Trial run for my new crock pot.....

My mother gave me and Pete a crockpot for one of our christmas presents. I'm very happy about it, since I know she has a bunch of delicious recipes that she makes in her crockpot, and now I'll be able to make them too. Today, I am going to start off by making something VERY VERY EASY. Sweet chili meatballs! All it takes is a package of meatballs (make sure they're a good brand or make them yourself if you're adventurous ), a jar of welch's grape jelly and a jar of heinz chili sauce....mix it all together, slow cook it and voila! I've set it up so that it'll be ready for me when I get home from work. All Pete will have to do is make the noodles to go with it, which shouldn't be any trouble for him. I'll let you guys know how it turns out!

Does anyone have any good crockpot recipes that they'd like to share?

Shouldnt you add this to the Wyan thread?? Grape Jelly??????????????? how weird!

But on the subject i so want one too

Originally Posted by fwan

Shouldnt you add this to the Wyan thread?? Grape Jelly??????????????? how weird!

But on the subject i so want one too

Click to expand...

I didn't know ryan had started a similar thread. Sorry. If a mod wants to move it for me, that's cool.

Fwan, I know what you mean. I was surprised at the ingredients when my mum told me, but man are these meatballs good (at least when she makes them). I guess you never can tell what will taste good together until you try

The Crock Pot is such a wonderful item! I usually use mine for cooking beans.

No No, lol ryan didnt start a crockpot thread, i just thought you should add it to the Snack thread

I haven't actually made meatballs with grape jelly, but I've certainly heard of them, and that they are very good. Congratulations on your new toy!

Here are a few of my favourites...

Bargain Beef Stroganoff

1/4 cup \tall purpose flour
1 tsp\t\tsalt
1/2 tsp\tblack pepper
2 lbs\t\tstewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tbsp\t\tvegetable oil
8 oz\t\tsmall white button mushrooms, cleaned*
2 \t\tonions, thinly sliced
1-1/2 cups\tbeef stock
3 tbsp\t\tWorcestershire sauce
3 tbsp\t\ttomato paste
2 tbsp\t\tpaprika
1 1/2 tbsp\tDijon mustard
1 cup\t\tsour cream
\t\tHot cooked egg noodles

In a bowl or plastic bag, combine flour, salt and pepper. In batches, add beef to seasoned flour and toss to coat. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef in batches and cook for 5-7 minutes or until browned on all sides. With a slotted spoon, transfer beef to slow cooker; add mushrooms and onions.

In a 2-cup measure, combine beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, paprika and mustard, mixing well. Pour into slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours, until bubbling. Stir in sour cream and serve over hot noodles.

*can substitute large mushrooms, quartered.

Serves 4-6

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes

2 lbs\t\tlean ground beef
1 medium \tonion, finely chopped
1 stalks \tcelery, finely chopped
1 can (10 oz)\tcondensed tomato soup
1/4 cup\twater
2 tbsp\t\ttomato paste
1 tbsp\t\tWorcestershire sauce
2 tsp\t\tdried Italian seasoning
1 cup\t\t1/2-inch cubes cheddar cheese
\t\tSalt and black pepper
4-6 \t\tkaiser buns, split and toasted

In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef, breaking up with a spoon, until browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer meat to slow cooker.

Add onion to slow cooker, along with celery, tomato soup (undiluted), water, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and Italian seasoning, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-10 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Reduce heat to LOW. Add cheese cubes. Cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until cheese melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture over half a kaiser bun and top with the other half.

Serves 4-6

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Homestyle Pot Roast

1/4 cup \tall purpose flour
\t\t**salt and black pepper
1\t\t3-4 lb beef cross rib or rump roast
1 tbsp \tvegetable oil
2\t\tonions, quartered
4\t\tcarrots, peeled and sliced
4-6\t\tpotatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup \t\tbeef stock**
1 small can (7.5 oz)\ttomato sauce
1 clove \tgarlic, minced
1/2 tsp \tdried thyme
1 \t\tbay leaf
\t\tSalt and pepper

In a bowl, season flour to taste with salt and pepper. Pat meat dry and coat on all sides with seasoned flour.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add meat and cook, turning with a wooden spoon, for 7-10 minutes or until brown on all sides. Transfer meat to slow cooker.

Add onions to slow cooker, along with carrots, potatoes, stock, tomato paste, garlic thyme and bay leaf. Cover and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours or on HIGH for 6-8 hours, until vegetables are tender.

Remove pot roast, onions, carrots and potatoes, cover and set aside. Discard
bay leaf. Tip slow cooker and skim off any excess fat from surface of gravy; season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour gravy into sauce boat. Slice roast, arrange on a serving platter and surround with vegetables. Serve with gravy.

**It works wonderfully well just as is, but on my second go, I made a couple of changes which I liked a lot. [1] I used meat tenderiser on the meat and omitted the salt from the seasoned flour; [2] I substituted red wine for half the beef stock. These were beneficial, in terms of both flavour and tenderness.

Serves 6-8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In all cases, it has been my experience that the longer cooking time on LOW is definitely preferable to the shorter one on HIGH.

These come from a really fine Crock Pot cookbook, which I have learned to trust implicitly on the subject!

...here are the particulars, in case you are interested...

"Canada's Best Slow Cooker Recipes"
Donna-Marie Pye

The publisher is Robert Rose, Inc., Toronto
ISBN 0-7788-0024-5

$18.95 US $19.95 Can.

In addition to lots of interesting recipes, which so far have not revealed a dud, there's a good introduction and general information about slow cookers, and the principles that apply to slow cooking. As a starting place, it's excellent.

