This isn’t one of those crock pot recipes that you use because you need to leave the house for the day and want dinner ready when you get home. This is one of those “it’s too hot to turn on the oven today but I still want yummy vegetables with my steak” kind of recipes.
Sometimes the crock pot isn’t for long cooking – sometimes it’s for keeping the house cool. Sometimes it’s for making more room on the stove if you’re cooking for a crowd and need that space. Sometimes it’s because your oven is broken. Sometimes it’s because you’re obsessed with your crock pot.
You can use any vegetables you want for this dish…well, within reason. Lettuce wouldn’t be so good. I’m not sure I would use okra either…mainly because I think okra is yucky. But anyway, just use what you have.
You can use fresh or frozen veggies. I like using frozen because that’s mostly what I have. I do have fresh vegetables each week, but when I buy in bulk, I try to freeze it all to extend the life…and so I don’t find it growing hair in the back of the fridge.
This dish really shines because of the butter. Please don’t leave it out. Butter makes vegetables magical…and it also helps your body absorb those vegetable vitamins. Something about buttered vegetables makes me want to sing…and stand in the kitchen and eat those puppies straight out of the crock. And burn my mouth. Oops.
I really love vegetables and I think these are delish! They rank right up there with Roasted Green Beans.
Notice anything weirdo about this picture? Yeah – while trying to make these, my crock died…again. That’s TWO crock pots in one week. I think my crocks are trying to tell me they are overworked and tired…so, I think I’ll give them a rest – for a few days.
I persevered and we still had crock pot vegetables for dinner! And now, I contact Hamilton Beach. 😉
Easy Crock Pot Vegetables
- 8 cups fresh or frozen vegetables of your choice (I like broccoli, green beans, and cauliflower)
- ***If using fresh vegetables, add ¼- ½ cup of water to the crock***
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Salt and Pepper
- Desired seasonings (Cajun is our favorite)
- In 4 or 5 quart crock, toss vegetables with salt, pepper, and desired seasoning.
- Lay pats of butter on top.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours.
- Stir and serve with slotted spoon.
Yield: 4-5 servings
Can you cook the veggies on low for longer instead of high and if so for how long ?
I don’t have advice here, because I haven’t had much success cooking the vegetables low and slow. They tend to get WAY to mushy and lose all flavor. But you can definitely try it and see what you think.
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
Do you have other seasonings for the veggie dish
You could also try a Garlic Pepper, Montreal Steak seasoning, an Italian seasoning blend or even Herbes de Provence. All those should be easy to find in your grocery store!
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
If I would put a bag of frozen Stir Fry in Crock Pot with beef, do you think that would work? or should I cook the beef first.
Hi Scott! I would definitely cook the beef first, but the amount of cooking time would depend on what cut of beef you were using. Thanks for the comment. — Julie, HH Team
Do you think Swiss chard or spinach would work mixed with other veg?
It would cook rather quickly – so if you add it make sure it’s toward the very end.
Hi there, what if I wanted to do half canned beans and half vegetables. Think this would still work?
It should!
Hi! Do you think this recipe would work in a buffet pan place in an oven or even heated over a sterno or two? I’d like to make it for 55 people, but I’m not sure if the recipe would work with either of those other two methods. I will be using a frozen vegetable medley mix. That brings my other question – should I thaw first? The bags say just heat from frozen. Given your experience with freezing fresh veggies, maybe you can offer some advice. Thanks!
I think it would work fine in the oven as a roasted medley – when I roast veggies, I usually do that from frozen at 375 degrees until they are nice and golden – time will vary based on the type of veggie. 🙂
what about carrots?
Carrots can sometimes take longer to cook than other veggies – so just make sure the pieces are small. 🙂
2 hours wasn’t long enough. My veggies were still cold! 3 hours ended up being perfect. Just FYI for others trying to time it with dinner!
Each crock can vary – some are so hot they set stuff on fire. LOL 🙂 Thanks for the tip!
Do the veggies actually brown up some like in the oven? That is my favorite part of roasted veggies in the oven, the brown bits. 🙂
No, they don’t get browned…unless you cook them too long. 😉
I have to feed about 60 people a side like this. How much would you recommend me make?
I’m not sure you could do that with this recipe. It would take a lot of crock pots.
Help! I need to make frozen peas for 60 people. How can this be done in crock pots?
Yes, I would think so. I would cook them in a crock on low for a few hours with some butter and seasonings until they’re tender.
Would you add any water?
In the printable recipe it says: ***If using fresh vegetables, add ¼- ½ cup of water to the crock***
Hi, I am new to your blog and am loving it. Would you please explain what S recipe and THM compliant mean? Thanks! Denise
THM = Trim Healthy Mama. It’s the way our family eats. 🙂 See how the THM is underlined? If you click on that link, it will tell you all about it in the post I wrote. If you have any questions, just holler back! 🙂
2 crock pots in one week?! I would for sure be contacting the company. Mine lasted for almost 8 years, and I just tossed it, only because the lid cracked. It still worked fine.
Butter and veggies, perfect together! I need to go buy a new crock now, so I can try this out, and see if my kids will eat veggies cooked this way.
Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friday
One of them was 10 years old and the other was past warranty. 🙂 And I checked for replacement crocks and they were both no longer made. Boooooo!!
Oh that makes more sense 🙂
I was going to fix waffles for breakfast – but after reading this I might need to fix chicken and vegetables. LOL
Love the simplicity! I have two crock pots so that I can cook a whole chicken and something else at the same time. How yummy would tender chicken breast and these veggies be!! mm!
Thanks for linking up to Wellness Wednesday – please consider joining us again this week! 🙂
We would just love this vegetable dish it looks delicious. Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a fabulous week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
I’ll be there, Miz Helen. 🙂
I can’t stop thinking about this recipe. LOVE the ease of it and will do it soon. Thanks for linking up at Weekend Potluck. My daughter shared your blog with me and now I am enjoying all your posts.
That’s wonderful! 🙂 Tell your daughter I said thank you!
Great idea for vegetables and I never thought about the fact that the crockpot is good because it doesn’t heat up the house like an oven does in the summer. thanks for sharing your recipe with us on foodie friday.
Thanks for hosting!
Thanks for this! My MIL recently bought us a crock pot but I’ve never used one before so I’ve been looking for yummy things to cook in there. These do sound delicious – I think I’ll be burning my mouth on them fresh from the pot too hehe. I found your blog via the Hearth & Soul Hop 🙂
I have an obsession with my crock – hence the new crock recipe every Friday and my cookbook. LOL Enjoy your new one! It’s lots of fun!!
Hi Stacy. I am new to your site and excited to read more. We have so much in common. I am in love with my crock pot and only recently had a real food “awakening”. I am going to share this recipe with my FB fans today. I love buttery vegetables and the hot kitchen advice makes so much sense.
Crock Pots are where it’s AT! 🙂 So nice to meet you, Christina!
I found my way to your blog through Jembellish’s RoundToIt. I have a few questions?
1. What does THM Compliant mean and what is an “S” dish?
2. If I wanted to double this recipe, would I still use the same size crockpot or is the maximum amount for this size pot?
3. I know thes are your favorite veggies, but what other vegetables have you done this way?
Thanks for sharing.
1. THM = Trim Healthy Mama. It’s the way our family eats. Check out my review.
2. I might use a bit bigger of a crock. My 4 quart was pretty full. Maybe try a 5 quart if you double it.
3. I’ve also done carrots, Brussels sprouts, peppers, onions, and cubed turnips. Just about anything would work! 🙂
Hope that helps!!
Stacy, those look so good and I love to see a new way to use the crock. I have just used it for cooking beans and now I know I can do this through the summer. I wonder if I could lay a few pieces of chicken on top with seasoning for the summer months when it’s just too hot to cook it in the oven?
I’m not sure…because this only cooks 2 hours on high. I normally cook my chicken longer than that. 🙂
Hi Stacy,
LOVE your blog! I was looking at this post and noticed you freeze your fresh veggies…how do you do that? I mean, I know that seems like a no brainer, but is there anything that must be done to prep them or do you just put them in freezer bags and put them in the freezer?
Some I do that way – and some require advance prep. I use the Ball Blue Book of Preserving and it’s FABULOUS. I highly recommend it if you plan on storing any fruits or veggies. 🙂
Our heatpump went out so I have been trying to get creative with our sides. My grill & crockpot have been wonderful. I have set up a camping table on my deck. I use it for my crockpot, wheat grinder & bread machine.
It is nice to have a “summer kitchen.”
My favorite new way to eat my veggies is grilled. My mother-in-law gave me a grill basket a few years ago. It is great for veggies. I especially love grilled broccoli & cauliflower, SO good!! And I always top them with a couple pats of butter after they come off the grill.
I never use my grill basket – and I have no idea why….
This is just in time for me. I’ve been craving some veggies and couldn’t stand the thought of canned.
I know what I’m having tomorrow ! Thanks Stacy!!!
Linda
Enjoy!!! 🙂 We aren’t much for canned veggies either.
We don’t have kids yet, it’s just my hubby and me. I wonder if you could cook up a big batch of veggies like this, put it into smaller packages and freeze. Then later you would have a serving of veggies that are already buttery and spiced to just quickly reheat. Any reason that wouldn’t work??? (I’m not very practiced at freezing stuff)
I’m not sure that would work well. I’ve just not had much luck at freezing cooked vegetables. I would just make half of this batch instead. 🙂
I forget that the crock pot can be used when you DON’T have all day to cook something, too! Thanks! ( :
I think we can use our crocks for just about anything…except laundry.
You actually can use it for laundry.
If you have a very bad stain you can soak it in oxyclean type cleaner and hot water in the crock overnight. I find keeping the water hot helps the oxy work better. In the morning, rince and wash.
Well that’s a new tip I’ve never heard! I guess you might want two crockpots if you’re using one for dirty laundry and one for food. Thanks for sharing!
Julie, Humorous Homemaking Team
I think I make almost anything in my crockpot, I love it 🙂 This looks like a great way to get veggies on the table for dinner!
You must be a kindred spirit. 🙂