Tips for Making the Best Crockpot Recipes
December 5, 2012
•Emily Murray
•Atlanta
• 0 Comments
Tips for Making the Best Crockpot Recipes
The crockpot – can you find a better kitchen tool? What other cooking utensil allows you to safely put food in the pot in the morning, turn it on all day and it’s done when you get home? It’s amazing. And the aroma that comes from the pot when you lift the lid will instantly have your mouth watering. Crockpot meals are synonymous with autumn -- the chill in the air, the leaves changing color – crockpot meals instantly warm you up. How do you make the perfect crockpot recipe? Here are a few tips.
General Crockpot Tips:
You can cook just about anything in a crockpot but there are a few things to remember when making a crockpot recipe.
- When cooking ground meats, it’s best to cook the meat in skillet first before cooking your meat in the crockpot.
- If you’re attempting to delight with seafood, always put your seafood in the pot during the last hour of cooking. This will save the seafood from overcooking and having a rubbery texture.
- When cooking large pieces of meat (roast, steak, tenderloin, etc.) you can brown the meat in a skillet prior to cooking it in the crockpot. By doing this you can add a little more color and help build more flavor into the meal.
- If you want to spice things up and add tabasco or cayenne pepper be sure to keep that until the end of cooking period, after long periods of cooking they have a very bitter taste.
- To avoid overcooking tender vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini among others save them for the last 45 minutes.
- If your recipe calls for dairy products than save them for the final 30 minutes, unless it’s otherwise stated.
- Liquids never actually boil in a crockpot, unless you’re making soup you should reduce the liquid by a 1/3 or ½ of what the recipe calls for.
- In order for spices to be effective and bring out the most flavors in your meal, generally it’s best to stir in the last hour or else they will lose their flavor.
Crockpots can be used for cooking just about any meal, chili, soups and stews, barbeque, meat – literally anything. These things take hours to cook but you don’t have to slave away in the kitchen, just prep, turn it on and go. Seriously, what’s better than having a meal ready to eat as soon as you walk in the door after a hard day at work? The prep is done; it smells wonderful and by using these tips from above, it is sure to taste great.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs.. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Atlanta for more information.
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