Crock-pot Cooking Conversion Table's and other things you need to know

Do you have recipes that you wish you could prepare in your crock-pot?  I do, and I've always wondered how to convert them to the slow cooker method.
After I did a little research through Google (not much really), I found some really helpful tips, information and conversion table guidelines!!!
I'm super excited now, and I will be re-making family favorites, crock-pot style~and I will post the recipe(s) along with the results from changing them over to slow cooking method.

{I have 5 crock-pot's, but this model is my favorite}

Oven to Crockpot Conversion General Information

It's difficult to give exact conversion information on translating traditional oven recipes to the crock-pot. Below you will find some general guidelines for converting your favorite recipes to the crock-pot. Since crock-pots vary, you should consult your owner's manual for instructions.

• Crockpots may vary but generally, the LOW setting is about 200 degrees F. and the HIGH setting is about 300 degrees F. One hour on HIGH is approximately equal to 2 to 2-1/2 hours on LOW. Most crockpot recipes recommend cooking 8-10 hours on LOW. Some recipes recommend the HIGH setting based on the nature and texture of the food. You will have to judge your recipe accordingly. For example, beef cuts will be better cooked on LOW for 8-10 hours to get a more tender texture, where chicken can be cooked on HIGH 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

• Reduce the amount of liquid used in most oven recipes when using the LOW setting, since the crockpot retains all moisture that usually evaporates when cooking in the oven. Add liquids for sauces about an hour before done. You will normally end up with more liquid at the end of cooking times, not less. A general rule is to reduce liquids by half, unless rice or pasta is in the dish.

• Spices may need to be reduced or increased. Whole herbs and spices increase their flavoring power in crockpot cooking while ground spices may have lost some flavor. Add ground spices during the last hour of cooking. Whole leaf and herbs will probably need to be reduced by half.

• Rice, noodles, macaroni, seafood, Chinese vegetables and milk do not hold up well when cooked 8-10 hours. Add these to sauces or liquid about 2 hours before serving when using LOW setting (or 1 hour on HIGH). If you want to use milk in an 8-10 hour recipe, use evaporated milk.

• Browning meats before cooking is a personal choice. It is not necessary but it will reduce the fat content of some meats and increase eye appeal if you brown it before cooking.

• Sautéing vegetables (like onions, etc) is not necessary, (except for eggplant which should be parboiled or sautéed prior due to its strong flavor). Just add them to the pot with everything else. You may wish to reduce quantities of stronger vegetables since they will permeate the other foods in the crockpot with their full flavor.

• Dry beans can be cooked overnight on LOW as an alternative to soaking. Cover with water and add 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Drain and combine with other ingredients. Be sure beans are softened before adding to any sugar or tomato mixture.

• For best results, use long-grain parboiled/converted raw rice in recipes, and use standard liquid amounts instead of reducing the liquid. For mixed recipes requiring pasta, it's best to cook the pasta separately to al dente texture and add just before serving.

• For soups, add water only to cover ingredients. If thinner soup is desired, more liquid can be added at the end of the cooking time.


The following charts assume a normal oven baking temperature of 350- to 375 F.

General Oven to Crockpot Cooking Time Conversions
Oven	Crockpot
15 to 30 minutes	1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours on HIGH or 4 to 6 hours on LOW
35 to 45 minutes	2 to 3 hours on HIGH or 6 to 8 hours on LOW
50 minutes to 3 hours	4 to 5 hours on HIGH or 8 to 18 hours on LOW
Note: Most uncooked meat and vegetable combinations will require at least 8 hours on LOW.

General Crockpot Cooking Times for Specific Foods
Pot Roast	8-12 hours on LOW or 4 to 5 hours on HIGH
Stew	10 to 12 hours on LOW or 4 to 5 hours on HIGH
Ribs	6 to 8 hours on LOW
Stuffed Peppers	6 to 8 hours on LOW or 3 to 4 hours on HIGH
Brisket	10 to 12 hours on LOW
Swiss Steak	8 to 10 hours on LOW
Corned Beef & Cabbage	6 to 10 hours on LOW or 4 to 5 hours on HIGH
Casserole	4 to 9 hours on LOW or 2 to 4 hours on HIGH (stirring occasionally)
Rice	5 to 9 hours on LOW or 2 to 3 hours on HIGH
Meat Loaf	8 to 9 hours on LOW
Dry Beans	1 to 2 hours on HIGH plus 8 to 9 hours on LOW
Soup	6 to 12 hours on LOW or 2-6 hours on HIGH
Chicken	7 to 10 hours on LOW or 3 to 4 hours on HIGH
Vegetables	2 to 4 hours on LOW with liquid added
Baked Potato	8 to 10 hours on LOW
Artichoke	6 to 8 hours on LOW or 2-1/2 to 4 hours on high (with water)
Note: Remember to check the owner's manual for your particular crockpot for full instructions on usage. The above cooking times are only VERY general guidelines.

Information from:  About.com


And from KraftFoods.com come these awesome tips and tricks that will help make your crockin' a rockin' experience {it's awesome when I rhyme}.

Slow-Cooker Tips & Tricks

Master the mystery of this appliance.

• Don't fill it up. Your slow cooker should be one-half to two-thirds full. If it's too full, it will take too long to start simmering. If it's not full enough, you risk overcooking.
• Keep it thrifty. This long, moist cooking method is ideal for inexpensive cuts of meat, since it provides plenty of time for tenderizing.
• Leave it alone. Don't lift the lid, unless you want to extend the cooking time by 20 min. To check the progress, spin the lid until the condensation falls off. If the recipe gives you reason to lift the lid, replace it quickly.
• Customize it. If you want to thicken the juices or concentrate flavors, remove the lid and cook on HIGH for the last 30 min.
• Stick to the cooking time. Slow cookers work by simmering food at a low, even temperature, so adhere to the recipe.

