‘Crock Pot’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: Slow Cooker Pot Roast

July 25, 2017 · Narrative

A tender, juicy, and delicious pot roast that will be the star of your dinner table.

Now that we’re knee-deep in July, you might be in the throes of I CAN’T BEAR TO TURN ON MY OVEN. Normally, I would feel your pain, but New Jersey is in this weird phase of mid-70 degree weather. As usual, Mother Nature is pretty confused. But I’ll take it!

If you happen to be experiencing normal summer heat, using your slow cooker is a great way to still feed your family a delicious dinner without breaking a sweat. And since we’re coming up on a busy Fall season for our family, meals that I can literally throw together are at the top of my list.

I spied this recipe on Instagram last month and I saved it because, besides being easy, it fell pretty neatly in the “clean eating” box I love to check. And with a teenage boy, and not only his growing appetite, but also his love for pot roast, I figured I had a slam dunk.

And I was right.

Just a few simple ingredients, and a couple of hours in your slow cooker, and you’ll be rewarded with pull-apart-tender meat with a delicious flavorful sauce. The tomatoes are juicy and burst with every bite. After our first dinner with this recipe, I couldn’t wait for leftovers the next day, and it made for a perfect week’s worth of lunches for me.

It’s delicious as is, but could also be served over mashed potatoes, quinoa, or mashed cauliflower. I made a garlic mashed cauliflower, and it was to-die-for. You can’t screw this one up, and whether the summer temps are making you dread your kitchen, or you’re just looking for simple and tasty meal, you won’t be disappointed.

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Recipe: Vegetable Stoup

October 14, 2015 · Narrative

Fall weather always means using the slow cooker more, and this recipe for Vegetable Stoup is just the thing to take the chill off.

Last week, I got a head start on cooking (and being organized!), and made Egg & Ham Cups, giving myself a week’s worth of breakfast.

Which means I forgot my lunch every. single. day.

I kid you not.

You know the struggle.

Getting everyone out of the house in the morning. On time. With everything that everyone needs.

If something is going to slip, better it be my lunch, instead of my coffee, the kids’ breakfast, or their homework.

So, priorities.

This weekend, I tackled a week’s worth of my lunches by way of this Vegetable Stoup.

Stoup. Thicker than a soup, thinner than a stew. I take no credit for the word (that’s Rachael Ray’s creativity), although the recipe is mine.

And it couldn’t be simpler.

Chop a bunch of things. Open a few cans. Put it all in the slow cooker.

Four hours later, and you’re rewarded with lunch for the week.

Or a light dinner or five.

Depends on how you roll.

It’s the perfect recipe to take advantage of some Fall veggies. And get a good solid boost of fiber by way of the beans.

To make it easier for me in the mornings, once the Vegetable Stoup is done, I portion it out into a bunch of containers, so it’s a super simple case of grab-and-go.

Although the stoup is delicious by itself, it makes a great vehicle for toppings too.

A dollop of sour cream. Diced avocado. Shredded cheese. Even a few crumbled tortilla chips.

Go crazy.

It’s pretty healthy, after all….

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Cheese Steak Sandwich

September 29, 2014 · Narrative

Prep this easy slow cooker meal the day before, and you’ll have a delicious Chicken Cheese Steak Sandwich ready for dinner on a busy weeknight.

Normally I could start by saying “Now that it’s the end of September, the cooler temperatures mean it’s the perfect time to dig out the slow cooker and start working on making comfort food recipes.”

But then Mother Nature decided to get seriously confused and has given us several days of near 90 degree temps.

But if you’ve been coming here long enough, you know that I don’t always cook or eat by the seasons. I’ve been known, on many an occasion, to make hot soup in the summer, and I drink iced coffee even when the temperatures drop to the negative numbers.

That’s just how we roll.

So this time, this slow cooker recipe isn’t brought to you because it’s Fall and we need comfort food. It’s brought to you because it’s the perfect thing to prep ahead for a busy weeknight.

And busy weeknights?

We all got ’em.

I made this on Sunday, when I knew I would have a stretch of time to play with the slow cooker, and then I just reheated it for dinner tonight.

Which means that tonight, it only took me about 15 minutes to get this on the table.

And that’s totally my favorite kind of dinner.

Because this doesn’t have yellow cheese and caramelized onions and steak, it’s, of course, not a legit Philly cheese steak.

It’s not trying to be that.

It is, however, doing very well as its counterpart … a chicken version with next to no ingredients and pretty much guilt-free, clean eating.

Winner winner, chicken dinner.

Put chicken, sliced green peppers, and onions in your slow cooker. Add a couple seasonings. Let it do its thing for a few hours.

Stuff it into toasted rolls.

Top with cheese.

Pop it under the broiler for a minute so the cheese melts.

Devour.

This is one of those you-can’t-screw-it-up kind of recipes, and you’ll find yourself putting it into regular rotation. And because it’s so simple, you can easily mix it up a bit. Add tomato sauce and make it into Italian Chicken Cheese Steaks. Or add sliced black olives and banana peppers to give it a little extra bit of oomph.

No matter how you make it, you can’t go wrong.

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