Can you give me a tip on Crock Pot cooking?

@petebaja (516)
Mexico
February 11, 2008 1:00pm CST
I love to use my slow cooker. I get home at night from a hard day's work and love the smell of my favorite chicken dish. I love that the chicken is so tender that it falls off the bone. But I have a problem with the vegetables. They always wind up soggy. Can anyone give me any tips on how I could avoid this in the future?
3 people like this
5 responses
@Myrrdin (3599)
• Canada
11 Feb 08
the best way to handle veggies is to add them at a much later stage in the cooking, or cook them separately. Unfortunately not many veggies come out nice in the crock pot.
2 people like this
@petebaja (516)
• Mexico
12 Feb 08
I notice that veggies don't come out as well in the crock pot. However, I find when I cook the veggies separately, I don't get the same flavor as if it were cooked with the soup base or stew base.
2 people like this
• Canada
12 Feb 08
I microwave the veggies as soon as I get home in minimal water, and add veggies, water and all. You only need about 4 tbsp. water.
1 person likes this
@petebaja (516)
• Mexico
14 Feb 08
Oh, I'll try that method of cooking the veggies. Thanks for the suggestion.
1 person likes this
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
11 Feb 08
Hi. I love using my crockpot to cook too. I will make a chicken and put it on the bottom. Then add a potato or 2 and maybe a acorn squash. These are foods that need to be soggy. Sometimes I will add dressing to the chicken. Since most vegetables get soggy with a lot of cooking I would do them on the stove top. If your doing a stew I would add them partly cooked after getting home then they will still be ferm.
@petebaja (516)
• Mexico
12 Feb 08
Thanks for the info!
1 person likes this
• United States
11 Feb 08
I do not put my veggies in for the whole cooking cycle. As soon as I come home I add them and usually by the time we are ready to eat dinner they are cooked the way we like them.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
16 Feb 08
The only thing I can think of that would cause that would be if you added too much water or other liquid to your cooker. I've personally never had that problem. What vegetables are you cooking? Annie
@petebaja (516)
• Mexico
16 Feb 08
I use zucchini (Italian squash), carrots, onions, broccoli and potatoes. The carrots, potatoes and onions come out fine. It's the green stuff that come out soggy. I don't use a lot of water at all. I throw in a cup or less.
• United States
11 Feb 08
I cook everything from scratch. When I am not home, which is rare, my husband sticks a chicken in the crockpot with a can of cream of mushroom soup and two cans of water before he goes to work. The boys love it! My roast recipe on Associated Content is also good in the crock pot. Several of my readers have tried it and loved it too.