Labor Saving Crockpot Cooking Tips

About author / Pamela Chester

Mom of two; graduate French Culinary Institute; kids cooking program instructor; Master's degree in food studies. Creates kid friendly foods and loves her slow cooker.

The slow cooker is a great way to save some time and effort when cooking a great meal. In honor of our national day of rest, Labor Day, I have pulled together some crockpot tips, suggestions, and shortcuts from various sources to help you get more mileage out of your crockpot.

Tips for Successful Crockpot Cooking
• A crockpot with a removable base is easier to clean and allows you to transfer the finished dish or leftovers directly to the refrigerator (*do not cover tightly until it is completely cooled).

• Remove skin from poultry and trim excess fat from other meats before cooking. Also, use lean cuts of meats and skinless poultry to cut down on the fat in the finished dish.

• Use cuts of meat that will fit conveniently in the crockpot, or plan to trim them.

• Cut vegetables to approximately the same size so they will cook at an even rate.

• Place items with the longest cooking times at the bottom of the pot. Items that tend to cook more slowly than meat, such as potatoes, carrots, root vegetables, and onions should be placed under the meat for faster cooking.

• The slow cooker should be filled halfway to three-quarters full for best results. Refer to the manufacturer's instructions.

• Use cooking times as guidelines. Slow cookers may vary; each one is not exactly the same, and power fluctuations or changes in voltage may occur. Also, at high altitudes (more than 3,500 feet), it may be necessary to increase the cooking time.

• To avoid heat loss, refrain from removing the lid during the first three-quarters of cooking time, otherwise you may need to extend cooking time (I am a peeker so this one is hard for me!). If for some reason you must open the lid, make all additions at once to minimize overall heat loss. Remove the lid only to stir food, season, or check for doneness.

Suggestions:
• After finishing up a meal of roast or rotisserie chicken, add the leftovers to your crockpot along with carrots, onion, celery, and herbs and let cook on low overnight. In the morning, let it cool, strain and discard solids, and season, and you will have flavorful chicken stock to use in other recipes.

• Colors tend to fade in long cooked foods, but garnishes such as chopped fresh parsley, chives, scallions, tomatoes, red peppers, cheese, or sour cream can add visual appeal to the finished dish.

• Taste and season before the dish is served. Since slow cookers sometimes dilute flavors over a long period, be creative with your seasonings, and adjust to your taste towards the end of the cooking time.

• Let stews and sauces sit an extra couple of hours after they have cooked to develop their flavor.

Shortcuts
• For fast cleanup, a baking bag or slow cooker liner can be inserted into the crockpot before adding ingredients (e.g., Reynold’s slow cooker liners). These food- and heat-safe bags are made to fit most slow cooker sizes; they fit over the rim of the base just like a garbage bag and can be thrown out once you are finished with your meal.

• You can choose to cut up vegetables or meats the night before you're planning to cook them in the crockpot. Be sure to package each different item separately and store in the refrigerator.

So this Labor Day, give yourself a rest from cooking, and enjoy one last idle day of summer. Let me know what works for you and if you have any other crockpot cooking tips. Have a wonderful Labor Day!

Serves/Makes: 9

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 pounds beef sirloin tips
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 can (10.5 ounce size) condensed beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste or ketchup
• 1/4 cup dry red wine or water
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour