Crock pots???

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REO

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I've never had a crock pot but I'm thinking I might like one!
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I don't know anything about them. Like, a microwave we bought that only lasted a few months before it shorted out, IF we get a crock pot, I don't want a crappy one that won't work and won't last!

Can you all tell me the best brands? Sizes? Features? How long you've had yours? Etc?

Thanks!!!!
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I have 3, all are different sizes and different brands....all are inexpensive ones I have had for years and use alot, never had a problem with any of them. I do want one of those buffet style ones that has three crocks all together. I love crockpot cooking.
 
What brands and sizes do you have? What size do you like best? What do you make? I have no clue at all about crock pots! I'd love to learn before I dive in and not get the right one.
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Hey Reo, wish you were closer you could dine in style with me at the horse shows.. lol

I live out of crock pots all of show season, have a small (great for breakfast foods and dips) medium (I "bake" cakes in this one) and the large that I make the main meal in. I use the Crock Pot brand.

If you need any easy 5 ingred. on the road type recipes PM me.

Taking a crock with you to shows beats living on junk food and the stomach issues that goes with it..
 
LOVE them! I have three also. Two are large (5 and 6 quarts), one of which is a "stay or go" one that you can clamp the lid down on if you are taking it someplace with food in it, and one is maybe 1.5 quarts. The brands I have are Hamilton Beach (recently got, the "stay or go" one), Proctor Silex and Rival (have had those a decade I bet!).

Get one that has a removable stoneware "crock" so you can put that in the dishwasher.

We use ours all the time. Chili, beef stew, chicken, soups, ETC. I love it!!!

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Looky here, this is the stay or go one I have:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hamilton-Beach-Stay-or-Go-6-Quart-Slow-Cooker/16913519

(^ I got it to take chili over for my Dad's bday last week so it's new to me but works fine and seems good.)

And this is the one I've had a very long time and also works great:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Crock-Pot-5-Quart-Smart-Pot-Slow-Cooker/10390173

And last, and littlest but might handy:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Proctor-Silex-1.5-Qt-Round-Crock-Pot/12024142
 
Thanks! I'll have a look at them!

I don't know what I might like to make in them or anything. YET!
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But the idea of tossing stuff in and walking away sounds like fun!

I'm a VERY good cook! But I don't always feel like standing around cooking out of many pots!

If anyone has favorite recipes, please either share them here for all to see or email them to me to try out once I get a pot! [email protected]

Thanks!!!!
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Robin, I like this chili recipe a lot! It's easy and very good.

Brown 2 pounds of ground beef with some diced green peppers. Drain and stir in one envelope of McCormack Slow Cooker Chili Seasoning. Then put the beef, peppers and seasoning into the crock pot.

Put in these cans, not draining any:

1 large can of Tomato Sauce

1 small can of Tomato Sauce

1-2 cans of Bush's Bold & Spicey baked beans

2-3 cans of petite diced tomatoes (much better than regular crushed or diced)

1-2 packets of Splenda

Tablespoon of Worchestshire (sp?) sauce

Cook it on low for 6 or so hours, or higher if you want it done faster

Also, can't go wrong with this easy one. I like it over egg noodles or with mashed potatoes:

Cubed beef stew meat

1 package lipton onion soup mix

1 large can of cream of mushroom soup

Frozen diced onions (optional)

Just cook on low for 6-8 hours. Always comes out very tender and good! Also works with chicken breasts or thighs
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Oh, my gosh, REO--come by the stalls at Nationals and I'll show you crock pot cooking. Just like Mel said great for horse show cooking. I have (hum lets see) 2 -6 qt oval sizes, 1 smaller one that I used for small servings since it is just me at home (great for fixing beans) and I recently bought one of the 3-crock crock pots that will be going to Shows. I cook for no less than 5 people and as many as 20. Have made everything from Creamy Chicken w/pasta, a great pot of beans (can never go wrong there), chili, pork chops and dressing, and one of the biggest hits - crock pot lasagna. Going to have to make 3 crocks of that next time--nothing left and begging for more. I bought the 3-crocks in one so that I can do a couple of veggies and a desert in that one while the other big ones are free for the main course.

I love doing Pot Roast in a crock. Put a crock pot liner in your crock (makes clean up a breeze-I should have bought stock in this product) .Get a chuck roast, flour and brown in a skillet or on the griddle, while that is browning, clean some small boiling onions (or slice yellow onions) and place on the bottom, add your meat, then top with 2 can of cream of mushroom soup (undiluted) (if you like lots of gravey add another can of soup), then top with small new potatoes and carrots. Turn crock on low and leave for 6-8 hours.

I put this on when I leave for work and by the time I have chores done dinner is ready. I love lots of gravey so I put 3 cans in as I love to eat just bread topped with gravey sometime for dinner.

If anyone has crock receipes they want to share please let me know as I'm always looking for new things to cook for Nationals.

Congress and National Kitchen will be in full swing again this year. Forgot to say I buy all my Crock Pots at Walmart and have not spent more than $30.00 for any of them and the $30.00 one was the 3-N-1 Crock.
 
