Released August 13, 2008
WICHITA, Kan. – A slow cooker may bring visions of savory soups and stews for fall and winter meals, yet using the appliance to prepare summer meals without heating up the kitchen also can save time – and money, a Kansas State University specialist said.
With a slow cooker, most of the prep work can be done early in the morning, during the cooler part of the day, said Lisa Friesen, a registered dietitian and Sedgwick County, Kan., K-State Research and Extension health and nutrition agent.
“The size of the family or household doesn't matter, but the size of the appliance will affect cooking time,” said Friesen, who is single and typically uses a five-quart slow cooker which fits most standard recipes and cooks slowly and evenly. That way, she said, she can prepare extra servings to enjoy as leftovers or freeze for future meals.
A 1-quart slow cooker can work well for small families and party foods, but may not be best for long-term cooking. A 3-to-5 quart slow cooker often is a good choice for a two-to-six person household, and an 8-to-12-quart size a choice for a large family or entertaining, she said.
Friesen recommends reading manufacturer’s directions and using the recipes provided with the appliance and slow-cooker cookbooks to become more familiar with the appliance, food safety and quality before converting standard recipes to slow cooking.
If converting a standard recipe for a soup, stew or casserole that includes meat and vegetables for a slow cooker, Friesen recommends allowing eight hours on the low setting (or four hours on the high setting) for each hour recommended for oven roasting or cooking time.
This is a general rule, said Friesen, who urged caution when first converting a standard recipe: “Stay home and keep an eye on the cooking process via the see-through lid.”
Lifting the lid frequently to check cooking progress can cause the cooking temperature to drop 10 to 15 degrees F and add 20 to 30 minutes to total cooking time (each time the lid is lifted), said Friesen, who offered tips for using a slow cooker:
- Read recipe completely to make sure all ingredients are on hand.
- Do not use frozen ingredients unless specifically called for in a tested recipe.
- Lightly coat crockery liner with cooking spray to speed cleanup.
- Follow recipe directions.
- Place slow-cooking root vegetables, such as potatoes, onions, and carrots, around the bottom and up the sides, with meats on top. If vegetables such as tomatoes or mushrooms are mushy, try placing them on top of foods cooking during the last hour of cooking time.
- Cut meats such as a pot roast or stew meat into uniform sizes for uniform cooking.
- Fill slow cooker one-half to two-thirds full for best results.
- Add water or broth (a cup at a time), if needed. Liquids create steam, which is essential to the slow-cooking process.
- Place slow cooker on a heat-resistant mat.
- Monitor cooking via a see-through lid, rather than lifting the lid.
- Use a meat thermometer to check cooked, ready-to-eat temperatures: pot roasts, soups and stews, 155 to 160 degrees F, and poultry, 165 degrees F.
- Turn slow cooker to low setting while eating; then transfer leftovers to food storage containers, cover and refrigerate or label and freeze for future meals as quickly as possible after eating (two hours or less). Perishable foods allowed to stand at room temperature for more than two hours should be discarded. Also, cooked foods should not be stored in the crockery container removed from the slow cooker; crockery containers cannot cool quickly enough to protect the cooked foods.
- Power out? Plug an electric clock or other appliance with a clock into the second plug in an outlet in which the slow cooker is plugged in to monitor for a power outage. If a power failure occurs during the slow-cooking process, Friesen recommends discarding the food.
The general rules for using a slow cooker are fairly easy to follow, and good results likely, said Friesen, who shared favorite recipes:
Simple Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Apple Slices
4 pork loin chops (1-inch thick) well trimmed
2 medium apples peeled, cored and sliced
1 teaspoon butter (optional)
Salt and pepper
Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)
Optional: In skillet, brown pork chops quickly; drain well.
Arrange a layer of sliced apples in a slow cooker; follow with a layer of pork chops. Repeat. Dot with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired.
Cover and cook on low setting 6 to 8 hours. Makes 4 servings (about 2 1/2 quarts).
- Substitute 1/2- to 2/4-inch ham slices and pineapple rings in place of the pork chops and apples, if desired.
Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler
3/4 cup biscuit mix
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2 teaspoons butter, melted
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 to 2 1/2 cups peeled sliced peaches, fresh or frozen, thawed
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Spray with cooking spray or lightly butter a slow cooker.
In a large bowl, combine sugars and baking mix. Add eggs and vanilla; stir to blend.
Pour in butter and milk, and stir. Fold in peaches and cinnamon (until well mixed). Pour batter into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Serve warm with ice cream. Makes 4-6 servings.
Overnight Baked Beans
2 cups dry navy beans
4 cups water
5 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled, and set aside
1/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons molasses
Cook beans and water in slow cooker for 8-10 hours on low or until beans are soft.
In a small bowl, blend ketchup, brown sugar and molasses; add crumbled bacon to the mixture before stirring mixture into cooked beans. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes more to blend flavors. Make 4-6 side-dish servings.
Slow Cooker Pizza
1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 8-ounce package rigatoni pasta
1 16-ounce package shredded mozzarella cheese
1 10.75 ounce can condensed cream of tomato soup
2 14-ounce jars pizza sauce
1 8-ounce package sliced pepperoni sausage
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Layer ground beef, cooked pasta, cheese, soup, pizza sauce and pepperoni sausage. Cover and cook on the low setting for 4 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.
Recipe source: Lisa Friesen, R.D., Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Foods & Nutrition
Kansas State University Research & Extension - Sedgwick County
7001 W. 21st St. N.
Wichita, KS 67205-1759
Phone: 316.722.7721 Ext. 119; Fax: 316.722.7727
More information on food, nutrition, health and preparing family meals is available at county and district Extension offices and on Extension Web sites: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/humannutrition and www.oznet.ksu.edu/foodsafety.
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http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/story/slow_cooker081308.aspx
Contact: Nancy Peterson, nancyp@ksu.edu
