Crock pot/air fryer recipes

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

Things are kind of upside down in my life right now, and as it turns out my tenants never paid their gas bill and it’s turned off(I’ve been vague but DH and I are living apart due to his medical and psychological needs right now, no abuse or anything but he is dealing with IIH, complex migraines and some significant side effects, which also Limits how much he can work. The kids and I are living in our old house that waswrecked by the renters). I’ve been trying to scrape together money to turn it on but even the minimum is a lot right now. That said the only thing I really use gas for is the stovetop/oven.  I can live without the dryer for a while as I have a clothes line(they didn’t tell us they broke the washer, either, but that’s another headache).  

I can’t afford to keep eating out.  I have a microwave and an air fryer, but I’ve never used the air fryer.  I also have three crockpots. Most of my crockpot meals are more suitable for winter, though.

I need recipes for an air fryer/microwave/summer crockpot.  This isn’t how I normally cook especially in summer, but I need to retool here. I estimate it to be a few months before I can turn the gas on.  And yes I kept the security deposit but it doesn’t even touch what they did to the house.

Edited July 21 by Mrs Tiggywinkle Again

[Kassia]

That is very upside down.  I'm so sorry.  I'm sure others will help more with recipes (I'm a terrible cook).  I always see people say they throw chicken in a slow cooker with some kind of sauce - salsa, bbq sauce, whatever, and they can use it for many meals.  I used to do that with chicken broth and spices (like garlic/onion) and we'd use it for all kinds of things.  I eat eggs/peanut butter/cheese quesedillas most of the time now that we're empty nesters otherwise I'd think of some more.  

ETA - I've made this a few times and my family liked it:  https://www.hungry-girl.com/recipe-makeovers/slow-cooker-shredded-orange-sesame-chicken

Edited July 21 by Kassia

[klmama]

Decide what you want to eat and then Google recipes for that type of cooking. Air fryers and crock pots for meat. Crock pot or microwave for rice, oatmeal, and other grains. Microwave or air fryer for veggies, or crock pot for hard squash.  I aways go with the recipes that have the most reviews,  figuring it's more likely they were from non-family members.

Edited July 21 by klmama

[Drama Llama]

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time.  I hope things improve for your family soon. 

What do your kids like to eat?  

Some easy meals we like

Pulled pork or chicken in the crockpot, on buns, or airfried baked potato, or with microwaved corn on the cob.  

Air fryer chick fil a knock off nuggets and sweet potato fries

Air fryer salmon

Air fry a bunch of chicken breasts, to top salads, or serve on buns

Blender (if you have one) gazpacho

Crockpot red beans and rice, with precooked frozen brown rice.  (I realize this isn't really summery but my kids will eat this year round)

No cook meals like pretend ceviche which I make with precooked shrimp, served with cheese and crackers, or sandwiches with hummus and veggies. 

 

[wathe]

I'm not really a recipe person; I'm more of an apply-a-method person:

An air-fryer is just a counter-top convection oven.  Just about anything that you would make in an oven can be made in an air-fryer, but on a smaller scale.

Microwave is good for anything that you would otherwise cook "wet" -- as in steam or boil.  Soup, veggies, rice. potatoes.  But, paradoxically, not pasta.

Do you have any other cooking appliances outside the kitchen that you can leverage?  BBQ/grill?  Camping stove?

Crock pot for things that simmer for a long time:  dried beans, pulled pork, shredded chicken, braised meat.   Good to put in a wrap or on a salad for a summer meal.

Edited July 21 by wathe

[wathe]

Adding:  Buying new appliances isn't what you are after, I know, but portable induction cook-tops are pretty inexpensive.  Then you could at least fry an egg.    

There's also quite a lot that can be done with an electric kettle:  pouring boiling water over instant mashed potato, instant couscous, ramen etc as a base for a summer meal, maybe with a crockpot protein.  I've also boiled eggs in an electric kettle successfully, though that's obviously "off-label" use of the appliance.  Basic electric kettles are $15 at Walmart here.

