Slow Cookers: recipes for smaller pots - okay for larger cookers, too?

Question

The only reason I ask is that I received a 5 qt. pot as a gift, but I doubt I will ever cook anything to fill it completely as there are just two in my family, and we're not too keen on leftovers. However, I found a slow cooker recipe book "for two" that is geared for 3 qt. pots or smaller. Would I be able to use the recipes geared for the smaller pots in my larger 5 qt. pot without the food drying-out, or burning? Would I simply have to cut the cooking time in half, or.....?

Answer 1

The general rule for slow cookers, no matter their size, is to fill them 1/2 to 2/3 full --that's to avoid having the food dry out too much.

If you don't have enough of the recipe you want to make, just fill the space with something else... for example, a few whole potatoes or yams, carrots, onions, etc (those need to go on the bottom generally to get cooked all the way through).

If you don't want the taste of those things mingling with the food you're cooking, then wrap them in aluminum foil, or put a food-safe closed container inside (perhaps upside down), or just put in a wad of aluminum foil, or something non-food wrapped in aluminum foil to take up that space.

The cooking time generally won't change though no matter what size pot you're using. They're all pretty much the same, depending on the wattage, etc.... warning though, all the ones made in the last few years cook hotter than they used to (and maybe hotter than the recipes in the book you received).

Have fun with it!... slowcookers are a great thing to have, and they'll actually cook a lot more things that you might first imagine.

Diane B.

Answer 2

Your Roast was dried out? How long did you have it in the slow cooker for? did you put water in the bottom?? When i make a roast in the crock pot i first put the roast in the frying pan and let the outside brown a little bit then i put it in the crock pot on low at 6:30 in the morning and put about a half - 2/3 of a cup of water in the bottom and sprinkle a little Onion soup mix in the water and baste it with the onion soup then i let it cook on Medium all day while im at work and when i get home at 5:30 its ready but if im not ready for it i keep it on warm and keep baisting it with the liquor from the onion soup and the roast and i use it to make gravy later. Theres also millions of other recipes for crock pots. Try these links!

Answer 3

Oh yeah, it wont burn or dry out. Thats the beauty of it. What I like to do too...even though it is techincally a leftover, is cook a large soup or stew on the weekend or a big pot of meat, and portion it out and freeze it. Veggies or Broths too. And then I can add it to meals during the week and it really saves time.

There is so much you can do in your crockpot but dont feel like you are stuck making 5qts of food at a time. Its incredibly forgiving! Just cook on low and cook less.

Answer 4

I have a 5 quart pot and I've successfully cooked a half-pot full. I think the cooking is the same; the crock pot is very forgiving that way.

Answer 5

The recipes should turn out fine. I use my crock pot all the time, and don't always have it full.