Unusual Recipes for Your Slow Cooker

If you own a slow cooker, you more than likely already know how to use it for stews, soups, and roasts. There are more uses for that slow cooker than you may think. Here are three unusual ways to put your slow cooker to use.

Yogurt

You can use your slow cooker to make yogurt. You will need milk, unflavored yogurt with active cultures, and a cooking thermometer. Use 16 parts milk to 1 part yogurt (a quarter cup of yogurt for two quarts of milk). Pour the milk in the slow cooker and turn the slow cooker on low. After a couple of hours, check the temperature of the milk. The temperature must be between 100 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is more than 110F, turn the slow cooker off and check the temperature every 15 minutes. Once it is the proper temperature, turn the slow cooker to the warm setting. Remove one cup of the milk and stir it into the yogurt. Return the yogurt/milk mixture to the slow cooker and stir to mix. Leave the slow cooker set to warm for 2-6 hours. Remove the ceramic liner (containing your yogurt mixture) and put it in the refrigerator. Let it cool overnight so the yogurt sets.

Dried Beans

Your slow cooker is a great tool to use to prepare dried beans. First, rinse and pick over one pound of dried beans. Put them in your slow cooker and add water until it is two inches from the top. Let sit overnight. In the morning, pour the beans into a strainer and give them a quick rinse. Return the beans to the slow cooker and add water until the beans are submerged under two inches of water. Set the slow cooker on high and cook for 4 to 6 hours. To check doneness, spoon some beans out of the slow cooker, drain off the water, and blow on the beans. If the bean skin shrinks and splits, your beans are done. Pop one in your mouth to check tenderness. If they are done to your satisfaction, rinse and use in your favorite recipe calling for beans.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Although a quick meal on it's own, using your slow cooker to make spaghetti & meatballs can free up your time to do other things instead of standing in front of your stove. Using frozen meatballs is an even bigger time saver. In the morning, add a pound of frozen meatballs and a jar of tomato sauce to your slow cooker and set it to low. Let it cook 5-8 hours, then fill your empty sauce jar with HOT tap water and add it to the slow cooker, stirring well to blend. Add a pound of dried spaghetti (broken in half for ease of stirring) to your slow cooker, and stir carefully so you don't have giant clumps of spaghetti stuck together. Ideally, you want each strand to be in contact with sauce. Turn the slow cooker to high and let cook for 1 hour. Check your pasta. It should be perfectly cooked! Don't let it go too long, or you'll end up with mushy pasta.

Check the relevant links section of this article for a fantastic blog about cooking with a slow cooker for even more great ideas!