A crock pot with a probe... I'm going to have to look at that one next time I'm in the department store. Intriguing.
Probably the best use of the probe would be in poultry roasting, where internal temp is critical for safe foods, and the product doesn't really benefit from extended cooking. My understanding is the probe turns the pot down to warm when the product hits temp, which should keep a chicken or a turkey breast from getting as mushy or shreddy if left in the pot longer than needed to cook it. And, with the probe, you won't have to lift the lid to get a temp and release all that nice steam and heat. I'm sure you can adapt a ton of great chicken and turkey crockpot recipes to work with your probe!
Otherwise, the old rule of lower the price of the meat, lower the cooking temp, longer the time is so perfect for pot roasts, ribs, and briskets in the slow cooker.... but they're not strictly internal temp driven. I learned the hard way years ago while cooking my first corned beef brisket that just hitting safe internal temp left me with nicely seasoned shoe leather.... It needs a lonnngggg time in low heat to tenderize. In my home oven, that's 300 or so for four hours, sealed with a little liquid (no peek!): in the crockpot, six to eight hours, ditto. I preheat my crockpot liner in the
microwave (turntable off) for one minute to get it really hot in a hurry, then add the corned beef and carrots and enough liquid to almost cover the brisket fatcap up (leave an inch or two exposed... they're all injected plus a lot of fat melts,and you'll have more liquid as it cooks). On high till liquid is a steady simmer for an hour or so, then down to low (not warm) for 6-7 hours... Cabbage and potatoes go in about halfway through. Hold on warm till dinner time, slice across the grain not with it (critical). I usually put mine in the crock just after breakfast. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
By the way, I've done many small turkey breasts (bone in is best, I think) in my five quart, and they're great, but I have to watch them near the end so they don't overcook and
fall apart, get chalky, mushy, etc.(Again, even if you start almost dry, unless they're natural or organic turkey breasts, they're injected with solution and you'll have extra liquid in the pot.) Set it up and season it just as you would in a regular oven, except be careful of pepper.. it gets strong in the broth from the extended cook time. Add a little liquid (broth or water) to get the steam going early... just a few tablespoons for injected product. My friend often roasts whole chickens in hers, no liquid, just butter dotted on top. (I haven't tried that, but I'll let you know if I do...)
Anything I slow roast in the oven that will fit in my 5 quart will roast in the crock, too... just takes longer.
Sherry
PS maybe you'll be the first author out there with the probe slow cooker cookbook! Happy adapting!