WFMW ~ Slow Cookers
Since my latest cookbooks, Molly Makes $7 Slow Cooker Suppers, is just released, I thought I’d share a bit on the advantages of using the slow cooker. If you’re not taking advantage of yours, you need to!
- Your house smells wonderful all day long.
- No last minute dinner prep.
- Walk in the door from a ballgame or activity and find dinner ready and waiting!
- You can make everything from breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. And don’t forget applesauce, fruit butters, warm drinks and more.
- Slow cooking causes flavors to blend together. Yum!
- Tougher cuts of meats are made tender with slow cooking.
- A removable crock can go right from the cooker to the table to the fridge.
I’ve used my Slow Cooker for very simple potluck meals that were hits. Fill it with hot dogs and bring some buns and the kids are always thrilled! Little Smokies in BBQ sauce are a great (and super simple) party treat. Yes, I often make a “real” dish, but these ideas are nice fallbacks. You can also bring your cooked food along to a picnic or ballgame instead of sandwiches or fast food.
I also read where people take their Slow Cooker while traveling and leave a meal cooking in their hotel to come home to after a day of visiting or sight seeing. What a great idea!
I received an email from one of my readers this week who purchased my cookbook and asked which slow cooker I would recommend. Personally, I haven’t found a great deal of difference and you can often find them on sale at VERY low prices. I don’t know that I’ve ever paid over $20 for one. (If you’re on a budget, check the thrift store. They nearly always have one.) However, if you’re looking for the “best”, here are some comparison sites to check out.
http://www.consumersearch.com/slow-cookers
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-testing/reviews-tests/kitchen-cooking/best-slow-cookers
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/tools-products/appliances/best-slow-cookers-10000001695834/
http://southernfood.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/tpcrockpots.htm
Do you have a unique way of making use of your Slow Cooker? A favorite Slow Cooker recipe? I’d love if you’ve share and leave a comment.
Using the Slow Cooker works for me. To see more Works for Me Wednesday tips, visit We Are That Family.
You’d probably want to ask the hotel staff about leaving the slow cooker plugged in all day while out of the hotel room. They may unplug it during house keeping.
I’ve used my slow cooker to keep mashed potatoes warm for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. I put a stick of butter on top to melt down over them and keep the edges from browning. (It’s convenient, not low fat!)
I came across your site through We Are THAT Family. I LOVE my slow cooker! Some of my favorite things to make are pot roast, BBQ pork, apple butter, chicken & noodles, and Italian Beef.
When making soft tacos for a crowd i put the warmed tortillas in my crockpot to keep them warm.
Hi Molly,
I am considering buying your slow-cooker cook book but I have a couple questions?
Are there a lot of recipes with canned soup? Or any other “prepared food’ type ingredients?
I don’t mind things like canned tomatoes or beans.
Thank you,
Karen
We used our slow cooker in our hotel room in Chicago 2 weeks ago. I dumped a bag of frozen meatballs and a jar of pizza sauce in to cook for 4 hours on high and we had meatball subs. We also bought a banquet frozen crockpot meal it was beef stew it taste okay but not great.
We are part of a large group of children and adults that go to a church-centered convention every year. With all the organized activities, it is easy to have one crock pot to keep cheese dip warm, and one for hot dogs, BBQ, taco meat, or whatever the main dish will be for the evening. We put frozen sausage biscuits in it for breakfast, too. I agree with the suggestion of contacting housekeeping; we usually keep one of our people at our “hospitality room” at all times, and usually housekeeping only comes in to empty trash and vacuum while we do the rest ourselves.
Although not “frugal” the relatively new crock-pot liners are a lifesaver in this situation!
I use my crockpot alot for making yogurt, as I have found that the crockpot while slow for the first part of the recipe takes a long time, it works wonders for keeping the temps controlled longterm.
I got the original recipe off of the http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
I do a once a month big cooking day. I love to put my whole chickens in the crockpots over night. The next day I’m well on my way for casseroles and soups, not to mention the broth is great after cooling and removing the fat!
Revere is a good brand of slow-cooker. We bought a Hamilton-Beach and it burned everything. We spend the extra money for the larger crockpot (7 quarts) because we have a large family. I really like the ones with the digital displays, but that’s not a must.