Helpful Crock Pot Tips by Joanne McBride

Tips for Recipe Success

Buy roasts and other large cuts of meat that will fit in your crock pot, or plan to trim them to fit.

Remove skin from poultry and trim excess fat from other meats before cooking.

Fresh root vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, and onions should be placed in the bottom of the pot, under the meat, for faster cooking. They tend to cook more slowly than meat.

When thickening sauces near the end of cooking time, turn the heat setting to high to speed the process. Taste the liquid first, though; if it lacks flavor, it may be best to reduce by simmering several minutes uncovered.

DO taste and season. Since slow cookers sometimes dilute flavors over a long period, be creative with your seasonings. Seasoned salt, garlic powder, seasoned pepper, and complementary herbs and spices are best added near the end of cooking.

Colors tend to face in slow cooked foods, but garnishes such as chopped fresh parsley, chives, tomatoes, red peppers, cheese, or sour cream can add much visual appeal.

Preparation

Over long cooking, some dishes may lack flavor, but some extra preparation steps can be worthwhile. Though it isn’t necessary to brown most meats first, flavor is often enhanced by browning, and fat is decreased. Dredging meat or chicken in flour, browning, then deglazing the pan with wine, a little vinegar, or broth and adding that to the pot can make quite a big difference in flavor. For the best color and texture, ground beef is best browned before using, except in meatloaf or other similar dishes. To simplify preparation, brown ground beef, drain, and freeze in batches for your crockpot meals.

To make a flavorful sauce or gravy from your cooking liquid, first make a roux of flour and water (roughly 1 tablespoon of each for each cup of liquid) in a medium saucepan. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid in the slow cooker then add the liquid to the roux. Simmer, stirring until the sauce is thickened and reduced. Serve with or over meat and/or vegetables. You can also add cornstarch dissolved in water (1 or 2 tablespoons cornstarch to 2 or 3 tablespoons cold water, depending on how much liquid you have) directly to the slow cooker near the end of cooking to thicken the liquids.

Time Guide

(coming soon!)

*Crock Pot is the registered trademark of the Rival Company. You’ll also find it called crockpot, crockery cooker, or slow cooker in many recipes. Some “slow cookers” heat from the bottom and have a wider range of temperature settings. They can be used for most recipes, but best results are obtained with a crockery type cooker.

Ingredients:

Vegetables:
Dense vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables should be cut no larger than 1 inch thick, and placed in the bottom of the pot, since they take longer to cook.

Liquids:
Usually liquids may be decreased in slow cooking – about half the recommended amount. Unless the dish contains rice or pasta, one cup of liquid is usually enough.

Pasta and Rice:
If a recipe calls for cooked pasta to be added, cook it until just slightly tender before adding to the pot. Add ¼ extra liquid per ¼ cup uncooked rice, and use long grain converted rice for the best results. For long-cooking recipes, add cooked rice shortly before serving.

Beans:
I find it best to soak beans overnight before cooking them in the crockery cooker. The Rival brochure recommends pre-soaking then boiling for at least 10 minutes in unsalted water, draining, then add to the recipe. Before adding sugar or acidic ingredients, the beans should be softened first, either in the slow cooker or on the stove top. If your recipe includes tomatoes, salt, or other acidic ingredients, the beans should be tender before beginning. Someone wrote recently that instead of pre-soaking, she cooks her beans (in the crockery cooker) on low for about 8 hours through the night in water with a little baking soda. In the morning, she drains the beans, adds the ingredients with fresh liquid, then cooks per recipe directions. Cooking times might be shorter using this method.

Herbs and Spices:
Ground herbs and spices tend to dissipate over long cooking times, so it’s best to add them near the end of cooking. Whole herbs release flavors over time, so are a good choice for crockery cooking. You should taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary, before serving.

Milk/Cheese:
Milk, sour cream, and cream break down over long periods of cooking, and should be added during the last hour. Condensed cream soups are good substitutions for milk and can be cooked for extended times. “Healthy,” or reduced fat cream soups can be used in any recipe as a substitute.

Cheeses don’t generally hold up over extended periods of cooking, so should be added near the end of cooking, or use processed cheeses and spreads.

Soups:
Add water only to cover ingredients in soup, and add more after cooking if necessary for a thinner soup. For milk based soups, add 1 or 2 cups water and during the last hour, stir in the milk, evaporated milk, or cream as called for.