beef With Barbecue Sauce
Season a chuck roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Don't be shy pour it on.  Place in the slow cooker.  Pour in a splash of canned beef broth. Cover and cook on low  8 to 10 hours or on high 4 to 6 hours.  Your house will smell amazing. Shred meat. Stir in your favorite barbecue sauce. Done.

This makes Fantastic sandwiches! I've had visitors go totally silly over this stuff and look at me like I performed magic.

If you try this out let me know what you think!  

ooooweee C.Cappy! I do Love the idea of diced onions. Brainchasm you getting all these ideas??

Turkey or Chicken Stew

Turkey or Chicken broth - for 6 quart slow-cooker, you may need 2 quarts...
Frozen Corn
Potatoes - peeled & chopped
Onion - chopped (frozen works well too)
Minced Garlic
Black Pepper
Turkey or Chicken Meat Base or bullion
Turkey or Chicken - cooked & chopped

Throw it all in the crock-pot, let it heat till bubbly.  Use whatever quantities you like personally.  Add in some diced tomatoes if you want.  I like carrots in it, but DH thinks it makes the stew too sweet...  Up to you!

Crock pot rice pudding

2 cups of raw rice soaked overnight, ( change water as needed to eliminate starches )

Ingredients
1/2 gallon whole milk
12 oz can of evaporated milk ( not sweetened )
4 fresh eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of raw rice ( not minute )
Raisins ( your choice )  I don't add them.

Place milk in the crock pot, turn on hi setting
Keep an eye on milk heating so not to burn.

In a blender add
4 eggs....2/3rds cup of evaporated milk....2 tsps vanilla extract
1 cup sugar.....( check milk for heat ).....
Blend till mixed...( check milk for heat )
Set aside in fridge with what evaporated milk remains also.( 1/3rd can )

Now the milk should be warming up good.
Once milk is hot ( very warm )  drain water from rice and add to warm milk / turn to
low setting and stir.  (always check for bottom sticking )
 ( check milk for heat )  always.. It's not going to burn if you keep an eye on it.
It may take 1/2 hour to 45  min for the milk/rice to warm sufficiently to add the
blended mix. 
Add 1/3rd cup of evaporated milk to the blended mix, stir and add to the hot rice in the
crock pot. ( stir )
 A time will come to turn off the crock pot, a time will come to take the crock pot out of
the heater ( providing your is inserted )

Remember the rice will continue to cook until it's cooled some.
I stay close by and stir stir stir, or it will clump up on the bottom.
After a few trys you'll get the hang of this and have the finest rice pudding you have
ever tasted.. ( In my opinion )
The original recipe did not used a crock pot, this was my way of wanting to do it for I
love cooking with a crock pot

here's a copy of the original for the above rice pudding

Oh, Jimmy Cee, love the old recipe with its notations.  A treasure to be sure.  Thanks for posting both iterations of this recipe.  Nonna