This Ultimate Guide To Crock Pot Cooking will teach you how to use a crockpot with success! Slow cooking is a tried-and-true method of ‘hands-free’ cooking perfect for feeding a crowd, weeknight meals, hosting holidays, and everything in between!
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The Crock Pot has been my ‘ride or die’ kitchen appliance for years now, words can’t express how much I rely on this tool! This appliance is a superstar in my kitchen, making cooking dinner a breeze.
I like to refer to the Crock Pot as ‘hands-free cooking’ because the recipes can all be prepared ahead of time and then slow-cooked throughout the day. Using the Crock Pot, I can cook dinners or host parties on my own schedule without babysitting the stove. This is particularly nice around the holidays when you really want to spend time with family!
What Is a Slow Cooker?
A slow cooker or crock pot is an appliance that cooks food at low temperatures for a long time. This cooking method is ideal for breaking down tough, large proteins. These proteins are also usually the cheapest, which makes having a slow cooker an economical option. They are easy to use, making them a great choice for beginner cooks and anyone who doesn’t like to cook.
Benefits Of Using A Slow Cooker
You get to set it and forget it!
Most slow cooker recipes are easy to make because you load the cooker with your ingredients, set it to low or high, adjust the time, and GO. It’s that simple.
You get to leave your house while your dish cooks!
We’re all busy, and this benefit might be my favorite. I appreciate that I can load up my crock pot with all my ingredients and head out to tackle the day. You can cook your dish overnight, but it will be hard to resist once you wake up.
You don’t have to wash a ton of dishes!
One-pot meals are easy for “after-supper cleanup duty,” which is always a plus in my house.
You can turn inexpensive cuts of meat into something outstanding!
I call this a “cheap and cheerful” benefit of using a crock pot. I don’t know how many times I’ve purchased an inexpensive or on-sale piece of meat and turned it into something spectacular with the help of my slow cooker. This cooking method produces rich flavors and amazing sauce and gravy.
How To Use A Slow Cooker
- To use your slow cooker, simply plug it in and set it to high or low. Generally, you will cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Add your ingredients, top with the lid, and let it cook away! Some recipes you need to stir periodically, others you just set and forget.
- Once the recipe is done, you can turn the slow cooker off or set it to the “heat” setting. This method tends to dry out the bottom.Can you brown meat in the slow cooker?
Can You Brown Meat In a Crock Pot?
No, but you can brown it on the stove first and then transfer it to the slow cooker. This is the best method for meats like chili that use ground beef or pork chops.
Donya’s Tips for Using A Slow Cooker
- Don’t overfill the slow cooker. Overfilling it will cause it to overflow as the recipe starts to cook or boil.
- Just like an oven, you don’t want to open the lid too much (there’s a reason the lids are glass!). Opening the lid releases the heat, thus extending the cooking time.
- You can use the Crock Pot to make most recipes with some modifications. The best way to do this is to seek a slow cooker version of your favorite recipe.
What Can You Cook In A Crock Pot?
Just about anything! Seriously, you can cook main dishes, appetizers, desserts, breakfast, and more. I’m going to break it into a few categories to give you an idea of the variety of recipes you can make in the crock pot.
- Soups and Stews: Most people have a favorite slow cooker chili recipe (mine is this Award-Winning Southern Soul Chili) but it’s also ideal for soups like this Crock Pot Potato Soup.
- Main Meals: You can make a tasty slow cooker meal with very little work making for a perfect easy dinner. A few of my favorites are Crock Pot Guinness Pot Roast and Crock Pot Chicken Thighs.
- Appetizers: If you have a party coming up, the slow cooker will be your best friend. You can set it and forget it while you mingle with guests. Let it do the heavy lifting and make this Slow Cooker Queso Beef Dip or Crock Pot Hawaiian Meatballs.
- Meat: The best way to stretch your budget is to use a slow cooker to tenderize large and cheap cuts of meat like chuck roast, briskets, or pork shoulder to make Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Beef or Crock Pot Pulled Pork. This meat can then be used to make bowls, tacos, pork sandwiches, or paired with pasta.
- Snacks & Sweets: To have something to munch on, you can make Slow Cooker Party Mix or Chocolate Peanut Crock Pot Candy.
- Drinks: Finally, you can make slow cooker hot chocolate or Crock Pot Pumpkin Spice Lattes for a warm drink to come home to.
- The odds and ends: One of my favorite things to make is this Crock Pot Chicken Stock, or liquid gold as I call it. The slow cooker makes it incredibly easy to make any type of broth from leftover bones, vegetable scrapes, and more. And to make the house smell of the holidays, try making a Crock Pot Fall Potpourri.
Cleaning Your Slow Cooker
While you can use a removable liner to make clean-up a breeze, there are a few tricks for caring for your crock pot without one.
- Try to rinse it as soon as you’re done serving.
- Be sure to wipe down the lid and the outside of the cooking element (the ceramic insert) in case anything spills over the edge.
- If there are stuck-on spots that scrubbing alone won’t clean, use baking soda. I like to soak it first in water and a splash of vinegar. Let this soak for an hour or overnight, and then sprinkle baking soda all around or make a paste with water. Then scrub away, and the food bits should come right off!
Crock Pot Appetizers and Dips
With only 5 ingredients, Mississippi Chicken cooked in the slow cooker is tender, juicy, and packed with spicy flavors. Now, this mouthwatering chicken is turned into sliders! With melted cheese and a buttery topping, they are irresistible for a weeknight meal. This scrumptious recipe is great to serve as an appetizer, for parties, and perfect for game day!
Slow Cooker Meatball Recipes
Crock Pot Bourbon Meatballs are tender, succulent, and loaded with irresistible flavors. These meatballs, prepped in just minutes, are cooked in the Crock-Pot and are perfect to serve as an appetizer, for game day or on lazy weekends.
Crock Pot Main Dishes To Feed A Crowd
Slow-cooked country-style pork ribs are fall off the bone tender and juicy. Coated in a rich sauce flavored with garlic, honey, soy sauce, and chili powder, Crock Pot Country Style Pork Ribs are perfect for weeknight meals or weekend gatherings. Why head to your local BBQ joint when you can make delicious ribs at home!
Slow Cooked Soups and Chilis
Family Favorite Crock Pot Side Dishes
My Favorite Slow Cookers
Shop for the best crock pots for whatever you are cooking. Here are my favorites:
Donya's Top Ten Summer Recipes!
Steal my favorites for a done-for-you menu that packs in the flavor
Do you have crock pot book for sale?
Hi Jessie.
I do not at this point. Thank you for asking and stay tuned…you never know what the future holds.
~Donya
I use the slow cooker a lot, but am anxious to try even more new recipes. Thanks for your ideas.
Great, John!
Enjoy the recipes and let me know how you like them.
~Donya
I so look forward to your emails with new and inspiring ideas. Just makes me want to get in the kitchen and cook cook cook. Thank you and happy summer. Loved the tomato recipes. But you are so right nothing like a tomato right off the vine with a sprinkle of salt.
Hey there Shawna!
My goodness, reading this has made my day, I am so happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying the emails and recipes! I hope you’ll give some of those tomato recipes a try, they are crazy delicious and super easy to make. If you ever have any questions about a recipe, please don’t hesitate to reach out, I’m always happy to help!
~Donya
Looking forward to making most of these dishes !!!!
Hey there Jan!
Thank you so much for your interest in these recipes, I think you’re really going to enjoy them. If you have any questions at all, I would be more than happy to help out, just leave me a comment. I really appreciate your support, I hope you enjoy these Crock Pot recipes!
~Donya