Princeton Happenings

The weather is cooling down and it’s the perfect time of year to bust out the crock pot and make some comfort food! We’ve all used a crock pot for convenience-cooking, but here are some tips to bring your meals to the next level.

1. Make sure you are using the right size crock pot. Most recipes will tell you the size of the slow cooker you should be using when preparing a specific meal. Using the right size crock pot will ensure your food is cooked properly.

2. Try not to overfill. If a recipe says a meal will be ready in 4 hours in your slow cooker, try not to over fill or add too many extra ingredients so you can be sure your meal is done on time.

3. Use crock pot liners. These easy to use plastic inserts make cleaning up after a crock pot meal a breeze. No more soaking the pot and scrubbing it down when you’re done.

4. Fight the urge to open up your lid and peek in at your meal. When you do this several times, a lot of the heat and moisture will escape and your meal won’t be cooked properly.

5. Plan your meal the night before. If you’re making a soup that needs to simmer all day, chop your veggies and thaw your meat or poultry the night before to ensure your meal has ample time to cook and settle before serving.