When a friend mentioned that she serves chili over noodles, I was intrigued. We always serve our chili straight up with cornbread or tortilla chips on the side, but I had to try this new way, and the results were what inspired this chili mac from my cookbook "Mostly Veggies." Is it chili? Is it mac and cheese? It's the best of both worlds, and it's surprisingly healthy and packed with veggies!
When a friend mentioned that she serves chili over noodles, I was intrigued. We always serve our chili straight up with cornbread or tortilla chips on the side, but I had to try this new way, and the results were what inspired this chili mac from my cookbook "Mostly Veggies." Is it chili? Is it mac and cheese? It's the best of both worlds, and it's surprisingly healthy and packed with veggies!
A slow cooker Salisbury steak recipe may seem simple and old-fashioned, but ours hides a world of complexity. This updated take on a classic is filled with umami-laden flavors like mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and tomato paste, which serve as a rich counterpoint to the comforting seasoned beef patties you know and love. According to Ksenia Prints of Thermocookery, there are those meals that you have as a child that stay with you when you have children of your own.
Beginner cooks often fall into the trap of buying a cheap piece of meat. When you aren't well-versed in the different cuts, it can be hard to understand why chuck roast is on sale for $8 a pound while those Wagyu ribeyes and USDA prime steaks are going for much more. Visually, they seem like they could be similar - but when that first forkful makes it to your mouth, the tough texture makes the price difference clear.
A steaming, brothy bowlful is the ultimate cold-weather food, being nourishing, cozy, and wonderfully low-effort. And, crafting a homemade batch is even more satisfying when you let the slow cooker do all of the hard work for you. If you typically make soup on the stovetop, we urge you to dig out the slow cooker instead, because this trusty appliance is a game-changer for whipping up slow-simmered soups with ease.
Whether you're headed to a potluck or hosting a big dinner party at home, the last thing you want is your carefully prepared food getting cold before you can serve it to guests. Investing in one simple, affordable kitchen appliance - a slow cooker - will allow you to make effortless side dishes. One of the absolute best uses for your slow cooker is keeping side dishes warm while maintaining their taste, quality, and texture.
It is certainly possible to use a slow cooker to whip up a delicious batch of homemade ice cream, and it makes preparing the dessert so much easier. While you do still need a freezer, the slow cooker takes all of the hard work out of making the ice cream's base. This is because the appliance's low cooking temperature is perfect for cooking an egg-based custard.
Part of the problem is that pork chops are notoriously easy to overcook and dry out. As delicious as they may be on the grill or breaded and fried, they still require some finesse. Even in a slow cooker, pork chops can dry out if they're not handled the right way, leaving you with tough, flavorless meat that does not make a pleasant meal.
Almost hands-off - This super simple recipe leaves the hard work to the slow cooker. Just set it, forget it, and return hours later to a flavorful, satisfying meal. Juicy, flavorful chicken - Whether you go with chicken breasts or thighs, the slow cooker delivers tender, shredded chicken smothered in rich BBQ sauce every time. Crowd-pleasing - Make this BBQ chicken recipe for meal prep, potlucks, or easy weekday meals. It's perfect for sandwiches, salads, baked potatoes, and more!
Short ribs might look like a steak with extra bone, but they're built differently. Cut from the lower rib cage, they carry thick, durable layers of muscle, connective tissue, and fat, all woven around hefty bones. That structure means quick heat is all wrong for them. Drop them in a sizzling skillet, and the proteins in the meat will seize up, chewy and unyielding.
Hearty, savory, and complex, coq au vin is all about the interplay of juicy chicken, dry wine, umami mushrooms and onions, and aromatics like rosemary and thyme. Sweet, mild pearl onions are a key part of this profile. However, round pearl onions are roughly ½ inch in diameter, making them labor-intensive and tricky to peel. This grunt work is compounded by the fact that many individual pearl onions are called for per dish.
The best weeknight meals are ones that come together with minimal prep and a fairly short cooking time. Some can be largely prepared ahead or in batches - say in a slow cooker - and simply reheated. Choosing recipes that don't have you running all around town for an unusual ingredient also helps, as does picking one-pan dishes that guarantee easy cleanup.
Compared to the same dish cooked on the stovetop or in an oven, food from a slow cooker can sometimes taste bland and dull (some people call this the "slow cooker flavor"). Well, your taste buds aren't tricking you - slow-cooking actually mutes flavor. In the slow cooker, steam coming off the food gathers on the lid, then drips back down. This closed circle means your food essentially stews in its own juices with almost zero evaporation throughout the entire process.
Your slow cooker is one of the most versatile kitchen appliances you own. It can be used to cook or simmer dishes low and slow, allowing your ingredients to develop and absorb rich flavors. If you're a fan of easy meals that don't require a lot of preparation or supervision, you might be tempted to cook a whole chicken in your slow cooker. However, that may not always be the best method.
Exceeding those limits can disrupt how your food cooks, or worse, the safety of your kitchen. In fact, one of the quickest and messiest results of overfilling your slow cooker is it bubbling over. As the food heats and liquids begin to simmer, there's little room for expansion, causing liquids such as sauces, broths, or oil to spill over the edges of the pot, under the lid, drip down the exterior, and onto your counter or stovetop.
If you're someone who thinks turning on the oven in July is a crime that should be punishable by death, or maybe if you just love low-effort kitchen hacks, your slow cooker is about to become your new best friend. Roasting garlic is easy and practically foolproof. No more scorched bulbs or babysitting the oven. Just slice the top off a few whole garlic heads, drizzle them with olive oil, wrap them in foil, and nestle them into your slow cooker.
In fact, sometimes I just opt for the fastest method ( boiling corn in a pot of seasoned water) so I can bite into a crunchy, sweet and salty ear of corn as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, cooking corn on the stovetop, especially when using frozen corn, increases the risk of soggy corn on the cob that isn't very flavorful.
During the hot summer months, the slow cooker is the perfect alternative for warm meals without heating the kitchen. It allows for ‘fix-it-and-forget-it’ cooking while enjoying the outdoors or relaxing at home.
