The Crockpot Isn’t Just For Fall

I recently was contacted by Crockpot to try one of their new products.

I had a choice between the Crockpot Five In One Cooker and the Express Cook. I chose the Five In One Cooker because I was very interested in all the options it had to offer.

For the longest time I only thought of using a slow cooker in the cold months. I had never thought about how slow cooking is a great option for the hot summer days when you don’t want to heat up your house.

The Crockpot isn’t just for fall anymore!

The best thing about this slow cooker is that you can roast in it, sauté, steam, and slow cook. This means that I am able to roast meat, make soup, and do a bunch of other things that weren’t possible without the stove and oven.

When my Five In One Cooker came, I was beyond impressed. I love that it’s lightweight and the removable insert is a cook’s dream.

I decided my maiden voyage would be a Corn Chowder Recipe I have been thinking of creating. It was beyond easy to make in the Crockpot.

This corn chowder is very tasty and using the crockpot makes it simple as can be to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 2 Bags of Frozen Corn
• 1 C Each of Diced Onion, Celery (with the leaves) and Carrots
• 4 Strips of Bacon, Chopped
• 4 T of Butter
• 2 Medium Russet Potatoes, Skin On, Diced
• 1 T each of Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Chili Powder + 2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
• 2 C of Water

This particular Crockpot allows you to sauté right in the pot, so there are no extra steps.

If you are not using a Crockpot like this one, simply sauté in a pan and then add it all to your slow cooker.

Here is what you will need to do.

Instructions:

1. Add butter to skillet/crockpot, then add the bacon, celery, onion and carrot. Cook until the onion is translucent.
2. Add the potato and corn and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Add the seasonings and the two cups of water. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
4. When the chowder was done, I used my immersion blender to smooth it out a little bit. This is not a necessary step, it is just your preference.
5. Top your chowder with sour cream, parmesan cheese, and some chili powder. I also used some lemon thyme from my garden.

This was an easy and delicious recipe for summer. You can even use fresh corn if you prefer, just remove it from the cob.

The creaminess paired with the spice of the cumin and chili powder made it perfect for hot summer days. The dollop of sour cream really added an extra touch of decadence.

If you’re feeding kids or anyone else who isn’t as into spice, you could leave the chili powder out of some bowls.

Speaking of kids, this is a delicious meal that’s packed full of vitamins so it can be a good option to deliver nutrients to picky kids.

Now that you have your Crockpot out and realize you can use it year-round, a whole new universe of easy and wonderful meals is open to you. For another great Crockpot Recipe, try this Crock Pot Italian Beef.