I LOVE my crockpot!

For all of us busy moms that still want to serve hot meals without all the time spent over the stove...


Steak & Gravy

• 2 to 2 1/2 lb. round steak, cut into serving size pieces
• 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Place steak pieces in crockpot. Add rest of ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.


Swiss Steak

• 2 lbs. round steak, cut into serving size pieces
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small green pepper, diced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced thin
• 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

Mix flour, salt and pepper. Coat steak pieces with flour mixture and brown on both sides in hot oil. Place pieces in crock pot. Mix rest of ingredients and pour over steak. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.


Crock pot Salsa Chicken

• 4 to 6 chicken breasts
• 32 oz. salsa (2 16 oz. jars)
• 1 15 oz. can corn, drained
• 1 16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

Lay chicken pieces in bottom of crock pot. Top with rest of ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until chicken is done. Serve with rice, or with flour tortillas, sour cream, black olives, tortilla chips, etc.


Baked Beans

• 1 lb. dry navy beans (I've also used black-eye peas or great northern beans)
• 6 cups water
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3/4 c. ketchup
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 3/4 - 1 c. water
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 2 Tbsp. molasses
• 1 tsp. salt

Soak beans in water overnight in large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer until soft, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain and discard water. Mix together all ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours.

Note: I often soak the beans the day before, cook them and then cook in crock pot overnight.

Note: I sometimes add sliced hot dogs or ham to the mixture. When I do this I reduce the salt to 1/2 tsp.



Don't forget, you can also cook a whole chicken (see previous blog entry) or beef or pork roasts in the crock pot! Just season, cover and cook for 8 to hours! Soups and stews (see taco soup recipe in previous entry) are also easy to put together and let cook for hours in the crock pot.