Crockpot Spring Cleaning Challenge

About author / Pamela Chester

Mom of two; graduate French Culinary Institute; kids cooking program instructor; Master's degree in food studies. Creates kid friendly foods and loves her slow cooker.

Do you stockpile endless varieties of canned and frozen foods during the winter? What about those random gourmet items gathering dust at the back of your pantry? Spring is the time to clean up and clear out--but you don't have to throw away those long-forgotten bags and bottles. While you're sorting through your closets, make more room in your pantry by trying some delicious crockpot recipes.

While freshening up my apartment this spring, I subjected myself to this challenge by cleaning my pantry and came up with the following slow cooker ideas based on the items I found:

• Rice, rice, rice: In my food cupboard, I found more than ten varieties of rice. Basmati rice, brown rice, Carolina white rice, jasmine rice, two kinds of risotto rice (Arborio and Carnaroli), sushi rice, and the list goes on. My favorite is jasmine, which I buy in bulk from a local Thai food shop. During my cleanout I found a couple of little bags that I had floating around for a while and decided to combine them and use the rice as a base on which to serve Soy Garlic chicken.

• Canned tuna: I have to be in the right mood to make a tuna sandwich, and this happens about twice a year, so the cans I found may have been in my pantry for a while. How about using the canned tuna for a more exciting meal, such as crockpot tuna noodle casserole?

• Gumbo filè: One interesting discovery was a giant container of gumbo filè I bought in the New Orleans French Market. Gumbo filè is used to thicken soups and stews and is a traditional Louisianan table condiment. It is made of ground sassafras leaves and can be sprinkled on gumbo after it has finished cooking. I figured it was time to start using my filè and keeping the "N'Awlins" spirit alive with a recipe for Chicken and Seafood Gumbo.

• Pasta: This is one food I definitely can't live without. Seemingly endless varieties and shapes fill the top shelf of my pantry. Short tube-shaped ditalini pasta is the perfect addition to crockpot minestrone. I think of minestrone (especially with some good bread) as the perfect comforting meal after a long day.

• Dried chickpeas: When I have a lot of time I love to make hummus using dried chickpeas. The crockpot can be utilized to slow cook the chickpeas for hummus or to make a savory side dish. A delicious side dish recipe comes to me courtesy of my sister, Susie, and I have adapted it to the slow cooker here. You can also use canned chickpeas; just adjust the cooking time down to 2 hours on low.

• Canned coconut milk: Always an excellent flavor base to temper the heat of a fiery curry, coconut milk is slowly simmered with hot red curry in a Thai crockpot recipe.

• Frozen corn: A bag of frozen corn is a great addition to chicken soup or chicken and dumplings made in the crockpot.

• Molasses: In my cleanout, I found 2 open jars of unsulphured molasses (I went crazy making gingerbread last holiday season). I also like to use molasses in a deeply flavored, slow cooked barbecue sauce.

Use some of these recipes to clean out your pantry this spring or check out what else you might have lurking in there and create your own pantry crockpot cooking challenge!

Serves/Makes: 5

• 1 1/2 tablespoon red curry paste
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 can (14 ounce size) coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 can (8 ounce size) bamboo shoots, drained
• 1/2 head fresh cauliflower, core removed and broken into florets
• 3/4 pound fresh green beans
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves (optional)

Serves/Makes: 6

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
• OR
• 2 cans (19 ounce size) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (28 ounce size) plum tomatoes

Serves/Makes: 10

• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup flour PLUS
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 6 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
• 2 pounds chicken, cut up, skin and visible fat removed
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cup sliced okra
• 1 can (12 ounce size) diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound ready-to-eat shrimp
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh parsley

Serves/Makes: 4

• 3 pounds chicken pieces, skin removed
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• ground black pepper, to taste