Tips For Slow Cooker Crock Pot with Recipes

The beauty of using a slow cooker or a Crock-Pot is that it’s pretty darn simple. Prep your ingredients, add them to the slow cooker and press a button or two.

But there is a difference between a good slow-cooker meal and a great slow-cooker meal. Good ones get dinner on the table. Great ones, however, are remembered, talked about and requested. Here are some tips that can help you turn basic slow-cooker dinners into standout supper stars everyone will enjoy. These tips will also help you know when a slow-cooker recipe is destined to be great.

Tips

• Coating the inside of the slow cooker with a non-stick spray can prevent the need for scrubbing later.
• Liner bags made for slow cookers make cleanup quick, effortless cleanup.
• For most slow cookers, the high setting is approximately 280 F and the low setting is approximately 170 F.
• Cooking on high for one hour is about equal to cooking on the low setting for two hours.
• Add fresh herbs at the end to keep their flavors bright and fresh.
• Place hard vegetables, like potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables at the bottom of the slow cooker where they will have more moisture and cook swiftly.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

This is going to be the easiest BBQ chicken you have ever made. I’m not joking! Nothing beats the flavor. This is The Best Crockpot BBQ Chicken recipe ever!

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup BBQ sauce

1/4 cup Italian dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

salt to taste

Instructions

• Season chicken breast lightly ( a small pinch per breast) with some sea salt and place in your crockpot.
• In a mixing bowl combine BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until well combined.
• Pour over chicken, cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours
• Once the time is up, you can serve the breast whole, or shred with 2 forks. If shredding, recover and let cook in the sauce for about 10-15 more minutes to soak up all that delish flavor.
• Serve on buns, over rice, in wraps, on a salad or eat a plateful as is! Our favorite way is on fresh rolls, topped with coleslaw.

Video

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 342kcalCarbohydrates: 30g (10%)Protein: 34g (68%)Fat: 8g (12%)Saturated Fat: 2g (10%)Cholesterol: 95mg (32%)Sodium: 691mg (29%)Potassium: 719mg (21%)Sugar: 26gVitamin A: 2.1%Vitamin C: 0.8%Calcium: 3.4%Iron: 7.4%

Honey Garlic Crockpot Meatballs

Do you want to know what I love about this recipe? This Honey Garlic Crockpot Meatballs can be served as an appetizer or a main meal with rice or noodles.

Ingredients

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup ketchup

2 TB soy sauce

3 cloves garlic minced

1 28oz bag fully cooked, frozen meatballs

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, and garlic.
• Place frozen meatballs in a 3-4 quart crockpot and pour the sauce over meatballs. Stir so all meatballs are coated evenly. Cook on LOW for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Use as an appetizer or serve over rice for a meal!

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 90kcalCarbohydrates: 22g (7%)Sodium: 390mg (16%)Potassium: 77mg (2%)Sugar: 21gVitamin A: 1.5%Vitamin C: 1.2%Calcium: 1%Iron: 1.5%

Crockpot Low Country Boil

Nothing says summer like a Crockpot Low Country Boil. It really has to be one of the most fun meals to eat. Grab some friends and give this recipe a try!

Ingredients

1.5 lbs small red potatoes cut in half

5 cups of water

1 bottle 12 oz beer (you can also sub in broth)

1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning

2 stalks celery cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion cut into quarters

3-4 garlic cloves minced

2 lemons cut in half

1 lb cooked kielbasa sausage cut into 1-inch pieces

4 fresh cobs of corn cut into 3-inch chunks

2 lb fresh uncooked large shrimp in shells

Optional: Cocktail sauce fresh lemon slices, Cajun seasoning

Instructions

• Start by spraying a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Add in water, beer, Old Bay Seasoning, and garlic. Stir until well combined.
• Place potatoes, onion, and celery in the slow cooker and squeeze lemons over mixture in the slow cooker.
• Place lemon halves to slow cooker.
• Cover the crockpot and cook on Low heat setting 4-5 hours.
• Add sausage and corn, cover and cook 2 hours longer.
• Increase heat setting to HIGH and add in your shrimp. Your crockpot will be very full, so do your best to stir a little and squeeze your shrimp in  Cover and cook 30-40 minutes or until shrimp are pink.
• Drain your Crockpot Low Country Boil using a large strainer. Serve this meal on a newspaper-covered table for easy cleanup. We enjoyed ours with cocktail sauce, fresh lemon, and some Cajun seasoning.

Video

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 444kcalCarbohydrates: 49g (16%)Protein: 18g (36%)Fat: 22g (34%)Saturated Fat: 7g (35%)Cholesterol: 53mg (18%)Sodium: 721mg (30%)Potassium: 1656mg (47%)Fiber: 15g (60%)Sugar: 3gVitamin A: 131.2%Vitamin C: 96.4%Calcium: 43.5%Iron: 58.6%

Bread & Cakes

• After bread and cakes have finished cooking, allow them to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the cake pan.
• Do not add water to the slow cooker unless it specifically says so in the recipe.
• Do not over-beat bread and cakes. Follow all recommended mixing times.
• For ideal results, use a 3-5 quart slow cooker and fill stoneware with your recipe’s ingredients at ½ to ¾ full. Do not over-beat bread and cakes. Follow all recommended mixing times. Do not add water to the slow cooker unless it specifically states to in the recipe. After bread and cakes have finished cooking, allow them to sit for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

Dairy

• Add dairy during the last 15-30 minutes of slow cooking. Do not simmer or boil, stir in until heated through.
• Condensed soups may be substituted for milk and can cook for extended times.
• Milk, cream, and sour cream break down during extended cooking, which usually brings the temperature of the food up to the simmer point.

