Crock Pot Cooking Class

I recently taught a class on cooking in a Crock Pot. Most of us own a crock pot, but may not use it very often, or we get stuck in a rut with the same four recipes that we use over and over again. Here's a few recipes to pump up your arsenal, and maybe get you back in the swing of crock pot cooking.

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
1 1/2 to 2 lbs round steak (can also use beef rump roast, or even chuck roast if desired)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 onion, sliced
1/2 tsp garlic
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 cups beef Bouillon
1 Tbsp catsup
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced, or a 4 oz can, drained
1/3 cup flour
1 cup sour cream

Cut meat into 1/4 inch strips. Coat with salt and pepper. Drop into bottom of crock pot with onion. Mix garlic, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon, and catsup. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until tender. Turn to high. Add mushrooms. Dissolve flour in small amount of water. Add to meat mixture, stirring until blended. Cook on high for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in sour cream, turn off heat. Serve with noodles or rice.

Crockpot Brownie Pudding

• 1 pkg chocolate cake mix
• 1 pkg instant chocolate pudding mix (4 serving size)
• 1 pint sour cream
• 3/4 C. oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 C. water
• 1 C. chocolate chips
• 1 C. pecans -- toasted and chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Spray crockpot. Mix all ingredients and pour into crockpot.
2. Cook on low setting for 5 hours.
3. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Crockpot Senate Bean Soup

2 cans navy beans (or 1/2 pound dry, reconstituted with boiling water and left overnight)
1 onion, chopped fine
1 cup chopped ham
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 medium potatoes, chopped into 1 inch cubes
water

Layer in the Crockpot in the order given, pour in water just enough to cover the potatoes. Put on lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours.