One of the easiest methods of getting dinner on the table quickly is with one of the smaller appliances that cook the slowest. What is this wonder appliance? Your crock pot slow cooker of course. There is a multitude of interesting and delicious crock pot recipes available these days. Keep your family well fed and looking forward to coming to the dinner table. By using your crock pot to prepare your meals, you can start it all in the morning and have supper waiting when you come home.

Just about everyone has slow cooked a nice beef stew, in fact it's one of the most searched for crock pot recipes online. How about trying something different with your crock pot? If you and your family love Asian food, then there is a great Asian crock pot recipe out there to suit your taste and interest. We've included three Asian style crock pot recipes below. Give one a try this week and treat your family to a new favorite meal for dinner.

Chinese Pepper Steak

1-1/2 lbs boneless beef round steak

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup sauce

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tomato, chopped

2 red or green bell peppers, cut into strips

3 tbsp cornstarch

3 tbsp water

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

4 scallions, finely chopped

First, trim fat from steak and slice into thin strips. Mix together steak, garlic, salt, pepper, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and sugar in your crock pot. Cover and cook on low about 8 hours. 30 minutes before cooking time is done, set your crock pot on high. Add tomato and bell peppers. Dissolve cornstarch in water in small bowl; stir into steak mixture. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir in bean sprouts. Sprinkle with onions. Serve with rice.

Chicken Chow Mein

1 tbsp oil

1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 carrots, thinly sliced

4 green onions, sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1/3 cup light soy sauce

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 clove garlic, crushed

8 oz bean sprouts

8 oz water chestnuts, sliced

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup water

Brown the chicken in skillet. Put chicken pieces in crock pot and then add all ingredients except cornstarch and water. Stir and cover; cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Set crock pot to high and combine cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl; stir until dissolved. Stir into the crock pot liquids. Keeping cover slightly ajar to allow steam to escape, cook until thickened, about 15 to 30 minutes. Serve over rice or with chow mein noodles.

Szechuan Pork

1-1/2 lbs boneless pork chops

1 - 8 oz can bamboo shoots, drained

1 - 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained

6 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup Szechuan hot bean sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

2-1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger

2 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry

4 tsp sesame oil

4 tsp sugar

8 cloves garlic, minced

Trim chops of excess fat and brown on both sides in a skillet on the stovetop. Place chops in the bottom of the crock pot and cover with bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and green onions. Combine remaining ingredients together in a bowl and pour over vegetables. Cook on low for 8 hours or until chops are tender and cooked through. Serve hot with cooked rice.