Better Homemade Meals with the Slow Cooker

When it comes to eating healthier, it’s no secret that home cooking is the best way to go. By cooking your own meals, you get to control the amount of fat, sugar, and salt that goes into your dish, you get to ensure the quality of each ingredient, and perhaps most important of all, you get to save money. Of course, the main problem is that not all of us have the time, skill, or patience to prepare a full meal every day. If that sounds like you, one thing you can do is try some recipes for slow cookers.

Slow cooking has been around for decades, but it’s only recently that people have started to appreciate it. Basically, it involves cooking your food in an electric pot over low heat for several hours—the opposite of stovetop cooking where you apply high heat over a short time. The process is especially popular with busy households, as parents can just turn the pot on in the morning and come home to a ready-made meal at the end of the day. It can’t get much easier than that! Here are some quick slow cooking tips to help you get started.

Make the right adjustments

Since food cooks at a different pace in a slow cooker, you’ll have to change your proportions to make traditional stovetop recipes work. Liquids and sauces are particularly tricky because they don’t evaporate in the slow cooker as they do in a regular pot. Usually, except for slow cooker soup recipes, you’ll need to use at least one-third less liquid than you would on the stovetop to make up for this difference.

It also helps to know your temperature settings, particularly which ones work best in the slow cooker. Each model works differently, so you may have to do a bit of trial and error before you get it right. On most slow cookers, however, the Low setting is about 95˚C (200˚F), and the High setting is 150˚C (300˚F). If there’s no cooking time specified, allow eight hours on Low or four on High for every hour it normally takes on the stovetop.

Choose the right meat cuts

Meat is no doubt one of the most popular ingredients for the slow cooker, but some are just more ideal for slow cooking than others. Most experts recommend using tough cuts of beef, pork and lamb, as they provide a more even texture than cuts that are tender to start with. Even something simple such as a slow cooker onions and beef recipe can come out quite juicy and succulent with cheaper beef cuts.

For poultry, it’s usually best to use larger cuts, or even a whole chicken, to maintain the right texture. Of course, it depends on how firm or soft you like your meat, but most poultry meats tend to overcook in the slow cooker. Instead of using pre-cut pieces like strips or breasts, choose thicker cuts or chicken on the bone. Also try experimenting with other types of poultry such as turkey, duck, or pheasant.

Add a few vegetables

A lot of people avoid using vegetables in the slow cooker because they think it will make them soft or mushy. But that’s not really the case—in fact, if you’re looking to liven up your usual recipes, throwing in a few veggies just might do the trick. Beans, legumes and root crops usually yield the best results. Start with an easy recipe such as slow cooker green beans—all you have to do is put them in water and flavor them with spices or salted pork.

Make sure to layer your vegetables properly in the pot as they cook at different speeds. Root crops like potatoes, carrots and turnips cook the slowest, so they have to be at the bottom where the heat is most concentrated. Meats usually go on the second layer. If you’re using light vegetables such as leafy greens, put them on the top layer so they don’t overcook.

Make your own recipes

Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment with your slow cooker—that’s the fun part of it! Slow cookers are great for trying out new flavors because they enhance each little taste. You don’t need to make any drastic changes to make a big difference—sometimes all it takes is a new spice or a change in proportions.

Another thing you can do is adapt your favorite recipes for the slow cooker. If you’re a big fan of Mexican food, try making a slow cooker taco soup recipe—just throw together some ground beef, tomatoes, chilies, and your choice of add-ons such as beans, corn and olives. Or if you like Asian cuisine, take some ground pork and wrappers and make some won tons for your soup. There’s a world of possibilities out there—it’s really just your creativity that limits you!

In an age of fast food and take-out meals, more and more people are trying to bring back the appeal of home cooking for the family. Home cooking offers a world of advantages as compared to eating out: it’s cheaper, healthier, more relaxing, and often a lot more fun. The only reason people shy away from it is that they think it’s too complicated. It’s not—in fact, if you know a few good tricks, you can make great home-cooked meals every day and not spend hours in the kitchen. Like any other task, all it takes is a bit of planning.

The trick is to stick to simple, easy recipes that use readily available ingredients. You don’t have to make gourmet meals every day; they just have to be healthy and appeal to your family’s tastes. Classic recipes like pot roast or pasta can work pretty well—they’re fairly quick to make and can be tweaked to suit individual preferences. And by keeping it simple, you give yourself a lot more room to play around. Once in a while, add a new ingredient or change the proportions—even a little change can make a drastic difference!

Meat is probably one of the most popular ingredients in home cooking, but if you can, try working in some vegetables as well. Not only are they a lot healthier, they also add a variety of flavors to any dish. Experiment with vegetarian versions of your favorite dishes, or simply throw in a few veggies into your meat stew. It can also be a great way to get your kids to eat more vegetables.

Another thing you can do is try different cooking methods. Most people are familiar with roast or baked chicken, stir-fried veggies or braised meats. But while these all work very well, they can get boring after a while—and they tend to be high in fat and flavoring. Try using methods like steaming or slow cooking, which provide the same flavor, cook more evenly, and don’t require as many add-ons. Slow cooking is particularly useful for busy home cooks, as the pot can be left on all day to keep the dish warm.