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Use cooking spray. Lightly spray with cooking spray prior to adding ingredients. It just makes cleanup a whole lot easier!
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How much time? Generally, crockpot meals take 6-8 hours on low and 3-4 hours on high. Remember, 1 hour on high equals 2-2 ½ hours on low.
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To brown or not to brown? Although many recipes require you to brown the meat beforehand, it is really not necessary (with one exception). Browning chicken or beef prior to putting in your crockpot simply adds color; it offers no cooking benefits. The one exception is this – all ground meat must be browned before adding to your slow cooker!
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Use cheaper cuts of meat. You’ve never cooked a filet mignon in your slow cooker (if you have, let me know how it turned out). Because the crockpot simmers meat over a long period of time, it is better to use cheaper cuts of meat. Round steak, chuck roasts, and other such cuts turn out juicy and delicious in your slow cooker.
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Don’t lift the lid! If you’ve ever read anything about a crockpot, they tell you to not lift the lid. It’s logical – if steam is cooking the food and you lift the lid, the steam escapes therefore adding more cooking time.
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Fish in a slow cooker? You can cook certain types of fish in your slow cooker; it is added usually during the last half hour of cooking.
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Use the correct size slow cooker. Your crockpot should be no more than 2/3 full, with space between the cuts of meat (if there’s more than one piece).
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Everyone can enjoy! If you’re like my family, not everyone eats at the same time. Once the meal is cooked, reduce (or keep) the temperature setting to low. Most slow cookers have a “keep warm” setting as well; this is especially nice for toddlers who eat at 5pm and high schoolers who eat at 8pm.