• It’s easy to find delicious crock pot recipes online for everything from savory soups and stews to classic comfort food. You can even cook delicious side dishes and luscious desserts in your crock pot. But one of the great things about a crock pot is that you can make a delicious meal with whatever you happen to have in the kitchen. Here’s how:
• Place the meat in the bottom of the crock pot. You can use cheaper cuts of meat because slow cooking tenderizes and enhances the flavors of food. Layer ingredients with the longest-cooking ingredients like meat, potatoes and carrots on the bottom and short cooking-ingredients like tomatoes and mushrooms on top.
• Cut up and toss in some fresh vegetables such as onions, peppers, potatoes, carrots and mushrooms. Or add frozen or canned veggies if you’re pressed for time.
• Add seasonings to taste. Prepared seasonings or a packet of dry soup mix work just as well as fresh ingredients because flavors will mix and marinate during cooking.
• Add liquid to cover the meat – either water and a couple of bouillon cubes or a can of cream of chicken, celery or mushroom soup. Don’t be afraid to get creative; add spaghetti sauce, BBQ sauce, salad dressing or a splash of teriyaki or soy sauce to create your own signature dish. Liquids will not reduce during cooking, so fill the crock pot at least 1/3, but not more than 2/3 full.
• Let simmer while you’re at work, serve and enjoy!

Sources:
http://busycooks.about.com/od/slowcookerrecipes/a/crockpot101.htm
http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,crockpot_meals,FF.html
http://family.go.com/food/pkg-dinner-recipes/pkg-crock-pot-recipes/
http://www.a-crock-cook.com/

The following appeared in an issue of Maxim’s nursing eNewsletter, Nursing Now. To receive news in your e-mail inbox each month, sign up today