BlogHer - What I've Learned About Cooking in a Crock-pot Slow Cooker - Comments

A crockpot recipe every day!

pattyanderson — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:43:34 -0500

That "year of CrockPotting" website is quite amazing, i can't believe someone manage to make a new recipe every day! Oh and the peppercorn steak from july 11 looks delicious, i'll try it next weekend! Great article, thanks for sharing all these great crockpot recipe websites :)

Patricia, a rose is a rose every day and every night.

My dinnerware webpage.

Maybe, but my guess is spices

Kalyn Denny — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:34:25 -0500

That might be it if you're getting things that are mushy and overcooked. I think the more likely reason for crockpot dishes not turning out is the failure to adapt the recipe to use A LOT more seasonings. If I don't do that, the food has no taste. But you can make things taste really good if they're heavily seasoned.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Ah ha

Denise — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:07:06 -0500

So maybe that's why I rarely enjoy a crockpot meal. I'm notorious for not adding things in order.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

Great tip about layering ingredients!

Kalyn Denny — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:40:06 -0500

I can see where that would make a huge difference in some dishes, great tip. Your Apple-Sauce Steamed Gingerbread sounds delicious!

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Layering Ingredients

lrohner — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 11:35:15 -0500

One thing I've learned the hard way with the crockpot is to add the ingredients in the right order with the things that take longer to cook or hold up to slow cooking better on the bottom. For example, if you're doing a stew, root veggies (carrots, parsnips, turnip, etc.) and onions would go on the bottom followed by the meat and then the other veggies.

I also discovered when cooking stews that if you layer potatoes on top of the other ingredients and above the liquid line that they will steam very nicely instead of stewing and falling apart.

My FAVORITE crockpot recipe is actually a dessert, Applesauce-Steamed Gingerbread. (http://makeaheadmeals.blogspot.com/2008/01/24-applesauce-steamed-gingerb...) My grandmother used to make this for us and I just adapted the recipe for the crockpot. Topped off with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream....to die for dessert that will warm you up on a cold winter evening!

Yum, stuffed cabbage!

Kalyn Denny — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:40:18 -0600

Hi Mata,
Sounds like you use the crock-pot about like I do. I agree, it's perfect for stew. The stuffed cabbage sounds great!

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

fave crock pot items

Mata H — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:09:47 -0600

There are a few things I cook in my crockpot -- I loved baked beans that way (but they are a high calorie event when I make them -- water, navy beans, molasses, brown sugar, salt pork, onions, katsup, mustard).

Or, I like to make a pot of veggie soup in the morning on a cold day and have it on all day for occasional cups-- like having hot tea on hand.

I've also made all kinds of stews. They really are ideal for stewing meat.

I have a Hungarian friend who makes stuffed cabbage in hers, dividing the cabbage rolls with layers of sauerkraut and using tomato juice for the liquid. It sounds less delicious than it is.

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs relentlessly at Time's Fool

You're very welcome

Kalyn Denny — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:41:35 -0600

I love finding new blogs when I'm looking for recipes!

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

How cool!

Kalyn Denny — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:40:52 -0600

I haven't ever tried any of the pre-made crock-pot meals in the store, but it does sound wonderful to have someone do all the work for you. Great business idea.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Haven't tried making stock

Kalyn Denny — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:39:46 -0600

It seems like that would be a perfect use for the crock-pot. Love the idea of using it to cook garbanzos for making hummus. They take forever to cook.

Maybe try adding even more spices to cut down on the need for more salt?

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Thanks

LizLanza — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:10:30 -0600

Kalyn,
Thank you so much for mentioning my blog.I love crock pot cooking,especially with all of the boys in sports and after school activities.It makes my days much easier to handle!

We use our crockpot quite a

no_I_am_zoe — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 23:45:49 -0600

We use our crockpot quite a bit. It's great to be able to throw something in on my lunch hour and have dinner ready when we get home. It's even better when my friend, who started a little crock pot business, puts dinner in our crock pot while we're at work and it's ready when we get home.

I use my slow-cooker a lot -

Kuri — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 23:21:10 -0600

I use my slow-cooker a lot - probably about 2 times a week in the winter and mostly for bean dishes and for the convenience of having supper ready when I get home from work. I've adapted a few braised recipes for it, such as short ribs.

It's especially convenient for pre-cooking dried beans like chickpeas to make hummus or other beans for dips. I also make stock in it after roasting a bird - just throw in the bones, add water (and possibly an onion), and set on low for the day. Then take out the bones.

The only drawback for me, is that in addition to more seasonings, I feel that slow-cooked food also requires a lot more salt - something I'm trying to cut down on.

- Kuri
Thought, Interrupted By Typos
http://www.thoughtinterrupted.ca/

It did sound delicious!

Kalyn Denny — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:42:45 -0600

I can't imagine how she will come up with crock-pot recipes for a whole year, but she's going strong so far.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

One look at that first...

nelle2nelle — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:26:19 -0600

365 crock potter recipe with artichokes, and well... it had me.