Edited July 21 by wathe

[wathe]

Re electric kettles: of course you can also boil water in a measuring cup or bowl in the microwave in lieu of a kettle.  But a kettle is more convenient, and frees up the micro for steaming the broccoli or whatever else 🙂

[Amoret]

Here is a file with a few hundred different crock pot recipes -- probably more than you'll ever need! I hope you are able to get everything sorted out soon.

crockpot recipes.doc

[historically accurate]

I'm making this meal tonight: https://cookathomemom.com/air-fryer-pork-tenderloin/

I get the frozen tilapia from Walmart quite a bit, and this one is popular in the summer: https://nutritioninthekitch.com/air-fryer-tilapia/

These potatoes as a side dish are popular with burgers/hot dogs in the summer: https://healthfulblondie.com/air-fryer-fingerling-potatoes/#recipe

For easier, the air fryer is the best at making convenience foods taste better (fish sticks, chicken strips/nuggets/patties, popcorn shrimp, etc). It's also ideal for reheating pizza slices.

 

For crockpots, I make chicken tacos/fajitas a lot in the summer.

Another crockpot one that the family likes (because bacon!) is:  https://www.slowcookerkitchen.com/bacon-maple-garlic-crock-pot-pork-loin/

I keep this recipe in the freezer usually. It's quick and easy and heats up quickly even in the crockpot: https://gooseberrypatch.typepad.com/blog/2011/04/cotw-101-sc-recipes.html

 

If you could borrow a little grill or even a George Foreman, that would open up some options...

[mmasc]

This is simple, but very good and more flavorful than just putting some bbq sauce on chicken, imho. 
https://pin.it/1sbTDQ94A

[fairfarmhand]

https://www.wellplated.com/air-fryer-chicken-breast/
 

 

[mommyoffive]

I am sorry things are hard right now. Sending a bunch of good thoughts your way.

 

I could live without my oven totally fine.  In fact we did for a bit when our new oven died and we were just not wanting to buy another.  We really didn't miss it.  I cook anything in the crockpot year round.  We did chili in the crockpot in summer in FL.  Not a big deal.

[sweet2ndchance]

We have frequent power outages and I keep one of these to use when we don't have power. You can also get electric ones if you don't want to cook outside.

We also don't have a traditional oven. When we remodeled the kitchen, I wanted a glass cooktop and a wall oven. We got the cooktop installed but I'm still waiting for my wall oven. Sigh. Anyways, as a stop gap until we do get around to getting my oven, I have one of these. Works wonderfully for us. We use it daily usually multiple times a day.

I love making pulled pork sandwiches in the crockpot. I use just a pork roast or ribs and bbq sauce. Making shredded beef or chicken for tacos in the crockpot is quick and easy. Pot roast or pork roast with veggies all cooked together in the crockpot.

[Ottakee]

Do you have an electric frying pan?   I have cooked tons of things in mine.  
 

And another plug for visiting local food co-ops, food banks, etc. if that will help your situation.  That is what they are there for.

[bolt.]

Among the other suggestions, is maybe just try releasing your ideas around seasonal eating. Some of those things had roots in actual harvest schedules (like pumpkins being ready at a certain time of year and unavailable other times) but many of them are simply marketing dressed up as 'traditions' (like saucier meatier meals for winter). Most food items are available year round these days, and there's no legitimate reason that things like chili and casseroles aren't 'summer foods'. If that's what you know how to make in those tools, and it's what your family likes -- just do that. (Serve with salad. Now it's a summer food!)

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

Do you have an electric frying pan?   I have cooked tons of things in mine.  
 

And another plug for visiting local food co-ops, food banks, etc. if that will help your situation.  That is what they are there for.

I don’t have an electric frying pan.

The food banks here are income based so I won’t qualify. I took a 40% pay decrease to take my dream job in November, and DH makes pretty good money so it was going to be okay, but it’s not enough to support two mortgages/two households, but I would need to put his income down. 
once I get some of the necessary household repairs done here it won’t be as tight but it’s killing me right now.

