At first glance crock pots might seem like a strange way to cook your food. They have a weird shape and they take up a lot of space, and you were never really sure how to use it. If you're thinking about getting rid of it to make room for a few new pans or maybe a new grill, hold on a minute. At least read this list of tasty things you can make with a crock pot before you decide to throw it out.

Making Chili

Chili is the perfect dish to cook when you're camping or when the weather is so cold that you're wondering just when it's going to end. It's easy to make, too. All you need is some ground beef. Throw it in the bottom of the pan and cook it up, leaving the juice for added flavor when you add the beans and the other ingredients. Just stir the ingredients together and let them simmer for a while, and you've got a tasty pot of chili big enough for the whole family.

Cooking Shredded Pork

The recipes for shredded pork are nearly endless. There are so many things you can use it for: pork sandwiches, sloppy joes, or tamales, just to name a few. You can even sprinkle it on top of a taco.

But the way you get yourself some pork that's tender enough to shred at the slightest touch is by using a crock pot. Buy yourself a big piece of pork and let it soak in the crock pot for most of the day, and by the time you're ready to complete your dish, your pork will fall apart at the slightest poke of a knife. It's easy.

Spaghetti and Pasta

Although it's recommended that you boil the actual pasta in a pot, crock pots are still an excellent way to prepare the sauce. When your pasta is finished boiling, drain it and set it aside, and then turn to the crock pot with the ingredients for your sauce.

First, fry up some ground beef in the bottom of the pot and then add the tomato sauce and any other ingredients you feel fit with your favorite spaghetti. Once it's simmered to perfection, you can add the pasta, and the crock pot will magically fuse your sauce with the rigatoni, or ravioli, or penne or whatever variety you choose.

Chorizo

Chorizo is a quick and easy dish to prepare for a hearty breakfast. Buy yourself some pork chorizo from the store and toss it in the bottom of the crock pot. Mix in some eggs as well, and let them cook together. The crock pot will help the eggs and chorizo blend to form a delicious mix. Once the eggs and chorizo are cooked, sprinkle some shredded cheese over the top and cover it up to let the cheese melt. Enjoy with flour tortillas whenever you're ready.

Now that you know what you can do with your crock pot you might want to rethink letting it sit unused! Instead of wasting it, why not try your hand at some of the suggestions mentioned above? Once you've had a taste of what crock pots have to offer, you'll wonder why you haven't been using it every day.

Many people choose a Rival programmable crock pot because it is leading brand, but a little research will give you a wider range of choices. Go to crockpotsdepot.com before you make your final decision.