A huge thanks to everyone who had time to complete my survey. My husband and I are gearing up for our huge Crock Pot Cookbook eBook sale, and I can’t wait! This is so exciting!
Between now and then, I want to get you ready to use that crock pot. I spent the last five years perfecting crock pot recipes techniques by making tons of crock pot meals myself, and I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned.
Why Crock Pot Meals?
Because I never have time to cook in the evenings! I don’t know what it is about dinner time, but it never fails that something comes up that keeps me from getting dinner on the table. Having something in the crock pot hot and ready makes dinner happen when it’s actually supposed to happen. It also keeps us from picking up fast food on the way home.
Do Crockpot Meals Taste Good?
Dude! They taste amazing. Everything marinates in the crockpot all day and the juices mix together to make food super tasty. It’s like no-brainer cooking, because you toss it in, and it comes out delicious.
Do You Need To Put The Food In The Crock Pot In A Certain Order?
I usually like to start with the meat, just so I can make sure it gets covered in all the sweet delicious juices. But you don’t really have to, everything sort of gets mixed together, and as long as you keep your crock pot closed, everything in there will get cooked!
Can You Make Crock Pot Meals On A Budget?
Heck yeah you can! One of the great things about crock pot meals is that you can make several of them ahead of time and freeze them. You can pull them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge a day or two before you’re ready to cook. Then just toss them in the crock pot! I always buy meat in bulk and make mine this way.
Can You Really Walk Away From Your Crock Pot All Day?
Not only can you just toss everything in your crock pot and walk away, but this what you SHOULD do. Every time you open your crock pot to stir (or just smell the tasty-ness) you actually add 30 minutes to the cook time of your meal. So, it’s best to just fix it and forget it until about half an hour before it’s time to EAT!
But Is It Safe To Leave Your Crock Pot Alone?
Despite that whole THIS IS US tragedy, that’s just a TV show, and the crock pot is crazy safe. They are designed to be left alone and are made to shut off in the event anything were to malfunction.
How Do You Know How Long To Cook Your Meals In The Crock Pot?
A good rule of thumb is about 6 hours in a large crock pot, and 8-10 hours in a smaller one if you’re cooking the meat from raw. They make crock pots with special timers and wifi capabilities if you need to start your crock pot a little later during the day. Most crock pots have a warm setting, but you don’t want to leave your meal totally cooked and warming in a crock pot for hours and hours.
How Do You Convert Regular Meals Into Crock Pot Meals?
As long as you follow the cooking times above, you can make pretty much anything in the crock pot. Soups are especially simple to convert, as well as pot roasts and anything with chicken breast. Dishes with cream, cheese, and milk are often times a little more tricky, so try to avoid those recipes, or just add the dairy products about 30 minutes before the recipe is done.
Next, I will send you some of my favorite crock pot recipes!
See you soon,
~Jamie