Slow cookers can be total life-savers for busy people, but you could definitely be using
your slow cooker for more things than you are right now.
There are tons of things that work really well in a slow cooker, that you may never
have considered before.
Here are the things you should be using your slow cooker for that'll have you in food heaven.
"Mmm"
Party mixes
Believe it or not, party mixes are actually a great thing to make in your slow cooker.
It heats everything at a low enough temperature so that you don't have to worry about burning,
but still makes sure that every single piece is coated with whatever delicious saucy seasonings
you've added to the mix.
Bonus: it frees up your oven, so if you're throwing a party, there's no need to stress
about the timing of everything.
Baked goods
Wait, what?
Baked goods kind of have to be, well, baked, right?
Actually, there are plenty of baked goods that work super-well in the slow cooker.
Things like puddings, crumbles, bread pudding, and the like all can be made in your slow
cooker, along with some less obvious things like cakes and brownies.
And if you really like that crusty outside on your baked goods, cooking them for a bit
without the lid ensures that you're not left with a soggy mess at the end.
Get ready to tote out your slow cooker every time you bake brownies.
Oatmeal
If you're not already cooking oatmeal in your slow cooker, you will be soon.
It's as easy as adding all the ingredients and turning it on.
You can do a bare-bones, simple recipe with just oats and water, or you can gloss it up
a bit with fruit and spices like cinnamon and ginger.
Even better, you can cook oatmeal overnight, meaning there will be a warm, comforting,
delicious breakfast ready and waiting for you when you wake up in the morning.
Stock
Stock is the perfect food to try making in the slow cooker rather than on the stove.
To get a good, rich stock, you really need to let it go for quite a while.
That's where the slow cooker comes in.
You can add all your ingredients, then simmer it overnight to make sure that it's rich and
flavorful.
"Great soup Mrs. Q. Mmmmm."
Dessert sauces
Like stock, dessert sauces are pretty much the perfect things to make in your slow cooker.
These sauces are made for low temperature and gradual cooking.
They're susceptible to burning or scalding if made on the stove, when you don't have
as much control over the temperature.
In particular, slow cooker dulce de leche is as easy as it gets.
All it requires is an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk and enough water to cover it.
Cook that for eight hours and it's ready.
After you make the most delicious dessert sauces ever, drizzle them over desserts or
pour a shot into your coffee.
"It's like Christmas in a cup."
Bread
While any bread you make in a slow cooker likely won't be as impressive as the loaves
that come out of your oven, this is still a great option if you want to bake bread while
you're out of the house all day.
The slow cooker operates more like a bread machine, so if you like bread machine-made
bread, you'll be leaping for the loaves that come out of your slow cooker.
"Oh my god this is so good I haven't had bread since I was like 9."
"Are you serious?"
"How do you think I got these abs?"
Cheesecake
Sure, making a cheesecake in a slow cooker will take longer than you're used to, but
it's also easier and hassle free.
The texture of cheesecakes made in a slow cooker is also much smoother and silkier than
a traditional cheesecake because it's steamed.
Once it's done, all you'll need to add is fresh fruit, a sauce, or another garnish or
make it even easier on yourself and eat it as-is.
Now that's finger-licking good.
Candy
Candy is super-simple to make in a slow cooker, though it may not seem like it would be.
Mix nuts or seeds and whatever kinds of chocolate you'd like to in the slow cooker.
Let it all blend and stir in any additional mix-ins.
The options for mix-ins are endless, from pretzels to Oreos.
Let your candy mixture set on a baking tray or in muffin liners and bam!
You've made candy.
"Bam"
Enchiladas or lasagna
Enchiladas and lasagna can both be difficult recipes to get on the table, especially on
a busy weeknight.
"You don't like my lasagna?
No it's good!
Hmm hmm"
Making them in a slow cooker, however, makes these challenging dishes a snap to prepare
any night of the week.
Lasagna is great to make in the slow cooker because you don't even have to pre-boil the
noodles.
All you have to do is layer everything in your slow cooker, set it and forget it.
"I love it, the richness is divine"
Enchiladas also get simplified when made in the slow cooker.
Yes, you'll have to mix together the components of your filling and fill and roll the tortillas,
but all of the other ingredients are simply added to the slow cooker.
Then, like the lasagna, you just have to turn it on and let it go.
Mashed potatoes
Most people still make mashed potatoes the traditional way, on the stove.
If a slow cooker comes into the mix, it's usually just to keep the mashed potatoes warm
until they're ready to serve.
"This is for Thanksgiving this dish is my moms.."
"This smell good what is this again?"
"Mashed potatoes!"
If you don't want to have to use both a pot and a slow cooker, however, you can just do
the whole process in the slow cooker.
Add potatoes, water, and butter to the bowl of your slow cooker and cook them.
No draining here, just season and mash and they're done.
Rice
Turn your slow cooker into a rice cooker by making rice pilaf in your slow cooker instead
of on your stovetop.
If it's a pilaf rather than just straight rice, you'll have to do some minimal sautéing
on your stove before spooning it all into the slow cooker.
Then add the rest of your ingredients, and let it cook for a couple of hours until it's
all done.
Fluff it with a fork, garnish with some green onions, and serve.