Stock the Crock: 100 Must-Have Slow-Cooker Recipes, 200 Variations for Every

Stock the Crock: 100 Must-Have Slow-Cooker Recipes, 200 Variations for Every Appetite by Phyllis Good

Print Length: 272 Pages
Publisher: Oxmoor House
Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Language: English
ASIN: B073XTPCBY
ISBN-10: 0848753143
ISBN-13: 978-0848753146
File Format: EPUB

The ultimate resource for a new generation of slow-cooker fans from the New York Times bestselling author who has sold 12 million cookbooks!

Stock the Crock brings together the expertise of America’s most popular slow-cooker authority with a fresh collection of 100 essential, innovative, and easy-to-prepare recipes-each with variations allowing readers to customize the dish according to their dietary needs. You’ll find beloved classics, as well as dishes you might be surprised can be done successfully in a slow cooker. (Hello, slow-cooker creme brulee!) Whether you are looking to accommodate gluten-free, paleo, or vegetarian diets, or prefer slow-cooker meals perfectly sized for one or two people, this cookbook provides smart ideas, more than 100 recipe photos, and cooking hacks that will change the way you use your favorite fuss-free cooking appliance. Learn simple make-ahead tricks, convenient baking tips, and how to make two recipes at once using the same cooker, so you can simplify cooking and spend more time enjoying your family and friends around a wonderful, delicious meal.

Adaptable, Great-Tasting Recipes

I have lots of crock pot cook books, but this has become one of my favorites. The 100 recipes are different, but not that bizarre that the ingredients are hard to find or picky eaters won’t touch them. There’s a bit of everything in this book—soups, vegetarian, poultry, beef/pork, fish, sides and sweets. I’ve tried at least one recipe from each of the chapters–our family hasn’t been disappointed in any.

As good as the recipes are, I’ve found the book’s introduction and recipe variations to be just as valuable. Often times, there are just two of us at home. Phyllis Good provides many “make it for two” variations for larger quantity recipes that are hard to halve. I’ve tried some, and the proportions and times are perfect. She also includes many paleo-friendly and gluten-free versions. The introductory tips are interesting as well—have you often wondered whether browning meat is important in crock pot cooking? This book discusses browning advantages and disadvantages, as well as other little known crock pot uses, like humidifying a room or as a scent diffuser.

I’ve found many new recipes in this book. Our personal favorite is sauerkraut with smoked chops. The combination of sauerkraut, smoked pork chops, apples and root vegetables is a great blend and the taste brings back German childhood memories. I’m not a fan of adding creamed soup to any recipe. There are a few like that in this cook book as well, but not very many, and the author helps make them less processed by providing a “make your own basics” section in the back of the book. An easy, quick and healthier cream of mushroom soup recipe can be found there, with variations on how to swap out ingredients to make cream of celery or chicken instead. Another variation explains how to make all three soups thicker if that’s a personal preference.

To me, this is more than a simple crock pot recipe book. The suggested variations fine-tune individual needs and tastes, and the basic recipes are healthy with an emphasis on homemade, not processed.