I'm cuckoo for artichoke hearts!

nelle

What I've Learned About Cooking in a Crock-pot Slow Cooker

Kalyn Denny — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:26:26 -0600

In 1971 Rival introduced the Crock-Pot slow cooker and since that time people everywhere have been using this handy electrical appliance to cook dinner while the cook is busy doing something else. For years I owned a crock-pot and used it sometimes for convenience, but wasn't ever really wowed by how the food came out. The last few years though, I've really gotten my crock-pot mojo going, and now that I've learned a few tricks, I love cooking in the crock-pot. With people sharing crock-pot recipes and tips on food blogs, crock-pots are more popular than ever, and there's even a food blogger who's cooking a new crock-pot recipe every day for a year.

Before you try some of the fantastic sounding recipes I found on food blogs, learning a little about crock-pot cooking can help you get better results. I'm still learning about crock-pot cooking myself, so if anyone has other crock-pot tips or recipes to share, please leave them in the comments.

Get to Know Your Crock-pot
Newer crock-pots cook at a much higher temperature than those from years ago. This can be a problem if you're using a recipe that was developed for one of the earlier crock-pot, which were called "slow-cookers" for a reason. Todays crock-pots will usually overcook the food if left unattended all day, even on low. For best results, try the crock-pot a few times when you're home to watch it so you can better judge timing. As a general rule, one hour on high is equal to two hours on low for most crock-pots.

Pick the Right Size Crock-pot
Size is more important in crock-pot cooking than many people realize, and there are more sizes than ever on the market today. For most recipes, the crock-pot should be one-half to two-thirds full. I have several sizes, but the ones I use most are probably the 2.5 quart and 3.5 quart size. If the recipe you want to try doesn't indicate what size crock-pot to use, estimate how much the recipe makes and how full that will make your crock-pot and increase or decrease amounts if needed.

Think About Food Safety
One of the things that helped make crock-pots more popular was the invention of the removable crockery liner. As convenient as this is for cleaning up, don't use the crock to store food either before or after it's been cooked in the crock-pot. Also never put frozen food in the crock-pot.

Choose Foods or Recipes that Benefit from Long Cooking Times
Not everything is meant to be cooked in a crock-pot. Look for recipes that say "braise" or "simmer" if you're adapting another recipe. I think the crock-pot is great for soup, stew, and cooking inexpensive cuts of beef such as pot roast. It's also good for cooking root vegetables, ham, dried beans, and many chicken dishes. I wouldn't ever use it for fish or seafood, most vegetable dishes, or any recipe where I wanted a crispy texture to the food. See the recipes I chose below for examples of the kinds of dishes I think can benefit from crock-pot cooking.

Less Liquid + More Seasonings = Flavorful Results
There are two rules for crock-pot cooking that can help increase the "wow" factor in the finished dish. First, use much less liquid for crock-pot recipes than when cooking on the stovetop, because liquid doesn't evaporate from the crock-pot and most foods produce more liquid as they cook. If your food looks like it's "high and dry" when you start cooking, you may be tempted to add more liquid, but don't. Second, be sure food is highly seasoned for crock-pot cooking because long, slow cooking can cause things to lose flavor. Use more than usual of strongly flavored seasonings like onions and garlic, and choose dried herbs over fresh. If you're adapting a recipe to the crock-pot I'd use double the amount of dried herbs.

Try the Crock-Pot to Keep Things Warm
One great use for crock-pots is to keep things warm when you're making a big holiday meal and don't have enough stove burners or oven space. Things like mashed potatoes, stuffing, or even rolls can be cooked ahead and kept warm in the crock-pot.

More Crock-Pot Cooking Information
Here are more sources for information about using a crock-pot:
Crock-pot.com official site
Crockpot 101 from About.com
Slow Cooker Safety Tips (added 3-3-08)

Crock-pot Recipes from Food Blogs
These are a few of my favorite crock-pot recipes and a good sampling of the kinds of things
bloggers are cooking up in their crock-pots.

Beef
Crockpot Beef Stew with Olives, Garlic, Capers, and Tomatoes (show in the photo, this is the latest thing I've cooked in my crock-pot)
Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja from Bearly Edible
Slow Cooked Roast Beef with Fresh Sage and Dried Tomatoes from The Inadvertent Gardener
Slow Cooker Korean Ribs from Daily Unadventures in Cooking
Crock Pot Beef Fajitas from Mommy Cooks
Southwestern Pot Roast from Kalyn's Kitchen
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes from Divine Domesticity
Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich from Baking Bites

Chicken
Chicken Adobo from Taste and Tell
Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore from Mommy Cooks
Crockpot Chicken Goulash from Kitchen Parade
Crockpot Chicken Supreme from Full Bellies, Happy Kids

Soup
Slow Cooker Onion Soup from A Veggie Venture
Mexicali Chicken and Corn Soup from Taste and Tell
Chicken Tortilla Soup from Andrea's Recipes
Rustic Chicken Soup from Karina's Kitchen - Recipes from a Gluten Free Goddess
Black Bean and Rice Soup with Lime and Cilantro (vegetarian) from Kalyn's Kitchen
Crockpot Bean Soup (vegetarian) from Vanesscipes

BlogHer Food Editor Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen.