18 Crock Pot Recipes To Make Christmas Morning Easier (2024)

FAQs

What cooks better in a crock pot? ›

Fattier meats and dark meat chicken are better options, as leaner cuts may dry out during the cooking process. Fattier meats are good, but trim the fat away before placing in the Crockpot slow cooker.

One of the main attractions for many people is the ease of a slow cooker, so when you're looking for recipes, avoid those that suggest a lot of pre-preparation. For many dishes, particularly soups and stews, you really can just throw all the ingredients in.

If you want to crank up the speed your recipes cook, you can turn a regular slow cooker recipe into a pressure cooking recipe. For example, 4 hours on high in a slow cooker converts to 25 to 30 minutes in a pressure cooker.

Place firm, slow-cooking root vegetables like potatoes and carrots at the bottom of the crock and pile the meat on top. Set the heat level: A general rule of thumb is that cooking on the low setting (170 degrees F for most models) takes about twice as long as cooking on high (280 degrees F on most models).

A slow cooker and a Crockpot are the same thing, essentially. A slow cooker is an appliance of which there are lots of brands. Crockpot is one brand of slow cooker. Crockpot popularized slow cookers when they launched their version in the 1970s.

Cook time options include 4 or 6 hours on HIGH, or 8 or 10 hours on LOW. The corresponding light illuminates, the slow cooker heats, and the internal timer starts counting down the time. NOTE: WARM is ONLY for keeping already cooked food at the perfect serving temperature until you are ready to eat.

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

Crock pot tip - add aluminum foil to cover the lid. The heat bounces off from the lid and allows your food to cook faster. Also, you will not lose any of the steam that usually evaporates.

Why do you put foil balls in a slow cooker? ›

It can help with cooking

This far side of your slow cooker apparently is prone to be hotter than the other side, and the foil helps keep the temperature even throughout. Wiggly Wisdom points out that the side benefit of using foil is the easy clean-up we all long for.

Can You Put Aluminum Foil in the Slow Cooker? Over at America's Test Kitchen, they recommend using foil to help a slow cooker do its job, particularly with low liquid dishes like lasagna or sweet potato casserole.

Slow cooker recipes have (obviously) long cook times, and it's the meat—not the carrots—that benefit from it. By placing the protein at the bottom (closest to the heating element), and vegetables at the top, you can keep your plant parts a little more toothsome, while ensuring your meat is fall-apart tender.

Not enough liquid: Slow cookers rely on moist heat to soften food. If you don't have enough liquid in the pot, the carrots won't cook evenly and may stay tough. Aim for at least a cup or two of liquid, enough to reach about a third of the way up on the ingredients.

Put potatoes, carrots and onion on bottom of crockpot. Place the roast on top, fat side up. Pour in water or beef broth. Sprinkle chives, parsley, pepper and Onion Soup mix over the meat.

It also makes the meat far more flavorful. Moreover, the slow-and-low method ensures you get that fall-off-the-bone tender meat. The same results just aren't achieved when cooking meat on high heat for a shorter period of time.

Fill the crock pot at least half full and no more than two-thirds full. Thaw frozen meats and vegetables before placing in the crock pot. Place dense vegetables in crock pot first, such as carrots and potatoes, since they take longer than meats to cook.