I do have a sandwich/panini maker, so I can do grilled cheese now that I think about it.

[KungFuPanda]

Here is a beef ragu I’m been meaning to try.

Here is a French Dip recipe I’ve used for almost 30 years.

Coconut chicken curry -we love this  You’ll have to solve the rice problem so if you don’t have a rice maker you might want to buy the microwave ready kind or get a burner so you can cook it on a stovetop. 

You can buy a coiled electric burner/hot plate for $20ish bucks. That way you’ll have a regular burner to use.  It works like any electric stove burner and you can plug it into a regular outlet. Ds did most of his cooking on one of these for years because it was more accessible than our stove. 

Edited July 21 by KungFuPanda

[bolt.]

25 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

The food banks here are income based so I won’t qualify. I took a 40% pay decrease to take my dream job in November, and DH makes pretty good money so it was going to be okay, but it’s not enough to support two mortgages/two households, but I would need to put his income down. 
once I get some of the necessary household repairs done here it won’t be as tight but it’s killing me right now.

I'm not sure where you live, but I struggle to imagine a food bank that actually operates on a rule that: When a woman is living as a single parent, separated from her husband and having a separate address, that she can't access the food bank without including his income. Can you imagine how many women fleeing abuse that would impact? Or even just women who are waiting a year or more for a divorce to finalize? That makes no sense. Mother-led single parent families are very much at risk of food shortage, no matter if they are still married-on-paper or not.

So, if it's true, it's incredibly thoughtless and dehumanizing, and actually fosters domestic violence, and somebody needs to shake these people.

But, since it is such a senseless way for a charity to operate, it is also possible that you misunderstood. Maybe circle around and re-check the requirements? Maybe it says 'combined income of people living at the same address' or something?

And, if it turns out to be true, I'm shocked, but I'd be more shocked if there weren't, then, other charities trying to fill that gap for separated women and their children. Maybe look and see if there are specific domestic violence resources with different requirements for food help? (I know you aren't saying that your situation is domestic violence -based, I only mean that you might qualify for some those resources based on your living situation, without having to claim anything in particular about your husband.)

[KatieJ]

I suggest going to Goodwill or equivalent and looking for electric fry pan and maybe a waffle maker. Even an ordinary tuna sandwich tastes better toasted in your panini maker IMHO.

pancakes, eggs , French toast fish, sloppy Joe’s , taco meat, quesadillas

You can buy precooked rice pouches. 

A batch of overnight oats in your crockpot would last a few days. There are some fabulous recipes out there.Throwback  to when I was a kid, my mom used to cut leftover oatmeal into squares and fry it, serve with syrup . 

When we remodeled our kitchen 10 years ago ,my temp kitchen had a microwave, electric frypan and a crockpot and a toaster oven. We could make brownies in it , which I did often to keep my contractor happy!

Crockpot. 3 or 4 chicken breasts. Small jar of salsa. Brick of cream cheese. Cook til tender.,3-4 hours fresh or 6-8 hours if frozen. Serve with corn chips or in tortilla shells , 

You could bake Bisquits   in the toaster oven for Bisquits and gravy.
My daughter did cook some pasta for me at one point so I could make a summer pasta salad. 
 

 

Edited July 21 by KatieJ

[Ottakee]

1 hour ago, bolt. said:

I'm not sure where you live, but I struggle to imagine a food bank that actually operates on a rule that: When a woman is living as a single parent, separated from her husband and having a separate address, that she can't access the food bank without including his income. Can you imagine how many women fleeing abuse that would impact? Or even just women who are waiting a year or more for a divorce to finalize? That makes no sense. Mother-led single parent families are very much at risk of food shortage, no matter if they are still married-on-paper or not.

So, if it's true, it's incredibly thoughtless and dehumanizing, and actually fosters domestic violence, and somebody needs to shake these people.

But, since it is such a senseless way for a charity to operate, it is also possible that you misunderstood. Maybe circle around and re-check the requirements? Maybe it says 'combined income of people living at the same address' or something?

