Slow Cooker Recipes Review

I have heard so many good things about the use of a Slow Cooker that I got one for my birthday earlier this year (I honestly love kitchen gadgets as gifts!). Maybe you should know, that growing up in Germany, I haven´t heard of such a thing as a Slow Cooker before we moved to the US. 

To kind of force myself into using it regularly, and that way get a feeling for the possibilities that come with that new way of cooking, we had Slow Cooker meals every Wednesday since we´ve got it - and some weeks even more than that. 

In this post I would like to share my experiences from the first few recipes I´ve tried.



Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken:
(click on title for recipe link)

This one was my very first time using the Slow Cooker and I was very curious about the outcome. I had to admit that the first thing I realized was the smell (it might have been the soysauce) that was not quite my taste. The actual meal was ok, but I found it a little dry. The problem might have been that my Slow Cooker was bigger than the one in the recipe and therefore my chicken wasn´t covered with sauce while cooking. 
The second day we had the leftovers pulled-chicken-style on a sandwich and that turned out to taste just perfect!!





Slow Cooker Whole Chicken:

(aaaahhhhhrrrgg, I can´t find the recipe! I am sure it was on pinterest somewhere... but why can´t I find the link?)
This time the chicken turned out much better and even if the recipe called for soysauce again (and I still didn´t like that smell in my kitchen) the sauce was delicious! For the first meal we had the chicken on a salad, which was ok but not as good as the leftovers with potatoes and the wonderful sauce that we had the second day!





Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce:

This recipe is nice, but I should have adjusted the seasoning to the way I usually season my very own Bolognese Sauce, to make it taste more the way I like it. The first time around, I wanted to stick with the recipe, but next time I will be braver...  




Overnight Oatmeal for Slow Cooker:

This idea of preparing your breakfast the night before and wake up to a warm oatmeal caught my eye and I had to try it out! But to be honest I prefer my own version of warm oatmeal with fresh apples instead of over night cooked apples. I still like the idea and I might give it another try...


 
Crock Pot Cashew Chicken:

This is my favorite so far! Nice seasoning, just be careful with the amount of pepper flakes you use. Your meal could turn out a little bit too spicy!





Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes:

This one is suuuuper easy and the outcome is super yummy! I am just not sure if potatoes really have to cook for 7 hours (I like potatoes in any way you can think of), but I am sure I will make it again!




Crock Pot Roasted Chicken:

I couldn´t find paprika in my cabinet so I used a BBQ rub that my daughter made in preschool for father´s day (I think it has paprika amongst other stuff) and I will make several different meals from it. First day, chicken with potatoes and salad. Second day, pulled chicken sandwich. Third day, chicken in pasta sauce and I am pretty sure we will still have some leftovers for a fourth meal...

 
















So, after a lot of chicken recipes, I might try beef next. Also on my list are apple sauce and meatballs. I´ll keep you informed!