Comfy Country Creations


Recipes for the

Slow Cooker and Crock Pots









---

Crock pots a.k.a. slow cookers have been around for years. We have had ours for over thirty years, and while it is not very modern looking, it still turns out wonderfully flavored foods.

Cooking with a crock pot lets you prepare meals in advance and without heating up the kitchen or being at home while it cooks.

For most recipes, all of the ingredients can go into the crock pot at the same time. Preparing your crock pot meal the night before will let you avoid one more thing that has to be done on an already rushed and action packed morning.

The exceptions here are rice and pasta which should be added just prior to the start of cooking.

Enjoy some of our favorites.

---

Quick Jump to Recipes in this Section
Meat Dishes     Pasta and Rice     Poultry      Vegetables      Soups and Seafood      Fruit      Wild Game and Fowl      Bread and Cakes      Adapt Your Favorite Recipe     Equivalent Cooking Guide      Slow Cookers and Crock Pots

---

Meat Dishes
Less tender cuts of meat work very well in a crock pot as the increased moisture and longer cooking time produces a more tenderized finished product. You may also discover that there is less shrinkage due, once again, to the moisture and cooking time. For best results, all meats should be completely thawed prior to the start of cooking.

Beef Stew | Roast Beef | Ribs | Slow Sloppy Joe's

---

Beef Stew

• 3 carrots - cut into 1" pieces
• 3 medium to large potatoes - cut into 1" pieces
• 3 small onions - quartered
• 1 celery stock - diced (include top leaves)
• 2 pounds of stew meat - cut into 1 1/2" pieces
• 1 cup beef stock (water can be substituted)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large clove garlic - crushed & diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt to taste
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in crock pot. Stir only enough to mix in spices and distribute ingredients evenly. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours OR on high for 4 to 5 hours.

---

Roast Beef

• 3 to 4 pound roast
• 2 large cloves of garlic - cut into quarters (optional)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup beef stock or water
• Salt & pepper & seasoning salt to taste

Using a skewer or small sharp knife make eight holes in the roast and insert a piece of garlic deep into each. Place roast in the crock pot and pour the stock over it. Add seasoning. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours OR 3 to 4 hours on high. For well done meat, cook on low for 10 to 12 hours OR 4 to 5 hours on high.

---

Ribs

• 3 to 4 pounds spareribs
• 1 medium onion - diced
• 2 cups barbecue sauce
• Salt, pepper and spices to taste

Cut ribs into serving size pieces. Sprinkle with spices. Set aside. Mix barbecue sauce and diced onions together. Layer ribs and barbecue sauce in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours OR 3 to 4 hours on high.
SUGGESTION: If time permits, finish these off on the barbecue for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

---

Slow Sloppy Joe's
A dozen or more Kaiser Buns cut in half
1 - 2 cups grated cheese of your choice

• 3 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 onions - finely diced
• 1 green pepper - seeded & finely diced
• 2 cups tomato sauce (2 - 8 oz cans)
• 1 cup water
• 2 packages of sloppy joe seasoning mix

Brown beef and drain off any excess fat. Place in crock pot and add remaining ingredients. Stir to blend well. Add salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours OR 4 hours on high. To serve, ladle onto the bottom part of a Kaiser bun, add grated cheese and top with the other half of the bun.
NOTE: If mixture is too runny, remove cover and cook on high for 30 to 45 minutes.


Back to Main Menu

---

Pasta and Rice
Using converted rice in your slow cooker recipes will give you the best results as it does not tend to get too sticky or mushy. If you are preparing your crock pot meal the night before cooking, don't include the rice or pasta until the next day you are ready to start cooking.

Spanish Rice | Tuna Casserole | Rice and Spinach Casserole | Macaroni and Cheese | Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

---

Spanish Rice

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine (substitute with olive oil)
• 1 1/2 cups tomato juice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 medium onion - diced
• 1 green pepper - seeded and diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 pound of sausage - cooked, drained and cut into 1/2" pieces

Sauté rice in the butter until it is golden brown. Place in slow cooker with all other ingredients and mix well. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours OR 2 to 3 hours on high.

---

Tuna Casserole

• 8 to 10 ounces of uncooked spiral pasta (substitute with elbow pasta)
• 2 - 10 ounce cans of condensed cream of celery soup (substitute with creamy white clam chowder)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 small package of frozen peas
• 2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
• 2 - 7 ounce cans of water packed tuna - drained
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• Large bag of potato chips - flavor of your choice

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients EXCEPT pasta and potato chips. Carefully fold pasta into mixture. Grease the inside of the slow cooker and pour mixture in. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours OR 3 to 4 hours on high. Serves 6 to 8. To serve, crush some potato chips and sprinkle on top. Accompany each serving with a handful of potato chips on each plate

SUGGESTION: Cook and drain noodles before adding to other ingredients. Cook only until slightly tender.