And, if it turns out to be true, I'm shocked, but I'd be more shocked if there weren't, then, other charities trying to fill that gap for separated women and their children. Maybe look and see if there are specific domestic violence resources with different requirements for food help? (I know you aren't saying that your situation is domestic violence -based, I only mean that you might qualify for some those resources based on your living situation, without having to claim anything in particular about your husband.)

I agree.  In our area we can call 211 for help in finding local food resources.  Even if they say income based , if you call them, likely they do take people based on unique circumstances.

[bolt.]

54 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

I agree.  In our area we can call 211 for help in finding local food resources.  Even if they say income based , if you call them, likely they do take people based on unique circumstances.

And, "I had to take my kids and leave my husband, but we aren't divorced." -- is hardly a "unique circumstance".

[mlktwins]

We've been trying more in our air fryer. Pork chops, hamburgers, chicken breasts, steak tips. Just google for recipes (and time/temp). 

[mmasc]

2 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

I don’t have an electric frying pan.

The food banks here are income based so I won’t qualify. I took a 40% pay decrease to take my dream job in November, and DH makes pretty good money so it was going to be okay, but it’s not enough to support two mortgages/two households, but I would need to put his income down. 
once I get some of the necessary household repairs done here it won’t be as tight but it’s killing me right now.

I do have a sandwich/panini maker, so I can do grilled cheese now that I think about it.

Go to Aldi if you have one close. I promise they have the best panini supplies cheap—the sliced sourdough loaf (or the sliced Italian loaf is my second choice), their cheese slices and turkey are good, and best of all their pesto (the green or the red) will take your paninis to the next level. Cheap and delish!

[saraha]

Here are some microwave ideas, Hope this helps.

https://snappymeals.blogspot.com/2021/01/breakfast-in-microwave.html?m=1

https://snappymeals.blogspot.com/2020/12/monday-menu-planning-and-cooking-pasta.html?m=1

Rice in the microwave

The Microwave Method:

• Put 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water in a microwave safe bowl. (Remember, rice doubles in size so make sure to use a big enough bowl!)
• Microwave for 12 minutes uncovered
• Remove from microwave and cover with a plate or something to hold the steam in for another 5 minutes or until ready to eat

  In either of these recipes, you can dissolve a bouillon cube in the water before adding to the rice or use the same amount of broth to cook rice with more flavor. Also, a lot of people like the consistency of rice that has been rinsed before cooking. I don't usually rinse mine, but a quick internet search tells me that most people recommend it.

Edited July 22 by saraha

[alisoncooks]

I make a lot from the Budget Bytes website, and she has her recipes grouped in categories, including crock pot and air fryer. 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

15 hours ago, bolt. said:

And, "I had to take my kids and leave my husband, but we aren't divorced." -- is hardly a "unique circumstance".

He’s still paying some of the bills especially my mortgage and car payment, which is why I consider the household income to be both of ours.  The problem is the same amount of money is now stretched to cover two households with mortgages and utilities and things like that, plus the total disaster my house was left in. Which is why I would include his income for the things like our food bank; it just feels dishonest. There is only one in my small town and I volunteered there before kids, and they do require that you either provide proof of household income or your SNAP card.

(please don’t quote this part)

I don’t have any plans for divorce.  Idiopathic Intercranial hypertension has left him with severe dizziness, misophonia, personality changes and often an extreme sensitivity to noise. 3 kids and 3 dogs in an 1100 square foot house was not going to work until this is better controlled, if it can be. He’s never been diagnosed with Covid, but his neurologist is pretty convinced this is long covid. 

Edited July 22 by Mrs Tiggywinkle Again

[KSera]

I’m sorry about the diagnosis. The symptoms you described sounded like that to me, but I was hoping for something simpler. Have they already looked for cervical cranial instability? Not that that’s simple, but it’s treatable. I hope he’ll find some treatments that help him get back to his usual. 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

Just now, KSera said:

I’m sorry about the diagnosis. The symptoms you described sounded like that to me, but I was hoping for something simpler. Have they already looked for cervical cranial instability? Not that that’s simple, but it’s treatable. I hope he’ll find some treatments that help him get back to his usual. 

