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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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11-30-2007 @9:51AM SeanMike said... I learned a neat trick from Cooks Illustrated - put your vegetables in a foil pack on top of my stew to keep them from getting too mushy.
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11-30-2007 @10:10AM anita said... Taking a tip from a (very) non-foodie cousin, we found a new use for ours on Thanksgiving: We put the extra stuffing (the stuff that wouldn't fit inside the bird) in it and heated it on low all day. It was perfect and even a little crispy on the bottom, and it didn't take up any space in the oven. Brilliant!
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11-30-2007 @10:42AM Andy said... The problem with chili is that it takes about a day before it *really tastes good. Slow cookers fix that, I think. I made up some killer chili that is super easy to prepare before heading off to work:
1 pound of ground beef [90% lean or better]
1 pound of ground pork
1 packet of Williams Chili Seasoning [you can't go wrong http://williamsfoods.elsstore.com ]
>> I prefer to brown off the meat slightly and add the seasoning to the meat, along with about 2 tsp of kosher salt
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11-30-2007 @3:32PM megan said... ok, sad but true... a few years back, i went to christmas at my dad's sister's place so see the aunt, uncle and cousins...they live out in the boon-docks and aren't the most cultured people. even so, i was kind of surprised to see my aunt remove a canned ham, wrapped in foil, from her slow cooker. i don't think there was anything else in there...no water or anything. just the foiled ham. i ate lots of rolls that day.
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11-30-2007 @10:46AM Andy said... The rest of my recipe got knocked off:
When the meat is browned, add it along with the following to the slow cooker:
2 small onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium can of diced tomatoes, not drained [15.5 oz]
1 medium can of black beans, drained
1 medium can of great northern beans, not drained
1 medium can of chili beans, not drained
1 small can of tomato paste
1 small can of green chilies, not drained
4 cups of brewed coffee, black hot and strong!
The coffee, you'll find, gives it a nice rounded out flavor that your chili has been missing!
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11-30-2007 @11:32AM Melissa said... This might be a little odd, and more on the "stretching a meal" tip, but I have found that almost every slow cooker recipe that involves meat can be improved (or at least not harmed) with the addition of a can or two of beans. Chickpeas turn out fantastic, but any canned bean will work - just make sure to rinse them before adding. They take on the flavor of whatever it is you're cooking and add a nice heartiness to the meal, which is especially nice in these colder months.
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11-30-2007 @11:49AM U said... My two favorite things to make in my *vintage* mustard-brown crock pot (you know the one!) are chili, and chicken soup. Though I'm definitely going to have to give Andy's suggestion of adding coffee to the chili a try!
As for my chicken soup, I like to toss in the carcass, skin and straggly bits from a roasted chicken, and if I'm running really short on time, I'll just throw in a package of frozen "vegetable soup" veggies & frozen chopped onions, chopped garlic, salt & pepper, top it off with water, and I'm out the door! Sometimes I'll cut the bones a bit to get some of the marrow out, and fish the bones out at the end!
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11-30-2007 @2:01PM LeisureGuy said... Not exactly a slow-cooker tip, but when I learned that "Low" = 200 degrees and "High" = 300 degrees, I was freed from the tyranny of the slow-cooker pot and started using the oven with my own pot. The advantage is that I can use a large pot (such as my Dutch oven) and cook more; the disadvantage is that overnight in the oven at 200 degrees might use more electricity than overnight in the slow-cooker at 200 degress. (But I'm not sure of that: the self-cleaning oven is very well insulated, and the slow-cooker seems to have no insulation.)
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11-30-2007 @4:47PM geekpdx said... We have a newish slow cooker, and the low setting is DEFINITELY too high.
I long for the old burnt orange and olive drab model I got used and years ago and have since lost over the course of several moves. That thing would cook at a very low temperature if that's what you needed.
Tip:
When using teriyaki sauce in a slow cooker (especially if it's a newer model that runs hotter), make sure that you're cooking on a low setting and don't leave it cooking too long at all. Our experience comes from frequently cooking chicken breasts or beef meatballs in teriyaki sauce (sometimes with whatever vegetables we have on hand). If we let something with teriyaki sauce cook too long in our fiery hot little slow cooker, the sugars go crazy, caramelizing and then blackening into not-very-delicious carbon sooner than you would think.
Random slow cooker tip:
Apartment or small house smelling a little funky? Before you start cleaning, fill your slow cooker 2/3's full with water and drop in a sprig or three of rosemary and turn your cooker on. You'll have a great smelling space in no time!
