20 Crock Pot Thanksgiving Recipes - Lydi Out Loud (2024)

FAQs

What size slow cooker do most recipes call for? ›

Many slow cooker recipes are written for 6-quart models and can simply be halved for this size. If you'd like a little more room for leftovers or the ability to cook for a few guests now and then, a 3 1/2 to 4 1/2-quart pot is big enough for most medium-sized dishes.

Large. If you love delicious pot roasts, then a large slow cooker will be your new best friend! These slow cooker sizes feed up to eight people and have enough room to hold roasts up to 6 lbs and whole chickens with cut-up vegetables.

Yes, you can use your slow cooker for longer than eight hours, as long as you keep an eye on it. Many slow cookers do have an automatic shutoff after 24 hours.

Overfilling the Slow Cooker

Don't crowd the ingredients if you want even cooking and a mess-free kitchen. "When slow cooking many recipes with vegetables and meat, [they] will produce more liquid than you are starting with.

However, Crockpots generally have ceramic or porcelain pots, while most slow cookers have a metal pot. As with a lot of cooking appliances, the biggest difference comes from the distribution of heat.

For many home cooks, an Instant Pot Pro will be more versatile—capable of producing stews, rich sauces, thick and creamy soups, and hearty stocks. However, if you're set on investing in a slower cooker, one of the best ones comes from KitchenAid. People love their slow cookers. I mean, they love them.

Cook time options include 4 or 6 hours on HIGH, or 8 or 10 hours on LOW. The corresponding light illuminates, the slow cooker heats, and the internal timer starts counting down the time. NOTE: WARM is ONLY for keeping already cooked food at the perfect serving temperature until you are ready to eat.

Most appliances will automatically shut off after 20 or so hours on this setting, but you shouldn't leave food in a slow cooker for an extended length of time. The general rule of thumb is that 2-4 hours is the maximum length of time you can leave food in a slow cooker on warm.

Overfilling the Slow Cooker

As a result, some parts of the dish may overcook, while others remain undercooked. "This can also increase the risk of foodborne illness, because the food might not reach a safe temperature throughout," she says.

Why are my carrots still hard in the slow cooker? ›

If you don't have enough liquid in the pot, the carrots won't cook evenly and may stay tough. Aim for at least a cup or two of liquid, enough to reach about a third of the way up on the ingredients.

Place your meat on the bottom of the slow cooker, so it's closest to the heat source. Add your other ingredients and liquids, then set your cooker to “low.” Plan for 6-9 hours of cooking time for your warming slow cooker meal.

Slow cookers range in capacity, from a compact 1.5 litres up to 7 litres. As a general guide, a 1.5 to 2.3-litre capacity is great for two people, a larger 4 to 4.5 litres will feed four, and 5.5 to 7 litres is ideal for four to six people.

It can be used for everything from dinners to meal prep and more. If you use your slow cooker a lot, you might find it worthwhile to buy both a large and small slow cooker, because the size of the slow cooker called for in a recipe does matter.

Choose from 3 heat settings—high, low, and warm—for cooking flexibility and control with whatever you're making. The 4-quart capacity feeds 4+ people and is perfect for making family meals. Use the manual warm setting to keep food warm while you are serving, or for heating up leftovers.