- When purchasing a crock pot, look for one with a removable insert. You will really be glad that you did because they are so much easier to clean. You can actually submerse it in water to soak or scrub immediately. The others can’t be submersed in water.
- For food safety reasons, set the temperature on high for approximately an hour before putting in your crock pot meals. If you’re a working person, do this first thing. Then get ready for work, eat your breakfast or do other chores while the crock pot is heating up to temperature. Then turn the temperature down to Low.
- If your crock pot is functioning properly, it will maintain the food at a temperature above 140 degrees, which is the minimum safety level. For your peace of mind, you can check the safety of your crock pot occasionally by inserting a food thermometer into the center of the food at various times during the cooking process. Raise the temperature of the crock pot until it does maintain that temperature and then use that as your guide to where it needs to be set to do the job safely. If you can’t find a safe level then toss the pot and get a new one.
- The LOW setting should maintain the food at about 200 degrees, and the HIGH setting is about 300 degrees, which are well above the minimum safe temperature of 140 degrees.
- It’s best to defrost food before putting into the crock pot. And to put the food into a different container before refrigerating so that the food can cool down quickly.
- Crock Pot Meals General Cooking Tips
- Only fill the crock pot one half to two thirds full. The foods will not cook properly if the appliance is filled to the brim. If the food and liquid level is lower, the foods will cook too quickly.
- Foods cooked on the bottom of the slow cooker cook faster and will be moister because they are immersed in the simmering liquid.
- Remove skin from poultry, and trim excess fat from meats. Fats will melt with long cooking times, and will add an unpleasant texture to the finished dish. Fatty foods will also cook too quickly.
- You can thicken the juices and concentrate flavors by removing the lid and cooking on HIGH for the last half hour of cooking time.
- Most meats require 8 hours of cooking on LOW. Use cheaper cuts of meat – not only do you save money, but these meats work better in the slow cooker. Cheaper cuts of meat have less fat, which makes them more suited to crockpot cooking. Moist, long cooking times result in very tender meats.
- Follow the layering instructions carefully. Vegetables do not cook as quickly as meat, so they should be placed in the bottom of the appliance.
- Don’t lift the lid to stir, especially if you are cooking on the low setting. Each time you lift the lid, enough heat will escape that the cooking time should be extended by 20 minutes to half an hour. To check progress without lifting the lid, spin the cover until the condensation falls off. Then it’s easy to see inside.
Specific Cooking Tips Need a new crock pot? Click here.
- For best results, ground meats must be cooked in a skillet before cooking in the crock pot.
- Seafood should be added during the last hour of cooking time, or it will overcook and have a rubbery texture.
- Large pieces of meat can be browned before cooking in the crock pot, but this step isn’t necessary. Browning adds color and helps in flavor development.
- Cayenne pepper and tabasco sauce tend to become bitter if cooked for long periods of time. Use small amounts and add toward the end of the cooking time.
- Add tender vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini during the last 45 minutes of cooking time so they don’t overcook.
- Dairy products should be added during the last 30 minutes of cooking time, unless the recipes states otherwise.
- Liquids do not boil away in the crock pot, so if you are making a recipe that wasn’t specifically developed for the crock pot, reduce the liquid by 1/3 to 1/2 unless you are cooking rice or making soup.
- Stir in spices for the last hour of cooking. They will lose flavor if cooked with the rest of the ingredients for the long cooking period.
If you are on a tight budget, you can make some really great meals in the crock pot because you can use the cheaper cuts of meat and they will turn out wonderfully delicious. What’s really important to get tender results in your choice of meat is to use plenty of moisture throughout the cooking. Otherwise, the meat most likely will turn out bone tough. What’s enough moisture? Well, be sure the meat is covered with moisture.
For those “In-a-Hurry” crock pot meals, you’ll have to plan ahead. There’s just no way around it. You can do great things if you have a few supplies on hand.
Here’s a great, very simple recipe for when you’ve got a big, busy day planned:
Easy Pot Roast for Crock Pot Meals Need a new crock pot? click here
If you are on a tight budget, you can make some really great meals in the crock pot because you can use the cheaper cuts of meat and they will turn out wonderfully delicious. What’s really important to get tender results in your choice of meat is to use plenty of moisture throughout the cooking. Otherwise, the meat most likely will turn out bone tough. What’s enough moisture? Well, be sure the meat is covered with moisture.
For those “In-a-Hurry” crock pot meals, you’ll have to plan ahead. There’s just no way around it. You can do great things if you have a few supplies on hand.
