21 Easy Crock Pot Magic for Stress-Free Weekend Dinners (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a slow cooker and a crock pot? ›

However, Crockpots generally have ceramic or porcelain pots, while most slow cookers have a metal pot. As with a lot of cooking appliances, the biggest difference comes from the distribution of heat.

For many dishes, particularly soups and stews, you really can just throw all the ingredients in. It can be nice to cook the onions beforehand, as the flavour is different to when you put them in raw, but experiment both ways as you may find you prefer one.

Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.

Information. It is best to thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Frozen pieces will take longer to reach a safe internal temperature and could possibly result in foodborne illness. Frozen or partially frozen foods can also cool everything else in the slow cooker.

Instead of using a warming oven, turn your slow cooker into a chafing dish. Fill it a third of the way with hot water, keep on a low setting and place a heatproof dish or bowl that sits steadily on your slow cooker, then pop your food in until you're ready to serve and cover loosely with foil.

Can you put meat straight into a slow cooker? Meat can be added directly unseared and not browned. However, browning meat and caramelising the beef is a great way to add depth of flavour and improve the visual appearance of the final dish.

A pressure cooker can cook the same types of delicious recipes that a slow cooker can and so much more, but cook them substantially faster (click for pressure cooker recipes).

Is it safe to leave a slow cooker on for 12 hours? Yes, you can use your slow cooker for longer than eight hours, as long as you keep an eye on it. Many slow cookers do have an automatic shutoff after 24 hours.

Can You Put Raw Beef in a Slow Cooker? Yes, you can totally cook raw beef in a slow cooker. Many slow-cooker chili recipes have a step for browning the beef before it goes into the Crock-Pot. While this step isn't necessary, caramelizing the meat creates richer, bolder flavors.

Low: 7-8 hours to reach the simmer point. High: 3-4 hours to reach the simmer point. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.

What is the #1 crock pot? ›

Overall, the Cuisinart earned perfect scores on every test we performed. We loved its oblong shape, which makes it super easy to fit in all your meats, veggies, and sauce without overfilling and allows for even cooking throughout.

Oval is often a better choice than round.

If you cook chicken pieces stacked together in a tall, round 4-quart slow cooker, rather than in a single layer in an oval 6-quart slow cooker, it will take longer.

“Beef may be tough in the slow cooker if you haven't added enough liquid, or haven't cooked it for long enough,” Kristen Carli, M.S., R.D., owner of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness, tells SELF. “For cuts of meat, the fattier cuts are often the ones that get juicy and tender.

Frozen drumsticks can be prepared in the slow cooker, but the cook time will need to be increased to ensure your chicken is cooked through. If cooking the chicken legs from frozen, allow for 8 to 10 hours of cooking when using your crock pot.

Either microwave or the running water method should be perfectly acceptable, since you are going to begin cooking right away. Modern slow cookers should come up to temperature within no more than an hour or so, so you aren't leaving the food at ambient temperature for very long.

As long as you thaw the frozen vegetables first, either is fine. But dumping frozen vegetables into a slow cooker can keep it from reaching a safe food temperature for too long a time, allowing bacterial growth to start.

They suggest placing "a foil collar over the hot side of your slow cooker (usually the side opposite the control panel) to insulate food from the hotter wall" so the food won't dry out or burn. Using foil in slow cookers can make serving easy, particularly with casserole recipes.

Slow cooker liners are designed for lining a slow cooker before adding ingredients. Their most significant benefit is making cleanup easy. After the food has been removed and the slow cooker has completely cooled, you can simply lift the liner out and dispose of it in the trash.

Don't leave it on 'warm' all day

The general rule of thumb is that 2-4 hours is the maximum length of time you can leave food in a slow cooker on warm. After this, it needs to be cooled and transferred into the refrigerator.

Why did my noodles turn to mush in the crockpot? One of the most common reasons for mushy noodles is overcooking. Pasta, including noodles, has a relatively short cooking time compared to other ingredients typically prepared in a crockpot.

What vegetables should not be added to a slow cooker? ›

Similarly, slow cooking is great for tenderizing those hardy, root vegetables like carrots, parsnips and turnips, but not for delicate or leafy vegetables. So it's best to avoid soft veggies like kale, spinach, zucchini, asparagus and pumpkin. If you do throw these in, these will just go super soft and turn into mush.

Carrots may remain firm in a slow cooker if they're not cooked long enough or if the temperature is too low. Ensure sufficient cooking time and consider cutting carrots into smaller pieces for even cooking.

Slow cookers, also known as crock pots, are designed to cook ingredients slowly during the day while people are away at work or pursuing their activites. Modern slowly cookers heat contents thoroughly, are safe, retain heat well, and come in a variety of sizes.

How much liquid do I add? Water or liquid is necessary to create steam. When cooking meat or poultry, the water or liquid level should cover the ingredients to ensure effective heat transfer throughout the crock. Some manufacturers of slow cookers recommend adding liquid to fill the stoneware 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Some recipes call for liquid, some do not. It mainly comes down to the type of meat you use. Cuts like chuck roast will release more fat and moisture than leaner cuts, so they don't need any water. In addition, the slow cooker itself creates some moisture, which helps keep the meat juicy.

The crocks are microwave, oven and dishwasher safe. Do not use on stovetop. Helpful Hint: Crocks are vulnerable to thermal shock, which is a condition caused by extreme changes in temperature. Never put a hot crock in cold water.