Slow cooking is a little like slow dancing.  You get all the perks without all that effort.

Of all the kitchen gizmos and gadgets in the universe – and there are about a gazillion – the slow cooker – better known as the crock pot, is unquestionably my favorite. It’s sort of a culinary tai chi where slower is best.

Crock pots marry old-fashioned goodness with modern convenience

You can probably guess the reason – it’s hard to mess up a dish cooked in the  crock pot, provided you remember to turn it on.  And if you’re a tad on the lazy side, the crock pot is the only dish I know that allows you to be in a coma the whole time you’re cooking.

If you’re like me your slow cooker goes into mothballs when warm weather arrives.  But now, the crock pot lives again — and just in time for cold weather. Throw in a few ingredients in the morning and forget it.  Voila! Dinner’s all ready when you get home, and the house smells heavenly. 

And now, my favorite gadget just got even better.  Someone has come up with a disposable liner you can put in the crock pot to keep it from getting all greasy while it’s cooking. They’re called “pansavers” and all you do after removing your food, is pull out the liner with all the gunk, and plunk it into the trash can.  Shove the cooker back in the cabinet and you’re good to go.

Speaking of crock pots, I’ve gotten several requests to repeat my “Crock Pot Turkey Breast” recipe just in time for the Holidays.  Please Note I said “breast” not whole turkey.  I got at least one call from an irate reader trying to squash her entire turkey into the crockpot…It just won’t work unless you’ve got a bubba-sized crock pot – which gives me an idea.  I need a big pot called “The Big Bubba” – kind of like “Big Bertha” the golfers are always talking about.  If you’re one of those seasoned cooks still using a crock pot from the 80s where the inside isn’t removable and it is a garish shade of orange – come on – get your self a new one. Make it oval so you can cook a turkey breast.

Another reader thawed her turkey breast.  Don’t do it no matter how logical it seems.  This turkey needs to be rock solid when you plunk it in the pot.

Crock Pot Turkey Breast

1 turkey breast, frozen

1 stick butter melted

lemon pepper to taste

After you place the turkey in the pot, pour melted butter over it and douse with lemon pepper.  I use quite a bit. Turn it on high for two hours, then cut down to low and cook it all night – 6-8 hours should do it.   I’m told the sauce makes excellent gravy but I can’t attest to that since I can’t make gravy.  This turkey is a no brainer and the finished product is tender and flavorful. Trust me.