Awesome Slow Cooker Hacks You Might Not Have Known!

If you’re like me when fall comes around I pull out my slow cooker more! I love having dinner ready when we got home from dance or after piano lessons. But I’m traditional and don’t venture too far when it comes to using my crock pot! So this fall, it’s going to be different and you can join in too! Checkout these awesome ways you can use your slow cooker!

  • Line Your Crock Pot with foil for easy clean up – I hope you guys have seen the crock pot lines they sell and we often see deals for but if you’re in a pinch and you’ve ran out, grab your foil and line your crock pot to save on clean up.
  • Warm Some Potpourri Inside your crock pot – this will make your home smell like the holidays without having to turn the oven on and heat your potpourri there. I love this tip since we’re giving out potpourri as neighbor gifts this year 😉
  • Use your crock pot as a humidifier – two kids are down with a cold and you only have one humidifier. No worries, you can use your crock pot. Just fill your pot about ¾ full with water and cover. Turn on high and let it go for an hour. Then let the moisture escape into the air. Please make sure you don’t let the pot run when there’s nothing in to. Just add room-temperature water as needed.
  • Keep your Thanksgiving side dishes warm in the crock pot – we only have a couple more weeks until it Thanksgiving! This is a great way to free up some space on the store while still keeping your food warm! Great for mashed potatoes, green beans, etc.
  • Brown your meat before cooking in the slow cooker – ever wondered why most recipes tell you to brown your meat? This locks the flavors inside giving you more flavorful and tender meat.
  • Change any recipe into a slow cooker recipe – there are lots of ideas for different slow cooker recipes out there but maybe your family has a favorite you’ve only cooked in the conventional oven. You can convert your recipe into a slow cooker recipe, just add about ½ more liquid to most recipes (water or broth) and change your cooking time (you can find time suggestions on pinterest or by googling it)

I hope you guys enjoy your day in the kitchen today with family and those you love and are able to use these tips for cooking in your crock pot no matter what time of year you pull it out.