Yes, I actually have 3 crockpots
There aren’t many easier ways to cook than with a crockpot. You can also make some darn good meals with the sucker. So dust off your crockpot, or if you don’t have one… go buy one! We will be having many recipes on the site going forward that are going to require a crockpot as my wife is a master with it.
Advantages of crockpot cooking:
1. A crockpot doesn’t require constant babysitting. Just leave it be and go do all the other crap you have to get done. The crockpot will take care of your meal for you.
2. A crockpot will tenderize and soften meat for you so go ahead and use that cheaper tougher cut!
3. It is hard to burn a meal using a crockpot.
4. You a fan of stews, soups, shredded meats? A crockpot is a must have.
5. The longer cooking times mean better distribution of flavors! Yum yum and yum.
6. A crockpot leaves the stove and oven open and available for anything else you might want to cook up. Primal Peach Patties for dessert anyone?
I am sure there are some other advantages that I missed out on in there but that is a good start. Around the SoG’s house we mostly use our crockpot for green chile stew, chilli’s and no tortilla tortilla soup! Stay tuned for some of these delicious SoG creations but here is a simple little crockpot recipe to get you started:
Primal Cabbage Rolls (SoG adapted recipe. Original recipe has unknown origin and was not primal)
Ingredients:
12 large cabbage leaves
1 1/2 lbs ground beef or lamb
1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
3/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. leaf thyme
Directions:
1. Boil 4 cups water. Turn off heat.
2. Soak washed cabbage leaves in water for 5 minutes then drain and cool.
3. Combine ground meat, salt, pepper, and thyme.
4. Place 2 tablespoons meat mixture on each leaf and roll firmly.
5. Stack rolls in the crockpot.
6. Combine tomato paste and water then pour over stuffed cabbage.
7. Cover and Cook on low setting for 8 – 10 hours.
8. Enjoy!
What are your favorite uses of the crockpot?
January 23rd, 2009 - 9:47 am
Hmm I will definitely need to try these. I use to use my crock pot all the time for beans that I’d use for frito pies. No more of those though.
January 23rd, 2009 - 10:31 am
I’ve now got 4 slow cookers! They are a 7qt and 5.5 or 6 qt, both “horizontal” pots, my ancient upright 3.5 qt model, and a 2 qt “off brand” model. Yes, they take up a lot of storage space (3 in a cabinet just outside the kitchen, 1 just inside the garage), but it’s well worth it, IMO. I use the largest one for simmering a whole chicken or big batch of whole legs to debone for meat/making broth, often weekly. The medium sized ones are great for roasts, soups, and chili or smaller batches of broth/soup/chili/stew. The small one is good for making applesauce with apples that have started to shrivel a bit or lose their crispness, etc. And they keep foods warm for parties.
Also, slow cookers can use less energy than their range/oven counterparts, and generally have a good safety record, so they can be left unattended, unlike most other cooking methods (hot coals and food buried in a hole being an exception).
January 23rd, 2009 - 12:47 pm
I recently discovered the joys of crock pot cooking. For some readon I could never get anything to turn out until recently, now it’s my new best friend.
My sister puts an oven bag in her crock pot for lining and easy clean up. Pretty nifty idea but I have yet to try it. I guess I don’t mind soap and water.
I look forward to some more crock pot recipes to add to my cookbook!
January 23rd, 2009 - 12:56 pm
Awesome! My mom used to make crock pot galumpkies (polish cabbage rolls) every New Years day (something about flushing your guts for the new year, lol). She used to put white rice in though, not primal
. I’m definitely going to make these soon, except I will keep one of Mom’s methods – adding in a big heap of sauerkraut to the crock pot!
January 23rd, 2009 - 1:50 pm
SOG, spot on,crock pot rocks!!!!
Nothing like putting the crockpot to work before you go to sleep and waking up to a house smelling delcious and breakfast is ready.
Here’s a really simple chicken recipe if you’d like to try. Make a bed of onions and garlic, cut up one lemon in 4 pieces and put in 4 corners of the c-pot.
(if you happen to have it in the house you can put a sprig of rosemary and thyme on the bed also) Spice your whole chicken with the flavors you like. Put whole chicken in the crockpot and forget about it for the next 6-8 hours (heat on low). The chicken will cook in it’s own juices and……well just try it and don’t bite on any of your fingers.
Marc
January 23rd, 2009 - 1:59 pm
Roger,
A crockpot is for so much more than beans! Ill hook you up with the recipe connection!
Anna,
4!?!?!? You ahve me beat!
