10 Skinny Crock Pot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook small amounts in a large crock pot? ›

Size Matters: Choose an oven-safe bowl that fits inside your slow cooker. This bowl should be big enough to hold your meal but small enough to allow space around it. Filling Right: Aim to fill the oven-safe bowl two-thirds to three-quarters full to ensure even cooking.

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.

A slow cooker and a Crockpot are the same thing, essentially. A slow cooker is an appliance of which there are lots of brands. Crockpot is one brand of slow cooker. Crockpot popularized slow cookers when they launched their version in the 1970s.

The small slow cooker has a 2-quart capacity that feeds 2+ people and is perfect for making small meals or dips. Use the manual warm setting to keep food warm while you are serving, or for heating up leftovers.

Size of your Slow Cooker

The size of your crockpot can affect the outcome of your meal. If your crockpot is smaller than what we recommend, you may need to cook your meal a little longer. If it's larger than what we recommend you may need to shorten the cooking time.

8 to 10-qt slow cooker: Used to serve larger groups or cook turkeys. Both Crockpot™ and Hamilton Beach® make an extra large slow cooker. Or consider the highly-rated Zavor Multi-Cooker for stews and soups.

Whether your household includes three or four people, or you're a couple who actually loves leftovers, a 5-quart slow cooker is an ideal size for you. The moderate size accommodates everything from soups and stews to and chilis and casseroles.

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 6- or 7-quart models are among the most popular, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the best choice for everyone. (By the way, here's our favorite slow cooker brand.) Find yourself among the descriptions below to learn which slow cooker we'd recommend for you.

What is the difference between a crockpot and a multi cooker? ›

The core difference between the two products comes down to their versatility. A slow cooker is designed to do one thing, cook your food slowly (and deliciously). A multi-cooker, on the other hand, is carefully crafted to offer you more versatility with sauteing, steaming and pressure cooking options.

A pressure cooker can cook the same types of delicious recipes that a slow cooker can and so much more, but cook them substantially faster (click for pressure cooker recipes).

Their most significant benefit is making cleanup easy. After the food has been removed and the slow cooker has completely cooled, you can simply lift the liner out and dispose of it in the trash.

If it comes to serving and you open your slow cooker to find a watery sauce, never fear we have an easy answer. Take the lid off, turn the machine up to high heat and leave it for 30-45 minutes to let excess moisture cook off. The liquid will reduce, leaving you with a thick and delicious gravy or sauce.

Fill your slow cooker between half and three-quarters full so the food cooks evenly. Use about 1/2-1 cup less liquid than for other cooking methods. Air circulates in the cooker creating steam, which adds more liquid.

When cooking meat or poultry, the water or liquid level should cover the ingredients to ensure effective heat transfer throughout the crock. Some manufacturers of slow cookers recommend adding liquid to fill the stoneware 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Luckily, you don't need a tiny Instant Pot to make tiny servings. You can use a large Instant Pot to make smaller portions of food, and we're going to show you how to do it, starting with a single cup of rice.