I received a slow cooker this last Christmas. Elite Gourmet MST-900V 8.5qt.

I've only made beef stew, chili, and black beans and rice in it. I haven't yet found a good black beans and rice recipe. Still looking. Chili and beef stew. I've tried a few beef stew recipes, but the one below is the best.

BEEF STEW:

OnePotChef Favorite Beef Stew -

2 lbs beef cheeks or beef chuck
1/2 cup plain flour
salt
pepper
4 Large Red Potatoes (diced)
3 Large Carrots (peeled and diced)
3 Celery Stalks (trimmed and diced)
1 Small Brown Onion (peeled and diced)
2-3 Cloves of Minced Garlic
2 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
1 Tablespoon of Smoked Paprika
1-2 Cups of Frozen Peas
4 Cups of Liquid Beef Stock (1 Litre, or 2 cups red wine)
1-2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce
Bay Leaf (this was recommended by a commenter)

In a ziploc bag place 1/2 cup flour and about 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add meat and coat with flour mix. Add everything to the crockpot and mix. Set on low for 8 hours. 30 minutes before done add 1-2 cups of frozen peas.

Preparation Time: About 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 8 hours on LOW setting

SERVES 6+ (depending on serving size)

Verdict: Best beef stew recipe I've tried. I don't taste much of the smoked paprika, but still very good.



CHILI:

For the chili I use those Mccormick chili spice packets. Delicious.

2 lbs ground beef (some will brown the beef and pour out the fat before adding to the slow cooker, but I just add it to the slow cooker as is)
2 15oz cans red kidney beans, undrained
2 15oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 packets Mccormick chili spice

Low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours.

I use slow cooker liners which I get from the local dollar store. Some people complain of these liners sticking and melting to the slow cooker. If you spray the slow cooker with PAM (or similar product) before placing the liner in the slow cooker then it won't stick/melt. Makes cleanup of the slow cooker easy.

Thank you for posting this thread. I recently developed an interest in slow cooker recipes.

I've tried coca cola pork chops, Mongolian beef, black beans, chicken bone broth, and an Italian red sauce flavored with pork.

A man at work suggested I take chicken breasts, a bottle of Italian dressing, and cream cheese. The idea kind of staggered me. But who knows, right?

I think my next adventure may be a chicken cacciatore.

I'm all ears if anyone has ideas! 

How’d the CC pork chops go? Recipe for curiosity?

Nearly all our meals are cooked in one pot. Lots of lentils, dried beans. My slow cooker is just a pot on the stove top with the gas turned as low as possible. I try not to collect electric appliances as I don’t have much bench top space or storage space.

Cacciatore is a great dish. Thanks for reminder. We like it with polenta. Any left over polenta I generally use in a baked custard the next day. So simple and easy.
what is Italian dressing? Is it salad dressing?