You know that feeling little kids get when they get a new toy? That’s exactly how I feel with my new crockpot slow cooker. I know it’s not a typical appliance in most college dorms but it is definitely worth the investment. Having a crockpot makes it so easy to cook you won’t even believe it. There’s no need to worry about overcooking or undercooking meat, there are less dishes to clean, and the best part – you don’t even have to be in your kitchen. Plus, you can make large portions and save leftovers for the rest of the week. For those of you who are concerned about cooking taking up too much time, you should definitely consider getting a crockpot!
Crockpots slowly cook your food and can be set for a certain amount of time depending on the model – mine has settings for 4, 6, 8, and 10 hours. This morning I plugged in my crockpot, threw in the chicken breasts, poured some BBQ sauce over them, and went to class. I came back 5 hours later and my chicken was perfectly cooked and smelled delicious. The crockpot did all the cooking for me!
I can’t wait to try more recipes with my crockpot like chili, soups, meatballs, and one of my favorites – pulled pork. I was initially going to try making pulled pork but the enormous, fatty pork shoulder at the grocery store was too daunting for a first time crockpot user. I’m saving that for another time… I’ve been looking up other crockpot recipes and found that you can even make breakfast and desserts with it. There are sooo many possibilities out there!
- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- salt
- 1 cup + 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- flour tortillas
- 1 avocado
- Place chicken breasts in crockpot in a single layer. Lightly salt them.
- Pour BBQ sauce so the surface of the chicken breasts are all covered. Put lid back on and put the setting on high for 4 hours. (The crockpot will automatically stop cooking after 4 hours and just warm the contents.)
- When the chicken is ready, take the chicken out. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken. Stir about 1/2 cup more BBQ sauce into the chicken and put it back in the crockpot to cook for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil on medium high in a small pan. Place tortilla in the pan and heat both sides for about a minute each.
- Cut avocado into cubes.
- Assemble tacos.