You have been asked to a Potluck Party and you can’t cook.  What do you do?  If you own a crock pot you have the problem solved. You need to prepare the dish in advance and be able to carry it to the party so the crock pot is perfect for this.

Traditional dishes like casseroles and chili are good choices.  Dishes don’t have to be fancy and the recipe doesn’t need to be complicated.  Mark your crock pot slow cooker with your name so you can identify it afterward.  You might be surprised how many people will bring them and then you will know which one is yours when it has been cleaned.

A great easy recipe for a non cook and one that has very little preparation time is this chili one below:

Crock pot chili

Tip:  Take copies of the recipe with you so others can check the ingredients if they have allergies.  They will love this dish so much they will want a copy of it and it says to others 'hey I really can cook' (hehe).

Have fun at your potluck party and Im sure you will now be hooked on how easy it is to cook with the crock pot.  No matter what level of cook you are there is a crock pot recipe for you.

This recipe for prunes in port wine is very easy and makes a nice simple dessert.  Its a very old recipe that was given to me about 20 years ago.  I have adapted it to the crock pot which was very easy.

I love prunes right out of the bag but with the combination of port it makes a nice light dessert.  Its not everyone's idea of a great dessert but I like it and its different. Just remember to not eat too many at once or you may get a stomach ache.  My son learned the hard way that when he was a little boy.  He told me the black apricots made him feel sick.  hehe

Prunes in Port Wine

There are some great old recipes out there that you or your mother/grandmother used to make and they are adaptable to the crock pot usually quite easily.  Why not dig out some of your own and try them yourself this week.

For other recipes here at Crock Pot Meals you can access them all here - Recipes

This dessert recipe for Decadent Cognac Apricots is nice served hot or cold.  It has only three steps and uses the microwave and the crock pot slow cooker.

You could substitute peaches if you like them better than apricots and use brandy instead of cognac.  If you don't like the taste of cognac or brandy then you can add more orange juice but I encourage you to use the cognac for a wonderful taste sensation and to make the dessert a little more special.

In a microwave jug dissolve the brown sugar and water for approximately 30 seconds.  Add the honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, juices and cognac.  Microwave another minute.  Stir well and add to crock pot base.  Add the drained apricots and stir through gently, trying not to break them up.  Cook on low for 2 hours and let cool in the crock pot.

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If you are looking for a simple recipe then Marinated Crock Pot Chicken is the one you will want to try.  You use a whole chicken and marinate it for a few hours then place in the crock pot and it does the rest.  How simple can it get!   The flavors of the marinade really penetrate the chicken and you can then thicken the liquid in the base of the crock pot for a lovely sauce.   I hope you like this recipe as I do.

Marinated Crock Pot Chicken

Combine all ingredients in a bowl except the garlic and the rest of the lemon (not used for the juice)  and stir well.   Place the garlic and the lemon in the chicken cavity and then pour the marinade over the chicken.   Place in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, basting with the marinade occasionally.  Place into the base of the crock pot and cook on high for about 4 hours.  You can baste it with the juices about twice during cooking, trying not to leave the lid off too long.  Remove the chicken and cut into serving pieces.  Thicken the juices with a little flour mixed with water to make a sauce to pour over the chicken.  Serve with rice or potatoes and vegetables.  Serves 4.

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This Beef and Red Wine Stew recipe is fairly easy to make and if you like big serves then it will feed 2 people.  It's not as easy finding recipes for two for the slow cooker so finding this one was like gold. You can vary it by adding mushrooms or bell peppers.  You can also swap the onions with leeks for a slightly different texture and taste.

Crock Pot Slow Cooker Beef with Red Wine Stew

Coat meat in flour and brown meat in oil.  Remove and put aside.  Add to the pan the onions, carrots and herbs and toss until softened a little.  Remove the vegetables and put into the base of the slow cooker. Place the meat on top of the vegetables.

Add the wine and stock to the pan and mix well together as this then combines the juices from the pan as well.  Pour into the crock pot slow cooker over the meat and vegetables. Put the lid on and cook on low for 6 hours.  Thicken with the instant gravy mix combined with a little water if you think the stew is too thin.

Serves 2 large servings or 3 medium ones.  I serve it with sweet potato mash but you can serve with rice or just some of your favorite crusty bread.  Get out your crock pot slow cooker and start cooking.

