itty bitty crockpot recipe

December 6, 2007 4:02 PM

I got one of those adorable mini crock pots and now need recipes for it...

I am looking for any recipe but I am also hoping to find a great one to impress the inlaws for christmas party.
I was thinking a warm dip or something.
I also looked around the web for a dessert one- something with chocolate?
Any ideas out there??

posted by beccaj to food & drink (11 answers total)

Okay, more info please--how many cups does the "mini crock pot" hold?
posted by misha at 4:22 PM on December 6, 2007

Hot Crab And Artichoke Dip gets vacuumed up every time I've made it. In a crock pot (double the cooking time), you won't get the yummy bits of browned cheese on top, but it's still really tasty.

Also, if you're in too much of a pre-party hurry to be picking through crabmeat for stray shell bits, Trader Joe's sells a premade version with jalapeños which warms up nicely in a minipot.
posted by jamaro at 4:23 PM on December 6, 2007

1.6 quart...
posted by beccaj at 4:42 PM on December 6, 2007

Mulled wine. Crockpot recipe (you may need to alter quantities for your 1.6 L pot).
posted by paulsc at 4:50 PM on December 6, 2007

Souzoukakia -- greek meatballs in a tomato-based sauce. You make the meatballs ahead of time, then they can simmer in the sauce, in the crockpot, and peeps can eat them with toothpicks. Here's my yiayia's recipe:

Balls balls balls:
2 lbs. finely ground beef or lamb (I use a half-beef, half-lamb mix)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 c. parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp. cumin, ground
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 c. bread (I use whatever stale bread's lying around -- soak it in water, then squeeze it dry)

OPTIONAL: 1 c. flour, and veg. oil to fry meatballs
(or you can bake them in the oven at about 350 for 30-45 minutes, until they're brown on top. The baking is the route I usually take; the sauce provides a strong enough flavor that I don't really miss the lack of friedness in the balls.)

Sauce plox:
2 c. tomato sauce
1 garlic clove, sliced into thin little slivers
1/2 c. dry red wine
salt and pepper to taste

Your mission:
1. Soak bread. Squeeze out excess water.
2. Mix meat and bread by squishing together with your hands.
3. Add other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
4. Form into walnut-sized balls, anywhere between 1 and 2 inches.
5. Cook the ballls in either hot oil (roll in flour first) or the oven (no flour needed).
6. Mix sauce ingredients in a big pot.
7. Bring to boil on stovetop, then add meatballs.
8. Cook for 30 minutes over low heat on stovetop.

This recipe makes about 90 meatballs. You could make less, of course, but they're wicked good cold, so why not keep the extras in the fridge for later?
posted by Greg Nog at 4:57 PM on December 6, 2007 [7 favorites]

Oh, also, I shoulda mentioned this, but the sauce there is like a deep crimson, so if you garnish it with a big 'ol wad of parsley, it looks very Christmassy.
posted by Greg Nog at 5:04 PM on December 6, 2007

There's this absolutely disgusting (in a good, artery-clogging) warm sausage dip thing. You don't make it in a crock pot, but you serve it in one. Brown a pound of spicy breakfast sausage in a skillet, drain off the fat, then melt in two of those square packages of cream cheese and a can of spicy Rotel. Transfer to a crock pot to keep it warm for serving. Someone served it at a open house - crackers and (god help me) Fritos scoops to eat it with. Oi.
posted by ersatzkat at 5:45 PM on December 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

My in-laws love chili cheese dip. Can of Cheez Wiz. Can of beanless chili. Mix together. Not necessarily the most healthy thing in the world, though.
posted by Ostara at 6:11 PM on December 6, 2007

the cute mini-crockpot usually comes with recipes. I made easy chocolate fondue in mine with the for a shower I gave. I learned that you really don't have to make other food when you have chocolate fondue...that is all people really need.
posted by TheLibrarian at 7:39 PM on December 6, 2007

Your yia yia says "balls balls balls"?

Indian pudding seems like a common crock pot dessert. I've never made one that way myself, so I can't vouch for any specific recipes, but it seems reasonable — however you make 'em, they call for long, slow cooking.
posted by nebulawindphone at 7:48 PM on December 6, 2007

I make an amazing cream cheese and spinach dip. Melt 2 8oz bricks of cream cheese and a frozen brick of spinach. Add some shredded swiss cheese and some garlic to taste. Yum! I make this to taste and tweak it depending on available ingredients. You could probably add artichoke hearts, crabmeat, asparagus, etc.
My mom makes a great crab fondue that would work in a mini-crock pot. From memory, its a brick of cream cheese, same amount of cheez-wiz, some half-and-half, can of crab, garlic and cayenne pepper to taste.
posted by dreaming in stereo at 8:55 AM on December 7, 2007