This book is everything. It is Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diane Phillips. And it truly is the best slow cooker cookbook I have ever used. Without a doubt. This slow cooker book has over 400 recipes and I have yet to make one that hasn't been raved about. You won't find many photos in this book, but if you can follow a recipe and are fairly experienced in the kitchen, you will do fine and love this book. This is not your typical crock pot cookbook that calls for five ingredients and a can of Campbell's soup. These recipes involve browning the meat before dumping into the slow cooker, and lots of unexpected (but tasty and not hard to find) ingredients that take each recipe to another level. Some of my most used recipes from this book are Tarragon Chicken, Chicken with Figs and Balsamic, Chicken Tagine, Shrimp Chowder, Back Bay Corn Chowder, Chicken Mushroom and Barley Soup, Bistro Dijon Sirloin, Smothered Pork Chops....I could go on and on. It is my most used cookbook, probably ever.
Diane Phillips is an amazing cookbook author. I have many of her books and they are all heavily used, heavily marked, and have tons of little Post It flags marking the recipes I have tried and loved. I have her Perfect Party Food book, which is a must for any type of entertaining. It is what I reach for when I go to a big Sunday dinner at my father's house. That book is worth it just for the corn pudding recipe alone (Gulliver's Corn). The book is full of make-ahead, take-along, delicious recipes that everyone always seems to like and ask for again. It is full of salads, great suggestions for buffets, and some wonderful soups and stews.
She also has a great book called The Ultimate Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook, and another one called You've Got It Made: Recipes to make now and bake later. Both of those are really good as well.
This is my most recent cookbook and is already a hit with the family and me. Step By Step Instant Pot Cookbook by Jeffrey Eisner. Jeffrey first came to my attention on YouTube. He has a channel called "Pressure Luck" (lol for clever title), where he does step by step recipes for the Instant Pot. When I got my Instant Pot last year I started watching his videos and trying his recipes. Everything I made turned out, made tons, and was enjoyed by my husband. Now Jeffrey has a kind of corny sense of humor, but seems like a lovable teddy bear of a guy. His first cookbook (in the photo above) was just recently published. And you know what I really like about this cookbook?
Yes! Photos of every single step of the recipe! You can also go back to his YouTube channel and watch his videos as many of the recipes in his book were done on there first. If you like your cookbooks to have photos and if you like being held by the hand and led through each step of a recipe, you will love this. I will say that his recipes are not low calorie and often have long lists of ingredients, which doesn't scare me. I have three Instant Pot cookbooks by other authors and this book is without a doubt the best one I have seen and used.
If you are tired of cooking the same thing all the time and want some new ideas, both these books will fit the bill. Obviously they both call for small appliances (a slow cooker or an Instant Pot), but if you have those on hand already, you will definitely get some terrific ideas on how to use them. Something different to do while stuck inside sheltering in place, right? Give them a try.
I wish I got paid for recommending things, but I sure don't. My posts are never sponsored and I only talk about things I have bought myself and love.