I tend to have the most energy in the morning, and my ability to do five things at once during these early hours, is why I love my slow cooker. While the kids are eating breakfast, and I'm enjoying my morning coffee, handing my husband his lunch and kissing him goodbye, I add a few ingredients to the slow cooker and walk away feeling confident that there will be a healthy dinner on the table at five o'clock.
However, as convenient and simple as slow cookers are, there are a few tips that will help you avoid the morning rush. If you are more of a night owl, most ingredients can be prepared the night before and put in the fridge till morning. Pasta and rice are the exception to this rule. Be sure to read your slow cooker recipes carefully and note when these ingredients are meant to be added.
Temperature and Time
Most slow cookers only use two settings, High and Low. I tend to cook all of my meals on low, since it is practically impossible to overcook foods at this temperature. One tips when cooking on low is to refrain from taking the lid off to often, since it causes the recipe to not only lose moisture, but also heat (creating a longer cooking time).
Most slow cooker recipes will give you an approximate cooking time. It is important to remember that approximate is just that, and cooking times aren't set in stone. Depending on your slow cookers size and temperature settings cooking times will vary.
Meats
Tougher, less tender, cuts of meat work really well in a slow cooker, since longer cooking time and increased moisture works to break down the meat. The other benefit of cooking meat over a long duration is that there is less shrinkage. Most meat should be defrosted before adding to the slow cooker, although there are exceptions, roasts can be added frozen but will need longer cooking times. As well, when you are cooking with ground beef, it is best to brown the meet before adding it to the slow cooker.
Vegetables
Fresh, raw vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots tend to take longer to cook than meats, so they should be thinly sliced or cut into smaller pieces and placed at the bottom of the slow cooker. Canned or frozen vegetables don't take as long and can be added on top of the meats you are cooking.
Breads and Cakes
I was surprised to that slow cookers can successfully bake breads and cakes. However, the appearance does tend to be somewhat different then using a conventional oven. Because some moisture is held onto in a slow cooker, cakes and breads tend to have large air holes and a coarser consistency. You can also use your slow cooker to warm dinner roles, but be sure to wrap them in foil wrap.
Dairy Products
Dairy products tend not to tolerate high temperatures for very long. When possible, add any dairy products during the last hour of cooking. Hard cheese is especially temperamental to long periods of heat, so use processed cheese when feasible.
Have fun with your slow cooker. There are literally thousands of creative and delicious slow cooker recipes available. You can serve a nutritious and mouth-watering home cooked meal every night with little preparation and plenty of extra time to spend on your other responsibilities. What an amazing and handy invention!