How to Use Crockpots

You can cook a wide variety of dishes in your slow cooker.

Though its name commonly refers to any slow cooker, a Crock-Pot is a brand of this kitchen device. Crock-Pots and other slow cookers can save you significant time and effort in the kitchen; you can make tasty soups, stews, roasts, chili and other dishes by letting them cook slowly all day rather than spending the afternoon in front of the stove. Your first few attempts at using a Crock-Pot or slow cooker might not be entirely successful, but if you practice and follow a few rules of thumb, you will learn to make delicious Crock-Pot creations.

Things You'll Need

• Pan
• Oil

Instructions

1. Sauté or fry any ingredients that would benefit from precooking. When you use a Crock-Pot or slow cooker, you do not get the same flavor as when you fry or sauté ingredients. Some items that you should almost always cook before putting them into your slow cooker include onions, garlic, ground beef, sausage and other items you would generally fry or sauté.

2. Brown the outside of any large pieces of meat you will add to your slow cooker. Heat oil in a pan, then cook the meat on each side until it is nicely browned.

3. Put most of the ingredients for your dish into your slow cooker. Leave out any delicate items or ingredients that need to be added near the end. These include cream, greens, precooked beans and peas.

4. Add liquid to the Crock-Pot. Include enough to cover most, if not all, the solid food in the slow cooker -- but keep the Crock-Pot less than two-thirds full. Also add herbs, spices and seasonings to the slow cooker at this point so they can flavor the ingredients you are cooking.

5. Put the lid on the Crock-Pot. Turn it on. For most dishes, you will start by turning the slow cooker on "High" for several hours, but this varies based on your specific model as well as the recipe you are cooking. Consult your Crock-Pot's manual and the recipe for specific instructions.

6. Add your fragile ingredients shortly before the Crock-Pot meal is finished cooking. The exact timing varies based on what you are making and the ingredients you are adding. Add potato chunks 45 to 60 minutes before the dish is done, for example. Put in peas and precooked beans 10 to 15 minutes before the dish is done so they have time to heat up but will not overcook.

Resources

• RecipeTips.com: Slow Cooker Basics