---

Rice and Spinach Casserole

• 1 1/3 cups evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1/4 of small onion - minced
• 1/2 small carrot - diced very small
• 1 - 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained & chopped some more
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup sharp cheese - shredded
• 3 cups cooked long grain rice

Combine milk, oil and eggs together in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Grease slow cooker and pour mixture in. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Stir occasionally during the first hour. NOTE: Can be doubled if using a 5 quart slow cooker.

---

Macaroni and Cheese
3 to 4 cups cooked macaroni - drained

Sauce

• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons minced onions
• 2 cups cheddar cheese - cubed no larger than 1" pieces
• 2 Tablespoons butter

Put all sauce ingredients in slow cooker. Stir well. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour stirring occasionally. Add cooked and drained macaroni. Stir to coat with sauce. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 5 hours.

NOTE: For thicker sauce, VERY slowly add one beaten egg to cheese mixture before adding macaroni.

---

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

• 2 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk (substitute scaled whole milk)
• 2/3 cup brown sugar (substitute white sugar)
• 3 Tablespoons soft butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 to 1 cup raisins

Thoroughly combine rice with all other ingredients. Pour into lightly greased crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours OR 1 to2 hours on high. Stir after cooking for 30 minutes. This recipe can be doubled.

NOTE: Substituting white sugar and whole milk will result in the pudding not being as rich and may be runny.


Back to Main Menu

---

Poultry
Chicken and Veggies | Chicken Cacciatore | Roast Chicken

---

Chicken and Veggies

• 3 pounds of chicken - whole or cut up
• 2 carrots - sliced
• 2 small onions - sliced
• 2 stalks of celery with leaves - cut in 1" pieces
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon basil (use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of fresh basil)

Put the vegetables in the bottom of the crock pot. Add chicken. Pour in stock. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with basil. Cover and cook until done, on low for 7 to 10 hours OR 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours on high.

---

Chicken Cacciatore

• 2 medium onions - sliced thin
• 2 1/2 - 3 pounds cut up chicken pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic - minced
• 1 - 16 ounce can of Italian spiced tomatoes
• 1 - 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 - 2 teaspoons crushed fresh oregano leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh crushed basil leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dry white wine

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl EXCEPT onions and chicken. Start with onions, then chicken, then sauce, layer ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours OR 2 1/2 to 4 hours on high. Serve with your favorite pasta or rice.

---

Roast Chicken

• 3 to 4 pound chicken
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parsley
• Basil or Tarragon
• Butter

Wash chicken completely and pat dry. Sprinkle cavity generously with salt, pepper and parsley. Place in crock pot and dot breasts with butter. Sprinkle with parsley and basil/tarragon. Cover and cook on high 1 hour then turn to low for 8 to 10 hours.

---

Vegetables
Fresh, raw vegetables take longer to cook than meat. For this reason, they should be sliced reasonably thin and placed as the bottom layer in the slow cooker. Frozen or canned vegetables can be added as the top layer.

Baked Potatoes | Corn on the Cob | Stuffed Green Peppers

---

Baked Potatoes
Most slow cookers will hold at least 8 to 10 medium size potatoes. Scrub potatoes and rub with oil or butter. Prick each potato a few times with a fork. Place in crock pot, cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Don't add water.

---

Corn on the Cob
You will need a slow cooker that is fairly deep to accommodate cobs in a standing position. Remove silk from cobs. Leave husks on and cut off ends to corn will stand in crock pot. Cover and cook on high 45 minutes then turn to low for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove husks and serve.

---

Stuffed Green Peppers
4 to 6 small green peppers - tops removed and seeded

Filling

• 2 - 3 cups ground ham
• 1/3 cup raw rice (converted)
• 2/3 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup onions - diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup ketchup

Sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1-2 cup water

4 carrots peeled and cut into 3" pieces. These will be needed only if stacking peppers in the crock pot.

Wash green peppers and set aside to drain.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for filling together.

Salt cavity of peppers lightly and fill with ham mixture to 2/3 full.

Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Arrange stuffed peppers in slow cooker. They can be stacked with the help of the carrot pieces for support. Pour sauce over each layer of peppers. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours OR 3 hours on high. Serve with rice.

SUGGESTION: The excess tomato sauce can be placed in a pitcher to pour over peppers and rice.

---

Soups and Seafood
Milk and other dairy products tend to separate and become stringy if cooked for a long period of time. Most recipes that incorporate these products will direct you to add them in the last hour of cooking. This is still enough time for them to be heated thoroughly without the worry of separation.

