c/easy-slow-cooker-meals

I read that overnight oats can be made in a slow cooker and now I have a question

I was browsing through an old issue of Cook's Country from last October and found a stat that surprised me - they said 63% of people who own a slow cooker have never made oatmeal or grains in it. I always thought of my Crock-Pot as a meat and bean machine, but now I'm wondering if I have been missing out on a whole category of breakfast meals. On one hand, steel-cut oats cook beautifully overnight with no stirring and take just 7 hours on low. But on the other hand, I have read complaints about the oats getting mushy or sticking to the sides of the ceramic pot. Has anyone here tried making oatmeal in a slow cooker, and do you think the convenience is worth the potential cleanup hassle?

Almost ruined a pork shoulder last week with this slow cooker mistake

I put a 5 pound pork shoulder in my slow cooker on low last Tuesday morning before work. Came home 9 hours later and the meat was still tough and barely warm inside. Turns out my lid wasn't seated right because I had a big piece of foil hanging over the edge from a previous meal. Check your lids seal tight before you walk away for the day, has anyone else had this happen?

Why does nobody talk about browning meat before putting it in the slow cooker?

I used to just dump raw chicken breast into my slow cooker with some sauce and veggies and call it good lol. Then my buddy who cooks a lot told me I was missing like a whole level of flavor. Finally tried browning some beef stew meat in a pan for like 5 minutes before adding it to the slow cooker last Sunday and the difference was crazy. The meat had way more flavor and the gravy wasn't so watery. Has anyone else noticed this or am I just late to the party?

Watched a neighbor ruin a pork shoulder because she didn't sear it first - I never skip that step anymore

I was over at my neighbor Debbie's place last Sunday in Phoenix for a cookout. She had this pork shoulder in her slow cooker all day, 8 hours on low. Smelled okay but when she pulled it out it was all gray and mushy. No crust at all. She said she just threw it in raw with some BBQ sauce. I felt bad but I had to tell her that browning it in a hot pan for 3 minutes per side before the slow cooker makes a huge difference. Now she does it every time. Have any of you ever had a batch turn out sad because you skipped the sear?

My dad called me out on my 'dump everything in' habit last week

I was bragging to my dad about my 3-ingredient chicken tacos and he just goes 'but do they actually taste like anything?' and honestly that hit me hard. I've been tossing frozen chicken breasts with a jar of salsa and calling it dinner for months. Now I'm actually browning the meat first and adding some cumin and garlic. Has anyone else had to level up their slow cooker game after a reality check like that?

The $10 bag of dried beans I ignored for 6 months finally won me over

I bought a bag of great northern beans back in March thinking I'd make a slow cooker soup. It sat in my pantry until last week because I was convinced dried beans were just too much work. Soaking them overnight felt like a whole project I didn't have time for. But last Tuesday I was out of canned beans and desperate for chili. I threw them in the slow cooker with some water at 8pm, let them soak until morning, drained them, then added my usual stuff and cooked on low for 8 hours. They came out way creamier than canned ones and didn't have that metallic taste. I saved like $4 compared to buying cans too. Anyone else have a dried bean conversion story or am I the last person to figure this out?

Just realized my slow cooker pork shoulder got so much better after I stopped opening the lid

For like a year I kept lifting the lid to check on things every hour or so. Then last fall I did a pork shoulder in my Crock-Pot for a party and forced myself to leave it alone for 6 hours straight. The difference was huge - it shredded way easier and stayed moist. Anyone else notice a big change when they just let it be?

My sister told me my chili was watery and she was right

She came over for dinner last Sunday and took one look at my slow cooker chili and said 'you need to drain your beans.' I used to just dump everything in straight from the can including the liquid. Turns out that extra liquid makes it soupy instead of thick and hearty. Now I rinse all my canned beans before adding them. Also started using half the broth I used to and my chili comes out way better. Anyone else get feedback from family that changed how you cook?

Appreciation post: my cheap slow cooker took 4 hours to finally get up to a simmer on low yesterday.

Has anyone else had this happen with an older model and found a good fix, or is it just time for a new one?

My sister-in-law in Denver mentioned she only uses her slow cooker for soups and stews, which got me thinking about all the other stuff you can make in it.

What's the most surprising non-soup thing you've successfully cooked in yours, like maybe a dessert or a breakfast casserole?

Rant: My slow cooker saved my sanity during a 3-day power outage last winter.

We lost power in a snowstorm in Spokane, and I had just put a pork shoulder in the cooker before the lights went out, so I ran an extension cord from my car's inverter to keep it going. That one pot of pulled pork fed my family for three straight days since we couldn't use the stove. What's your go-to 'emergency' slow cooker meal that doesn't need much else from the kitchen?

I just hit 50 slow cooker meals in my recipe binder...

I was cleaning out my kitchen drawer last week and found my old binder where I scribble down recipes. I counted them and there were exactly 50, all slow cooker stuff. It surprised me because I always thought I just made the same three things... turns out I've been trying new stuff for years without even noticing. Anyone else have a collection they didn't realize was so big?