Yes, they’ve ruled out everything but IIH.  Unfortunately the two drugs they normal prescribe for it he can’t take due to the side effects and a propensity to kidney stones. Hopefully this is all temporary but right now it’s easiest for everyone if Dad can live someplace where he has the quiet and ability to lie down in peace that he needs.

The spinal tap provided no relief and right now he’s not willing to consider a shunt.

[Arcadia]

For microwaving, do you have a bacon tray? It is easier to steam food using the bacon tray and larger capacity than the typical steam tray. If you like corn on the cob, it is 4 mins on high with husk in the microwave. For rice, it is 20mins on high when I use a square pyrex bowl. 
For air frying, I just go by what the package instructions say and add two mins more to account for preheating. 
For crockpot, we just see what is left in the fridge and do a stew. We usually shop sales so we don’t really follow recipes, just cook with whatever is in the fridge. Our stews are typically carrot, one other vegetable, whatever meat is on sale. We add pepper and minced garlic to taste. 

[bolt.]

38 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

He’s still paying some of the bills especially my mortgage and car payment, which is why I consider the household income to be both of ours.  The problem is the same amount of money is now stretched to cover two households with mortgages and utilities and things like that, plus the total disaster my house was left in. Which is why I would include his income for the things like our food bank; it just feels dishonest. There is only one in my small town and I volunteered there before kids, and they do require that you either provide proof of household income or your SNAP card.

I understand. You think of yourself as an ordinary person, maybe stretched, but not exactly "needy". You're used to being someone who helps others, not someone who reaches out to receive help, not someone who needs or qualifies for social services. I understand that there are various ways of telling the truth of your situation, and that some of them feel dishonest right now.

But I also think that your perspective might be sheltering you a little from the harsh realities that I'm seeing in the black-and-white text you have written on the screen.

You are spending money on food, and it's barely enough. Because you are spending as much as you can afford to make sure food happens, you are doing without a household utility that is normal in your area -- and you plan to do so for a considerable amount of time. It sucks to say so, but that absolutely fits the definition of living in poverty. It fits the kinds of scenarios that food banks are for: so both things can happen at once (food can be secure, *and* bills can be paid). It's not dishonest to describe yourself and your household income in a way that meets the criteria for food (or other) assistance.

It sounds like your small town isn't great at providing social assistance, and is using a 'qualification' shortcut that excludes may needy people from their help. That sucks. I wonder if there is a workaround anywhere local or nearby.

[sweet2ndchance]

1 hour ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

Yes, they’ve ruled out everything but IIH.  Unfortunately the two drugs they normal prescribe for it he can’t take due to the side effects and a propensity to kidney stones. Hopefully this is all temporary but right now it’s easiest for everyone if Dad can live someplace where he has the quiet and ability to lie down in peace that he needs.

The spinal tap provided no relief and right now he’s not willing to consider a shunt.

My dh has IIH. He also couldn't tolerate the drugs but spinal taps did given him very temporary relief. He did go for the shunt and while it doesn't provide complete relief, it does make things tolerable for him. My dh's opening pressures at his spinal taps were just under 30 which isn't that high but still high enough to diagnose IIH. He was able to get SSI for his condition because he hasn't been able to hold a stable job for pretty much his entire adult life due to the IIH. I know this isn't what this thread is about but I just wanted to let you know you aren't alone. IIH is a hard condition to deal with day in and day out. ((hugs))

[Drama Llama]

10 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

He’s still paying some of the bills especially my mortgage and car payment, which is why I consider the household income to be both of ours.  The problem is the same amount of money is now stretched to cover two households with mortgages and utilities and things like that, plus the total disaster my house was left in. Which is why I would include his income for the things like our food bank; it just feels dishonest. There is only one in my small town and I volunteered there before kids, and they do require that you either provide proof of household income or your SNAP card.

