Save time, money, and frustration with your Slow Cooker

By: Brandee Pittenbger

Top 10 Reasons why you should use a slow cooker.

1. Once your ingredients are all added you do not have to stand there and cook or watch over your meal except for maybe an occasional stir.

2. The food never burns.

3. The meat is always moist and tender, and never dries out.

4. You can make a huge portion and usually have leftovers.

5. Most meals require very little prep.

6. Most meals are very inexpensive to make and taste like they are fine dining.

7. Meat can be added raw or frozen. (except for hamburger, I always cook and drain this because of the fat)

8. Most meals can even be put in the slow cooker the night before and left on warm until needed.

9. When your family comes home and smells and see food cooking in the crock pot, they get happy and know something good and warm is going to be served for dinner.

10. You can put make oatmeal, cream of wheat, or malt o meal in the crock pot the night before and have a warm breakfast waiting for your kids in the morning. Just follow the directions on the package and add a little more liquid.

Must knows for every crock pot recipe!

Unless specified all ingredients are added all at once.

Cook on lowest heat

Cook for at least 8 hours.

I use all generic brands of food or what is ever on sale to save money.

Leave the skins on all veggies for flavor, nutrients, and time.

For a cheaper version of chicken or beef broth I use powdered chicken or beef bullion and water.
My families top 6 favorite meals:

Brandee’s Chili

1 package of hamburger

1 onion chopped up

*Cook these together and drain the fat. I use the microwave for this.*

3 - 15oz cans dark red kidney beans not drained

1 - 15oz can of black beans not drained

1 - 15oz can of pinto beans not drained

2 - 29oz (the short round fat ones) of tomato sauce

4-6 celery stalks sliced

¼ cup chili powder

Johnny’s seasoning salt, salt, and pepper to your tasting.

Bean Soup

I package of dried beans with the variety of different beans.

*Before adding to the crock pot, put the beans in a small pan with water on the stove and boil for 1 minute. Drain off the water.*

The seasoning packet that comes in the bag of beans

I package of frozen ham hocks

I chopped onion

Johnny’s seasoning, salt, and pepper to your tasting.

Water enough to fill the slower cooker to the top after all of the ingredients are added.

Chicken Soup

1 frozen package of chicken breast

4-6 celery stocks chopped up

4-6 carrot big sticks chopped up

1 onion chopped up

* 1 cup of rice or 2 cups of noodles (add this ingredient 1 hour before serving)*

Chicken broth (enough to fill up to the top after all ingredients are added)

Johnny’s seasoning salt, salt, and pepper to your tasting.

Roast Beef Dinner

I package of frozen beef any size

8 carrots sliced

2 onions sliced

1 package of Lipton’s onion soup mix mixed with

2 cups of water

Johnny’s seasoning salt, salt, and pepper to your tasting.

*6 potatoes chopped up and 1 more cup of water*

*My family prefers mashed potatoes so I do them separately, but most important is that I drain and use the juices from the cooked meal in the crock pot to make my gravy. (Ugh yes I know this is added work, and it goes against my quick cooking but it really is good, and I guess they are sometimes worth it ha ha!)

Sandwiches or Meal?

Frozen chicken breasts, beef, or pork, your choice.

2 jars or cans of spaghetti sauce

Hamburger buns or Rice or noodles cooked separately.

If you want sandwiches just scoop the ingredients onto a bun

If you want a meal, just scoop ingredient on top of starch!

Brandee’s To Die For Spaghetti

1 package of hamburger

1 onion chopped up

Johnny’s seasoning salt

*Cook these together and drain the fat. I use the microwave for this.*

*My family prefers that I do not add the meat directly to the sauce. They like me to make meatballs out of this, cook separately and then add the meatballs to the sauce. I like this too, as I am not a big meat eater, and then I can just eat a meatless sauce.*

3 - 29oz (big short fat cans) tomato sauce

2 small cans tomato paste

2 small cans of chopped black olives

2 tbsp fresh chopped garlic in the jar

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp parley flakes

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Johnny’s seasoning salt, salt, and pepper to your tasting.

Spaghetti noodles cooked separately

*Do not cook over 6 hours, and leave on warm too long. Spaghetti sauce is the only thing I have found in a slow cooker that can obtain an over cooked taste.

About Brandee Pittenger: I am a Busy mom of 3 fabulous children, wife of disabled husband, I run 2 home based business' and work outside the home. So, as you can see I am extremely busy and basically probably like you have little free time. This is why I love to use the slow cooker.