Steps to Success with Slow Cookers
Many of the recipes are easy to prepare if you're going to be gone for the whole day because all the ingredients cook at the same rate in the same time. But there are some others that need a bit more tending to. Some need rice added before the end of the cooking because the rice cooks faster than the chicken, while others need a topping that requires time to cook.
Cooking Strategies
If foods have to be added sequentially, one part of the recipe always represents the bulk of the cooking time. You can do that part one day (or in the morning), then finish the dish the next day (or in the evening). Reheat the first day's cooked foods on the stove or in a microwave before continuing with the rest of the recipe.
Layering the Toppings
The Greeks are famous for making casseroles with custard toppings. These dishes are easy to do in the slow cooker. The key is to level the mixture that's cooking in the slow cooker so the custard topping cooks level and evenly. Before you add the custard topping, try to remove as much grease as possible from the under layer.
More on: Cooking Tips and Basics
Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Slow Cooker Cooking © 2003 by Ellen Brown. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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