5
GUIDE TO ADAPTING RECIPES
This guide is designed to help you adapt your own and other recipes for your Crock-Pot
®
slow cooker. Many of the normal
preparatory steps are unnecessary when using your Crock-Pot
®
slow cooker. In most cases all ingredients can go into your
slow cooker at once and cook all day. General:
• Allow sufficient cooking time.
• Always cook with the lid on.
• For best results and to prevent food from drying or burning, always ensure an adequate amount of liquid is used in the
recipe.
RECIPE TIME
COOK ON LOW ( )
COOK ON HIGH ( )
15 - 30 minutes
4 - 6 hours
1½ - 2 hours
30 - 45 minutes
6 - 10 hours
3 - 4 hours
50 minutes - 3 hours
8 - 10 hours
4 - 6 hours
PASTA AND RICE:
• For best results, use long grain rice unless the recipe states otherwise. If the rice is not cooked completely after the
suggested time, add an extra 1 to 1½ cups of liquid per cup of cooked rice and continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes.
•
For best pasta results, add the pasta to the Crock-Pot
®
slow cooker during the last 30–60 minutes of cook time.
BEANS:
•
Dried beans, especially red kidney beans, should be boiled before adding to a recipe.
•
Fully cooked canned beans may be used as a substitute for dried beans.
VEGETABLES:
• Many vegetables benefit from slow cooking and are able to develop their full flavour. They tend not to overcook in your
slow cooker as they might in your oven or on your hob.
• When cooking recipes with vegetables and meat, place vegetables into the slow cooker before meat. Vegetables
usually cook more slowly than meat in the slow cooker and benefit from being partially immersed in the cooking liquid.
• Place vegetables near the bottom of the cooking bowl to help cooking.
MILK:
• Milk, cream, and sour cream break down during extended cooking. When possible, add during the last 15 to 30
minutes of cooking.
• Condensed soups may be substituted for milk and can cook for extended times.
SOUPS:
•
Some recipes call for large amounts of water/stock. Add the soup ingredients to the slow cooker first then add water/
stock only to cover. If a thinner soup is desired, add more liquid when serving.
MEATS:
•
Trim fat, rinse well, and pat meat dry with paper towels.
•
Browning meat in a separate frying pan or grill pan allows fat to be drained off before slow cooking and also adds
greater depth of flavour.
•
Meat should be positioned so that it rests in the stoneware without touching the lid.
•
For smaller or larger cuts of meat, alter the amount of vegetables or potatoes so that the stoneware is always ½ to ¾
full.
•
The size of the meat and the recommended cook times are just estimates and can vary depending upon the specific
cut, type, and bone structure. Lean meats such as chicken or pork tenderloin tend to cook faster than meats with more
connective tissue and fat such as brisket or pork shoulder. Cooking meat on the bone versus boneless will increase
required cook times.
•
Cut meat into smaller pieces when cooking with precooked foods such as beans, or light vegetables such as
mushrooms, diced onion, aubergine, or finely minced vegetables. This enables all food to cook at the same rate.