(please don’t quote this part)

I don’t have any plans for divorce.  Idiopathic Intercranial hypertension has left him with severe dizziness, misophonia, personality changes and often an extreme sensitivity to noise. 3 kids and 3 dogs in an 1100 square foot house was not going to work until this is better controlled, if it can be. He’s never been diagnosed with Covid, but his neurologist is pretty convinced this is long covid. 

I'm in a similar situation.  I consider what he pays me child support.  When I need to report income, I report my income plus the child support.  I don't report all of his income.  

[popmom]

I don’t have a dedicated air fryer, but my oven has the feature. I cooked this on the air fryer  setting, and it was very tasty. I used boneless skinless breasts cut into smaller pieces. Thighs and drumsticks would be great, too. 
 

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8963/oven-fried-chicken-iii/

Budget friendly and can go in the crockpot. Get a rotisserie chick or used canned or cook the chicken ahead in the crockpot.  Budget friendly as everything can come from a can. 🙂 This is a summery chili. 🙂

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13010/white-bean-chicken-chili/

 

easiest salmon patties ever—so cheap and yummy. I add dried minced onion. If you have baking powder, you can make your own self rising flour. 
 

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9411/salmon-patties-ii/

I’m sorry it’s so hard right now. My dd also has IIH, but it has been manageable so far. She developed it during the height of COVID, too—right after getting the second dose of vaccine. 
 

eta instructions for self rising flour

“For every 1 cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. Whisk the ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl or put them in a glass jar and shake well.”

 

Edited July 23 by popmom

[Faith-manor]

Tiggy, when we were remodeling our kitchen back when I had 3 teens, I was kind of stuck with the crockpot for a while. I would throw a pork tenderloin in one, and chicken in the other, pull it all, and then prep a wide variety of toppings. I and the kids fill tortillas to make wrap sandwiches. Sometimes it was taco meat, sometimes barbecue. I tried to vary it, and a bowl of cheap fresh fruit was out at all times. Sure they didn't love that there wasn't a lot of variety, but they ate well, and those hollow legs stayed full. Sometimes pork tenderloin goes on sale for $1.99-2.49 a lb, and since it is boneless, it ends up being one of the cheapest meats. Season it with any kind of steak seasoning or just salt, peppers and garlic, put a little water in the bottom, and let it go. You can fast shred it with a hand mixer but make sure the bowl is deep because the meat really flies around!

[popmom]

6 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Tiggy, when we were remodeling our kitchen back when I had 3 teens, I was kind of stuck with the crockpot for a while. I would throw a pork tenderloin in one, and chicken in the other, pull it all, and then prep a wide variety of toppings. I and the kids fill tortillas to make wrap sandwiches. Sometimes it was taco meat, sometimes barbecue. I tried to vary it, and a bowl of cheap fresh fruit was out at all times. Sure they didn't love that there wasn't a lot of variety, but they ate well, and those hollow legs stayed full. Sometimes pork tenderloin goes on sale for $1.99-2.49 a lb, and since it is boneless, it ends up being one of the cheapest meats. Season it with any kind of steak seasoning or just salt, peppers and garlic, put a little water in the bottom, and let it go. You can fast shred it with a hand mixer but make sure the bowl is deep because the meat really flies around!

Good ideas. Pork shoulder or butt is also great in the crock pot! Chicken or pork bbq from the crockpot is great for topping baked potatoes (which I’m assuming can be done in an air fryer—or microwave).

Edited July 23 by popmom

[Momof4sweetkids]

I like chicken thighs in the air fryer, 400* for 24 min and flip halfway. I also do all my veggies (broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts, green beans) in the air fryer. I thinly slice potatoes and mix with olive oil and seasonings. Bacon works too. I don't like waiting for my oven to preheat so I use my air fryer for everything except casseroles.

With the panini maker, you could get creative with different meats, cheeses and dressings. Also sandwich wraps are a go to summer meal at our house. I like to make a copycat version of red robins BBQ chicken wrap.