Slow Cooker 101: Easy Tips and Meals

Ideal Slow Cooker Ingredients: Slow cookers are top-notch at tenderizing tough cuts of meat like brisket and shoulder cuts, but they also do an admirable job at melding the flavors of your ingredients — soups, chili, stews, and sauces taste great as a result.

Recipe: Pulled Pork and Biscuits

Why Slow Cookers are Safe: These countertop devices are designed to be left unattended for the prescribed cooking time. Plus, bacterial contamination is unlikely due to lengthy cooking times and due to the steam created within the tightly-covered container.

Recipe: Pot Roast

Thaw Throughly: Frozen ingredients should be thawed completely before beginning the cooking process. This ensures that your meal will cook in the allotted time. Plus, it prevents an overly slow warm-up period, during which harmful bacteria could grow.

Recipe: Tangy BBQ Chicken

Time-Saving Strategies: Chopping vegetables and other ingredients the night before means all you have to do is combine and flip the switch come morning. We recommend refrigerating the prepped ingredients in tupperware or a plastic wrap–covered bowl. Even though removable slow-cooker bowl inserts can be used for storage, it's not advisable. The time it takes for a refrigerator-cooled bowl insert to heat up can considerably affect the total cooking time.

Recipe: Eight-Hour Coq au Vin

Avoid Overfilling: Most slow-cooker manufacturers recommend filling the cooking vessel only half to two-thirds full for best results. Without enough space between the ingredients and the lid, a proper steam vacuum will not form, which can lengthen the cooking time.

Recipe: Marvelous Meatless Chili

Let It Simmer: Unless a recipe specifically advises you to stir the contents, most slow cooker meals should be left undisturbed throughout the cooking process. Removing the lid to stir (or to get a closer look) allows heat to escape and will lengthen the cooking time.

Recipe: Sweet and Tangy Braised Chuck Roast

Layering Ingredients for Even Cooking: Because fat retains heat more efficiently than water does, meat tends to cook faster than vegetables do in a slow cooker. To even out the cooking time, make sure to trim meat before adding to the slow cooker and layer vegetables on the bottom of the cooking vessel (where the heat will transfer directly), and place the meat on top. Another method is to brown the meat first, which also adds depth of flavor.

Recipe: Beef Stew

Courtesy of crock-pot.com

Recipe: Turkey Stew with Lima Beans

Courtesy of crock-pot.com

Recipe: Chicken Soup