As a matter of curiosity, I checked Amazon.com for this title. There is one, "America's Best Slow Cooker Recipes", by the same author, with a similar ISBN, and the cover is identical. Guess there's an American edition! Here's the URL...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...591105-7776068

Anyway, there you are. Happy crockpotting!

I don't have any recipes off the top of my head to give you. But you might want to check out some of the recipe site out on the next. They have some good recipes.

And the Fix It and Forget It cook books are great for crock pot recipes.

My boss makes her meatballs with a jar of grape jelly and a bottle of ketchup. They are fantastic!

Yes, grape jelly & chili sauce. I make this same recipe every Christmas. It's in the "Cooking with Cattitude" book as well. Mine goes like this:

Cocktail Meatballs (Recipe may be doubled)

1 1b. lean ground hamburger
1/2 Cup Italian bread crumbs
3/4 C. chopped onion
1/4 C. milk
1 egg
1 Tablespoon parsley
1 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 Teaspoon black pepper
1 12 oz. bottle chili sauce (such as Heinz)
1 10 oz. jar grape jelly

Heat jelly and sauce in microwave safe bowl. Whisk and set aside.

Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl. With wet hands, form into meatballs. Cook in skillet on stove, turning until brown throughout.

Place in greased Crock Pot. Add sauce and gently mix.

Set Crock Pot to Low and enjoy!

Makes wonderful appetizers.

Another of my favorites:

1 bottom round rump roast (trim visible fat)
1 16 oz can of stewed tomatoes (I buy the ones with Italian seasoning)
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup (sometimes I buy garlic flavored)
1 packet of Lipton Beefy Onion Soup mix (dry)

Grease crock pot. Trim fat from roast. Mix remaining ingredients well in medium size bowl. Pour 1/3 of mixture into crock pot. Place roast in crock pot. Pour remaining sauce mixture on top. Cook on High for approx. 5 hours.

Serve with white rice. Yum!!!

Another place to find recipes to try is the Nestle website:

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipe...ot&cat=&theme=

I've never heard of meatballs slow cooked in grape jelly, but I'd like to be a guinea pig for them. I need to get a slow cooker some day. I'd make stew more often.

I make the grape jelly/chili sauce meatballs for every event I'm invited to...they're delicious! Those two things combined & slow cooked taste like the most awesome barbeque sauce! So easy to make with a crock pot, too!

Another thing I like to make that is so easy, is french dip beef for sandwiches. All you have to do is put a rump roast in the cooker. Add 2 or three packets of Au Jus packets mixed with water. Let that sucker cook for about 6 hours. Then I do one of two things...either put the meat straight on a crusty roll, and ladle some of the sauce into a cup & have a really good French Dip. When I want a great french dip, I open up the crusty rolls, put some of the meat on them, add slices of mozarella, and hot giardiniera. I broil that until the cheese bubbles. Put the two sides together, and be prepared...it's unbelievable! Don't forget the "dippin' sauce"!

I might have to go to the grocery store tomorrow...

Originally Posted by Leli

My mother gave me and Pete a crockpot for one of our christmas presents.

I'm very happy about it, since I know she has a bunch of delicious recipes that she makes in her crockpot, and now I'll be able to make them too. Today, I am going to start off by making something VERY VERY EASY. Sweet chili meatballs! All it takes is a package of meatballs (make sure they're a good brand or make them yourself if you're adventurous

), a jar of welch's grape jelly and a jar of heinz chili sauce....mix it all together, slow cook it and voila! I've set it up so that it'll be ready for me when I get home from work. All Pete will have to do is make the noodles to go with it, which shouldn't be any trouble for him. I'll let you guys know how it turns out!

Does anyone have any good crockpot recipes that they'd like to share?

Click to expand...

I also add a bunch of sliced up hot dogs and a little brown sugar to mine.
You really don`t taste the grape jelly as "grape jelly"...it just adds a sweetness that is REALLY good!
I`ve never had them on noodles...but that`s a though...I`ll try it!
Linda

Originally Posted by clixpix

I make the grape jelly/chili sauce meatballs for every event I'm invited to...they're delicious! Those two things combined & slow cooked taste like the most awesome barbeque sauce! So easy to make with a crock pot, too!

Another thing I like to make that is so easy, is french dip beef for sandwiches. All you have to do is put a rump roast in the cooker. Add 2 or three packets of Au Jus packets mixed with water. Let that sucker cook for about 6 hours. Then I do one of two things...either put the meat straight on a crusty roll, and ladle some of the sauce into a cup & have a really good French Dip. When I want a great french dip, I open up the crusty rolls, put some of the meat on them, add slices of mozarella, and hot giardiniera. I broil that until the cheese bubbles. Put the two sides together, and be prepared...it's unbelievable! Don't forget the "dippin' sauce"!

I might have to go to the grocery store tomorrow...

Click to expand...

Kelly, that sounds awesome! I haven't had a good beef French dip in years. Are there more details to the instructions and ingredients, like the brand of the packets, cooking temp and weight of the rump roast? Can you pm me the recipe?

Leli, do you also have a more detailed recipe for the grape jelly meatballs? I wouldn't know what size of grape jelly to buy.

I make meatballs with grape jelly and chili sauce every year for my holiday party. They always get raves. However, I'm lazy about it and just buy frozen meatballs. LOL The recipe works with Little Smokies, too.

I'm also lazy about measuring -- I just buy a big jar of jelly and a regular-size bottle of chili sauce, I've never seen it in any other size. LOL

They just came out with plastic crock pot liners, too -- I bought a package at Aldi a week or two ago. What a great idea! It's a pain to clean all the guck out of the crock after it's cooked a few hours.