Here’s a great, very simple recipe for when you’ve got a big, busy day planned:
Brown a 3 pound beef pot roast on all sides in a skillet in 2-3 tablespoons of oil (olive oil is best).
Place the roast in the crock pot and turn on high for about 1 hour then turn it down to low and add the following ingredients:
Peel and cut 4 medium sized potatoes & 3 large carrots.
Cut 1 medium sized onion into wedges and 4 stalks of celery into I inch (or larger) slices.
Cover with 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and 1 can of water (mixed) or you can mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 1 ½ cups of water and pour that over the meat and vegetables.
A couple cloves of garlic, mashed is great.
Salt and pepper to your taste buds
If you have canned or dried mushrooms you can toss in some of those. The great thing about this recipe is that you can vary it in so many ways and you can hardly go wrong.
Tossing in a package of dried onion soup makes this a heavenly crock pot meal. I love crock pot meals because you put it all together, turn it on low and go about your day.
If you don’t like cream of mushroom soup, you can substitute cream of celery soup or a large can (or 2 small ones) of canned tomatoes,
Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Don’t worry about over-cooking crock pot meals – that’s difficult to do unless you do either of 2 things: you don’t use enough liquid which causes the food to dry out and secondly, you forget to turn the heat down to low.
I don’t peel the vegetables because I like to keep the food value that’s in the peels but most people peel them because they look better that way or because they just don’t like to eat peelings.
Remember, the cheaper cuts of meat work just as great in a crock pot. And with the money you save on the cheaper cuts of meat you can splurge on some wonderful herbs, spices or a nice bottle of wine to accompany your delicious crock pot meals.
Chicken Breasts For Your Crock Pot Meals
Need a new crock pot? Click here.
3 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
½ cup sliced mushrooms
½ onion, sliced
½ cup sliced celery
OR 2 tablespoons crushed, dried lovage (see article below)
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
1 cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Place all of the ingredients in your crock pot.
Cook covered on high for 1 hour
Reduce heat to low and cook for about 7 hours.
Serve with rice and a green salad. Serves 4
Crock Pot Meals and Herbs and Spices
Need a new crock pot? Click here
If you haven’t learned to cook with herbs and spices you really ought to. Flavor is really what eating is all about. You can add a whole new wonderful world to your crock pot meals by adding a touch of flavor to an otherwise very ordinary dish.
Crock pot meals are without a doubt the best place to do any experimenting. The mistake that many people make in cooking with herbs and spices is using too much before their palate gets acquainted with the flavor. If a recipes calls for a flavor of which you are not familiar, cut the quantity in half and increase after sampling or at another time. Garlic, cilantro, ginger and curry are examples of ones that can be over-bearing to someone unfamiliar to the flavor.
I nearly set my husband against curry forever because of a slight curry ‘overdose’. I just plain put in too much. He refused to eat anything containing curry after that. Fortunately, I was able to slip a wee bit into later dishes in a way that was absolutely delicious. Now, I’m a lot more cautious. If a little is good, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a lot is better. So, easy does it. But, do try some new things, experiment. Keep in mind – a pinch will do. I always sprinkle a bit of the herb or spice in the palm of my hand rather than directly into the pot. That way I can control what comes out and what goes in – to my crock pot meals You can always add more but you can’t take it out.
I have a favorite herb which very few people know about. In fact, I don’t even know where you can buy it in herb form – only as seeds. I’ve even checked the internet. You can buy the seeds and raise it yourself. It’s very easy to grow and it comes back every year. Because it has the flavor of celery, I use it as a celery flavor substitute for all kinds of salads, Italian dishes, casseroles, stews, soups and, of course, crock pot meals. Oh, and, of course you want to know what it is. Lovage is the name. It taste’s and smells like celery. Plant the seeds somewhere out in your garden, flower bed, herb bed, wherever. Come harvest time, cut it as you would parsley or any other herb, hang it upside down to dry and you’ll have all the celery flavor you need for a long time.
EASY CROCK POT LASAGNA
Need a new crock pot? Click here.
1 pound chuck or 1/2 pound chuck
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 28 oz jar spaghetti sauce (your favorite)
1/3 cup water
8 lasagna noodles
1 4 1/2 oz can mushrooms
1 15 oz carton ricotta cheese (optional)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Brown meat and seasoning, drain.
Mix spaghetti sauce and water. Place 4 uncooked noodles in lightly greased crock pot.
Layer with beef mixture, sauce and mushrooms.
Spread evenly with ricotta cheese and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella.
Layer with remaining noodles, meat, sauce mixture, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.
Cover, cook on high 1 hour.
