Of course, you know we mean the "crock" pot (on this page what else could it mean?)

1 sirloin end pork roast (about 3 lb)
2 tsp Southwest seasoning
3 cups prepared chunky salsa, divided
1-10 flour or corn tortillas
1 cup grated Cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese
1 Tbsp snipped (or chopped) fresh cilantro leaves

Rub Southwest seasoning all over the pork; place in slow cooker and pour 2 cups salsa over it; cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

When done shred pork using two forks.

Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in plastic wrap and heat in the miicrowave for 4 minutes or until heated through.

Spoon pork mixture onto center of each tortilla; top with additional salsa, cheese and cilantro. Broil a minute or two until cheese is bubbly. Roll up, burrito-style, to eat.

Serve with canned black beans and quick-cook Spanish rice.

Yes, you could use pork loin for this real easy, real tasty pork bbq, but if you're watching your pennies a picnic cut is probably a better choice.

1 cup ketchup
1 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (3-lb) boneless pork shoulder picnic roast
Hamburger buns or kaiser rolls, split

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine all but the meat - of course, you wooldn't put the buns in, would you?. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Set aside.

Place roast in slow cooker, add 3/4 cup water and the chili mixture, cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Remove meat from barbecue sauce and let stand 10 to 15 minutes before carving into thin slices.

Place meat on half a bun, add more sauce and top with the other half of bun. Feel free to include a few pickle chips, too.

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Green pepper fans, feel free to slice up one and stick it in here; just make sure the slices are big enough to be avoided by non-pepper people.

3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 (0.7 oz) package dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 (5 lb) rump roast

Combine water with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and dressing mix in a saucepan. Stir well, and bring to a boil.

Place roast in slow cooker, and pour on the mixture. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours.

When time's up, remove bay leaf, shred meat with a fork and you're ready to impress - again.

Here’s a one-dish quick & easy that even includes the beverage. But I think I’d still have a glass of wine with it.

1 lb. beef stew meat
1 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups low sodium beef broth
2 (14 oz.) cans Italian seasoned diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
9 oz. pkg. frozen cut green beans, thawed
9 oz. pkg.fresh refrigerated fettuccine, cut in half

Toss the beef with flour and pepper and place in a 3 1/2 quart or larger crockpot.

Add remaining ingredients except beans and pasta. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours until beef is tender.

Pork shoulder is a very economical cut and great for all-day cooking. Make it often.

3 lb pork shoulder
2 (1 oz) packages taco seasoning mix
chili powder to taste
crushed red pepper to taste

Place pork shoulder in a slow cooker with taco seasoning. If desired, add as much chili powder as you and your eaters enjoy or red pepper flakes.

Add water until meat is covered. Place lid on pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Remove pork shoulder from pot and shred.

If you find shoulder chops on sale at, say, $3.50 per pound while rib chops are their usual $9, it’s perfectly fine to go cheap; with this sauce even a hot dog would be delicious.

8 lamb rib chops
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon orange peel, grated

In skillet, brown lamb chops in oil for about 3 minutes; drain well.

Thoroughly combine orange juice, honey, salt, cornstarch and grated orange peel. Brush browned lamb chops with orange mixture and place in crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. It’s ready to serve.

You don't have to make this only as St. Paddy's Day approaches. It's a good healthful way to serve beef all year long so when you see it priced under $3 a pound, grab it (pay for it, of course).

6 carrots. cut into chunks
2 onions, chopped
2-3 lb corned beef brisket with seasoning packet
12 oz can beer (you can use “fake” beer)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
8 wedges cabbage

In your 4-6 quart crockpot/slow cooker, combine carrots and onions.

Rinse corned beef under cold running water, pat dry and place in the pot. Sprinkle with contents of seasoning mix and pour on the beer

In a small bowl mix brown sugar with water and pour it over the beef. Cover and cook on low setting for 10-12 hours. When you come home and/or the time has passed, nuke cabbage wedges in your microwave for 5 minutes.

It’s the honey, Honey, that gives this yummy dish its name. Later, the orange juice helps.

3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp finely minced gingerroot
4 lb whole roasting chicken
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 whole orange, sliced
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice

Rinse chicken thoroughly, drain & dry. Stuff garlic and orange slices inside chicken. Spray a 4-6 quart crockpot with nonstick spray and place chicken inside. Combine honey, soy sauce and gingerroot in a small bowl and pour over chicken.

Cover crockpot and cook on LOW for about 8 hours. The chicken should be fork tender and thoroughly cooked (170 degrees into the leg or thigh on an instant read thermometer). Remove chicken from crockpot and cover with foil to keep warm or place in a warm oven.

Mix cornstarch and orange juice in small saucepan, add the juices left in the crockpot and mix well. Transfer to a saucepan, and cook over medium high heat until the sauce boils and thickens, stirring frequently.

Put the warm sauce in a serving bowl and present it with the sticky, but delicious bird.