Had to decide between a 3-hour chili or a 6-hour pulled chicken for my kid's team dinner.

I picked the chicken because I only had 4 hours before the party, and it turned out perfect on the 'high' setting. Everyone asked for the recipe, which is just chicken, a jar of salsa, and a packet of taco seasoning. What's your go-to meal when you're seriously short on time?

Finally got my 3-year-old to eat veggies with a slow cooker trick

After six months of him refusing anything green, I started blending carrots and spinach into a basic beef stew. He ate two bowls last night without a fuss. Anyone have other veggie-hiding recipes for picky eaters?

My beef stew went from watery mess to perfect gravy in just one extra hour.

I followed a recipe that said 8 hours on low, but after 7 hours it looked like soup, not stew. I left the lid off for the last hour and the liquid thickened right up into a nice gravy. Has anyone else had to adjust cooking times to get the texture right?

I thought slow cooker desserts were a gimmick until my neighbor's potluck

For years, I only used my slow cooker for stews and roasts, thinking anything else was just a weird trend. Then, about two months ago, my neighbor brought a warm peach cobbler to a block party, made right in her 6-quart Crock-Pot. I was so surprised it turned out good. She gave me the recipe, which was just canned peaches, a box of cake mix, and a stick of butter, cooked on low for 4 hours. I've made it three times since, and it's become my go-to for when people come over. Has anyone else found a dessert that really works in the slow cooker without getting soggy?

My neighbor in apartment 3B told me my pulled pork looked dry, so I started adding a whole can of cola to the pot.

What other cheap liquids do you use to keep big cuts of meat from drying out over 8 hours?

Just realized my slow cooker chicken comes out way better with a cheap wire rack

I used to just put chicken pieces right on the bottom of the pot, and they'd sit in the liquid and get kind of mushy. Last month, I saw a tip online about using a small metal rack to lift the meat up. I grabbed a basic one from the store for about eight dollars. The difference is huge. The chicken still gets tender but it doesn't fall apart, and the skin on top gets a bit more texture instead of being totally soggy. I made a whole chicken this way last Sunday, and it was the best one I've done in the cooker. It's such a small change but it really improved the meal. Has anyone else tried this trick, or do you have a different way to keep things from getting too wet?

My slow cooker's heating element gave out during a big family dinner

It happened about three weeks ago, right when I was trying to make a big batch of pulled pork for my cousin's birthday. I'd had this Crock-Pot for almost a decade, a real workhorse. I prepped everything the night before, dumped it all in that morning on low, and went about my day. Came back eight hours later to a stone-cold pot and raw meat. The little 'on' light was lit, but no heat at all. I had to scramble and order a ton of pizzas, which blew my budget by about $80. It's funny how you just expect these things to keep going forever. I ended up buying a new one with a digital timer, but I miss the simple dial on the old one. Has anyone else had a slow cooker just stop heating, and is it even worth trying to fix?

My slow cooker lid cracked in half during a big chili cook

It happened on Sunday when I was making a double batch for a family thing. I went to check on it and the handle just snapped off, sending the glass part into the pot. I had to move everything to a big pot on the stove to finish. Has anyone else had this happen, and what's a good brand for a replacement that won't break?

Bought a $20 slow cooker liner and it was a total game changer

So last Tuesday I decided to make my famous pulled pork for a work potluck, which is basically just dumping a pork shoulder and a bottle of BBQ sauce in the cooker. I was running late and knew I'd have zero time to scrub the ceramic pot after. On a whim, I grabbed a box of those slow cooker liners from the store for about twenty bucks. Let me tell you, after eight hours on low, I just lifted that greasy, saucy bag right out and tossed it. The pot underneath was spotless, like I hadn't even used it. I felt like I'd cheated the system. My spouse saw me and just said, 'You look way too happy about a plastic bag.' Has anyone else tried these, or do you think it's a waste of money? I'm curious if they work for really sticky stuff like cheese dips.

Last week I realized my 'dump and go' chili was missing one thing: a splash of vinegar at the end.

I found my grandpa's handwritten slow cooker chili recipe from 1982 in a box of his things.

He wrote 'just let it cook all day, the longer the better' in the margin, which is the exact opposite of my usual rush to get dinner done, and now I make it that way every Sunday.

Just realized my cheap slow cooker liner habit is costing me more than I thought

I bought a box of those Reynolds Kitchens slow cooker liners for about $5, thinking they'd save me cleanup time after making a big batch of chili. Used them for a few months, but then I noticed my chicken stew wasn't browning right and the flavors seemed a bit flat, like the plastic was trapping steam weird. Has anyone else tried these liners and found they mess with how the food cooks, or am I just doing something wrong?

My neighbor said my pulled pork was too watery

I always just dumped a whole bottle of BBQ sauce in with the pork shoulder, but she pointed out that it was making the meat kind of soupy (her exact words were 'it's swimming'). Now I just use half a cup of sauce at the start and add the rest after shredding. Does anyone else have a trick for keeping the sauce thick?