When my son was about 8 years old, he casually asked me, “Do only Jewish people use crockpots?”
I imagine his thinking was along the lines of cholent. He had mostly seen crockpots being used on Shabbos in people’s homes. I quickly assured him this was not the case. In fact, I, myself, loved to use a crockpot to make meals before leaving for work. Sometimes I had the Shabbos clock go on and off on the crockpot to ensure the cooking time was perfect. Today, there are so many great meals you can put together in a snap with your crockpot. So, don’t be just a cholent user; explore all the great options you have.
Crockpot Cola Chicken
4-6 chicken cutlets
¼ cup cola
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup white vinegar
3 tbl minced garlic
2 tbl soy sauce
2 tbl cornstarch
2 tbl water
white rice, cooked.
Spray the inside of the crockpot with non-stick spray. Place chicken in the bottom. In a medium bowl, mix cola, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic and soy sauce. Pour over the chicken and cook for six hours on low or four hours on high. Remove chicken from crockpot and cover with foil. Pour sauce into a small skillet and turn up the heat. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch and water. Gradually stir in the cornstarch mixture and boil for about five minutes or until thick. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve over brown or white rice.
Pot Roast à la Crockpot
1 (4 lb.) beef roast, trimmed of fat, ½ tsp salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried rosemary or thyme
½ cup strong brewed coffee
2 tbl balsamic vinegar
2 tbl cornstarch or potato starch mixed with 2 tbl water
Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, turning until well browned on all sides, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to the crockpot.
Add remaining oil to the skillet and sauté onions for 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and rosemary and sauté for another minute.
Stir in coffee and vinegar and bring to a quick boil. Pour this mixture over the roast in the crockpot.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 7 hours.
Remove liquid from slow cooker and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mix cornstarch with water. Add to the liquid, whisking constantly, until the gravy thickens.
Remove beef from crockpot and cool and then slice.
Meat Surprise
Onion, diced
Meat, cubed (stew meat or any other variation)
Carrots, sliced
Celery sliced
Potatoes, cubed
Paprika, Salt, Pepper
Brown onions and meat on top of stove. Add paprika and pepper/salt.
Add 1 inch of water to bottom of crockpot. Put in meat and vegetables and salt. (You can add other seasonings if you desire.) Cook on medium high for a few hours or until soft. (Use your judgment when making this for a small or larger crowd.)
Easy Chinese Crockpot Meat
Non-stick spray
1 cup water, divided
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tbl packed brown sugar
1 tbl Chopped garlic
1 tbl fresh ginger
1½ lbs. beef flank steak (or equivalent)
2 tbl cornstarch
1 package 16 oz. frozen broccoli florets
Spray the inside of crockpot with cooking spray. Stir together ¾ cup water, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in slow cooker. Add beef; turn to coat with soy sauce mixture. Cook on low 7½ hours or on high 3½ hours or until beef is tender. Remove beef from slow cooker. Combine cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup water in a small bowl and stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until sauce gets thick
Crockpot tip: If you use different crockpots for different scenarios like I do (small for 2, medium for 4-8, large for a big crowd) and you can’t always remember which settings are ideal for that particular crockpot (because they do vary from crockpot to crockpot), make a note with masking tape and stick it on the back so you can remember what temperature to keep that crockpot on over Shabbos.
Gail Hochman has been married for 36 years and been a Bergen County resident for over 30 years and has been blessed with many grandchildren.
By Gail Hochman
