Absolutely. I approach batch cooking the same way - big batch of something that can then be used for several different dishes.
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That crock pot looks like every crockpot I’ve ever seen at a church potluck in the midwest. They do not die. You can also check thrift stores for them and possibly pay less than $20, because, they do not die.
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Love to learn everyone’s slow cooker carnitas recipes. Mine depends on what we’ve got in the house. A jar of salsa, a beer, end of a broth container, OJ, vinegar, crushed tomatoes with chillis, you name it I’ve probably put it in there.
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Another midwestern thing to share…my mom makes a really good mushroom chicken in the crockpot that I think the “recipe” for is chicken breasts (thighs would also work but this was the 90s lol), a can of cream of mushroom, and a can of cream of chicken. She served it over orzo and it’s incredible. Idk how much of that is nostalgia stomach talking lol
Things to consider the crockpot for: red beans, chili, chicken in various sauces, soups & stews.
Things the crockpot can probably not do for you: anything that you want to have a variety of textures or anything best served “crispy” or “browned”. You’re gonna get a gloop, which is fine as long as you want a gloop.
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OJ is a solid choice! We always keep salsa verde from Trader Joe’s on hand because it can’t miss. We just had carnitas in Puerto Rico that were by far the best we’ve ever had. They had papaya juice as part of their braise and we are going to try to make that soon and I’ll report back!
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The only thing- the inserts can get broken and are subtly different a lot of times. If you have bad luck you get stuck with a $20 crockpot that you would have to pay $50 for a replacement insert. (Ask me how I know lol).
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Oh good to know! I’ve only known like 5 crockpots in my life lol. I wonder how common the busted insert thing is.
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One additional point on gloop is that you can refry the meat later if there was enough fats (esp carnitas, chuck), and even beans can be given additional outer textures.
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I loooooove a gloop! Husband has a family history of artery problems which came to a head this summer so he’s changing his diet and taking statins (exercise is just about maxed out). Red meat and full fat dairy down to about once a month, lots more Mediterranean-type foods like beans, fish, veggies, and chicken. No carnitas or cream of mushroom for him, sadly (but I will happily make and eat myself occasionally!). Fiesta chicken with some mods should work great, though, and I’m excited about all the Rancho Gordo in our future.
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That seems like a perfectly fine crockpot!
There aren’t as many crockpots available as there used to be, probably because of the InstaPot. I currently have what looks like the same one, but I bought it at Goodwill for $5. The only upgrade worth paying for it the programmable version which will automatically shift to “warm”.
The thing I most often cook in the crockpot is “refried beans” (no frying, just cooking and mashing.)
The creamy chicken really is good, and there are versions that use cream, not soup.
You can “bake” potatoes when it’s too hot for that in the summer.
I have a pretty good spaghetti and meatballs recipe.
You can dump in a bag of frozen ravioli, a jar of sauce, and some cheese, and come back a few hours later.
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Yep, I used to own 2 crockpots (wait, 3! I had a tiny dip one I got for free lol). I now own zero. Instant pot convert here.
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I’ve always been really happy with my inexpensive Crock-Pot brand crockpots. I do always get the bigger size one though, it’s more oval shaped and usually $29.99 I think. They last forever, and work really well! I’ve probably bought 3 over the years just from moving, or gifting them to friends, etc. You really can’t go wrong!
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I think I have apple watch 2. I love it. I don’t know what differences there are between the 2 and the SE. I know mine is ancient in tech terms now, but it does everything I want it to do and I love it. DH has the 7 and he likes his too.
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We had a crockpot for like 5 years and then the liner cracked… and it turned out to be a limited edition shape and we literally couldn’t buy a new liner!
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There is a freeze warning. Do I go harvest all the tomatoes?
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Yes. Put them on a layer of newspaper on your basement floor, as generations have done before you.
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Green ones included. if they have the barest blush of pink anywhere, it’s enough to ripen.e
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This is the way.
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All of them or just the ripe ones or just the not quite ripe ones?
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I have had success doing literally all of them, even those with NO apparent blush at all.
You can also pull the entire plant and hang them upside down in the basement and they will continue to ripen that way on the vine… but it will make a big mess with all the leaves drying and falling off. Easier though. I use boxes with newspapers between the layers. BE SURE to check regularly though, once they start ripening, bring them upstairs and finish ripening on the counter. You do NOT want to forget them and they get, uh, overripe…
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