Bean Soup | Potato Soup | French Onion Soup | Curried Shrimp | Seafood Chowder

---

Bean Soup

• 1 pound dry navy beans - soak overnight
• 2 quarts water
• 1 pound meaty ham bones or pieces of ham
• 5 whole peppercorns (substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery leaves
• 1 medium onion - chopped
• 1 bay leaf

Put all ingredients in slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours OR 5 to 6 hours on high. An hour prior to serving remove the ham bone and cut away any meat that may be left on the bone. Add to soup.

NOTE: To soak beans, place them in a container with enough water to cover them completely. Drain water off beans before adding to soup.

---

Potato Soup

• 6 large potatoes - peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 2 leeks - washed and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2 onions - finely chopped
• 1 carrot - peeled and sliced into 1/2" pieces
• 1 stalk of celery - chopped into 1/2" pieces
• 4 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 Tablespoon parsley flakes
• 5 cups water
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 - 13 ounce can evaporated milk
• Fresh chives - chopped

Put all ingredients EXCEPT milk and chives in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours OR 3 to 4 hours on high. During last hour of cooking, stir in milk. Serve topped with chives.

---

French Onion Soup

• 1 quart beef bouillon or beef stock
• 3 cups yellow onions - thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth or cognac (optional)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 small loaf of French bread - sliced to 1" thick
• 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

Pour stock in slow cooker and set on high. In a large skillet, cook onions slowly in butter until tender and transparent. Approximately 15 minutes. Add salt, sugar, flour and Cognac. Stir well. Add to stock in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours OR 3 hours on high.

To serve, ladle into oven proof dishes and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Place one slice of bread on top of each bowl of soup. Cover with Mozzarella cheese and place in oven at 350 degrees F. for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese melts and browns.

---

Curried Shrimp

• 1 small onion - finely chopped
• 2 cups cooked shrimp
• 1 - 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 can of condensed cream of shrimp soup (substitute cream of celery or cream of mushroom)
• 1 cup dairy sour cream (not Lite or Fat Free)

---

Seafood Chowder

• 2 pounds of fresh or frozen fish
• 1/4 pound of bacon - diced
• 1 medium onion - diced
• 4 medium potatoes - peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 - 13 ounce can evaporated milk

Thaw fish if frozen and cut into bite size pieces. In a small skillet sauté the bacon and onions until lightly browned. Drain and put in slow cooker with fish. Add all other ingredients EXCEPT milk. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 9 hours OR 2 to 3 hours o high. Stir in milk at the beginning of the last hour of cooking.

SUGGESTION: Use fish of your choice to make up two pounds. Salmon and shrimp will add colour.

---

Fruit
Baked Apples | Chunky Applesauce

---

Baked Apples

• 6 to 8 medium apples - unpeeled, washed and cored
• 2 Tablespoons raisins
• 1/4 cup white sugar (substitute with 1/4 cup packed brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons butter

Mix raisins and sugar together and fill center of apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon, dot with butter and place apples in crockpot. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook on low 8 hours. NOTE: Stacking apples to cook will allow you to make more.

---

Chunky Applesauce

• 8 to 10 large apples - peeled, cored, and cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 to 1 cup white sugar - more or less to taste depending on the type of apples used

Place all ingredients in slow cooker, stirring to coat apples. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or overnight.

---

Breads and Cakes
You may experience a different result in your finished breads and cakes when you cook them in a crock pot versus conventional oven methods. Slow cookers produce a lot of moisture which may create larger air holes, a slightly coarser texture and the possibility of a dome shape in the middle. To bake breads and cakes in your slow cooker using our recipes, it will have to be able to accommodate a 2 pound coffee can and follow these instructions for baking.

Baking Instructions | Apple Cake | Streusel Pound Cake

---

Baking Instructions

• Grease and flour can
• Pour mixed batter into can no more than 2/3 full
• Cover can with 6 - 8 paper towels
• Place can in slow cooker
• Cover and cook for length of time outlined in recipe
• Do not add water
• DO NOT PEEK UNTIL LAST HOUR
• NOTE: Crockpot lid should not be tightly closed, but slightly raised to allow release of excess moisture.

---

Apple Cake

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup oil
• 2 small eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon soda
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups sweet apples - unpeeled and finely chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Beat sugar, oil and eggs together. Add vanilla. Sift flour, salt, soda and nutmeg together. Add apple to sugar mixture and mix well. Mix dry ingredients together, add to apple mixture and mix well. Nuts should be added with dry ingredients. Pour into a greased and floured 2 pound coffee can. Follow baking instructions and cook for 3 1/2 hours on high.

