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Do you need help using your slow cooker? Would you like to be able to convert your favorite recipes for use in the crockpot? This page provides tips and ideas to help you get the most out of your crockpot. Read on to learn how to make crockpot recipes that will have dinner ready when you get home.
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Introduction
Each slow cooker is different, so you'll want to make sure you read your owners manual. Most manuals have tips, tricks, and recipes that will help as you learn to cook with a crockpot. If you don't have a copy of the manual, you may be able to find one on the manufacturer's website. -
Step 1: Crock Pot Tips and Hints
- A 3 1/2-5 quart crockpot should be able to accommodate meals that feed 4-6 people.
- Vegetables cook better if they are cut in small pieces, and placed around the edge of the container.
- Meats cook faster than vegetables.
- Meats don't need to be browned or pre-cooked before being added to the crockpot but it can add to the depth of flavor. Pre-cooking ground beef allows you to drain off the excess fat, if that is a concern for you.
- Fill the pot at least half full.
- Recipes cooked on low will be juicier.
- You can use frozen vegetables, but you'll need to extend the cooking times by 2 hours on low or 1 hour on high.
Step 2: Crock Pot Don'ts
- Some crockpots have removable containers, which make clean up easy. Don't assemble the recipe in the container the night before and refrigerate it, however. this will make it difficult for the crockpot to get up to a safe temperature soon enough. Assemble the ingredients in a separate bowl the night before, and then pour them in the crockpot in the morning.
- Don't preheat the crockpot. This might cause it to crack when you add cold food to the container.
- Don't use frozen meat, except for small quantities of ground meats.
Step 3: Crock Pot Recipe Conversion Tips
- Onions and carrots tend to develop a more intense flavor during the slow cooking process, so decrease the amount called for in the recipe by about 25%.
- Whole herbs and spices tend to intensify in flavor, so you may want to use less, but ground spices may become less intense during the long cooking period, so you may need to increase the quantity used.
- Pasta should not be added more than 3 hours before then end of the cooking time, to avoid it getting soggy and gummy.
- Skim milk may curdle, so you should substitute evaporated skim milk or reconstituted nonfat dry milk powder when needed.
- Natural cheese may break down over the long cooking period, so substitute processed cheeses or add the cheese towards the end.
- A recipe that bakes at 350 for one hour will take 6-8 hours on low.
- A recipe that takes 30 minutes at 325 will take 3-4 hours on low.
- Reduce liquid by 50% when converting from most regular recipes for use in a slow cooker.
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