Making food in crockpot?

Question

I'm making roast beef and veggies in a crockpot. Just wondering if I can make it the night before, cut up all the potatoes and carrots and stuff, and throw it in the crockpot. Then the next morning turn it on and cook it for supper that night. Will the veggies get gross if it just sits in there over night without cooking it? I haven't really time to do it all in the morning, just thought I'd see if the night before was a possibility.

Any suggestions???

Answer 1

I would do all the prep the night before but keep the veggies in a seperate ziploc bag from the meat and then when you are about to leave, pop everything in the crock pot and go. An extra step but you don't have to worry about air getting to the ingredients and also works well if you want to pre-marinate the ingredients.

Answer 2

I wouldn't leave it out over night at room temp like that. That's asking for food poisoning. Go ahead and get it all ready the night before, but leave it in the refrigerator until morning. Then kick on the heat for the day. We have done this too many times to count and have never had a problem one. Of course, It's much easier if your crock pot has a removeable crock :)

Answer 3

Your veggies would actually turn out better if you cooked them on low in the crockpot overnight and them add your roast in the morning, still continuing to cook everything on low.

Answer 4

You should be fine just make sure everything is covered and in the fridge so it doesn't go bad. OR... most crock pots have a removable pot put everything in including the gravy and put that with the lid on in the fridge all you would have to do in the am then was put it back in and turn it on. I do that most of the time.

Answer 5

So long as you're not using anything that really soaks up liquid (rice, noodles, eggplant, etc.) You should be fine. Make sure you keep the contents chilled to avoid spoilage, then turn it on that morning. That's not only fine, it's a very common--and often recommended by the folks who make slow cookers--strategy.