Inspiration Station: Crockpot Creations in 4 Steps or Less

Between moving into a new place with far less kitchen space, and added pressures at work both for me and for Mr. Sillypants, I realized I needed to make a change with how I approached preparing our meals.  I used to take my sweet time preparing food, often doing things the hard way to yield an ideal result.  Cooking is a very enjoyable pastime for me, a soothing and creative outlet.  However, I really needed to simplify, so I started re-thinking several of our favorite meals (and some new ones) with three goals in mind:

1. Less prep time
2. Fewer dirty dishes
3. Yummy, healthy food 

I turned to my old, reliable, bon ami, the Crockpot.  Now I spend much less time in the kitchen with very little sacrifice in creativity and flavor.  I am very pleased with the results.  Plus, I am cooking healthier, as I use virtually no oil nor butter, since the Crockpot is naturally non-stick.

 A few things I enjoy about this new system:

• The Crockpot can be used as a prep pot.  I use the crock to mix ingredients in the recipe that usually require a separate mixing bowl.  Then I put the rest of the ingredients in.  For example, I mix all the sauce ingredients in the bottom of the Crockpot before putting meat in; then I just spoon the sauce over the meat, cover, and leave it alone.  The sauce runs to the bottom anyway during cooking time, and the meat settles into the sauce as it cooks down. 
• Low and high heat settings are used to my advantage.  I use the crock in stages to cook different parts of the meal that require different cooking times.  For example, diced onions can go in first, on high for an hour or so, to sauté them.  Then the other ingredients go in, changing the temperature to low.  I brown ground beef in the crock on high before I put the other ingredients in on low.  In the large Crockpot, I use the warm setting to slow-steam vegetables, like squash.  Additionally, quick-cooking ingredients, like peas (or any vegetable you don't want overcooked), can be tossed in at the end of a cooking cycle, right after the heat switch is turned off. 
• "All day" slowcooker is a misnomer.  I usually cook meals all night, so Mr. Sillypants and I can take good food to work the next day for lunch.  The only time the aroma has awoken me in the middle of the night was when I was slow-cooking a meal with too much garlic.
• Two or more Crockpots are extremely helpful.  I often use two Crockpots at the same time.  For example, the big one can be used for the main dish part of the meal, and the small one for a side dish, or two.  I have wrapped veggies such as carrots and green beans in foil, and steamed them on top of another veggie or main dish to keep them separated.
• The Crockpot doubles as a storage dish.  If you have a crockery insert that is separate from the heat source, you can simply put the whole thing in the fridge to store the leftovers and eat from it all week!  This saves me time and hassle.
• My rice cooker helps me with side dishes.  My rice cooker is part of the "countertop crew."  I mix things into rice to help create a more complete meal, like diced vegetables, lentils, black beans, tomatoes, and spices.  This reduces extra pots and pans.  When I'm not cooking rice, a pan of pasta on the stove isn't a big deal, as it's only one dirty dish.  Another easy side dish is a bag of frozen vegetables, steamed in the microwave.  The specially advertised "steamer bags" are unnecessary, as any bagged frozen vegetable heats well in the microwave for about four minutes when sliced with a few holes. 

Some of my favorite meals lately, in 4 steps or less:

1. Apricot Chicken
2. Asian Citrus Salmon
3. Baked Potatoes
4. Barbeque Chicken Sandwiches
5. Broccoli Beef
6. Butternut Squash Soup
7. Cauliflower Soup
8. Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
9. Chicken Cacciatore
10. Chicken Pot Pie
11. Chicken Primavera
12. Chili, Chili, and More Chili
13. Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry Stuffing
14. Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
15. Curry Chicken
16. Eggplant Lasagne
17. Green Chile Chicken
18. Hot Sausage Dip
19. Lemony White Fish
20. Lentil and White Bean Soup
21. Minestrone Soup
22. Mushroom Chicken
23. Orange Chicken
24. Pepper Steak
25. Pot Roast (the good old standby)
26. Salmon Rosa
27. Salsa Chicken
28. Sausage and Kale Soup
29. Savory Chicken Chili
30. Shepherd's Pie
31. Sloppy Joes
32. Spaghetti Bolognese
33. Spinach and Artichoke Dip
34. String Bean Chicken
35. Stroganoff
36. Sweet and Sour Chicken
37. Teriyaki Chicken
38. Teriyaki Salmon
39. Tuscan Beef
40. White Enchilada Soup

More recent favorites: Cheesy Bean Dip, Ground Beef and Beans, Chicken Enchilada Lasagna, Beef Stroganoff Variation, Lasagna, Spaghetti Sauce.

You could make two months worth of meal calendars out of this list, if you cook something different 5 times a week!  Plus, most come together in 4 steps or less! 

One thing I have noticed: when I use my small Crockpot, it makes really juicy meals, especially when I use frozen chicken.  I don't always like the sauces thinned down so much, or the casseroles with a watery bottom, so I switched to the large Crockpot for certain things.  The large crock seems to cook on a higher heat, and also has a steam escape on the rim.  I've heard all Crockpots are a little different, so trying out different options until you are happy with the result is a good rule of thumb. 

A note on using frozen meat: A lot of recipe books counsel against using frozen meat in the Crockpot, warning that meat sitting at a certain temperature for too long (at room temperature, during thawing) may be unsafe to eat.  I have never once had a problem with any meat I ate that started out frozen in the Crockpot.  In fact, I prefer my chicken to start out frozen; otherwise, it would cook too quickly and dry out.

Thank you, Stephanie O'Dea, for a lot of inspiration.  It has made my life easier.