---

Streusel Pound Cake
1 - 16 ounce commercial pound cake mix

Strusel Mixture

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup nuts - finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix pound cake according to package directions. Pour half the batter into a well greased and floured 2 pound coffee can. Combine ingredients for streusel mixture together. Sprinkle half of streusel mixture on top of batter in can. Add remaining batter, top with balance of streusel mixture. Follow baking instructions and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours.

---

Wild Game and Fowl
Venison Stew | Roast Venison | Pheasant and Wild Rice Stuffing

---

Venison Stew

• 2 pounds of venison - marinated and cut into 1" pieces
• 3 stalks celery - cut into 1" pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 1 Tablespoon parsley - chopped
• 1/2 cup each of water and dry red wine
• 1 cup tomato sauce (approximately 8 ounces)
• 1 package frozen artichoke hearts (optional)

Salt & pepper venison cubes. Brown lightly using 2 tablespoons of butter or oil. Put celery and onions in slow cooker, add meat and add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 12 hours OR 4 to 6 hours on high. Stir occasionally. Serve over rice or buttered noodles.

Marinade

• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 2 Tablespoons salt
• Cold water to cover game or fowl

Mix ingredients together in a bowl just large enough to cover game with water. Marinate frozen or fresh game overnight. Use with red meat and game birds.

---

Roast Venison

• 4 pound venison roast
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 4 cloves garlic - 2 minced and 2 cut into quarters
• 1 large onion - sliced
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard (substitute 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard)
• 1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 - 16 ounce can tomatoes

Using a skewer or small sharp knife make eight holes in the roast and insert a piece of garlic deep into each. Marinade venison overnight. Remove from marinade and season with salt. Roll in flour and brown all over in a hot skillet. Place into crock pot. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

---

Pheasant and Wild Rice Stuffing

• 2 stalks celery - cut in 2" pieces
• 3 pound pheasant - cleaned and ready to cook
• 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 3/4 cup celery - diced
• 1/2 cup onions - chopped
• 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley - chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary - crushed
• 1 - 4 ounce can of sliced mushrooms - drained (substitute 1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
• 1 - 10 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup (substitute cream of chicken or cream of asparagus)
• 1/4 cup milk

Dressing
In a medium skillet, melt butter and sauté diced celery, onions and parsley until browned. Approximately 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT soup and milk. Mix well. Spoon the stuffing into the neck and the cavity of bird. Truss with skewers.

Mix soup and milk together well and set aside.

Place celery pieces in the bottom of slow cooker. Place bird, breast side down on top of celery. Pour soup mixture over bird. Cover and cook 6 to 8 hours on low OR 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 on high.

Remove bird carefully when done. Serve bird with rice and sauce left from cooking.

---

Adapt Your Favorite Recipe
If you have a favorite recipe that you would like to try cooking in a slow cooker or crock pot, follow these few guidelines.

• Most uncooked meat and vegetable combinations will need to be cooked at least 8 hours on low.
• If your recipe calls for 2 cups of liquid, 1 will usually be enough in a slow cooker. This is because liquids don't boil away. Some rice and pasta dishes may require more than half the required liquid.
• Items such as milk, sour cream and cream should be added to the pot during the last hour.
• If your recipe calls for cooked pasta or rice, cook them before adding to the crock pot; however, don't overcook them.

---

Equivalent Cooking Guide
Regular Recipe ~ 15 to 30 minutes = Slow Cooker ~ 4 to 8 hours on low OR 1 !/2 to 2 1/2 on high
Regular Recipe ~ 35 to 45 minutes = Slow Cooker ~ 6 to 10 hours on low OR 3 to 4 hours on high
Regular Recipe ~ 50 minutes to 3 hours = Slow Cooker ~ 8 to 18 hours on low OR 4 to 6 hours on high

Slow cookers range in size from .5 of a quart which are used to make dips and fondues to 6 quarts used in making the full meal deal. Some have removable liners which allow for ease of serving and clean up. All of the settings and suggested times in our recipes have been planned for use in a 3.5 quart slow cooker.

Low Heat = Approximately 190 degrees F.
High Heat = Approximately 300 degrees F.

It is virtually impossible to overcook food on a low setting; however, if your crock pot is set on high, it may become a problem. Each slow cooker usually has its own recipe book and or guidelines to follow when using and converting recipes. Read your owner's manual and as you experiment with recipes, be sure to keep notes on techniques and times used for the next time.
To avoid heat loss, try to refrain from taking the lid off too often since it takes quite awhile to build up heat and moisture.

Back to Main Menu