Reduce heat and cook on low 5 hrs.
Yield: 4 servings
Shop here for a new crock pot or other cooking accessories.
Purchasing and Safety
- When purchasing a crock pot, look for one with a removable insert. You will really be glad that you did because they are so much easier to clean. You can actually submerse it in water to soak or scrub immediately. The others can’t be submersed in water.
- For food safety reasons, set the temperature on high for approximately an hour when you first put the food into the crock pot. If you’re a working person, do this first thing. Then get ready for work, eat your breakfast or do other chores while the crock pot is heating up to temperature. Then turn the temperature down to Low.
- If your crock pot is functioning properly, it will maintain the food at a temperature above 140 degrees, which is the minimum safety level. For your peace of mind, you can check the safety of your crock pot occasionally by inserting a food thermometer into the center of the food at various times during the cooking process. Raise the temperature of the crock pot until it does maintain that temperature and then use that as your guide to where it needs to be set to do the job safely. If you can’t find a safe level then toss the pot and get a new one.
- The LOW setting should maintain the food at about 200 degrees, and the HIGH setting is about 300 degrees, which are well above the minimum safe temperature of 140 degrees.
- It’s best to defrost food before putting into the crock pot. And to put the food into a different container before refrigerating so that the food can cool down quickly.
- Crock Pot Meals General Cooking Tips
- Only fill the crock pot one half to two thirds full. Your crock pot meals will not cook properly if the appliance is filled to the brim. If the food and liquid level is lower, the foods will cook too quickly.
- Foods cooked on the bottom of the slow cooker cook faster and will be moister because they are immersed in the simmering liquid.
- Remove skin from poultry, and trim excess fat from meats. Fats will melt with long cooking times, and will add an unpleasant texture to the finished dish. Fatty foods will also cook too quickly.
- You can thicken the juices and concentrate flavors by removing the lid and cooking on HIGH for the last half hour of cooking time.
- Most meats require 8 hours of cooking on LOW. Use cheaper cuts of meat – not only do you save money, but these meats work better in the slow cooker. Cheaper cuts of meat have less fat, which makes them more suited to crockpot cooking. Moist, long cooking times result in very tender meats.
- Follow the layering instructions carefully. Vegetables do not cook as quickly as meat, so they should be placed in the bottom of the appliance.
- Don’t lift the lid to stir, especially if you are cooking on the low setting. Each time you lift the lid, enough heat will escape that the cooking time should be extended by 20 minutes to half an hour. To check progress without lifting the lid, spin the cover until the condensation falls off. Then it’s easy to see inside.
Cooking Tips for Crock Pot Meals Need a new crock pot? Click here.
- For best results, ground meats must be cooked in a skillet before cooking your crock pot meals.
- Seafood should be added during the last hour of cooking time, or it will overcook and have a rubbery texture.
- Large pieces of meat can be browned before cooking in the crock pot, but this step isn’t necessary. Browning adds color and helps in flavor development.
- Cayenne pepper and tabasco sauce tend to become bitter if cooked for long periods of time. Use small amounts and add toward the end of the cooking time.
- Add tender vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini during the last 45 minutes of cooking time so they don’t overcook.
- Dairy products should be added during the last 30 minutes of cooking time, unless the recipes states otherwise.
- Liquids do not boil away in the crock pot, so if you are making a recipe that wasn’t specifically developed for the crock pot, reduce the liquid by 1/3 to 1/2 unless you are cooking rice or making soup.
- Stir in spices for the last hour of cooking. They will lose flavor if cooked with the rest of the ingredients for the long cooking period.
If you are on a tight budget, you can make some really great meals in the crock pot because you can use the cheaper cuts of meat and they will turn out wonderfully delicious. What’s really important to get tender results in your choice of meat is to use plenty of moisture throughout the cooking. Otherwise, the meat most likely will turn out bone tough. What’s enough moisture? Well, be sure the meat is covered with moisture.
For those “In-a-Hurry” crock pot meals, you’ll have to plan ahead. There’s just no way around it. You can do great things if you have a few supplies on hand.
Here’s a great, very simple recipe for when you’ve got a big, busy day planned:
Easy Pot Roast for Crock Pot Meals Need a new crock pot? click here
If you are on a tight budget, you can make some really great meals in the crock pot because you can use the cheaper cuts of meat and they will turn out wonderfully delicious. What’s really important to get tender results in your choice of meat is to use plenty of moisture throughout the cooking. Otherwise, the meat most likely will turn out bone tough. What’s enough moisture? Well, be sure the meat is covered with moisture.