Robin,
I have not hear dof the oven bag. That is an interesting idea although I have never had a problem cleaning a crockpot.
Redbeerd,
The original Cabbage rolls have rice but primal requires its removal! lol. Souerkraut would probably be pretty good in this if you are a fan (i am not.. I know that is blaspheme for a good german boy).
Marc,
I actually have a beautiful rosemary bush right by my front door that I use for cooking. Can’t wait to try! I have a rotisserie that I have been using for most of my fowl lately.
January 23rd, 2009 - 2:32 pm
SoG,
recipe sounds mouth watering, I’ll try it this weekend. ever thought of putting out a primal cookbook? All your recipes turn out great and being a bachelor with minimal kitchen skills I find them easy to make. keep up the great work!
January 23rd, 2009 - 3:47 pm
hq,
The wife and I have thought about it but I decided that I would rather just communicate recipes for free on this site! I am glad you enjoy them.
January 23rd, 2009 - 7:59 pm
My favorite crockpot meal is to put a nice beef or pork roast in there along with a jar of salsa verde (and sometimes some coconut milk) and just leave it on low all afternoon until dinner. Once it’s dinnertime, shred the meat into the juice and then eat it topped with guacamole. It makes the house smell fantastic too!
January 24th, 2009 - 8:25 am
Elizabeth,
Wow! That sounds really really delicious!
January 25th, 2009 - 12:14 pm
Do you need to brown the meat before you put it in the crock pot?
January 25th, 2009 - 5:31 pm
Candy,
You can brown the meat or put it in uncooked. It is kind of a preference thing.
January 25th, 2009 - 5:47 pm
Thanks!
January 27th, 2009 - 12:39 pm
That actually sounds really good. I can’t remember the last time I had cabbage. My mom used to fix it, but I must confess that it is a mystery to me. She might’ve made cabbage with spare ribs in it? Does that sound like a possible combo? It seems like it was spare ribs or some sort of pork to season it.
Elizabeth, that salsa verde and coconut milk sounds good too. I’ve done pork loin with red chile sauce (Las Palmas) before in the oven slow cooked. After 10 hours or so, you shred it up and put it in a crock pot with another can of red chile sauce and keep it warm until you are ready to serve. Carnitas! Serve with fresh lime, cilantro, onion, avocado, and whatever else you like. Tortillas are optional.
TG
January 29th, 2009 - 1:58 am
[...] Dinner came around 6:00 P.M. I wasn’t all that hungry after the midday feast, but my wife had made a pot roast with carrots. I can’t resist anything cooked all day in a Crock-Pot, and I know I’m not alone! [...]
January 31st, 2009 - 7:43 am
[...] Wow, this dinner was absolutely amazing! It was so easy too that it is almost criminal. I am going to put myself out of a job posting easy recipes like this. Anyways, here is a quick easy and to die for meal form your crockpot that I know you all pulled out after reading this post. [...]
April 7th, 2009 - 8:30 am
Made it last week with cabbage and it was excellent. I’m gonna try it today with chard instead (its what I have on hand). Only suggestion is to add more seasoning to the meat. I like it spicy .
September 3rd, 2009 - 8:29 am
I realize this is an old post but there’s one more very important advantage to the crockpot – it can go in the garage. We’ve had some VERY hot weeks and no one feels like turning the oven or stove on so we cook our food in the crockpot which we move to the garage. Then we get home-cooked food and we don’t have to heat the house up!
September 21st, 2009 - 10:41 pm
I used to make this before paleo with a Hungarian sweet and soup recipe..so I added:
Grated onion and 3TBS almond meal, 1/4 tsp cummin to the meat.
To the tomato paste I added 2 TBS lemon juice and 1 TBS
of Stevia (or honey if you do sugar)
Also a handful of raisans to the tomato sauce…this makes a sweet/sour more traditional sauce…and it’s yummy, but I like sweet foods anyway!
Thanks for these good ideas!
January 8th, 2010 - 4:59 pm
I’ve been making some “primal” cabbage rolls as well, and working on perfecting my recipe. One of the things I’ve found that really add to it, is I stuff 10 cabbage rolls with a pound of ground pork, a cup of fine diced onions, a cup of fine diced carrots, four cloves of garlic (I saute the carrots onions and garlic till it’s just softening), an egg, about 1/4 cup ground almonds (I grind my own, because I think it tastes better), two tablespoons cream, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, about a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. I find that it’s 100 times better then a cabbage roll with rice every could hope to be.