Tag Archive | balsamic pot roast

33 Crock Pot Recipes You Can’t Live Without

Whether it’s pot roast, spicy meatballs, chili, or even chocolate pudding, the crock pot does just about everything. I use it at least once a week and will be forever grateful to my Mother for giving me my first crock pot when I graduated from college. Granted, there have been a few failures–usually due to forgetting I had something in the crock pot and arriving a few hours later than planned to a pot of mush–but there have been so many more delicious successes. So today’s post is a fun tribute to the crock pot and all of the yummy things you can do with it. Before I get started, I get this question a lot so I’ll go ahead and answer it now: What crock pot do I personally use and why? I have the Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker. crockpotI’ve owned a couple over the years but this is my favorite for a couple of reasons. 1) It has little clamps so I can seal down the lid and not worry about sloshing if I’m transporting food in my car. Been there, done that, and it’s no fun cleaning chili out of the floor of your car in the freezing cold. 2) It’s programmable so for recipes that call for 8 hours of cooking time it means I don’t have to rush home because the timer setting just switches to WARM when it’s done. 3) It has a meat thermometer/probe so you can set the crock pot to switch to warm as soon as it reaches a certain internal temp. I actually first gave this crock pot to my Mom as a present but was so impressed by it that I scooped one up for myself.

Onward we go to 33 amazing recipes!

Soups:

Copycat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup

Soup on the table

Recipe: https://missbutterbean.com/copy-cat-panera-bread-crock-pot-broccoli-cheddar-soup/

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

chicken noodle

Recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chicken-noodle-soup-198707

Classic Crockpot Chili

chili

Recipe: http://busycooks.about.com/od/hotsouprecipes/r/crockpotchili.htm

White Bean Chicken Chili

white bean chicken chili

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/white-bean-chicken-chili

Chicken & Dumplings

chicken and dumplings

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Chicken-and-Dumplings/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

Main Dishes:

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

pulled pork

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Pulled-Pork/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=slow%20cooker&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Slow Cooker Carnitas

carnitas

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Carnitas/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=slow%20cooker&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken

lemon garlic chicken

Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/kathleen-daelemans/slow-cooker-lemon-garlic-chicken-recipe/index.html

4 Ingredient Balsamic Pot Roast

Plated Pot Roast

Recipe: https://missbutterbean.com/4-ingredient-crock-pot-balsamic-pot-roast/

Slow-Cooker Pepper Steak

pepper steak

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Pepper-Steak/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

Chicken Tikka Masala

Tikka Masala

Recipe: http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/2012/10/19/chicken-tikka-masala-crockpot/#.UqigJcRDuM0

Crock Pot Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef Plated

Easy French Dip

frenchdip

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Slow-Cooker-French-Dip/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

Crockpot Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Recipe: http://laurassweetspot.com/2013/06/12/crockpot-brown-sugar-balsamic-glazed-pork-tenderloin/

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

turkey breast

Recipe: http://www.southernplate.com/2013/10/slow-cooker-turkey-breast-my-little-thanksgiving.html

Crock Pot Fettuccine Alfredo

fettucini alfredo

Recipe: http://www.raininghotcoupons.com/crock-pot-chicken-fettuccine-alfredo-recipe/

Au Gratin Garlic Potatoes

Au Gratin Potatoes

Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/au-gratin-garlic-potatoes

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken

buffalo chicken

Recipe: http://wannabite.com/crockpot-buffalo-chicken-recipe/

Slow Cooker Lasagna

lasagna

Recipe: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-lasagna/23546794-7262-47be-9ca4-e12c900399a1

Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches

italian beef

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Italian-Beef-for-Sandwiches/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

sweet and sour chicken

Recipe: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-sweet-and-sour-chicken/c91a2eff-3da0-4dec-842e-92a672b67075

Sides & Appetizers: 

Crock Pot Mac ‘N’ Cheese

macncheese

Recipe: http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/149688/the_ultimate_crock_pot_mac

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

baked potatoes

Recipe: http://www.garnishwithlemon.com/2013/10/28/crock-pot-baked-potatoes/

Slow Cooker Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes

cheesy bacon ranch potatoes

Recipe: http://therecipecritic.com/2013/09/slow-cooker-cheesy-bacon-ranch-potatoes/

Bourbon Lit’l Smokies

bourbon litl smokies

Recipe: http://www.tammileetips.com/2013/10/crock-pot-bourbon-lil-smokies-hillshire-farms-litl-smokies/

Crockpot Green Bean Casserole

green bean casserole

Recipe: http://www.tammileetips.com/2013/11/crock-pot-green-bean-casserole/

Crock Pot Sweet & Sour Meatballs

meatballs

http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2013/07/17/sweet-sour-crockpot-meatballs-recipe/

Crock Pot Au Gratin Garlic Potatoes

Au Gratin Potatoes

Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/au-gratin-garlic-potatoes

Desserts: 

Crock Pot Apple Betty with Almond Cream

Apple Betty

Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/apple-betty-with-almond-cream

Slow Cooker Pineapple Upside Down Cake

pineapple upside down cake

Recipe: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-pineapple-upside-down-cake/f4a52245-95d2-403d-9d8b-320d6b9f485e

Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake

lava cake

Recipe: http://eclecticrecipes.com/slow-cooker-chocolate-lava-cake

Slow Cooker Turtle Upside-Down Cake

turtle cake

Recipe: http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/slow-cooker-turtle-upside-down-cake/44f373e8-7467-4bbd-9e2c-eb74eb37cd4e

Crock Pot Hot Chocolate

hot chocolate

Recipe: http://www.mrshappyhomemaker.com/2010/12/creamy-crockpot-hot-cocoa-best-ever/

4 Ingredient Crock Pot Balsamic Pot Roast

Plated Pot Roast I’ve made many a pot roast and this is the easiest and tastiest recipe. I came across this winning recipe in a magazine and after making it a few times thought I’d mix it up a bit by adding in balsamic vinegar. The result was even better than the already awesome pot roast recipe! The balsamic both tenderizes and flavors the meat while giving it a nice tangy zip. The best part is that I can throw everything in the crock pot before work, without having to sear the meat like most recipes require, and dash out the door. No joke, it takes less than 5 minutes to prep or a few minutes more if you decide to add veggies to the pot. Can a recipe be any simpler or any more rewarding?

Crock Pot Balsamic Pot Roast
~Serves 4. If you’re cooking for more then you’ll definitely want to double the recipe.

  • 2 pound boneless chuck roast
  • 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 package dry onion soup mix
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Your favorite pot roast veggies (optional)

1. Place chuck roast in the bottom of your crock pot.

Meat in crock pot

If you like, add optional veggies such as carrots, potatoes, parsnips, etc. Any softer veggies like celery, peas, etc. should be added two hours or so before serving so they don’t turn to mush on you.

With Veggies

2. In a small bowl, mix together the mushroom soup, onion soup mix, water and vinegar.

Mixed soup

Pour over the pot roast.

Sauce over meat and veggies

Cook on Low for 8-9 hours or on High for 3-4 hours. If you go the shorter method and decide to add veggies, be sure to check the veggies to make sure they’re cooked through.

Finished crock pot

Remove roast to a cutting board and allow to cool a bit before slicing. Be sure to slice against the grain! If you slice with the grain it’s almost guaranteed it’ll be chewy.

Meat ready to carve

Helpful Tip: This recipe makes a wonderful gravy which I often pour over egg noodles or mashed potatoes. The men in my family love that combination!

Plated Pot Roast