6 Reasons to Use a Crock-pot or Slowcooker

Ham and Bean Soup made in the Crock-pot

As I said in yesterday's post, I use the crock-pot all year around, but traditionally this is the time of the year that people seem to use it more. The days are shorter and it is dark by the time you get home from work so making dinner usually is the last thing we might want to do.  A crock-pot can give you inexpensive, healthy, hot meals.  I can tell you that it is the one appliance in my kitchen I know I can't live without and use it at least once a week.

If you haven't used one, please take a look at all these great reasons you should start.....

1. Saves Time - Place food in the crock and then walk away.  You don't have to watch the pot - monitoring or stirring.

2. Easy to use - You just layer the foods in the crock, turn it on and walk away until dinner.  Using a crock-pot doesn't require culinary skills.

3.  Inexpensive - It is an inexpensive kitchen appliance that gives you so much. You can use less expensive cuts of meat because the process of slow cooking makes them tender. It also uses less power than the oven.  So you save money using it several ways.

4. Healthy - Many recipes or foods you cook in the crock-pot don't need butter, oil or fat added.  You can make so many wonderfully healthy dishes full of flavor.

5.  Easy Clean-up with Removable Crocks - After the meal, just take that crock out and soak it in the sink and wash clean.  Some removable crocks are dishwasher safe so cuts your cleaning down even more. It ends up being the dish you use to prepare, cook and serve so less dishes to clean.

6. Good Meals - It creates good meals that taste good and usually gives you extra meals. You can cook a piece of meat that can serve not only dinner for tonight, but freeze left overs and reheat later for a quick meal, or use extra meal to create a totally different meal later. Such as making a pot roast and then using left over roast into beef stroganoff or stew.


Recipe for Ham & Bean Soup in the Crock-pot