10 Simple Slow-Cooker Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What foods should be slow cooked? ›

Place dense vegetables in crock pot first, such as carrots and potatoes, since they take longer than meats to cook. Dry beans can be cooked in the crock pot by following these simple guidelines: Precook beans in the slow cooker overnight with just enough water to cover, then drain. Or 10 minutes and then drain.

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.

Yes, you can add raw steak to a slow cooker to cook it to your desired doneness level.

Due to the nature of a slow cooker, there is no need to stir the food unless it specifically says to in your recipe. In fact, taking the lid off to stir food causes the slow cooker to lose a significant amount of heat, extending the cooking time required. Therefore, it is best not to remove the lid for stirring.

Yes, it's safe to leave a slow cooker on when you leave the house. The purpose of a slow cooker is to allow you to cook while you aren't home. Slow cookers simmer food slowly, killing bacteria and raising meat to the perfect internal temperature.

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.

Foods that are OK to eat sometimes are "slow" foods. Foods like hamburgers or pancakes aren't off limits — but they shouldn't be eaten every day. At most, you'll want to eat these foods just a couple of times a week.

Just plug in your slow cooker, add your chosen recipe's ingredients, set the cooker to low or high, depending on the recipe's instructions, add the lid and let it cook. Once your dish is done cooking, you can either switch the slow cooker off to turn off the heating element, or warm if you're not ready to enjoy it yet.

Do vegetables go on top or bottom of meat in slow cooker? ›

Layer Ingredients.

If you are cooking vegetables and meat together, place root vegetables in a layer at the bottom of the pot and place meat on top. For more delicate vegetables, add them last.

You DO NOT have to put water in your crockpot in order to use the liners, HOWEVER, it is HELPFUL if you are cooking certain foods for a long period of time(like set- up in the morning, then return after work) such as rice for instance, putting some water at the bottom of the slow cooker and the liner prevents the food ...

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

Because of this low-and-slow method, slow cookers are great for breaking down and tenderizing large pieces of meat like pot roasts or beef stews. But that's not all they can do. Slow cookers are also a home cook's go-to choice for soups and ribs, plus dips, drinks and bread.