Crockpots make it easy to come home to a delicious hot meal already waiting for you. Take a few minutes to fill up the crockpot before you leave in the morning and you'll be rewarded with a meal that is easier than picking up take out at dinner time.
Tips for Using Your Crockpot
There are a few tips that will help your crockpot meals turn out perfect every time. First, never overfill the crockpot. Make sure when you are filling it up that the pot is between half and three-quarters full. Too full, and your food will not cook enough. If the pot is too empty, the food will cook too quickly and you will come home to a dinner that is overdone.
If you are using fresh vegetables, put them on the bottom. They will take longer to cook than your meat. This is a bit hard to believe, but it is true. If you are using frozen vegetables, place them on top of your meat, since they will cook faster.
You may want to try browning your meat before placing it in the crockpot. This renders fat and caramelizes the natural sugars in the meat, creating a delicious flavor. If you wish to deglaze the pan afterwards with broth, water, or wine, you can add these tasty drippings to your crockpot so you can enjoy them later. Removing extra fat and skin will also help your meat cook better.
Ingredients that are tender, such as tomatoes, peas, and other soft foods should be added in the last half hour or so of cooking. Dairy should be added only a short time before you serve as well. When you add dairy products, make sure your temperature is on low so they will not curdle. Thickeners like cornstarch can be added during the last hour of cooking. Place the crockpot on high so their thickening qualities are activated. Rice and pasta should be added during the last 45 minutes or so or they will tend to turn to mush.
While cooking, try not to remove the lid. If you need to add more ingredients, add them all at once if possible to reduce losing heat from the crockpot. Every time you lift the lid, add another half hour to your cooking time.
Crockpot Recipes
Using these easy tips can make using your crockpot a pleasure. Just about anything can be made in a crockpot. Roast meats work well, as well as chicken, either whole or cut up. An easy stew can be put together, or you can easily make any number of soup recipes. You can also make side dishes with vegetables, rice, or lentils.
You can even bake breads and cakes in the crockpot! Desserts like apple brown betty, boiled peanuts and many different cakes can easily be made in the crockpot. As you can see, crockpots are even more versatile than most people think. - 15634
Tips for Using Your Crockpot
There are a few tips that will help your crockpot meals turn out perfect every time. First, never overfill the crockpot. Make sure when you are filling it up that the pot is between half and three-quarters full. Too full, and your food will not cook enough. If the pot is too empty, the food will cook too quickly and you will come home to a dinner that is overdone.
If you are using fresh vegetables, put them on the bottom. They will take longer to cook than your meat. This is a bit hard to believe, but it is true. If you are using frozen vegetables, place them on top of your meat, since they will cook faster.
You may want to try browning your meat before placing it in the crockpot. This renders fat and caramelizes the natural sugars in the meat, creating a delicious flavor. If you wish to deglaze the pan afterwards with broth, water, or wine, you can add these tasty drippings to your crockpot so you can enjoy them later. Removing extra fat and skin will also help your meat cook better.
Ingredients that are tender, such as tomatoes, peas, and other soft foods should be added in the last half hour or so of cooking. Dairy should be added only a short time before you serve as well. When you add dairy products, make sure your temperature is on low so they will not curdle. Thickeners like cornstarch can be added during the last hour of cooking. Place the crockpot on high so their thickening qualities are activated. Rice and pasta should be added during the last 45 minutes or so or they will tend to turn to mush.
While cooking, try not to remove the lid. If you need to add more ingredients, add them all at once if possible to reduce losing heat from the crockpot. Every time you lift the lid, add another half hour to your cooking time.
Crockpot Recipes
Using these easy tips can make using your crockpot a pleasure. Just about anything can be made in a crockpot. Roast meats work well, as well as chicken, either whole or cut up. An easy stew can be put together, or you can easily make any number of soup recipes. You can also make side dishes with vegetables, rice, or lentils.
You can even bake breads and cakes in the crockpot! Desserts like apple brown betty, boiled peanuts and many different cakes can easily be made in the crockpot. As you can see, crockpots are even more versatile than most people think. - 15634
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Whether your looking for soup recipes or for chicken stew we cover chicken and soup with great recipes and helpful information.
