Why I Cook in My Slow Cooker as Much as Possible.
There are plenty of kitchen appliances that promise to make life easier, but one of the simplest is still one of my favorites: the slow cooker.
I try to cook in my slow cooker as much as possible, and not just because it makes dinner easier. Slow cooking can save time, reduce cleanup, make inexpensive ingredients more tender and help me get a homemade meal on the table without spending hours standing in the kitchen.
For anyone who is trying to cook more at home, save money, reduce food waste or become a little more self-sufficient, a slow cooker deserves a regular place on the kitchen counter.
1. Less Time Spent in the Kitchen
One of the biggest advantages of a slow cooker is that most of the work happens at the beginning.
You chop your vegetables, add your meat, beans, broth, seasonings or other ingredients, turn on the cooker and let it do the work.
Instead of having to watch a pot on the stove or keep checking something in the oven, you can get on with the rest of your day.
Meal planning becomes much easier when dinner can be cooking while you're working, cleaning, gardening, running errands or taking care of the family.
The USDA specifically notes that slow cookers can make life more convenient because planning ahead allows you to save time later.
2. Slow Cookers Can Use Less Electricity Than an Oven
Another reason I like using a slow cooker is that it can be more energy-efficient than heating up a full-size oven.
The USDA says a slow cooker uses less electricity than an oven.
That can be especially useful when you're cooking something that needs several hours of cooking time.
And in the summer, there's another benefit: a slow cooker produces much less heat in the kitchen than turning on the oven.
3. Inexpensive Cuts of Meat Can Become Tender
You don't always need an expensive cut of meat to make a delicious meal.
Slow cooking is particularly useful for tougher, less-expensive cuts. The long, moist cooking process helps tenderize the meat, making cuts that might otherwise be chewy become tender and flavorful.
This is one of my favorite ways to stretch the grocery budget.
A less-expensive roast, chicken, pork shoulder or beef cut can become several meals when combined with vegetables, beans, potatoes, rice or other inexpensive ingredients.
4. One-Pot Cooking Means Less Cleanup
I love recipes that don't leave me with a sink full of dirty dishes.
A slow cooker can often handle the entire meal in one pot. Meat, vegetables, broth and seasonings can all cook together.
That means fewer pots and pans, less scrubbing and less time cleaning the kitchen.
For busy days, that's a huge advantage.
5. It Makes Meal Prep Easier
Slow cookers fit perfectly into a meal-prepping routine.
You can cook a large batch of:
- Pulled chicken
- Shredded beef
- Pulled pork
- Chili
- Soup
- Stew
- Beans
- Chicken broth
- Pasta sauce
- Taco meat
- Shredded vegetables and meat combinations
Once the food is cooked, divide it into portions for the refrigerator or freezer.
One afternoon of cooking can give you the foundation for several meals.
6. Leftovers Can Become Completely Different Meals
One of my favorite slow-cooker tricks is cook once, eat several ways.
For example, a slow-cooked chicken can become:
Day 1: Chicken and vegetables
Day 2: Chicken tacos
Day 3: Chicken soup
Day 4: Chicken salad
Day 5: Chicken casserole
The same idea works with beef and pork.
This can save both money and time while keeping leftovers from becoming boring.
7. It Encourages Homemade Food
When cooking from scratch feels like a huge project, it's tempting to reach for packaged meals or takeout.
A slow cooker makes homemade food much more approachable.
You can use simple ingredients you already have in the pantry or freezer and turn them into a filling meal.
Beans, vegetables, meat, broth, herbs and spices can go a long way.
For people trying to rely less on highly processed convenience foods, a slow cooker can be a very useful tool.
8. It's Great for Batch Cooking
If you're trying to build a more prepared and self-sufficient kitchen, batch cooking is extremely useful.
Instead of making one small meal, cook a large batch and preserve the extra through proper refrigeration or freezing.
You can have homemade meals ready for those days when you simply don't have the time or energy to cook.
A freezer stocked with homemade soups, stews, cooked meats and sauces can be incredibly helpful.
9. Slow Cooking Can Make Healthy Meals Easier
A slow cooker doesn't automatically make a recipe healthy, but it makes it easy to build meals around nutritious ingredients.
Think:
- Lean meats
- Beans and lentils
- Vegetables
- Homemade broth
- Herbs and spices
- Whole-food ingredients
- Homemade sauces
You control what goes into the pot.
That's one of the biggest advantages of cooking at home in the first place.
10. It Can Help You Cook More Economically
Slow cooking works especially well with economical ingredients.
Beans, dried peas, inexpensive cuts of meat, seasonal vegetables and pantry staples can all become hearty meals.
You can also use the slow cooker to help prevent food waste.
Vegetables that are getting close to the end of their useful life can often be incorporated into soups, stews and casseroles rather than thrown away.
That means fewer trips to the grocery store and less food ending up in the trash.
11. You Can Cook More Than Just Dinner
Don't think of your slow cooker as something that's only for beef stew.
Depending on your model and recipe, you can make things such as:
- Breakfast oatmeal
- Soups
- Chili
- Stews
- Beans
- Meat
- Vegetables
- Pasta sauces
- Dips
- Desserts
- Some breads and breakfast dishes
The USDA notes that slow cookers can be used for foods ranging from meat and vegetables to fruits, desserts, stuffing and oatmeal.
12. It's Especially Useful on Busy Days
Some days I want a homemade dinner without having to think about dinner all day.
That's where the slow cooker really shines.
Put everything together in the morning and, depending on the recipe, you can have dinner ready later in the day.
It's one of those simple kitchen habits that can make a busy day feel much more manageable.
A Few Slow Cooker Safety Rules
As convenient as slow cookers are, food safety still matters.
The USDA recommends thawing meat and poultry before putting them into a slow cooker. Keep perishable ingredients refrigerated until you're ready to cook, and keep the lid in place during cooking.
It's also important not to overfill the cooker. Food-safety guidance recommends keeping it roughly half to two-thirds full so the food can cook properly.
Use a food thermometer when appropriate, and refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within two hours.
And remember: a slow cooker isn't a substitute for proper food handling.
Make Your Slow Cooker Part of Your Everyday Kitchen
For me, the biggest advantage of a slow cooker isn't any one thing.
It's the combination of convenience, savings, less cleanup, meal planning and homemade food.
When you learn to use your slow cooker regularly, it becomes more than an appliance you pull out when you're making chili.
It becomes a tool for making everyday cooking easier.
Whether you're trying to save money, cook more meals at home, prepare food ahead of time, reduce waste or simply spend less time standing over the stove, cooking in a slow cooker as much as possible can make a real difference.
And sometimes the best kitchen tools are the simple ones we've had all along.
