20 Crock Pot Thanksgiving Recipes - Lydi Out Loud (2024)

FAQs

Can I just throw a bunch of ingredients in the crockpot? ›

For many dishes, particularly soups and stews, you really can just throw all the ingredients in. It can be nice to cook the onions beforehand, as the flavour is different to when you put them in raw, but experiment both ways as you may find you prefer one.

For a family of three to five or a leftover-obsessed couple, a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker is the perfect size. It will fit almost all recipes, including typical roasts. If you've got a big family and plenty of storage room, go for the big 7 or 8-quart models.

The only difference between the HIGH and LOW setting on a slow cooker is the amount of time it takes to reach the simmer point, or temperature at which the contents of the appliance are being cooked at. The LOW setting takes longer than the HIGH setting.

Yes, you can use your slow cooker for longer than eight hours, as long as you keep an eye on it. Many slow cookers do have an automatic shutoff after 24 hours.

However, Crockpots generally have ceramic or porcelain pots, while most slow cookers have a metal pot. As with a lot of cooking appliances, the biggest difference comes from the distribution of heat.

One hour on HIGH generally equals two hours on LOW.

Foods take different times to cook depending upon the setting used. Certainly, foods will cook faster on high than on low. However, for all-day cooking or for less-tender cuts, you may want to use the low setting.

The classic Thanksgiving dinner includes old-time favorites that never change: turkey, gravy, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, and pie. But the way these dishes are made or added to is everchanging because of food trends and different dietary requirements.

Millions of people across the United States will sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, potatoes, squash, corn, and cranberries.

They suggest placing "a foil collar over the hot side of your slow cooker (usually the side opposite the control panel) to insulate food from the hotter wall" so the food won't dry out or burn. Using foil in slow cookers can make serving easy, particularly with casserole recipes.

Is it safe to put a towel under a crockpot? ›

Set on a Flat Surface

The best place to use a crockpot is on the kitchen counter. However, any heat-safe, flat surface will also suffice. Avoid setting your slow cooker on an uneven surface, and never place it near loose fabrics, including curtains, kitchen towels, or napkins.

Veggies first, please!

The USDA notes that vegetables take longer to cook in a crock-pot than meat does, so they suggest adding your veggies to the pot first. This is useful if you're worried about about dense vegetables like potatoes or carrots not coming out as tender as the meat in your recipe.

You shouldn't be filling your slow cooker to the brim with ingredients. It needs space between the food and the lid to prevent it from boiling over. The heat inside also needs room to circulate and cook the food the right way. Generally, you shouldn't fill your slow cooker more than three-quarters full.

The exact impact on cooking times varies from dish to dish, but generally cooking multiple dishes at once can lead to longer cooking times. No matter how many dishes you plan to cook, be sure to leave at least 3 inches of space between each dish and the walls of the oven, or other dishes, to allow for proper airflow.

Most people use a slow cooker for meat, poultry and vegetables, although fruits, desserts, stuffing and oatmeal can also be prepared. All ingredients placed in a slow cooker should be thawed. Choose to make foods with high moisture content such as chili, soup, stew or spaghetti sauce.