Erin from Suburban Simplicity shares her tips for getting the most our of your slow cooker year round. Learn the benefits of slow cooking, how to nail dishes in your slow cooker and how to keep your slow cooker clean.
Do you have a slow cooker sitting in the back of the cupboard not being used?
Well today's episode is for you!
Erin from Suburban Simplicity shares all her tips for getting the most out of your slow cooker year round.
Since its founding in 2015, Suburban Simplicity has provided an outlet for like-minded women to connect and share their methods for how to create a home life you love. It has become a trusted resource for advice on simple, modern homemaking, appearing on Oprah Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Buzzfeed, MSN and Yummly. Erin, the founder, is a crafter, baker, tea drinker, dinner maker, sports-chauffeur, wife and mom. Her goal is developing practical, creative solutions to the overwhelm felt by moms everywhere. Her large family of six has taught her a lot about organization, priorities and balancing the things that matter--and made her an expert in crockpot cooking!
I'll just make a note at the top of the episode that Erin and I will be talking about "crock pots" but for anyone outside of America a crock pot is simply the major brand of slow cookers in the US. So slow cooker or crock pot is all the same!
Erin has some awesome practical tips that will help busy families get meals on the table more easily.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This week's recipe of the week is my shredded Mexican beef. This is a recipe that's been on the blog for a few years but just got a bit of a face lift. The beef is melt-in-your-mouth, fall-off-your-fork tender and oh so saucy. I made it over Christmas when we had a Mexican dinner night with my whole family and there wasn't a bit left by the end of it.
LISTEN IN
Listen in to today’s episode on Apple, Stitcher or Spotify.
Episode 32 - Slow Cooker 101
Benefits of a Slow Cooker
- Slow cookers are great for cooking year round. Use it in summer to keep your kitchen cool (not hot oven!).
- You can use inexpensive cuts of meat that come out very tender.
- Less washing up! The original one pot cooking!
Slow Cooker Tips
- Don't touch the lid while you're cooking in the slow cooker. Set the lid and forget it. At the end you can cook without the lid for a little if you're trying to cook off the liquid, but don't remove it before then or it will extend your cooking time.
- If you have the time, cook your dish on low for 8 hours rather than on high for 4.
- Brown your meat beforehand for a richer flavour.
- If you're using dairy, put it in at the end. It tends to not be so great if you have it in there for the whole cooking time.
- If you put your slow cooker bowl in the fridge before cooking, make sure you take it out and bring it to room temperature before putting it on.
- Don't put frozen food in your slow cooker - it takes awhile to come up to temperature and this can lead to bacteria growing. Defrost food first before putting it in.
- Only fill your slow cooker at a maximum up to â…” full, not all the way to the top.
Batch Cooking in the Slow Cooker
- Cook once, eat two to three times in the slow cooker.
- Make something like pulled pork and use it several times in the week in different ways - nachos, sandwiches, tacos etc.
Keeping your Slow Cooker Cleaned
- Use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda to remove the white film that builds up on your slow cooker bowl.
LINKS DISCUSSED
WHERE TO FIND ERIN
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