The Best Slow Cooker Cookbook Ever is a great little spiral-bound book that I've found invaluable for quick crock-pot recipes. I've found the most crock-pot success cooking soups and meats, and used this book for recipe sources for both. I made Cabbage Soup with Rice and Dill which while it didn't look very appetizing, had a great flavor and was very healthy. I also made the Barbeque Beef Brisket which turned out absolutely fantastic and is the worlds. easiest. dinner. Seriously. You dump a beef brisket and a load of BBQ sauce in the pot in the morning and by the evening you have a fantastic melt-in-your-mouth brisket ready to feed your family.
One recipe I did not have rousing success with was the Red Bean Beef Chili. It called for dried beans, and even after soaking overnight and then cooking on low for 9 hours, the beans were still too hard to eat. Had to transfer them to a stove top and simmer for another hour and a half before they were edible. I also made Beans Slow Cooker Style and had a similar problem. I'm not sure if this is an issue inherent to the recipes in this book though, or just an adjustment I need to make for my crockpot.
The book also includes recipes for appetizers like Spinach Artichoke Dip and Glazed Cocktail Sausages, Vegetarian Main Courses like Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole, and desserts and beverages like Candy Bar Cheesecake and Hot Mulled Cider.
There's also a fantastic section at the beginning of the book for basic crock-pot information. It includes information about different makes and models, and hints on getting the most out of cooking in a crock pot such as how to get the best flavors and textures, using the appropriate size pot, etc.
The one main drawback to this book is that many of the recipes do call for convenience or processed foods. However, using ingredients like that can definitely make for faster-made meals and there are quite a few recipes using healthier ingredients and whole foods. I've found this book to be a valuable addition to my shelf.
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