About a week ago, I pulled out my four quart (I also have a one and a half and six quart cookers) slow cooker in order to make braised chicken thighs (boneless and skinless) in tomatoes, onions, green pepper and garlic. I was going to be out of the house all day and knew that I'd ravenous when I got home so with just a little forethought I was able to pull something really easy and yummy together with very little effort (it is also one of those dishes that is even better as leftovers than it was originally). When it comes to slow cookers, I'm not much of a recipe follower. I tend to throw things in and hope for the best. I think that nine times out of ten my experiments turn out really well. There are have been some notable disasters (but we don't need to go into them now). I do have a few valuable lessons to share that I've learned through this process of trial and error. The first is that if you are making a soup or stew and you're going to be adding water, always bring your water to a boil on the stove first before adding it. By doing this the contents of the cooker will come up to temperature more quickly and your food won't sit in the warm danger zone as long. The second is that if you really want your onions to soften, make sure to saute them first on the stove. The caramelization they'll pick up with also improve the flavor of the dish (however, if you're running short on time, it is okay to toss them in raw). The last thing I recommend is seeing if you can't get an older slow cooker at a rummage or garage sale. The older models cook at slightly lower temperatures, which will prevent your food from boiling. Some of the newer cookers bring your food up to a rollicking boil even on the low setting, which is not want you want.
If you are a slow cooker fan I'd love to hear your favorite recipes and any tips you've picked up along the way.
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