After a long day at work, there’s nothing better than being able to come home, kick off your shoes, and relax for a while. Unfortunately, those plans can get interrupted when you realize that you still have to make dinner.
Having a slow cooker (also known as a “crock-pot”) is a huge asset to someone who works long hours and just wants to end the day with a home-cooked meal but doesn’t have the time or energy to devote to making one after work. (Who doesn’t want a quick and easy way to make dinner, though?)
The slow cooker originated in the early 1970s and its popularity took off as more women began working outside of the home, since food could be thrown in early on in the day and left to cook without the potential hazards associated with leaving an oven or a stove on all day. Slow cookers have the added benefit of cooking at a lower temperature, which dramatically decreases the chance that food will burn.
Using a slow cooker is not only an incredibly convenient way to make a meal, but it also saves you valuable time that you could be using to do something else. Not sure where to start with your meal? We have some ideas.
Soups and Stews
Slow cookers are ideal for things like soups and stew. The low temperature and long cooking time allows you to use cheaper cuts of meat. Raw vegetables can be tossed in at the beginning and cooked to perfection by the time dinner rolls around.
There is a plethora of recipes available for different soups and stews. You can try options like:
- Beef Stew
- Cheeseburger Soup
- BBQ Chicken Soup
- Cheesy Hashbrown Soup
- Creamy Tortellini Soup
- Irish Stew
Meats
Instead of using the oven, cooking beef, pork, or chicken in a slow cooker can give you great results. Low and slow cooking often yields a more tender, more moist piece of meat. This is a great way to cook things that you want to shred later.
Here are some recipes you can try:
- Pot Roast Dinner
- Beef and Broccoli
- Pulled Pork
- Pork Tenderloin
- Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
Pasta
If you’re not in the mood for soup or some kind of meat entree, pasta is a surprisingly easy thing to cook in a slow cooker as well. (Pasta makes a great comfort food as well!)
In the mood for carbs? Check out:
- Crock-Pot Mac and Cheese
- Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
- Pizza Pasta
- Pasta Primavera
- Slow Cooker Lasagna
- Beef and Cheese Pasta
Other Delicious Goodies
A slow cooker is also a fun way to bake brownies or bread, roast a whole chicken, make a dip, try homemade apple butter, bake potatoes, make your own spaghetti sauce, and so much more.
Using a slow cooker can save you a ton of time that you could otherwise be using to work, play with your kids, get things done around the house, or just relax. There are thousands upon thousands of recipes out there for everyone’s palate.
What are some of your favorite things to make in your slow cooker?