So I knew going in that Week Two was going to be the ultimate challenge in my crockery, especially since weekends are Crock Free.
Still, I sought out and pinned new Crock recipes enthusiastically enough, and went shopping for ingredients without grousing about it too loudly, so it was with that remaining glimmer of hope that I rolled up my sleeves and started throwing ingredients in as Week Two dawned.
Week Two, Night One: Chicken Burrito Bowls
I don't know why these are "Burrito" bowls, because there was not one hint of a tortilla. But it had the requisite Hunter-approved old standby ingredients: chicken and cream cheese. Also black beans, corn, and taco seasoning. Probably something else, but who has time to try to remember? Lack of time, as you may recall, is what made me Crock in the first place. And laziness (See? Told you I was realistic about my weaknesses).
Week Two, Night One was also the night of the day I impulsively became a Verizon customer for six hours before chickening out and taking several hundred dollars' worth of impulse buys back to the store and shamefacedly requesting a refund from the overly enthusiastic bodybuilder who waited on me. His name was Kip, which was so incongruous with his super-inflated muscles that it was hard to keep a straight face. It was harder for Hunter, who built Kip into his ratings system that night.
Chicken "Burrito" Bowl: Success.
Week Two, Night Two: Baked Potato Soup
I knew this was going to be a hard sell in the land of Hunter dream dinners, because he's not much on baked potato soup, and the name of this recipe left little to the imagination. He pretty much knew what was in store, and he wasn't excited about it. But what he didn't know was my plan to incorporate my super-secret secret ingredient: MORE BACON. I loaded the crap out of that thing. It was totally bacon'ed. And then I threw more green onions on the top because, you know, color. And I needed to get rid of them. Oh, and cheese. So much cheese. And sour cream.
Initially, he rated it one thing, and then remembered a critical part of Crock Pot Consumption: for God's sake, let it cool down. And when he did, oh, man.
Baked Potato Soup: SOUPER Good.
Week Two, Night Three: Pizza Pasta
I was apprehensive about this, because, for those of you keeping score at home, I had previously humiliated myself with a little something I called "Crockpasta." The memory was still fresh as I concocted this, which was bare-bones based off of a Pinterest recipe before I decided to build on it based on what sounded good and was also contained in my cabinets. Pizza pasta was the result.
I used garden rotini, because I'm (wrongly) convinced that it, unlike other pastas, has actual flavor. No matter, it's pizza-colored. Then I added both spaghetti and pizza sauces, ground sausage, pepperoni, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, black olives, garlic, and mushrooms. Then I watched it like a damn hawk so it didn't turn black, like its pasta predecessor.
Hunter acted like this meal was the second coming. He almost rated it a perfect 10, then looked at me like I'd tried to pull over a fast one and informed me that if he gave me a perfect score, I would no longer have a goal. Still, we ate this like it was our last meal.
Pizza Pasta: Dangerously Delish.
Week Two, Night Four: Chicken and Dumplings
I have very, very fond memories of my mom's chicken and dumplings from my childhood. That's why I knew that this was going to be a disaster. No way could I top, or even approach, that perfection.
I shredded some chicken. Added chicken broth and cream of chicken soup. And cut up raw biscuit dough and threw it on top. Then I waited. Nervous. I had to leave for an hour to work out, and I just knew that was when things would go horribly wrong and the kitchen would somehow burn down and when we sifted through the charred remains, somehow the biscuits would still be raw. Don't even ask. I can't explain why the thoughts I have go through my head.
Anyway. Miraculously, it was awesome. It tasted of childhood, minus the disapproval and braces.
Chicken and Dumplings: Hello, 1980's!
And here is the Week Two Scorecard, because I knew you were curious:
Next Up: WEEK THREE, or the Week When it Became Not That Fun.
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