Slow Cooker Dinner Dump Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the point of a dump dinner? ›

It's a hassle to even place an order for takeout. Enter the dump dinner. If you're unfamiliar, dump dinners are exactly what they sound like: Dump all of the ingredients into a casserole dish, slow cooker, sheet pan or pot, and dinner is just about done.

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.

Information. Reheating leftovers in a slow cooker is not recommended. Cooked food should be reheated on the stove, in a microwave, or in a conventional oven until it reaches 165 °F. Then the hot food can be placed in a preheated slow cooker to keep it hot for serving—at least 140 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

Make-ahead when possible: If your slow cooker has a removable insert, assemble the ingredients the night before and refrigerate the entire insert overnight. It's important to note that starting with cool ingredients may lengthen cooking time (but be sure to keep them out of the temperature danger zone).

Can you put meat straight into a slow cooker? Meat can be added directly unseared and not browned. However, browning meat and caramelising the beef is a great way to add depth of flavour and improve the visual appearance of the final dish.

While its name might sound unappetizing, the "dump dinner" is a thing of beauty: Take ingredients, dump them into your cooking vessel, set a timer, and walk away until the timer goes off.

GARBAGE CAN SUPPER

A mixture of veggies like potatoes, carrots, onions, corn and cabbage along with kielbasa was put into this garbage can and cooked for about 1 1/2 hours.

Low: 7-8 hours to reach the simmer point. High: 3-4 hours to reach the simmer point. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.

Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.

Can You Put Raw Beef in a Slow Cooker? Yes, you can totally cook raw beef in a slow cooker. Many slow-cooker chili recipes have a step for browning the beef before it goes into the Crock-Pot. While this step isn't necessary, caramelizing the meat creates richer, bolder flavors.

How long can you leave a slow cooker on low? ›

Most slow cooker meals take 8-12 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high, but there are also recipes for slow-cooked meat that take up to 24 hours. If you want to avoid overcooking your dish, follow the given guidelines as closely as possible.

Information. It is best to thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Frozen pieces will take longer to reach a safe internal temperature and could possibly result in foodborne illness. Frozen or partially frozen foods can also cool everything else in the slow cooker.

Are slow cookers safe to leave on? Yes, it's safe to leave a slow cooker on when you leave the house. The purpose of a slow cooker is to allow you to cook while you aren't home. Slow cookers simmer food slowly, killing bacteria and raising meat to the perfect internal temperature.

While it's perfectly ok to use your crock pot in this way, try to avoid leaving food on the warming setting for more than four hours. According to the USDA, food kept at between 40 and 140 degrees is more at risk of forming bacteria. In this temperature range, bacteria can double in number within just 20 minutes.

Take the lid off

Place the cooker on a high setting, and open the lid for 30-45 minutes to let excess moisture cook off. The liquid will reduce, leaving you with a thick and delicious gravy or sauce. (Tip: This trick can also be applied for thickening stews, or when you've accidentally added too much liquid.)

When it comes to the relationship between eating and obesity, there appears to be a conventional wisdom that to keep fit and avoid obesity, one needs to"eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper," an advice attributed to Adele Davis, a once popular yet controversial American nutritionist.

The Plated Meal: Alternate Drop

Alternate drop menus include two dishes served alternatively around the table. Guests don't actually order their choice of dish, but the idea is that they are free to swap with their neighbour if they wish.

In formal settings, the host asks the guests to start the meal. Generally, one should not leave the table before the host or the eldest person finishes his or her food.