Dinner Made Easy
Imagine having dinner ready and waiting for you to enjoy after getting home from a long day. With a slow cooker, this can be your reality. Requiring minimal effort and cleanup, slow cookers can be left to work their magic and produce dishes that are as flavorful as they are easy. Change the way you cook with these slow cooker hacks from our Gatherings Winter 2023 magazine.
- Know Your Ingredients: Keep these simple practices in mind to make the most of your slow cooker. Foods cooked on the bottom of the slow cooker will cook fast and retain more moisture since they simmer in the liquid. Ingredients like meats and broths need time to cook and develop flavors, so be sure to cook these ingredients longer. Add low cook time ingredients like cheese, milk, cream and pasta during the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking.
- Keep a Lid on It: Unless your recipe instructs you to stir, resist the urge to lift the lid. Lifting the lid to check on the food’s progress releases too much heat, and it can take as long as 30 minutes to heat back up to where it was before opening it.
- Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth: Along with enticing entrées, slow cookers are great for mouthwatering desserts. For desserts with melted elements like chocolate, caramel or peanut butter, add the ingredients to jars, place them in the slow cooker and melt on high for 30 minutes. This prevents messy pots and pans while preparing dips or drizzles for pretzels, cookies, popcorn and more.
