Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes (Better Homes & Gardens) (Better Homes & Gardens (Paperback))

Media:	Paperback
Author:	Better Homes and Gardens Books, Chuck Smothermon
Publisher:	Better Homes and Gardens
Release date:	August, 2002
List price:	~~$14.99~~
Our price:	$10.19 that is 32% off!

Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes (Better Homes & Gardens) (Better Homes & Gardens (Paperback))

Average rating: Stars

More than pot roast & chili!

I think that whether a person likes this book will depend some on his/her expectations when beginning to use it, and upon his/her experience w/ other cookbooks for slow-cookers.

I checked this book out of the library a couple of weeks ago. I own a couple of slow cooker books that I don't like much, and wanted to 'try before I buy'. I agree with other reviewers' comments that most slow-cooker cookbooks are a little heavy on pot roast and chili. While both are represented in this book, too, I was pleasantly surprised to see that recipes for 'sides' and grain dishes are *far* more numerous than in the other slow cooker books I've seen (=a lot). I was also expecting to see far more prepared foods on the ingredient lists than there turned out to be. (The number is greater than '0' and far less than 'all'. I use 0.) I made a recipe for pork shoulder with cider vinegar, sour cream, onions and mushrooms. I thought it was excellent; and it was a combination that I absolutely would not have invented on my own, even though in retrospect it seems like a no-brainer.

I renewed the book once from the library -- and have not seen it on the shelf since I returned it. Since I'd have to wait weeks to check it out again, I am just going to buy a copy in order to try the other recipes. It's not expensive, so it will be easily worth the price to have such an extensive book as a source for new ideas -- and after that pork shoulder recipe I have high hopes for the quality of a significant number of the other recipes I read through while I had it. I'm definitely *not* a good enough cook that I can toss together a bunch of random food, cook it for like 12 hours, and be able to count on an edible result. Based on my experience with it thus far, I'll be glad of the help offered by this book.

Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes (Better Homes & Gardens) (Better Homes & Gardens (Paperback)) - Better Homes and Gardens Books, Chuck Smothermon

A book for beginners

I was so disappointed when I recieved this book after reading all the great reviews. The names of thes dishes are the best part. Please don't be fooled like me. The majority of recipes in this book are extremely old fashioned, so many of these recipes call for sour cream, cream cheese, processed cheese, half and half etc, and are so incredibly basic. I feel that this book is really more for the person who has just received a crockpot and doesn't know that you can add a "cream of" soup with some water to your chicken and slow cook it all day and have dinner. A lot of these recipes called for cream of mushroom, cream of celery, cream of chicken, etc. as well as a few recipes where you added catsup (for what? to make it red? it seems so 70's) I was looking for something more inventive, not a bunch of different spins on pot roast, and in my opinion, completely bland looking, homogenized versions of "Teriyaki", "curry" (?? adding curry powder doesn't make it curry!) and various "italian" dishes. Anyone can throw tomato sauce, green beans & chicken in their slow cooker but A) That doesn't make it "italian" and B) who wants to eat that? I barely glanced at the bonus section of one dish meals, but I too was mystified by the addition of those. The few one-dish recipes that I did glance over were completely basic and obvious too. I know there has to be a better slow cooker book out there, now i just have to return this one and go find it!

Better Homes and Gardens Books, Chuck Smothermon - Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes (Better Homes & Gardens) (Better Homes & Gardens (Paperback))

Perfect for young families!

I received this as a gift and I am really loving it! Great layout, super recipes! Usually, I hate reading cookbooks because most are dull and uninspiring. But I found the layout of this cookbook to be so clean and open, making it easy to find recipes - not wasting 30 minutes of my life searching for the perfect meal! The recipes are easy, filled with variety and taste superbly! As a new mommy, I find this perfect for my family! I think it's a great cookbook for young people or families just starting out. The next housewarming or bridal shower I go to, this will probably be my gift of choice! Wonderful! :)

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