The editors at AllFreeSlowCookerRecipes.com are so immersed in new and exciting slow cooker recipes every day, that we often forget how helpful it is to go back to basics. As we’re entering into fall, which is a prime season for slow cooking, we wanted to offer some basic tips for slow cooker meals (and some recipes too!).
If you have a handful of oven and stove-top recipes, and wish you could cook them in your slow cooker for convenience’s sake, we’re here to help! We’ve got a guide on converting your favorite recipes into slow cooker recipes, Tips for Converting Slow Cooker Recipes.
Slow Cooker Tips:
Below, you’ll find some common cooking times and how they apply across appliances.
As a rule of thumb, dishes cooked on the LOW setting on your slow cooker can often be cooked safely on the HIGH setting for half the time.
In our Tips for Converting Slow Cooker Recipes guide, you’ll also find some basic slow cooker tips and tricks, both for when you’re converting a recipe, and for when you’re just trying to figure out how to best use your slow cooker.
Some of the most important tips for converting your favorite recipes to the slow cooker involve the addition or subtraction of water. It’s important to note that slow cooker produce their own moisture. Thus, you can:
- Reduce the liquid called for in a converted recipe by a third or even a half. For example, if a recipe calls for 6 to 8 cups of water, begin with 5 cups of liquid.
- If a recipe does not include liquid at all, we suggest adding a 1/2 cup of water or broth
- To thicken a soup or stew in your slow cooker, you can add flour or cornstarch.
We’ve also got some basic slow cooker tips and tricks:
- Keep the lid on: Slow Cookers lose 20 to 30 minutes of cooking time when the lid is removed.
- Make sure frozen foods are completely defrosted before placing them in your slow cooker.
- Layer ingredients in your crock so that the ingredients that are most dense and take the longest to cook are on the bottom.
For more tips like these, be sure to consult our complete guide, Tips for Converting Slow Cooker Recipes.
Apply These Tips: Delicious Fall Comfort Food
Now that you have some great tools for better using your slow cooker, we also wanted to offer up some great recipes to try this fall! Among all of the fall comfort food recipes around, macaroni and cheese is one of the best! It’s gooey, warm, and so satisfying. You can amp it up with crazy ingredients, or eat it classic-style.
We happen to have a brand new collection of slow cooker macaroni and cheese recipes for you to explore. In our collection, Lazy Slow Cooker Macaroni: 15 Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese Recipes, we’ve rounded up some of our best and simplest slow cooker macaroni and cheese recipes.
Our collection of slow cooker macaroni and cheese recipes includes classic, easy slow cooker macaroni and cheese recipes, slow cooker beef macaroni dishes, creamy macaroni and cheese recipes, and some unique variations of slow cooker mac & cheese recipes.
This recipe for Four-Step Macaroni and Cheese found in our slow cooker macaroni collection is a classic option. Milk and evaporated milk give this slow cooker macaroni and cheese its creamy texture, while Cheddar makes it extra cheesy.
This recipe for Nacho Cheeseburger Macaroni is one of the more whimsical slow cooker macaroni dishes we have in our collection. This hearty recipe includes ground beef, Velveeta cheese, Rotel tomatoes, tortilla chips,and more.
To get more great slow cooker macaroni and cheese recipes, check out our full collection, Lazy Slow Cooker Macaroni: 15 Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese Recipes.
What’s your favorite ingredient to add to macaroni and cheese?
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