Crockpot Queen

Since moving into our new home, I’ve noticed a shift in my identity. A change that has come on slowly but that can no longer be ignored. I’ve become someone new. I’ve become…the crockpot queen. And is that so wrong?

Now, I’ve always loved a good crockpot meal. When I lived with roommates, I would make something in the crockpot on Sunday night for my weekday lunches. I never followed a recipe. I picked what looked good at the grocery store and dumped it into the wide bowl of the crockpot. It was easy. Convenient. Affordable. Tasty enough.

My weekday lunches have evolved, and my weeknight dinners have to be quick, leaving no time for an 8 hour cook on low. So when we moved into our new place, I put the formally beloved kitchen appliance in the cabinet above the stove. High up where I can’t reach. I made sure to fit the cover on, lest it collect dust.

All that being said, we’ve hosted more family and more friends in the past few weeks than we ever achieved in the first months of living in our old apartment. Is it the space we now have? The thrill of a new home we want to show off? Whatever it is, I’ve found myself reaching (literally) for my crockpot. Maturing to real recipes, I follow a formula. Pinterest search. Grocery list. Grocery run. Combine ingredients. Set timer. Done. It is so simple. It is so quick. It. Is. So. Delicious.

I’ve made Tuscan Tortellini Pasta. I’ve made Mediterranean Chicken. And last night, I made a chicken potato roast. With chicken, most recipes only take three hours. But oh, the smell in the kitchen. The steam that comes when I lift the lid. The heat that threatens to burn my tongue if I don’t have patience when taking the first bite. Too much? Absolutely not. Just right.

My latest recipe. Highly recommend crockpot liners for easy clean up!