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11-30-2007 @6:48PM JJ said... One of the best things for crockpots, dried beans. I liked cooking them in there even better than doing it on the stove or in the pressure cooker. I don't have to think about it, and I hardly every have split beans from over cooked or too fast cooked beans. They just seem to taste better slow cooked all day. I've even cooked overnight, and then continue with whatever recipe I need them for the next morning.
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11-30-2007 @7:07PM Red Icculus said... I don't have a recipe, per-se, but they are a great way to cook beans. On low for 24 hours, it makes a great sauce and you don't get any of the (ahem) aftereffects.
Just toss some minute rice and some spices in during the last hour or so of cooking and you have amazing beans and rice.
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11-30-2007 @10:18PM nika said... I absolutely love slow cookers. They are really great for potlucks at work. My tips-
Always use cheap cuts of meat-expensive ones will fall apart and overcook. Low and slow makes tough cuts of meat tender and delicious.
Never add sugary sauces until the end, because sugar burns like no one's business. Even though most of my slow cookers have removeable stoneware inserts, it is tough scrubbing.
Get a roasting chicken from the store. If you have one of the larger oval crock pots, elevate the chicken by putting 4 large balls of tinfoil in the bottom of the slow cooker, then put the chicken on top of the foil balls. You can then add any flavoring liquid down along the side of the slow cooker. Tastes way better than those overpriced deli chickens in their plastic snap cases you can get at the grocery store. And you can rub it with any spices you like. It will also cook a little quicker than usual because heat rises.
Desserts are sometimes the best thing to make is a slow cooker. Add about 1/2 a cup of Bisquick along the top of the dessert to absorb any excess moisture.
Slow cookers do not evaporate water like regular cooking so cut back on the liquid you add to recipes.
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11-30-2007 @11:10PM Kim said... I have a large slow cooker that I rarely use. We are just a fmaily of 3 and it's just too big. But occasionally I'll bring it out for a group. The best thing I have ever cooked in it and got the most raves and even some noteriety was I made Kimchi chigae in it. I was hosting a Korean women's brunch and of course I needed soup. So, I started the kimchi chigae the night before but I made it less salty and extra watery. I let it cook on low all night. The next morning, it was a light brown and just perfect. The ladies all went nuts going on very quickly in Korean about how ingenious this was. I have heard now, that all the ladies now cue a crockpot to make kimchi chigae.
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12-02-2007 @5:52PM Celeste said... I use my slow cooker most often to make chicken stock after I've roasted a chicken (or after we've picked one up from the grocery store). When I've cut off all the meat I can, I put the bones with all the straggly bits I can't get off in the slow cooker. I add a whole onion, a handful of baby carrots, a stick of celery cut into chunks, about 1 tablespoon of salt, and some whole peppercorns. If I've got them, I toss in a bay leaf and some thyme sprigs. Then I add enough water to cover everything--usually about 6 to 8 cups--cover, and cook on low overnight. In the morning I strain everything, skim off the fat, and put the stock into tupperwares in the freezer.
Okay, this isn't stock in the technical sense of the word, but it makes a huge difference when used in recipes--way, way better than any boullion, soup base, or even boxed stock I have ever found. And it also makes a killer chicken soup: heat on the stove, toss in some pasta and vegetables, and let them cook until tender.
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12-02-2007 @6:57PM Karen said... I use my Nesco Roaster, but on the slow cook setting all the time. I cook everything from a corned beef brisket to chili to taco soup.
One of my favorites it to put a pork roast in the bottom. I dump a bag of sauerkraut on top, some peeled potatoes and cook on low all day.
Delish!
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12-02-2007 @11:07PM Marisa McClellan said... You guys all left so many terrific tips! Thanks!
Celeste, that is one of my favorite ways to use a slow cooker as well. I sometimes buy the ugly extra bits of chicken or turkeys (backs, wings, necks) and use the slow cooker to make broth/soup base. The backs are especially good because they release lots of gelatin which makes the broth extra lovely.
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12-05-2007 @7:31AM Jonathan said... Slow cookers are a God send. Although I frequently arrive at work reaking of garlic and onions. I use a timer on the plug so that the slow cooker turns itslef on at around mid day and then bubbles away until I get home in the evening. It's great to know when you get back from a hard day's work the house will smell fantastic. Just don't let your housemates get there first.
I used my slow cooker yesterday to braise a shin of beef with passata, onions, garlic, thyme and mushroom ketchup as the base for a rich lasagna. The shin turned from being as tough as old boots into falling apart meat that was a million times better than using mince.
My favourite recipes is ox tail bourgoinon. Not very attractive to look at but utterly delicious. I've named my slow cooker Stewie Griffin...
http://aroundbritainwithapaunch.blogspot.com/2007/11/epic-beef-stew.html
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