With a little bit of planning, the slow cooker can be your best friend in your kitchen. Knowing that supper will be ready after a busy day and coming home to the aroma of wholesome food cooking is a good thing.
Benefits and Tips
- Won’t heat up your kitchen.
- Won’t dry out food.
- Blends and enhances the flavours.
- Can serve as an extra pot anytime you cook.
- Warmer for hot drinks. I especially like it for hot apple cider.
- Less tender and usually cheaper cuts of meats will melt in your mouth because the increased moisture and longer cooking time helps render the fat in the meat.
- Most recipes can be prepared the night before and refrigerated overnight.
- Pasta and rice should be added just before cooking to prevent it from becoming too mushy. I prefer to cook the rice or pasta separately and add just before serving.
- Ground beef should be scramble-fried or pre-cooked and rinsed with hot water before adding to the slow cooker to prevent the meal from being too greasy.
- Fresh, raw vegetables take longer to cook, so slice thin or cut into small pieces and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Frozen or canned vegetables may be added to the top of ingredients.
- Place slow cooker on the stove top or a glass counter protector for the cooking time.
- Cleans easily. Allow the ceramic insert to cool and then fill with hot water. If there is food cooked on, spray with all-purpose spray (Ivory dish soap and water mixture) and soak for a few minutes. Plastic liners are not necessary.
- Buy a slow cooker with a removable ceramic insert. It takes less room in the refrigerator when storing a prepared meal overnight and it’s easier to clean.
Some favorite slow cooker recipes:
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