One of the best ways to drive away the cold-weather blues is with a warm, comforting meal. Some people opt for pasta with a flavorful sauce while others want a thick soup or a hearty stew. These can take hours to make but crock pot chicken recipes can help you take the fuss out of preparing comfort food so that you can spend your time doing more important things, like snuggling under a blanket.
The name 'crock pot' is actually a brand name for a specific kitchen appliance. However, many people use it simply to refer to a slow cooker in general. It's a special device that uses low temperatures to cook your food very slowly.
It's not easy to burn anything when you slow cook it. This means that you don't have to keep a watchful eye on the stove all day. In fact, many people add the ingredients to the pot in the morning and then go to work. When they come back after long day at the office, their meal is waiting for them as if by magic.
Slow cooking is a good way to turn tough cuts of meat into something tasty. Stews and curries are in fact best when they're cooked over a long time and over low heat. This allows the meat to become tender and the different flavors to develop.
Soups are best prepared slowly too. For extra flavor, simply saute the ingredients first. Then add your stock and let it simmer until the vegetables are tender. You can liquidize part of the soup in a blender before serving to get a creamier consistency. With a slow cooker, you can even make your own chicken soup when you have a cold, since you can just put everything into the cooker and then get back into bed with a hot toddy.
You may use your crock pot for many things, from whole chickens to spaghetti sauces. You can even make sweet dishes like desserts and candy. If you have an abundance of fresh fruit or berries, prevent them from going to waste by turning them into preserves or jams.
Because slow cooking requires relatively low temperatures, the liquid evaporates much more slowly. Therefore it's important not to add too much water or stock to the pot or your meals will be watery. Another secret is to first saute your ingredients. This helps to seal in their flavor and some of the nutrient content. Before serving, add some extra vitamins to the meal by squeezing a bit of lemon juice over or garnishing the dish with chopped cilantro or parsley.
If you love poultry meat, you can't go wrong having a few basic crock pot chicken recipes in your arsenal. The appliance usually comes with a recipe booklet where you can find ideas. The internet is another wealth of information and resources but through experimentation with your slow cooker, you may stumble across your own winter standbys.
The name 'crock pot' is actually a brand name for a specific kitchen appliance. However, many people use it simply to refer to a slow cooker in general. It's a special device that uses low temperatures to cook your food very slowly.
It's not easy to burn anything when you slow cook it. This means that you don't have to keep a watchful eye on the stove all day. In fact, many people add the ingredients to the pot in the morning and then go to work. When they come back after long day at the office, their meal is waiting for them as if by magic.
Slow cooking is a good way to turn tough cuts of meat into something tasty. Stews and curries are in fact best when they're cooked over a long time and over low heat. This allows the meat to become tender and the different flavors to develop.
Soups are best prepared slowly too. For extra flavor, simply saute the ingredients first. Then add your stock and let it simmer until the vegetables are tender. You can liquidize part of the soup in a blender before serving to get a creamier consistency. With a slow cooker, you can even make your own chicken soup when you have a cold, since you can just put everything into the cooker and then get back into bed with a hot toddy.
You may use your crock pot for many things, from whole chickens to spaghetti sauces. You can even make sweet dishes like desserts and candy. If you have an abundance of fresh fruit or berries, prevent them from going to waste by turning them into preserves or jams.
Because slow cooking requires relatively low temperatures, the liquid evaporates much more slowly. Therefore it's important not to add too much water or stock to the pot or your meals will be watery. Another secret is to first saute your ingredients. This helps to seal in their flavor and some of the nutrient content. Before serving, add some extra vitamins to the meal by squeezing a bit of lemon juice over or garnishing the dish with chopped cilantro or parsley.
If you love poultry meat, you can't go wrong having a few basic crock pot chicken recipes in your arsenal. The appliance usually comes with a recipe booklet where you can find ideas. The internet is another wealth of information and resources but through experimentation with your slow cooker, you may stumble across your own winter standbys.
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