 Fish

•  Fish is delicate and should be stirred in gently during the last 15-30 minutes of cooking time unless the recipe indicates otherwise. Cook on high until just cooked through and serve immediately.
• Shellfish – for ideal results, cook on high heat setting and add shellfish during the last 15-30 minutes of cook time. When cooking a large quantity, extend cook time. Note: Shellfish can overcook easily.

Frozen Foods

•  Frozen or partially frozen foods require a longer cook time in a slow cooker than the recipe indicates for a stovetop or oven. Using an instant-read thermometer is recommended to ensure the meat is cooked through and tender.
• Frozen meats can be cooked in a slow cooker, however, it is best to use the following guidelines: Add at least 1 cup of warm liquid to the stoneware before placing meat in the stoneware. Do not preheat the slow cooker. Cook recipes containing frozen meats for an additional 4 to 6 hours on low, or an additional 2 hours on high.

 Herbs & Spices

•  For ground and/or dried herbs and spices, add half the amount of dried herbs and spices at the beginning of the cooking cycle, then taste and adjust seasonings toward the end of the cooking cycle.
• Use chili powders and garlic powder sparingly as these can sometimes intensify over longer cook times.
• Always taste your dish at the end of the cook cycle and correct seasonings, including salt and pepper.
• Tomatoes, vinegar, wine or citrus juice aids in the tenderization process. For long cook times, taste and add additional citrus during the last 15-30 minutes, if desired.
• Fresh herbs are best when added to the finished dish, not during the cooking cycle. If added at the beginning of the cooking cycle, many fresh herbs’ flavor will dissipate over long cook times. For dishes with shorter cook times, hearty, fresh herbs, such as rosemary and thyme will hold up well.

 Liquids

• Liquid (Stock, Water, and Wine) – In most instances, is not necessary to use more than ½ – 1 cup of liquid since juices in meats and vegetables are retained more in slow cooking than in conventional cooking.
• Excess liquid can be reduced and concentrated for great flavor. You can reduce excess liquid by slow cooking on the stovetop, removing meat and vegetables from stoneware or stirring in cornstarch, tapioca or tapioca powder and setting the slow cooker to high approximately 15 minutes until juices are thickened.

 Meats

• There are appropriate meat weights for specific size slow cookers (Example: 6 quart = 6 pounds meat). Cut meat to cook at the same rate as vegetables. For frozen meats, add liquid, use pre-cubed meat and add additional time to ensure the meat is defrosted, fully cooked and tender.
• You can cook frozen meat in a Crock-Pot® Slow Cooker, but suggested cook time may need to be increased. To ensure the meat is cooked through, use a meat thermometer. Meat should be well above 165°F to be tender.
• Specialty dishes, such as stuffed chops, stuffed steak rolls, stuffed cabbage leaves, stuffed peppers, or baked apples can be arranged in a single layer so they cook easily and can be served attractively.
• Roasts can be cooked without water when set on low. However, we recommend a small amount because the gravy is especially tasty. The more fat or “marbling” the meat has, the less liquid you need. The liquid is needed to properly soften and cook vegetables.
• Trim fats and wipe meats well to remove residue. If meats contain fats, brown in a separate skillet or broiler and drain well before adding to cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Place meat in stoneware on top of vegetables.
• Some people prefer the convenience of not pre-browning meat before adding to the slow cooker. Pre-browning meat does create another layer of prep work. If you prefer to pre-brown meat, brown or sear meats in a skillet, prior to adding to slow cooker. This will create a greater depth of flavor to any dish as well as melt out the fat that can be poured off before slow cooking.

 Pasta, Rice & Beans

• Fully cooked, rinsed canned beans may be used as a substitute for dried beans, but should be added at the end of the cooking cycle to maintain the integrity of the bean. Note: Beans must be softened completely before combining with sugar and/or acidic foods. Sugar and acid have a hardening effect on beans and will prevent softening.
• Dried beans should be boiled before adding to a recipe, especially red kidney beans. Cover the beans with 3 times their volume of unsalted water and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes, reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Soaking in water, if desired, should be completed before boiling. Discard the water after soaking or boiling.
• Pasta should be fully cooked and added during the last 30 minutes of cook time. If you are converting a recipe that calls for uncooked pasta, cook pasta on the stovetop before adding to the slow cooker.  
• Use risotto or long-grain for best results. If the rice doesn’t cook completely after suggested time, try adding an extra 1 – 1 2/3 cup of liquid per cup of rice.

 Vegetables

• Pitted olives should be added at the end of the cooking cycle.
• Place root vegetables near the sides or the bottom of the stoneware because they often cook slower than meat. Cut vegetables accordingly to cook at the same rate as the meat. For example, smaller cuts of vegetables for lean meat versus larger vegetables for marbled meat.

 

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