Five Reasons to Own a Crockpot

I was on the phone with my mom this afternoon. I told her that I had a roast in the crockpot. My mom has never owned a crockpot. Every time I cook a meal in my crockpot my mom asks many questions, with me always feeling like I'm trying to sell her a crockpot.

I thought I'd share my reasons for owning a crockpot:

Crockpot

1. This is a perfect item for a busy family. It doesn't matter if you work full time, drive carpool all afternoon or are a student taking classes, a crockpot allows you to turn it on in the morning and have a hot meal by early evening. My mom actually plays mah jong three afternoons per week. She doesn't get home until 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. Often, she and my dad don't eat until 7:00 p.m. because it takes her that long to prepare and cook their meal.

2. You can cook just about anything in a crockpot. I've made chicken dishes and beef dishes. I've made pasta dishes and I've made rice dishes. I've made vegetable casseroles and vegetable soup. I've made cobbler and I've made cake. There are even recipes for bread.

3. The cleanup is a breeze. Many people use crockpot liners. Crockpot liners are a one time use item. Take them out and throw them away. I personally don't use the liners. I soak the crockpot overnight, rinse it and stick it in the dishwasher. When the dishwasher is done, it's ready to be used again. So instead of lots of cookware to make a meal, I have one crockpot to wash.

4. You can save money by using a crockpot. I buy very inexpensive cuts of beef. Once they're done cooking, they are as tender as a filet mignon but at a fraction of the cost. I buy steaks on sale. Cooked under a broiler they come out tough, hard to cut and near impossible to chew. I put that same cut of beef in the crockpot and it comes out so tender you can cut it with a fork.

5. If you have a small kitchen, a crockpot can be a lifesaver. For example, it's thanksgiving and you have a turkey to cook, a green bean casserole to cook and stuffing to make. By using a crockpot, you can make any of the three items in the crockpot, leaving the oven for the other two items.

We use our crockpot at least three or four times per week. We rotate between beef dishes, chicken dishes and vegetarian dishes. On nights I make fish, I use the oven for the fish and use the crockpot to make wonderful veggie casseroles.

After our conversation today, I believe my mother will be buying a crockpot in the near future.

Five Reasons to Own a Crockpot

Audrey's mom always entertained when she was growing up. Audrey learned to prepare for large groups and has often entertained 15-30 people in her home at a time. You can find more great recipes at http://www.recipe-barn.com.

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