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.