Slaving over a hot stove isn't anyone's idea of a day well spent, but if you want to have a good homemade meal at the end of the day is there any other choice. You can convert some of your favorite recipes to be cooked in a slow cooker.
Instructions
1. Know which conventional recipes will work best in the slow cooker. If the recipe is labor intensive and has many different steps, this is probably not the best choice. Ones with most of the work involved in the prep stages are easier to convert.
2. Lengthen the time for recipes that need to be cooked on medium heat for 30 minutes to cook in the slow cooker on low for 4 to 6 hours or high for 1? to 2 hours.
3. Change recipes that are to be cooked for 45 minutes on medium to 6 to 10 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high in the slow cooker.
4. Convert recipes normally cooked for an hour on medium heat to 8 to 10 hours on low heat or 4 to 6 hours on high heat in the slow cooker.
5. Understand when and where to add certain ingredients. Harder vegetables will take longer to cook in the slow cooker and should be cut up into small pieces and layered on the bottom. Brown meats before adding them, add herbs, spices and dairy towards the end of cooking.
6. Presoak beans if possible overnight or as long as possible, before adding to the slow cooker. Avoid adding acidic or salty things to the meal until the beans are cooked, because they will make the cooking time longer and your beans tougher.
Tags: slow cooker, hours high, before adding, cook slow, cook slow cooker, heat hours
