Overnight Chicken Stock in the Slow Cooker - 100 Days of Real Food

Again, I want to use my slow cooker more often, and since I was making the chicken in the slow cooker anyway the recipe then states it's great to use the bones and make this easy stock for future recipes. I don't like to waste ingredients either, I have made turkey stock before many times after roasting a turkey. My mom always did this with her turkey bones and then we made turkey soup with it, and I now do the same with mine. The way she taught me and I have continued the tradition is to put the bones in a big soup pot on the stove and then simmer it for several hours. This requires someone to be around and paying attention to the stove. So the idea that I could do it in the slow cooker and not have to be as mindful of it was wonderful. I'm sure that it works better with chicken than a turkey, however, since turkeys do tend to be larger and may not fit in a traditional sized slow cooker.

As I said, usually I make stock and then use it to make soup, but I wanted to try something different with it here since this is a new recipe for us. I ended up using it to make the recipe for My Dad's (Brown Rice) Risotto in the book. I used to make risotto a lot more often before we had kids, but haven't made it much since. I thought this would be a fun use for the stock to try making it and let the boys give risotto a try.

This recipe is also not only in the book, but also available on the 100 Day of Real Food Blog here, if you would like to try it for yourself. I must have a much smaller slow cooker than the Lisa Leake does since I got less than half of the stock she states the recipe can create.

Timing: Recipe States: less than 10 minutes prep time then 8 to 10 hours cook time, My Actual Timing: 8 minutes prep time then 8 hours cook time
Servings: Recipe States: 4 to 6 quarts depending on size of slow cooker, Servings For My Family: 2 quarts
Leftovers: I am planning to use what is left from making the risotto to make chicken soup since that is what I usually do with the stock.


Family Ratings:
Me: I thought the stock recipe worked great and the stock gave great flavor to the recipe I tried.
Hubby: He had been gone during the afternoon while the stock was cooking and when he came home he asked, "What stinks?" Hubby was not a fan of the stock or the risotto that was made from it.
Big Man: We did not try the stock by itself, so the boys did not really have an opinion about its flavor.
Bear: No opinion.
Mr. T: No opinion.

Will I repeat: I will continue to make stock with the chicken or turkey bones from cooking, but I'm not sure if I will use this method again.

What will I change: I wouldn't change much about this actual recipe it worked just fine. It did not include instructions to let the stock cool completely in the refrigerator overnight before using it in another recipe. Then after it has cooled I skim any fat or other scum off the top of the stock.