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I also have two crock pots all bought at walmart, couldn't live without them. my favorite recipe is beef veggie soup. One night I make a roast beef with potaoes and carrots, the next night I cut the beef into cubes add the stock from the night before and cut up the left over potatoes and carrots, add one jar of tomatoes that I have blended in my blender, cook all day while I take care of horses, at the last minute I add a can of mixed veggies, and serve with hot corn bread. Yum! I also like chili in the crock, I brown ground beef, add my spices and my tomatoes cook all day then add kidny beans, I also like to serve this with corn bread.
 
Thanks Jill! And Mel & Sonya!

Thanks Davie! I was looking at those 3 in 1 crocks. Have you used it yet?

One I saw was a lazy susan type but all 3 crocks said "off-warm" so I don't think they'd actually cook.

Do they cook pasta so it's soft? Or so it's still chewy?

Some reviews are saying meats sit in there for many hours before getting hot enough to not let bacteria start forming. Is that true?

I think I can get up the nerve to try this, with all of your help!
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I'm actually looking for a different crock pot than the one I have now. My current crock pot actually "boils" the food when it is on low. I cannot leave anything in the pot during the day while I'm gone! I contacted the company (I believe it is a Rival) and they told me the crock pot is DESIGNED to do just that! I had never heard anything like that before! No one I know has a crock pot that boils the food when it is on low. :/
 
Thanks Terry!
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Hubby came home and I'm telling him about all of this and he sounds like he loves the idea!
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I LOVE my crockpots and couldn't live without them!! Just throw the ingredients in and let it cook. I have 4. 1- 6quart store n go, 1-5 quart. 1-1.5 quart and 3 part buffet. I make lots of things in them. I just got the buffet one and haven't used it yet but my plans for it are when we have get togethers putting food in them to keep warm-gravy, vegtables, hot dips, etc. I use my big one for chili, soups,stews, Italian beef, deer roasts, pork loin, pulled pork,chicken, turkey well just about everything. I use the 5 quart for smaller serving dishes or larger dips. The small one I use for hot dips-Hot chicken wing dip, hot crab dip, nacho cheese. There are lots of recipes on the internet.
 
What Jill said. Get the one with the clamping lid. We borrowed one and haven't returned yet.....

Great for soups, in this case our friend had made soup for my SIL's wake, clamped it and it traveled with no leaks.

We crock at shows all the time, Had a tiny dip one to do the old fashioned oats for breakfast but do better just pouring boiling water in a thermos overnight and voila, world's best oatmeal.

Once you have one, you will wonder why you never owned one!
 
Reo, my 3 crock crock pot is by GE and paid $29.95. Each one has it's own switch that is low/high/warm. They are 2.5 qts each. You want a crock that has the three settings low/high/warm. When I get home and my dinner is almost done I can turn it to warm and hold it till serving time.

Diana, my crock does not "boil" like a rolling boil on the stove, but it does have bubbles along the side of the crock when on low. It is supposed to work like that.

My 6 quarts are a red Rival and the other is a silver Hamilton Beach and they both have the removal crock. My original crock that I got years and years ago is a Rival that is 3-4 qt without the removal crock. My outgoing commander gave me the red one when he moved to GA.
 
Love my crock-pot. I have an older round one that the handle broke, still use it. got a divided oval one for a wedding gift, don't like it. And, got another plain oval one, this is the one I use all the time. I mostly cook roasts in them, but also chili and stew, and a yummy round steak meal similar to one already mentioned.
 
Yep we have a few different sizes. Great for kraut and dogs, or kraut and kielbasa, sausage or meatballs with peppers and sauce, Stew, roasts with veggies and potatoes, bean soups that need to slow cook, chili, and small crocks are great to keep and serve hot dips like buffalo chicken dip at parties. Heck, line them up on a counter and they are wonderful for parties, cook, serve and keep warm in the same crock! Oh,can't forget that they are wonderful for my daughters softball concession stand, keeps dishes like Perogies and onions, chili, and halushki just the right temp.
 
I love my crock pot! I have had mine for over 10 years! It's a Rival and works fabulous! A great investment! It has off, warm, high and for me does the job great. I have had to learn to keep the lid shut and quit checking it
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I love the way it makes my house smell, it's so nice to come in and know dinners almost done!! Stew is my favorite, I just use one of those mixes and follow the back directions. It's easy as pie! LOL! Pot roat, chili, cheese dip, soup, all are super easy to do in your crock pot. I'd say invest in one, they are pretty affordable and not to hard to store. I have found my stores seem to have the best prices around Christmas time. I've seen nice ones for as little as $20. Not bad for something you could use once(or more) a week .

Also great for a party to keep things warm!!!
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Cheese dip thats sooo easy and yummy!!

Bob Evens sausage (ground, in a roll ) browned

jar of salsa(opitional)

large block of velveta cheese cut up in to small squares

Add all to your crock pot and leave it for 5 hrs or so on high

Stir and eat!!!! I eat it with nacho chips, Frito scoops, or I LOVE it on a warm tortilla all rolled up like a burrito! Yumm
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Now that sounds soo good I think I may have to run to the grocery store after I drop my son off this morning......... hummmm... yep now I know whats for dinner!!! LOL!!

P.S. I wanted to let you know I tried your chocolate brownie cake reciepe for Easter and it was a huge hit!!!!
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Thank you!!
 
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Love mine I cook alot of food in them. Also you can cook dry beans in them.
 

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