I have never eaten shake & bake....so I don't know what it tastes like. But I make my own crumb topping. I save bread ends and grate them in the food processor and toast them in a slow oven 300 until very dry and lightly browned ( I want something that won't spoil and doesn't need refrigeration. I make several "flavors" of home made crumbs. One is a cup of bread crumbs 1/2 tsp of good garlic granules ( I use Penzeys) 1 T. dried parsley, 3/4 teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp dry oregano. I use that on chicken and pork chops. Another is a cup of crumbs, 1/2 tsp garlic granules, 1 tsp dried dill weed and 2 tsps grated lemon rind...I use that on fish. Then if I have lots of bread crumbs....I may mix up some for apple topping. Mix 2 cups dry crumbs with 1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1/2 cup ground pecans. This has to be refrigerated or frozen. Then I can just slice some apples into a pie plate, dot with butter, sprinkle with sugar and top with the crumb mix and bake. You can also use the crumb mix for casserole topping....and you can mix it with butter to make it clump and make yummy crispy clumps of topping! Note....n o salt....there is salt in the bread and I find that's enough, add more if you want. I roll the meat to be coated in cream or beaten egg or mayonaise or dijon mustard.....it all works! Linda C

Well, here is what I am doing. I have it in the crockpot now. Everyone's recipes sound good, but I had all of these ingredients on hand. Didn't want to make the trip into town if I didn't have to. I made it simpler by coating the pork with the rub mixture, then placing in the crockpot and adding some of the basting sauce. I made the BBQ sauce, too, and will probably mix some of it with the pork before I freeze it. I'll let you know how it turns out. Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Homemade BBQ Sauce Courtesy Emeril Lagasse 1 boneless pork butt, about 4 pounds 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons Essence 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon paprika 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon cayenne Wet Mop Basting Sauce, recipe follows Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows Place the pork in a baking dish. In a bowl, combine the sugar, Essence, salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, and cayenne. Rub the seasoning evenly over the pork to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat an oven or smoker to 225 degrees F. Bring the pork to room temperature and place in a roasting pan, fat side up. Slow cook in the oven, basting with the Wet Mop Basting Sauce every 45 minutes, until tender and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. (The cooking should take about 6 to 7 hours.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. With a knife and fork or two forks, pull the meat apart into small slices or chunks. Toss with the Barbecue Sauce, to taste, and divide among the hamburger buns. Top with coleslaw. Serve with additional Barbecue Sauce on the side. Wet Mop Basting Sauce: 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper 1 tablespoon salt The night before you cook the pork, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well. Refrigerate and let the flavors blend overnight. Yield: 2 1/4 cups Barbecue Sauce: 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 cup ketchup 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 1 tablespoon molasses 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk well to dissolve the sugar. Place in a squeeze bottle and dress the pulled pork sandwiches to taste. Yield: about 2 cups Linda

First of all, I wouldn't cook boneless pork or chicken in the crockpot - not unattended for a long time, as they both tend to dry out. But since neither need to be cooked very long that shouldn't be a problem. I have lots of pork recipes on my blog. Some of my favorites: Braised Ginger Pork - I just made this last week. I used cubed pork loin from Costco and it came out great. Memphis-Style Pork Chops - I love the sauce and I've made them over and over. I broil them. Sweet-Sour Pork on Rice - I swooned over this recipe. Tangy Pork Chops - a very simple recipe that I can't believe I haven't made again. I will soon. Baked Pork Chops - baked in milk and so tender. Easy Italian Spiced Pork - one of my go-tos. Best on gas grill but good on the contact grill too. I wouldn't know where to start with the chicken. Here's just a few of my fast favorites. Crumb-Coated Dijon Chicken - this is one I've made several times. I love the coating and the chicken stays so moist. Baked Lemon Chicken - I've made this 2 or 3 times. Chicken with Vegetable Sauce - I loved this and it uses a lot of pantry ingredients. Skillet Chicken Parmigiana - who doesn't love chicken parm?

Wow, thanks for all of the responses. Anchovy paste came to mind as "instant umami" but I am trying to keep my purchase of things like that down right now. We will be moving in a month and a half (so the builder says. I'm dubious) and I want to keep things simple until then. I have tomato paste in a tube, molasses, and Worcestershire sauce on hand. I think I'll start with those and see how it goes. John, I think your advice to cook longer with the lid off may help a lot too. The tomatoes don't seem to have adequately caramelized. They are still redder than I think they ought to be.