This is another chicken crock pot recipe which is easy to make.  I like this honey mustard recipe for pork ribs also, so if you like pork ribs better, go ahead and use them instead.  This is a quick and easy crock pot slow cooker recipe to make and you should have the ingredients in your cupboards.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Place chicken in your crock pot.  Mix together the mustards, garlic, honey, BBQ sauce and salt and pepper in a jug and mix together well.  Taste to see if the sauce is how you like it as you can then add more mustard or BBQ sauce to get the taste you like.  Pour over chicken, making sure it is coated well. Cover and cook on low for 6 - 7 hours.  Mix together 2 tabs cornflower with 2 tabs water and add this to the sauce to thicken if necessary.  Serve with rice or mashed potato and vegetables.

For some great crock pot recipes you cant go past The Healthy Slow Cooker by Amazon.

I like this easy crock pot recipe as it is one that has only 4 ingredients in it.  Cake cooked in the CROCK POT is moist and can be served with coffee or tea or as a dessert served warm with ice cream or cream.  A quick and easy icing is to drop chocolate chips and peanut butter on the warm cake and leave a minute or two then swirl them together with a knife.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well for 2 minutes.  Pour batter into greased crock pot or a cake tin that will fit in your crock pot.  Cover with paper towels and cover with lid.  Cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

*Look at the packet and try and pick a mix that uses only 1 egg if possible.  I added the egg with the muffin mix and the chocolate chips. If the mixture looks too thick add a little more water.

If you are looking for a good recipe book for the crock pot then you cant go past Crock-Pot Cook Book - Best Loved Recipes

This apple and lemon sponge dessert recipe is perfect for pot luck parties and entertaining at home.  It is also an easy crock pot recipe even for the beginner cook so if you are looking for an easy dessert this is it.  You can cook and serve this dessert straight from your crock pot slow cooker or you can insert another dish into the pot and remove when cooked.  I cheat a little by using a cake mix for the sponge but if you prefer you can make your own.

Easy Crock Pot Apple and Lemon Sponge Dessert

You need to make up the cake mix as per the directions on the packet.  They are all different so please follow this step correctly.  Place all the rest of the ingredients except the icing sugar into a large jug or bowl and mix together and combine well.  Spread the mixture over the greased base of the crock bot bowl or you can use Slow Cooker Liners for no mess afterward.

Spoon over the cake mixture and place several sheets of paper towel over the top, making sure that the towel doesn't touch the mixture.  Place the lid on the crock pot and turn to high and cook for 3 hours approximately.  Check to see if cooked as sponge will spring back at a touch.   Serve with a dusting of icing sugar and a dab of cream or ice cream.

Try this easy crock pot recipe and let me know what you think about the taste as I'm sure you will agree its pleasantly different, a bit of a twist on the standard apple sponge.  This is my favorite dessert recipe at the moment for the family or when I'm entertaining.

I love the taste of Kalamata olives and sun dried tomatoes so this dish was always going to be a favorite.  Cooking the Osso Bucco in the crock pot ensures that the veal is tender and tasty.

If you don't like olives you can leave them out but maybe give them a try and you might be surprised at the wonderful taste it gives this dish.  This is another crock pot meal ideal for Pot Luck parties.

Osso Bucco with olives

Coat meat in the flour and heat the oil in a large heavy pan and brown the meat for a few minutes each side.  Transfer to the crock pot.  Add onion and garlic to the pan cook for 1 minute then add the carrot and celery and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, puree, red wine and stock.  Stir thoroughly until blended well and pour over the meat in the crock pot.

Cook on low for approximately 6 hours.  Add the sun dried tomatoes and olives in the last hour.  Stir in the lemon juice and thicken the gravy if needed before serving.  Serve with mashed potato or polenta.

I like this quote:  I'm a meat girl and I just love having a beer....Jill Goodacre

Looking for an easy crock pot meal?  Then this Beef  'n Beer Casserole recipe is for you.  This is  a recipe where you just put all the ingredients into the crock pot slow cooker and stir it occasionally during cooking.  Nothing really can go wrong with it, so if you are a novice cook this is the beef recipe for you.   Put it up and put it on in the morning and your dinner is cooked when you come home from work.

Beef  'n Beer Casserole

As there are only 2 of us I freeze half the quantity and have it for another meal later in the week.  If I am in a hurry I can then just defrost it, heat and serve with crusty bread for a quick meal.