31 Days to Surviving Sports Seasons Sanely: The Crockpot is Your Friend
Maybe even your best friend.
I have two crockpots. During sports seasons, they generally work every other day. We may have pot roast in one onone day and Potato Soup in the other the next. Food that is hot and waiting for us when we get home from the fields is perfect food and I’m uncomfortable with leaving an oven on when we leave. The crockpot is my tool of choice.
I have two crockpots. During sports seasons, they generally work every other day. We may have pot roast in one onone day and Potato Soup in the other the next. Food that is hot and waiting for us when we get home from the fields is perfect food and I’m uncomfortable with leaving an oven on when we leave. The crockpot is my tool of choice.
My first crockpot is an old-style round crockpot. It has a removable liner with three settings: off, high, and low. My second crockpot is fancy-dancy oval shaped crockpot with the latch down lid, timers, settings, thermometer and a warm setting. I know I don’t use this one to its maximum capabilities.
One of my favorite tricks – and one I use just about every week during sports seasons – is one night we have pasta. In the afternoon, I make my pasta – any pasta will do – with jarred sauce no less. I spray the liner of the oval crockpot, and pour it in. Sometimes I add meatballs (do cook them with your sauce first). If I don’t have meatballs, but do have Trader Joe’s breaded Eggplant Cutlets or Spinach and Kale Bites (like a veggie meatball), I’ll put them atop the pasta. Add mozzarella cheese over the top (or ricotta mixed in!) and set the crockpot on warm.
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| My kiddos working on meatballs. This whole tray will be frozen, we had meatball subs with some of the earlier rolled ones. |
When we come home, dinner is hot and ready to serve. And the pasta is like second day pasta, which is my favorite anyway.
Friends of mine who use their crockpots a lot have sworn by disposable crock pot liners. Are those an option?
They are. I even own some. I never think about them. I'm slightly uncomfortable cooking in plastic, but have in the past and will again I'm sure.
I wonder if some parchment paper on the bottom would serve the same purpose as a liner. I agree that plastic in the crockpot doesn't seem like a good idea.
I think I need two crockpots. 🙂
Can one have enough crockpot?
I usually just olive oil spray mine really well and wash it in the dishwasher. Must have removable liners for that, though.