Crockpot secrets

Get your own Amazon Crockpot Now!!

Crockpots are amazing aren't they. You can toss a lot of stuff into and forget it and you have dinner later. All that being said there are lots of rules to using these. I guaranty if you listen to these tips your dinners from here on out are going to be surprisingly more delicious and enjoyable.

Rule number 1 No sneaking a peak.

As tempting as it may be you must resist. It can make your whole house smell amazing, but don't you lift that lid to "check on it."  Because, every time that lid lifts up all your hot air escapes and it will take you another 30 minutes to get it back to the temperature you needed it to be.

Rule number 2 there is no need to use expensive cuts of meat. The whole point of a slow cooker is to make any meat even the cheapest and toughest into something tender and delicious. Why put out more money for the same results. 

Rule number 3 Don't skip searing your meats before adding to the crockpot. I know we have all heard about searing you are meat before adding them in. I assure you this step is crucial when it is called for. Searing adds a layer of flavor and texture not to mention it locks in any of the meat flavor and juices.

Rule number 4 It's okay to use dry herbs instead of fresh. In fact it is even recommended to use dry herbs. Herbs last a lot longer on your shelves. Dry herbs even do better after cooking for a long. Of time. If you were to go the fresh herb route then I recommend putting them in at the end. If you put fresh herbs in at the beginning of the cooking process there will be nothing left or turned a gross brown color.

Rule number 5 Don't put your milk/ dairy in too early. It's never a good idea to put any type of dairy product in at the beginning of the cooking process. It can cause it to cuddle and become gross or cheese to burn on the sides and turn black. I recommend putting it in at the end. Maybe at the last 20 to 30 minutes you plan on cooking your crock pot dish is a good time to put any dairy in. Giving it time to heat up without curdling.

Rule number 6 Don't use frozen food especially meats. Make sure any food you are using is already defrosted. Especially when it comes to any protein and meat. By putting frozen meat in the Crock-Pot not only will it cause it to take longer, but is going to be in the temperature danger zone longer and be at risk of growing bacteria.

Rule number 7 Layer your food correctly. This one might be a little harder to explain. Your crock pot Cooks food faster at the bottom layer then what food you put on the top layer. So make sure what you put at the bottom takes longer to cook such as root vegetables or thick proteins.

Rule number 8 clean up. And then finally is clean up and it all is about how you started. Make sure before you do any cooking with your Crock-Pot use some sort of non-stick spray or a Crock-Pot liner bag. This will help save you time and energy at the end is a busy day. The last thing you want to do after eating is spend all night scrubbing  your Crock-Pot.

Thank you for reading I hope these eight tips and tricks will help make you're next crock Pot meal a little bit better, enjoy. 

Pictures I'm proud of

Tomato bisque

When I think of tomato soup I think of a can of tomato water. So today let's make something a little more exciting. Something you can not only dip your grilled cheese into, but can also stand alone and be quite filling.

Okay first things first. Dice a large yellow onion. Toss that into a heavy bottom pot. (It's important to have a heavy bottom pot because it helps protect against food burning at the bottom. Not prevent, but it helps.) Drizzle in a tablespoon oil. (canola or vegetable) Let the onion cook and become translucent. 1 stick of celery diced. Mince 3 cloves of garlic and mix that into. Careful garlic burns easily and if it does you'll have to start again. 

Next we'll need 28 ounces diced (I'd use 2 14 ounce cans) and tossed in the pot as well. Along with a 4 ounce can of tomato paste and cook. Toss in 4 cups of chicken stock  (or vegetable stock). Your herbs like basil, thyme, and oregano. I like cayenne, cumin, and sage. A tablespoon of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. 

Now is the part that makes it a bisque. A 1/4 cup of rice. Put that in the pot. It will cook in the tomato and chicken stock. Wait till the rice is cooked before bringing the heat down to low. 

Next we'll poor in 1 cup of heavy cream, A 1/4 cup of sour cream, and our secret ingredient. A couple drops of liquid smoke. Warning this is strong, a little goes a long way. Now we blend. You could dirty a lot of dishes try to poor all of this into a blender, but I prefer an immersion blender. Put the stick blender in the pot and blend till smooth. The cooked rice and veggies will cause the soup to thicken naturally. And we are done. 