The really great thing about this slow and easy is that your prep work is only about 7 or 8 minutes at the start and you don't even have to make gravy at the finish 'cause it's right there in the cooker.

1 (10-oz) can cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup
1 (10-oz) can low-sodium condensed beef broth
1 (l-oz) envelope dry onion-mushroom soup mix
1 (3 & ½ to 4-lb.) eye of round roast, trimmed
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Stir together first 3 ingredients in a 5 & ½-qt crockpot.

Sprinkle roast evenly with flour, salt, and pepper and brown on all sides in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Transfer roast to slow cooker, cover and cook on LOW 8-10 hours. And that’s all there is to it.

I'd really like to put this on my seafood page but it's a slow-cooker recipe and I promised to keep them separate. I also thought about leaving it out but it wouldn't be fair to cioppino-lovers. So here it is.

1 lb sea bass fillet, cubed
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 14-oz can beef broth
1 tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp oregano
1 7-oz can cooked clams
½ lb cooked shrimp
1 6-oz pkg cooked crab meat
Minced parsley

Combine sea bass, vegetables, garlic, tomato sauce, beef broth and seasonings and dump into your slow cooker/crockpot. Cover, cook on Low 10-12 hours.

You could include the other seafood items with the initial ingredients but it's better to wait until 20 or 30 minutes before serving, then turn it up to high and stir in those three items.

After you’ve made this tasty dish a few times you might switch to a pound of diced spicy sausage in place of – or in addition to – the chicken. And you have my permission – big deal - to buy one of the many really good ready-made cajun seasonings at your market rather than mix your own.

1 cup sliced celery
1 large onion, chopped
1 14 oz can low-sodium tomatoes, cut-up
1 14-1/2-oz can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 of a 6-ounce can (1/3 cup) tomato paste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 tsp store-bought Cajun seasoning or mix it homemade (recipebelow)
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups instant rice
8 oz cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp
3/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper

In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart crockery cooker combine celery, onion, undrained tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and Cajun seasoning. Stir in chicken. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in rice, shrimp, and sweet pepper. Cover and let stand 10 to 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Makes 6 servings.

Homemade (if you're opposed to store-bought) Cajun Seasoning: In a small bowl combine:
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper.

Don’t be shy about using canned soup to create a very exciting quick and easy like this. I know that if you had the time you’d boil a chicken for the stock. And you’d grow and dry your own herbs. And you might even buy a cow so you could get really fresh cream. But you don’t have time to do all that so it’s ok to open a can now and then.

3 cups water
1 14-oz can low-salt chicken broth
1 10 & 3/4-oz can low-fat, low-salt condensed cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tso ground black pepper
3 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey (about 1 pound)
2 cups shredded fresh spinach, rinsed well

In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine the water, broth, cream of chicken soup, uncooked wild rice, thyme, and pepper. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4 hours. To serve, stir in chicken and spinach.

Sometimes it's ok to use a can of soup - this is one. And if you have a big pot like I do - I mean a crockpot, of course, you could add a couple more chops but leave the rest of the ingredients the same. Be sure not to use those skinny chops that some stores sell in big packages for lower prices; they'll shrivel up and become chewy and, believe me, you won.t like them.

4 pork loin chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick (about 2 lb)
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
1 10-3/4-oz can low sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
1-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Brown the chops in oil, about 2 minutes per side, in a large skillet over medium heat.

Lay the sliced onions on the bottom of a 4-qt slow cooker and add the chops.

Crush the tapioca, preferably with a mortar and pestle, but a bowling ball will also work - just kidding.

In a medium bowl, combine the crushed tapioca and the rest of the ingredients and pour the mixture over the chops.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or, if you're in a hurry, on high for half the time.

In 15 or 20 minutes the pot goes on, and 9 hours or so later a hearty Chicago-style meal comes out. Don’t get crazy with the herbs or it won’t taste like the real thing – you’ve got to protect the "integrity" of those potatoes.

4 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
3 cups peeled, cubed potato
1-1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 lb smoked kielbasa(Polish Sausage), sliced
1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 14-oz cans reduced-sodium chicken broth

In a 4- to 5-qt slow cooker combine cabbage, potato, and carrots. Top with kielbasa. Sprinkle basil, thyme, and pepper over kielbasa. Pour chicken broth over all. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours. Makes 4 or 5 servings.

If you’re serving wine with the meal you could get fancy and call this "cassoulet" instead of "stew". And don’t shorten the cooking time or your lentils might be crunchy - you’d really hate that.

3/4 lb boneless pork shoulder
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cooking oil
2 1/2 cups water
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
4 medium carrots sliced 1/2 inch thick(2 cups)
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
3/4 cup dried lentils
1-1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)

Trim fat from pork and cut into 3/4-inch cubes.

In a large nonstick skillet brown pork, onion, and garlic in hot oil for a few minutes.

