Slow cookers (Crock-Pots) are great for cooking: You can leave meats, veggies, and sauces inside for hours without worrying. Chicken wings, meatloaf, stew, you name it…Simply turn the knob to “slow” or “fast” cooking, and wait. That said, there are foods you shouldn’t cook in a slow cooker. Check them out below!
Raw Red Meat
You can add all the spices you have in your pantry, and red meat still won’t taste flavorful if you cook it in a slow cooker. However, there is a solution. Brown the meat on the stove in a pan or cast-iron skillet before putting it into the Crock-Pot. This will give it flavor and a rich, golden color!
Leftovers
Whether you initially cooked the food in the slow cooker or not, do not reheat leftovers in the kitchen appliance. Why? Because a Crock-Pot heats food slowly at low temperatures. Taking already prepared food and bringing it to your desired temp means it will stay in the “unsafe food temperature zone” for too long. Bacteria can multiply rapidly, and you definitely don’t want to ingest them.
Creamy Ingredients
Just thinking about heating milk for six hours gives us the heebie jeebies. The same goes for heavy cream, half-and-half, and any plant-based alternative (e.g., almond, oak, or cashew milk).
You shouldn’t put creamy ingredients into a Crock-Pot – at least not for the entire cooking duration. Instead, add milk and cream later when the mixture is warm but not boiling. This action will prevent curdling.
Fish
Fish is a lean protein, which generally cooks faster than, say, steak. However, having fish sit inside a Crock-Pot for hours will make it tough to chew and rubbery. So, if you want to make a slow cooker meal with fish as the main ingredient, add it toward the end of the cooking time.
Pasta
Pasta was made to be boiled on the stovetop, not cooked in a slow cooker all day. Why? Because, like fish, pasta cooks way too fast. You’ll likely overcook the carb in a Crock-Pot, turning it into mush. Instead, make your pasta sauce in the countertop device. Smell the air as the spices work together to create an incredible substance. Mix the pasta in when the sauce is done, and turn the slow cooker off!