Want to print and keep this information close by?
Click here for the free printable charts & information

Basic Cream Puff Shells

The first time I decided to try making cream puffs I was pretty intimidated.  They seemed so complicated and I was sure my first attempt would be horrible.  Wrong!
The cream puff is so easy to make that it's kind of shocking! 
This is a basic recipe for the cream puff, and it works equally well with sweet or savory fillings.
In fact, try them with my Chicken Salad recipe, or my Pumpkin Spiced Cream Puffs recipe. 
Go ahead, give this recipe a try.  Your friends will think you've become a pastry chef!

Cream Puff Shells

1 c. water

1/2 c. butter or shortening

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. flour

4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
In a large sauce pan, bring the water, salt and butter to a boil.  Make sure the butter has completely melted.  When the water mix reaches a boil, add the flour and stir until the mix forms a ball, and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Remove from heat.
With an electric mixer, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Here is the dough after adding 1 egg.

Consistency of dough after all the eggs have been incorporated.

Drop by large tablespoon onto greased or parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 20 minutes.
The puffs should be golden in color, and if you tap lightly on the top they will sound slightly hollow.

Remove to wire racks and cool completely.
Once completely cool, slice the top 1/3 of the puff off, and set it aside.  Remove any dough that is in the puff.

Fill with your choice of filling,savory or sweet and replace the top.  Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate, whatever makes you happy, and that's it!

 

Lemon Pie Popcorn Balls

The other day my sister emailed this recipe to me.  Her subject line was: "Make these for me, Thanks!"
For as long as I can remember, my sister has been hooked on Lemonheads. She always has them around,  in her purse, her car, her desk, her night stand, her kitchen...you get the idea.

 

Although I don't really understand her love affair with them, I did get a kick out this recipe, so I decided to give it a try!
The recipe is very similar to my own popcorn balls, Soft and Chewy Popcorn Balls, so I knew this one wouldn't give me any problems, kind of a no brainer...I liked that.

The popcorn balls really reminded me of a lemon creme pie in flavor, so that's the name I've chosen for them!

 LEMON PIE POPCORN BALLS

6 Tbsp. butter 

(no substitution)*

2 c. miniature marshmallows

2/3 c. lemonheads candies

(or 2 small boxes)

8-10 c. popped popcorn

In a medium size sauce pan, melt the butter over low heat. Drop in the marshmallows, stir, and when they start to melt, add the lemonheads. Bring the mix to a boil, Stirring constantly until lemonheads have melted.  This took longer than I expected, about 10 minutes.  As they soften, you can crush them with the back of a spoon or with the tines of a fork, and that will help the melting process speed up. 

Once the lemonheads have melted, immediately pour over the popped corn, stir well to coat, and form into small popcorn balls.  Be sure to keep a small glass of cool water next to you. Dip your hands into the water whenever the popcorn starts to stick to you, or if the popcorn is hot to handle.

This recipe made 10 balls that were about the size of a tangerine or small orange.

After a few minutes of setting time, the balls became crisp and chewy.  Store them in a container or in individual sandwich bags.

*Note:  The reason I recommend that you not substitute the butter, is due to the high water content found in margarine and spreads.  They make the popcorn soggy, and the balls won't set up.

A few recommendations from a self proclaimed popcorn expert.  Don't use microwave popcorn (the kind with no butter).  Also, air popped corn doesn't hold up as well to hot syrups, and will become "mushy" in texture.

Use a popcorn popper.  My absolute favorite small appliance in my house.  I've worn out so many over the years that I've lost count (I eat a lot of popcorn).

I have a Stir Crazy popper, and you can find them at Target, Walmart, etc...usually under $30.00, and sooo worth the $!

 And use good quality popcorn kernels. I swear by Orville Redenbacher, and trust me, I've probably tried every brand out there. 

(These recommendations are strictly my own, and not ads for the products)

Sour Dough Bread Starter

This is a recipe I got from OurSevenDwarfs.com, along with a fabulous recipe for sourdough bread! I followed the directions carefully and discovered that having a sourdough starter to take care of was not nearly the work I thought it would be. Awesome!

SOURDOUGH BREAD STARTER

3 Tbsp. instant mashed potato flakes

3 Tbsp. white sugar

1 c. warm water

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (1 packet)

Day 1:

Combine the potato flakes, sugar, water and yeast in a covered container with a tight lid. Let the container sit on the counter for the next 5 days, but be sure to stir the mix every day using a wooden or plastic spoon.  Do not use a metal bowl or utensils to mix the starter, the metal seems to affect the yeast adversely.

Day 5:

In the morning of the 5th day, feed the starter with

3 Tbsp. instant potato flakes

3/4 c. sugar

1 c. warm water

Again leave on the counter.  In the evening remove 1 c. of starter from the container, to use for your sour dough bread.  Refrigerate the remaining starter.

EVERY 5 DAYS FEED THE STARTER WITH THE INGREDIENTS LISTED ABOVE for day 5). AFTER ADDING THE FEED, REMOVE 1 C. OF THE MIX, LET IT REST AT ROOM TEMP FOR 6 HOURS BEFORE USING IN YOUR RECIPE.

RETURN REMAINING STARTER TO THE FRIDGE.

If you can not use the cup of removed starter, simply discard it and continue to feed your starter every 5 days.

Thanks to Jill and Shannon at Oursevendwarfs.com-this is a great recipe!


And here is the link to my sour dough bread recipe:  Sour dough bread

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