TIPS FOR COOKING IN A SLOW COOKER OR CROCKPOT

Here are a few tips to make your crockpot or slow cooker meals turn out at their very best:

• If you are cooking meats and vegetables together, place the vegetables in the bottom of the cooker with the meat on top.  This will keep the vegetables from drying out and will allow the meat to absorb more flavors from the vegetables.
• When a recipe calls for cooking 10 to 12 hours on low, you may shorten the cooking time by first cooking on high for an hour then lowering the heat to low.  This can cut a couple hours off the low temp cooking time.
• It is not necessary to brown lean meats before putting in the cooker.  Brown fatty meats first to eleminate some of the fat before placing in the cooker.
• If a recipe calls for cooking pasta before adding to the cooker, be careful not to overcook.  Pasta should only be cooked to just tender, otherwise it will become too limp in the cooker.