Crockpot Recipe-O-Rama

It's gotten cooler outside this week as a cold front has moved through, and the off and on drizzle has really made it feel like soup and stew weather.  Nothing like a hot pot of bubbling goodness to ward off the chill, I suppose.

For me, Fall means using my crockpot a lot more frequently.

The cooler weather makes me want something warm instead of a cold salad or sandwich.  And the craziness of The Peanut's school and activity schedule on top of things that I'm doing makes having a meal already cooking away at home into a godsend on crazy-busy days.

And, honestly?  There are just some meals that taste better with a long, slow braise.

There are all kinds of cookbooks for slow cookers, but there are a few that I have found to be outstanding:

-- Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

-- The Italian Slow Cooker

-- Crockery Cookery

As people have gotten busier, slow cookers seem to have caught on more and more.   Rival -- the maker of the "crock-pot" which is their trademarked brand -- has put together a pretty substantial recipe collection on their website that is well worth a browse.

But there are a lot of other places to look for recipes, too.  I've pulled links to some of the ones I've enjoyed or am planning to try because they sound so good:


-- Chicken Casablanca
-- Asian Lettuce Wraps
-- Black Bean Chipotle Soup
-- Thai-Style Ribs
-- Slow Cooker Cocktail Meatballs (I make something like this, except I use grape jelly instead of cranberry sauce for mine)
-- Red Beans and Rice
-- Beef Brisket With Beer
-- Braised Pork With Lemon And Sage
-- Pulled Pork Tacos
-- Pork Carnitas
-- Spirited Hot Mocha
-- Easy Burritos
-- Char Siu Pork Roast
-- Collard Greens
-- Walnut-Stuffed, Slow-Cooked Apples
-- Candied Yams (clearly not an every day recipe, but thought it might be nice for holidays)
-- Spicy Shredded Beef
-- Company Pot Roast
-- Hearty Potato Soup
-- Spicy Chicken Stew
-- Classic Beef Stew
-- Smoked Turkey Lentil Soup
-- Moroccan Vegetable Stew
-- Asian Short Ribs
-- Pulled Pork
-- Overnight Apple Butter
-- Apple Pecan Crisp
-- Beef Daube Provencal
-- Zinfandel-Braised Leg Of Lamb
-- Chicken And Dressing
-- BBQ Pulled Chicken
-- Chinese Pork And Vegetable Hot Pot
-- Greek Chicken And Vegetable Ragout
-- Hungarian Beef Goulash
-- Irish Lamb Stew
-- Fragrant Shredded Beef Stew
-- Slow-Cooked Beans
-- Apple Confit
-- French Onion Soup


(Photo via formalfallacy @ Dublin (Victor).)