Transfer mixture to a 3-1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker; add water, undrained tomatoes, carrots or parsnips(?), celery, lentils, rosemary, bouillon granules, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on high-heat setting for 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours or 12 hours on low. Serve in bowls with a fresh rosemary sprig to dress it up.

When your market is selling those big bags of chicken leg quarters for around 75 cents a pound, buy some and make this super-cheap, super-easy meal.

2-1/2 to 3 lb chicken leg quarters(drumstick/thigh)
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups hot cooked brown rice(optional)

Separate the quarters and place them in your slow cooker. If you have a big one you can double the recipe and feed the whole neighborhood.

In a bowl, combine tomatoes, tapioca, ginger, cilantro, garlic, crushed red pepper, and salt and pour over the chicken in the cooker. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for about 8 hours or 5 hours on high. Skim off most of the fat and serve in shallow bowls. Cooked brown rice goes well with this if you have time. (Now, why did I have to say "cooked" rice - did I think you might just crunch a handfull raw?

Here’s a great quick & easy soup for those days when you know you’ll come in from work, school or errands a little shivery and too tired to cook. You’ll do all your prepping in the morning while you’re fresh – right? - and be glad you did later.

1-1/4 cups dry Great Northern beans
1-3/4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
12 oz fresh Italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 medium yellow squash or zucchini, sliced (2 cups)
1 14-oz can Italian-style diced tomatoes
1/3 cup dry red wine or water
1/2 of a 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
Grated Parmesan cheese

Rinse beans and cover with 4 cups cold water.

Boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes; drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet cook Italian sausage until brown and drain well on paper towels.

In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart crockery cooker combine the beans, water, beef broth, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, cooked and drained Italian sausage, squash or zucchini, undrained tomatoes, and red wine or more water.

Cook, covered, on low heat setting for 11 to 12 hours or until beans are tender.

Just before serving, stir spinach into soup. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Why "Baldwin Park"? It's a neighborhood in L.A. where lots of folks from Mexico, including my daughter's in-laws, live. And some very tasty dishes are prepared there, like this one.

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 beef brisket (2 to 3 lb)
2 tsp salt
1 & 1/2 tsp ground chipotle or ancho powder
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Flour tortillas

Toppings: Shredded Mexican cheese blend, sour cream, salsa, chopped fresh cilantro

Garnish: Lime wedges

Place first 3 ingredients in a 6-qt. slow cooker.

Rub brisket pieces evenly with 2 tsp salt and 1 & 1/2 tsp ground peppers. Cut into 3-inch pieces. and place on top of the veggies in the crockpot. Lay the cilantro on top of the meat.

Cover and cook on HIGH 6 to 8 hours or until brisket pieces shred easily with a fork.

Remove brisket from slow cooker, and cool a bit. Shred meat into bite-size pieces with 2 forks.

Serve in a big bowl with flour tortillas, the toppings and lime wedges on separate dishes so everyone can build their own.

Don’t slice the shrooms too thin as they will soften before the onions or meat. Also try to buy USDA Choice grade beef; it will be worth a little more $$.

2 lb chuck roast
1½ Tbsp flour
4 large yellow onions
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp dried marjoram
¼ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 cup beef broth (from a can)
1 cup red burgundy wine (cheap stuff is okay)

Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes, trimming off the fat as you go. Dredge the meat in flour by pressing the chunks firmly into a bowl containing the flour.

Peel and slice the onions into ¼-inch rings. Wash the mush rooms by wiping with a damp cloth; slice 1/4-inch thick.

Add all ingredients to the crockpot, cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Serve over wide egg noodles or rice for a complete quick & easy meal.

Why "French" Dip? Why "Dip" - it's a sandwich. Ask Google.

3 lb beef sirloin roast
1 - 1 oz packet dry au jus mix
1 cup water
8 1 oz slices swiss or provolone cheese
8 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Place the beef roast into a slow cooker. Mix the instant au jus with the water and pour over the roast. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.

Remove the roast from the slow cooker and shred or slice. (Actually if you try to slice it will likely shred anyway.) Slice the rolls, top with beef, lay on the cheese slice and serve with small bowls of the hot au jus from the pot.

Of course the bubbly-ness will be gone when this so easy dish is finished, but it leaves a pleasant citrus essence.

2-pound chuck roast
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup lemon-lime carbonated drink(like 7-Up)
I (10¾-ounce) can cream of mushroom condensed soup

Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes, trimming off the fat as you go. Clean the shrooms by wiping with a damp cloth then slice about 1/8-inch thick. Add everything to the slow cooker; mix well. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours. Go to work, school or whatever(I hate to use that word but it really works).

Come home, put together a quick & easy salad or veggie, put your feet up and relax until the gang's all there and ready to eat.

I don’t think this is how they made sauerbraten in Old Vienna, but I’ll bet even an old Viennese would love it.

2 yellow onions