I like this version of mine, because it is salty, earthy, spicy, smoky, and a little sweet. I hope you enjoy it for something warm this winter. If you have any questions or enjoyed this recipe please let me know in a comment. Have a great day. 

 Ingredients 

1 Large Yellow Onion

1-2 Sticks of Celery

3 Cloves of Garlic

1 tablespoon Oil

24 Oz canned dice tomatoes

4 Oz tomato paste 

4 cups of Chicken Stock (Veggie Stock) 

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1/4 Cup Rice

1 cup Heavy Cream

1/4 cup of Sour Cream

Herbs and spices to taste:

Salt and Pepper

Basil

Oregano

Thyme 

Cayenne

Cumin

Sage

Liquid Smoke (Shh it's a secret)

Traditional meatloaf

Hello I figured it would be fitting for the first recipe for me to post about would be a traditional meatloaf. Meatloaf just sounds like the everyday home cooked meal that mom makes. Then again is also notorious for coming out dry and flavorless. Let's try to fix that today with my "traditional meatloaf."

First things first. Quick talk about the meat choices we got. I'd recommend a fattier ground beef, Like 85/15. Some people could try mixing half beef and veal, or half beef and pork. Either way you'll need about 2 1/2 pounds of meat. But for now let's leave the meat in the fridge. You want it to stay cold until your ready to put it in the oven to prevent the fat from melting too soon.

So the first thing we're going to start with is making our breadcrumbs. Use fresh white bread. Rip the bread putting it into a food processor. Pulse till you have your desired texture. Enough for about 1/2 cup. Then place the breadcrumbs in a bowl and soak with a 1/2 cup of milk for about 10 minutes. 

Next in another bowl mince a large yellow onion, a green bell pepper, 6 garlic cloves minced, chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 2 large beaten eggs, 1/4 cup of permission, and salt and pepper to taste. I leave the veggies raw, because if You cook them ahead of time it will release their natural moisture and we don't want that. You can add some of your favorite herbs like rosemary, oregano, and thyme. 

Then drain the breadcrumbs and add it into the veggie mix bowl. Mix all together. Do this before adding your chosen meats to prevent over mixing. If you over mix it could cause the meatloaf to be tough. Lightly mix and then place into a casserole dish or a lined baking sheet. Shape in the classical log shape either one or two. (If you did make two loafs the second one can be frozen and kept for a rainy day for up to 3 months.)  Place in the oven at 350° for 50 minutes. 

We're almost done. At this point while the meatloaf is in the oven we're going to make our meatloaf glaze. In another bowl  (I know it's a lot of dishes) start with 1/2 cup of ketchup, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup of Dijon mustard, and our secret ingredient sriracha sauce. Now I wouldn't put too much to make it spicy. You don't want them to know it's there, but it will act as a "background flavor ." Mix all together. 

After the the timer is up pull the meatloaf out, glaze with your sauce, and put back in the oven for 10 minutes, Until it reaches 160°. Let the meatloaf sit out for 10 -15 minutes. By doing this it'll give it time to set and continue cooking. At this point the meatloaf is so hot that it continues to cook itself outsideof the oven. By catching it early it'll help prevent it from over cooking and getting dry. Now that it is set you should be able to get whole slices instead of it crumbling apart on you.

I hope this has helped. I hope this provides your family with a wonderful meal. Feel free to comment or ask questions. Have a great day. 

-Cole

Ingredients 

2 1/2 pounds of ground beef 

1 large onion 

1 green bell pepper 

6 cloves of garlic  (I like garlic)

Rosemary 

Thyme 

Parsley 

1/2 cup of milk 

1/2 cup of breadcrumbs 

1/4 cup of Parmesan

1 tablespoons of Dijon mustard 

2 large beaten eggs 

Salt and pepper to taste

Meatloaf glaze 

1/2 cup of ketchup

1/4 cup of Dijon mustard 

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce 

2-3 teaspoons of sriracha sauce  (Shh it's a secret)

Introduction first post

Hello my name is Chef Cole. I have spent hundreds of hours looking up all kinds of recipes. I've been in all kinds of kitchens. I've made it my own personal mission to learn and grow as a Chef as much as possible. And now I'm here giving back sharing with others some of my favorite recipes, tricks, tips,  and common knowledge. I'll teach the basics or some really cool advanced skills and always thanks for reading.