For those “In-a-Hurry” crock pot meals, you’ll have to plan ahead. There’s just no way around it. You can do great things if you have a few supplies on hand.
Here’s a great, very simple recipe for when you’ve got a big, busy day planned:
Brown a 3 pound beef pot roast on all sides in a skillet in 2-3 tablespoons of oil (olive oil is best).
Place the roast in the crock pot and turn on high for about 1 hour then turn it down to low and add the following ingredients:
Peel and cut 4 medium sized potatoes & 3 large carrots.
Cut 1 medium sized onion into wedges and 4 stalks of celery into I inch (or larger) slices.
Cover with 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and 1 can of water (mixed) or you can mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 1 ½ cups of water and pour that over the meat and vegetables.
A couple cloves of garlic, mashed is great.
Salt and pepper to your taste buds
If you have canned or dried mushrooms you can toss in some of those. The great thing about this recipe is that you can vary it in so many ways and you can hardly go wrong.
Tossing in a package of dried onion soup makes this a heavenly crock pot meal. I love crock pot meals because you put it all together, turn it on low and go about your day.
If you don’t like cream of mushroom soup, you can substitute cream of celery soup or a large can (or 2 small ones) of canned tomatoes,
Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Don’t worry about over-cooking crock pot meals – that’s difficult to do unless you do either of 2 things: you don’t use enough liquid which causes the food to dry out and secondly, you forget to turn the heat down to low.
I don’t peel the vegetables because I like to keep the food value that’s in the peels but most people peel them because they look better that way or because they just don’t like to eat peelings.
Remember, the cheaper cuts of meat work just as great in a crock pot. And with the money you save on the cheaper cuts of meat you can splurge on some wonderful herbs, spices or a nice bottle of wine to accompany the delicious crock pot meal.
Crock Pot Chicken Breasts
Need a new crock pot? Click here.
3 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
½ cup sliced mushrooms
½ onion, sliced
½ cup sliced celery
OR 2 tablespoons crushed, dried lovage (see article below)
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
1 cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Place all of the ingredients in your crock pot.
Cook covered on high for 1 hour
Reduce heat to low and cook for about 7 hours.
Serve with rice and a green salad. Serves 4
Crock Pot Meals and Herbs and Spices
Need a new crock pot? Click here
If you haven’t learned to cook with herbs and spices you really ought to. Flavor is really what eating is all about. You can add a whole new wonderful world to the dishes you whip up by adding a touch of flavor to an otherwise very ordinary recipe.
Crock pot meals and salads are without a doubt the best place to do any experimenting. That’s why my very first web sites are crock pot meals and pasta salads. It’s hard to go wrong with either of them. Read the introduction to my pasta salad site and you’ll know why I chose pasta salads rather than green ones. Back to herbs and spices ! The mistake that many people make in cooking with herbs and spices is using too much before their palate gets acquainted with the flavor. If a recipes calls for a flavor of which you are not familiar, cut the quantity in half and increase after sampling or at another time. Garlic, cilantril, ginger and curry are examples of ones that can be over-bearing to someone unfamiliar to the flavor.
I nearly set my husband against curry forever because of a slight curry ‘overdose’. I just plain put in too much. He refused to eat anything containing curry after that. Fortunately, I was able to slip a wee bit into later dishes in a way that was absolutely delicious. Now, I’m a lot more cautious. If a little is good, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a lot is better. So, easy does it. But, do try some new things, experiment. Keep in mind – a pinch will do. I always sprinkle a bit of the herb or spice in the palm of my hand rather than directly into the pot. That way I can control what comes out and what goes in – to the pot or salad. You can always add more but you can’t take it out.
I have a favorite herb which very few people know about. In fact, I don’t even know where you can buy it. I’ve even checked the internet. You can buy the seeds and raise it yourself. It’s very easy to grow and it comes back every year. Because it has the flavor of celery, I use it as a celery flavor substitute for all kinds of salads (including pasta salads), Italian dishes, casseroles, stews, soups and, of course, crock pot meals. Oh, and, of course you want to know what it is. Lovage. That’s the name. It taste’s and smells like celery. Plant it somewhere out in your garden, flower bed, herb bed, wherever, harvest, hang it upside down to dry and you’ll have all the celery flavor you need for a long time.
For more great information on crock pot meals go to http://great-crock-pot-meals.weebly.com
Shop here for a new crock pot or other cooking accessories.
Posted by JoanMarie 
Posted by JoanMarie 
Red wine appears to block the oxidation of cholesterol, an early step in the creation of plaque on blood vessel walls according to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
Posted by JoanMarie 
