Time to Bring Out the Crock Pot
With the world getting crazier every day about the coronavirus threats, most of us will probably be eating a lot more meals at home in the next few weeks. Today (3/15) Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, said on CNN's "State of the Union" that he'd "like to see a dramatic diminution of the personal interaction that we see" in restaurants, bars and other public places.
Regardless if you personally believe that COVID-19 is a legitimate health threat, you may not have much say in the matter if more things start getting shut down in Montana. Hopefully the hoarding will slow down a little bit at the grocery stores and you'll be able to get the food necessities you'll need.
If you have a crock pot or slow cooker and rarely use it, now might be a good time to reacquaint yourself with how awesome they are for cooking. I use mine all the time. It's great for throwing things together and letting the magic of slow cooking do its trick. Don't forget to stock up on the liner bags they sell in the plastic baggie section of the store. I assume hoarders haven't hogged them all yet, since they can't be used as an alternate form of toilet paper. The liners make cleanup an absolute breeze.
One great thing about cooking in a crock pot is that you don't need a ton of fancy ingredients. As the grocery store shelves become increasingly picked over it may be getting tougher to find the ingredients you usually buy. With a slow cooker, you can literally toss just about any combination of meat and vegetables together and it will come out good. Pork chops and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Chicken thighs and BBQ sauce. Cheaper cuts of beef with potatoes. Corned beef and cabbage. Google easy crock pot recipes for idea starters.