sharing the crock pot love.....

Many of you asked how I did my turkey breast in the crock pot......well, very carefully. Ha...I think that's not what you meant! I will reveal the secret to my crock pot turkey here in this very blog post. First I have to tell you......I do love my crock pot. I've been working with the same crock pot for nearly thirty years.......um, YES thirty years. Oh, of course it seems I must have started cooking in my crock pot at the tender age of nine.....

I got this crock pot for a wedding gift.

It has been a faithful friend, and one I will not get rid of.......but she's now going to be able to divide her crockery responsibilities with a new one. She will be glad for the semi-retirement stage. She'll have a few days off now!

Here's the new one I purchased night before last at Target...on sale this week for $24.97!

Oh, isn't it white???? I started to go with stainless, but not for another $15, thanks. White is good in my kitchen. So all this is to say, that my turkey breast cookery in the crockpot just moved up a notch. Since this one is more appropriately sized for a turkey breast, the lid will actually close fully now, rendering an EVEN MORE moist turkey breast than before. It's going to be GREAT! Yes, the other crock pot worked overtime to cook a turkey breast because it was a little bit crowded......and the lid wouldn't close all the way. We are in business NOW!

So these lovely ladies will be working together now.......sharing the crock pot responsibilities at the SI Casa....both are quite happy with this new arrangement!

If you, too, would like to add a new crock pot, or a first one, check out this week's Target flier......a black or a white one for only $24.95. The stainless one will set you back $39.95. Both are a steal really for the job that they do! Nothing like coming home from church with dinner smells wafting through the house, and a hot meal "table- ready"! Wahoo!

So to make my turkey breast in the crock pot, you take a turkey breast, defrosted or nearly completely defrosted, and sit her carefully into the crockpot. Slather her skin with olive oil.....a great moisturing treatment! Then sprinkle her with seasoning of your choice. I use a lot! I use salt, pepper, Tony Chachere's (that's CAJUN spices!) some garlic powder, and whatever else spills out of the spice cabinet. Oh, and I also put a piece of onion, or maybe a whole one in the turkey cavity. Be sure and remove that gravy packet if there is one.....not good in the crock pot! Ok, so she's moisturized with olive oil, sprinkled with herbs and spices, and then I turn the crock pot on for a few hours. Now what I have to say here, is that from this point, it is experimental. In my old crock pot, I would cook it for a few hours on a medium setting, about 350 degrees. In my new one, I'm thinking maybe six hours on low or four on high, but I'll have to report back on that to see if it's accurate. I've cooked it long enough that it was falling off the breast bone, so you don't have to cook it that long....but it was NEVER dried out. It is the moistest way to cook a turkey breast. And I do not add water or broth to the bottom, but if it makes you nervous to do so, go ahead and add a quarter cup or so in the bottom. It will make it's own juice, trust me. So feel free to ask any questions in the comments if I've left out any pertinent details......

oh, and I really DIDN'T start using my crock pot at the tender age of nine...that part IS JUST a bunch of crock!!! ;)