As with all things in life, there can be a little variation, but a typical low setting on a crockpot is around 100 degrees, with the high setting being closer to 300 degrees. Once you know this little tit-bit of information it is easy to convert most traditional pan-recipes for use in your crockpot. You might have to play around with the cooking times a little, but if you follow these simple guidelines you should be cooking up your favourite recipes in your favourite crockpot in no time at all.

(i) Decrease the liquid (remember it does not boil away in your trusty old crockpot).

(ii) If your recipe requires minced meat etc, then brown the meat first before adding it to the pan. This will not only improve the taste of the meat, but will give it a nicer texture.

(iii) If your recipe includes cheese or other dairy products they will tend to break down if they are cooked for too long, so do yourself a favour and only add them towards the end of cooking.

(iv) Rice and noodles are another problem area. They will turn to mush if they are in the crockpot for too long. So, once again, only add them towards the end of cooking. Or if you really want to use your noodle, or save your noodle, why not cook them separately? You can combine them with everything else just before serving.

(v) It’s all about timing. If your pan-recipe states a cooking time of 15 to 30 minutes, allow 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours in your crockpot if you are using a high heat setting. If you are using a lower setting then 4 to 8 hours should be about right.

If your pan-recipe states 35 to 45 minutes, then you will be looking at 3 to 4 hours in your crockpot at its higher temperature setting, or 6 to 10 hours if you use the lower one.

These crockpot chicken recipes are delicious. Just check these out and I’m sure you’ll be amazingly surprised.

So here we go for some crockpot chicken recipes:

>>Crockpot Chicken Basic

~3 lb Chicken Salt and pepper

~2 Cloves garlic, minced

~1/4 ts Powdered marjoram

~1/4 ts Powdered thyme

~1 Bay leaf

~1/2 c Dry white wine (optional)

~1 c Dairy sour cream

~1 c Packaged biscuit mix

~1 tb Chopped parsley

~6 tb Milk

~10 Small white onions

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, place in crockpot. Insert cloves in one onion. Put all onions into pot. Add garlic, marjoram, thyme, bay leaf and wine. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours. Remove bay leaf and cloves. Stir in sour cream.

Increase heat to high and combine biscuit mix with parsley. Stir milk into biscuit mix until well moistened. Drop dumplings from teaspoon around edge of pot. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes.

>>Crockpot Chicken And Rice

~1/2 lb Mushrooms, fresh

~1/2 c Onions, chopped

~2 lb Chicken, raw

~1 ts Chicken bouillon

~1 ts Poultry seasoning

~1/4 ts Salt

~2 c Water

~3/4 c Rice, uncooked

Slice mushrooms. Remove skin from chicken. Spray skillet with nonstick spray coating. Brown mushrooms, onion, and chicken pieces on all sides over medium heat about 15 minutes.

Stir in seasonings and transfer to crockpot. Can be refrigerated overnight. Start crockpot on LOW. When ingredients are heated, add rice. Cook until done.

>>Crockpot Lemon Chicken

~ 4 pounds Chicken Pieces

~ 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour

~ 2 tablespoons Cooking Oil

~ 6 ounces Lemonade — Frozen Concentrate, Thawed

~ 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar

~ 3 tablespoons Catsup

~ 2 tablespoons Water

~ 2 tablespoons Cornstarch

~ 3 cups Cooked Rice

~ 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1. Combine flour with salt; coat chicken thoroughly. 2. Brown chicken pieces in oil and drain. 3. Stir together lemonade, sugar, catsup and vinegar. 4. Place chicken in crockpot and pour lemonade mixture over it. (the chicken, not the crockpot) 5. Cook on high 3 to 4 hours. 6. Drain liquid into saucepan; add corns tarch and boil till reduced. 7. Pour gravy back over chicken; serve over rice.