Comerford Hope - Fix-it and forget-it slow cooker dump dinners & desserts: 150 crazy yummy meals for your crazy busy life

Copyright 2018 by Good Books Photos by Bonnie Matthews All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Good Books, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Good Books books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Good Books, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Good Books is an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Visit our website at www.goodbooks.com. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. Cover design by Mona Lin Cover photo by Bonnie Matthews Print ISBN: 978-1-68099-349-3 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68099-352-3 Printed in China Table of Contents Welcome to Fix-It and Forget-It Slow Cooker Dump Dinners & Desserts You might be thinking, What on earth is a dump dinner? and What on earth is dump dessert? Im here to tell you theyre the easy recipes you can dump in your slow cooker and go! Dump dinners require very little prep, no browning, no sauting, and no searing! You literally just dump the ingredients into your crock and get on with your day. Come dinnertime, you have an amazing dinner waiting for you that took no time at all to get going in the morning. A dump dessert is basically one that can be made with very little effort, can be made in a single bowl and then dumped into the crock to bake.

Sounds easy enough, right? Well, it is just that easy! Well cook them low and slow, which will make the end result a delicious dessert everyone will adore. (And they wont even know how little effort you put into it!) Each easy recipe in this book is accompanied by a full-color photo so you know what the end result will hold. Youll find all of these recipes to be full of flavor, but free of hassle! So, take that slow cooker out, find a recipe that looks and sounds wonderful, and get dumping! A Few Things You Should Know About Your Slow Cooker... Not all slow cookers are created equal... or work equally as well for everyone! Those of us who use slow cookers frequently know we have our own preferences when it comes to which slow cooker we choose to use. For instance, I love my programmable slow cooker, but there are many programmable slow cookers Ive tried that Ive strongly disliked.

Why? Because some go by increments of 15 or 30 minutes and some go by 4, 6, 8, or 10 hours. I dislike those restrictions, but I have family and friends who dont mind them at all! I am also pretty brand loyal when it comes to my manual slow cookers because Ive had great success with those and have had unsuccessful moments with slow cookers of other brands. So, which slow cooker(s) is/are best for your household? It really depends on how many people youre feeding and if youre gone for long periods of time. Here are my recommendations:

Disadvantages: They take up more storage room. They dont fit as neatly into a dishwasher. If your crock isnt full, you may burn your food. Small slow cooker advantages/disadvantages: Advantages: Theyre great for lots of appetizers, for serving hot drinks, for baking cakes straight in the crock, and for dorm rooms or apartments. Great option for making recipes of smaller quantities. Disadvantages: Food in smaller quantities tends to cook more quickly than larger amounts.

So keep an eye on it. Chances are, you wont have many leftovers. So, if you like to have leftovers, a smaller slow cooker may not be a good option for you. My recommendation: Have at least two slow cookers; one around 3 to 4 quarts and one 6 quarts or larger. A third would be a huge bonus (and a great advantage to your cooking repertoire!). The advantage of having at least a couple is you can make a larger variety of recipes.

Also, you can make at least two or three dishes at once for a whole meal. Manual vs. Programmable If you are gone for only six to eight hours a day, a manual slow cooker might be just fine for you. If you are gone for more than eight hours during the day, I would highly recommend purchasing a programmable slow cooker that will switch to warm when the cook time you set is up. It will allow you to cook a wider variety of recipes. The two I use most frequently are my 4-quart manual slow cooker and my 6-quart programmable slow cooker.

I like that I can make smaller portions in my 4-quart slow cooker on days I dont need or want leftovers, but I also love how my 6-quart slow cooker can accommodate whole chickens, turkey breasts, hams, or big batches of soups. I use them both often. Get to Know Your Slow Cooker... Plan a little time to get acquainted with your slow cooker. Each slow cooker has its own personalityjust like your oven (and your car). Plus, many new slow cookers cook hotter and faster than earlier models.

I think that with all of the concern for food safety, the slow cooker manufacturers have amped up their settings so that High, Low, and Warm are all higher temperatures than in the older models. That means they cook hotterand therefore, fasterthan the first slow cookers. The beauty of these little machines is that theyre supposed to cook low and slow. We count on that when we flip the switch in the morning before we leave the house for ten hours or so. So, because none of us knows what kind of temperament our slow cooker has until we try it out, nor how hot it cooksdont assume anything. Save yourself a disappointment and make the first recipe in your new slow cooker on a day when youre at home.

Cook it for the shortest amount of time the recipe calls for. Then, check the food to see if its done. Or if you start smelling food that seems to be finished, turn off the cooker and rescue your food. Also, all slow cookers seem to have a hot spot, which is of great importance to know, especially when baking with your slow cooker. This spot may tend to burn food in that area if youre not careful. If youre baking directly in your slow cooker, I recommend covering the hot spot with some foil.

Tips and Tricks Slow cookers tend to work best when theyre to of the way full. You may need to increase the cooking time if youve exceeded that amount, or reduce it if youve put in less than that. If youre going to exceed that limit, it would be best to reduce the recipe, or split it between two slow cookers. (Remember how I suggested owning at least two or three slow cookers?) Keep your veggies on the bottom. That puts them in more direct contact with the heat. The fuller your slow cooker, the longer it will take its contents to cook.