Home-cooked meal without the "trouble"

I am a hands on cook. I like to stand in front of my stove and add ingredients throughout the cooking process. As someone who works from home, I have the luxury of being able to step in my kitchen when I need to. But what about those who work outside the home? I know that it can be exhausting to come home from a long day and cook. How do you have a home cooked meal without too much trouble.

The answer is a slow cooker or Crockpot. I know of people who will fill their cooker in the morning and have a nice meal ready when it’s time for dinner. Today, I am sharing three recipes for your slow cooker. The first two are traditional New Orleans dishes, Easy Red Beans and Carefree Shrimp Creole. The third is a BBQ standard, Slow Cooker Beef Brisket. So Let’s head to the kitchen and break out your slow cookers!

Easy Red Beans

Here’s a twist on New Orleans traditional Monday dinner. Red beans are a perfect meal for a slow cooker. Like traditional red beans, you cook them while you are doing your other chores around the house.

2 tablespoons bacon drippings

1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into small pieces

2 onions, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

3/4 teaspoon dry thyme

Creole seasoning to taste

1 pound dried kidney beans, washed, sorted, soaked overnight, and drained

5 to 6 cups water

Hot cooked rice

Heat bacon drippings in skillet set over medium heat, add sausage and brown slowly, about 20 minutes. Add onion and garlic, sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Combine onion/sausage mixture, bay leaves, thyme, Creole seasoning, beans, and water in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours until creamy. During last 20 minutes of cooking, stir frequently and mash lightly with spoon. Serve with rice.

Carefree Shrimp Creole

A slow cooker is great for developing the flavors of a traditional Shrimp Creole. You let it  cook while you go about your day. The key is adding the shrimp in the last 30 minutes. This ensures that the shrimp are not overcooked.

1/2 cup butter or bacon drippings

1/3 cup flour

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

3/4 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup chopped bell pepper

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Creole seasoning to taste

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cups diced fresh tomatoes

2 pounds raw, peeled, deveined medium shrimp

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Hot cooked rice

Melt butter or drippings in a heavy-bottomed pan set over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, stirring often, until a medium brown roux is achieved, about 15 minutes. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add ground peppers, bay leaves, thyme, Creole seasoning, and tomato sauce. Stir to mix and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Place contents of pan and tomatoes in slow cooker, stir, and cook on low for 4 hours.

Remove lid and stir well, scraping sides of crock. Add shrimp and parsley and continue cooking on low for 30 minutes, stirring once. Serve over rice.

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

Brisket is a cut of meat that is best cooked over low heat for a long time. If you don’t have a smoker, you are in luck. This recipe will give you a juicy brisket from within your kitchen.

3 yellow onions, thinly sliced

4-5-pound trimmed beef brisket

1 package onion soup mix

2 tablespoons Creole seasoning

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 cup beer

1 cup beef stock

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Hot cooked rice

Place half of the onion slices in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Place brisket, fat side up, on top; cover with remaining onions slices and soup mix. Season liberally with Creole seasoning, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix remaining ingredients together; pour over beef. Cover and cook 8 hours on low. Slice thinly; serve beef and gravy over rice.

It is often said that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. While that may be true to get your body started, I think dinner is the most important for the family. It’s the time to share your experiences from the day. You can’t get that from picking up food on your way home. The family deserves a home cooked meal whenever possible. The slow cooker is great for busy families.