The best crock pot cook book I have found is America's Test Kitchen Crock Pot Recipes. It gives a lot of really good tips (which don't take that much more time) to get the best results. This is usually searing the meats (and some veggies) before putting them in the crock pot, and a lot of suggestions on what are the best cuts of meat or sizes of veggies to use in recipes.
As far as my favorite recipe (and the favorite of my husband and son) is chile verde pork. I sear some pork shoulder roast (or boneless pork rib meat), thrown that in the crock pot. Then, in the same skillet with the fat left over, soften up some chopped garlic and chopped white onion until slightly brown, throw that in, then chop up some tomatillos and Anaheim chilis, soften those up in the same skillet, and pour on a few table spoons of chili verde salsa. After it has cooked at least six hours, take out the meat and shred with a fork. In a skillet with a little oil, put in some cummin and chili powder, heat to "bloom," then put in the liquid from crock pot, reduce to a thick consistency, and serve meat and sauce with soft tortillas, shredded cheese, etc.
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