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Slow Cooker - Simplicity and Convenience

Wouldn’t it be great to have a hearty meal waiting for you when you come home at the end of a long day? Warm, mouthwatering sauces spooned over fresh vegetables and tender, juicy cuts of meat — that’s just what your taste buds have been yearning for! The unbelievable convenience of putting all the food in a pot in the morning and leaving it all day makes it even more appealing. That’s why slow cookers are so popular: They’re easy, convenient and provide delicious results. Here are some recipes to bring this flavorful simplicity into your home.

Beef and Mushroom Stew | Slow Cooker Chili | Chicken and Peppers

Want to convert a regular recipe to the slow cooker? Just reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by up to half (liquids do not evaporate in a slow cooker), except in the case of soups, rice, beans and pasta — these dishes generally need twice as much liquid. Then check the chart below for cooking time conversions.

OVEN OR STOVETOP COOKING TIME	SLOW COOKER LOW TEMPERATURE	SLOW COOKER HIGH TEMPERATURE
15 to 30 MINUTES	4 to 6 HOURS	2 to 3 HOURS
35 to 45 MINUTES	6 to 8 HOURS	3 to 4 HOURS
50 MINUTES to 3 HOURS	8 to 18 HOURS	4 to 9 HOURS

Important Tip: Avoid lifting the lid to check your dish’s progress; this allows too much heat to escape. Each time you lift the lid you can prolong your cooking time by 20 minutes.

SLOW COOKER TIPS

Foods cooked at the bottom of the pot cook faster and will be moister because they are immersed in simmering liquid. So, when layering food, place items that require more cooking, such as crunchy vegetables, near the bottom of the pot.

- One hour on the HIGH setting is generally equal to two hours on the LOW setting.

- Add tender vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms, and zucchini during the last 45 minutes of cooking time so they don’t overcook.

- Spices and seasonings can lose their potency if they simmer in a slow cooker for a long period of time. For the best flavor, add them during the last hour of cooking.

- Browning meat and poultry before placing them in the cooker is not required, but will considerably improve the flavor.