Jesse Sartain, Barbecue Pork Sandwiches

Author: Melanie R. Craig

Whether you choose to call it a crockpot or a slow cooker it is one of the most easy to use and downright convenient appliances in any kitchen. And so versatile. In fact, when you think of all the time that can be saved by using a slow cooking crockpot and all of the delicious meals that you can produce in it, every home should have one.

Here are just three advantages to cooking the crockpot way:

(i) Cooking slow allows you to keep on the go. Your crockpot doesn’t require constant watching. Just leave it alone and get on with all the other things that you doubtless need to do and let the crockpot get on with the job of cooking your meal. Nothing else to do? Lucky you. Put your feet up girl (or boy) and take easy.

(ii) If you are using a cheaper - and tougher - cut of meat - the crockpot will tenderize it for you and you can make some really great stews.

(iii) Your crockpot is less likely to burn your food or cause it to stick to the bottom of the pan and so you can say a little prayer of thanks when it come to the washing up.

Okay. I won’t deny it. A crockpot isn’t a pan for all occasions. With the exceptions of stews and chowders, they don’t cook fish very well. They are less than ideal too for cooking some of the larger cuts of meat such as leg of lamb or boneless prime rib. So you’d best stick to traditional roasting methods for these. It is also worth remembering that your crockpot does not allow steam to escape and so some dishes might become impaired by the extra liquid. So versatile it may be, but it has its limits. With so many recipes available for crockpots though, any cook would be spoiled for choice and there is no need for experimentation or guess work in the kitchen. Hmmmm! What’t that smell from the kithchen.

Author: Kara Kelso

Need to throw together a meal, but don’t have much in the house? Here’s a few recipes which require only 3 ingredients or less! Be sure to see our website for more crockpot recipes.

BARBECUE PORK SANDWICHES
1 pork roast
1 bottle bar-b-cue sauce
About 1/2 to 1 cup water
Just throw in crockpot on high for about 6 hrs. or low for about 10 hrs. When it’s done, just remove meat from bone and serve on hamburger buns or rolls with more bar-b-que sauce or ketchup, etc.

CHEESY CROCKPOT CHICKEN I
3 whole boneless chicken breasts
2 cans cream chicken soup
1 can chedder cheese soup

Remove all fat and skin from chicken; rinse and pat dry, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Put in crockpot and add the three soups straight from the cans. Cook on low all day (at least 8 hrs) do not lift the lid. Serve over rice or noodles.

CROCKPOT AZTEC BLACK BEANS
1 lb. dried black beans (or turtle beans)
16 oz. jar of salsa (your favorite kind)

-Rinse black beans, removing any stones or foreign objects. Cover with water, soak all night. -Drain beans and place in cp with salsa. Add enough water to just cover beans. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

These crockpot recipes only include three ingredients, but you can always add more to them if you’d like. Since they are basic, you can use other items you have on hand to give them a different flavor, or even create different dishes.