Is a slow cooker/crockpot worthwhile if you don't eat meat?

MarvelGrrl

I like the idea of using a slow cooker especially now that the weather is getting warmer. Theoretically it won't heat up the entire kitchen like the stove or oven. A friend told me veggie based dishes aren't suitable for slow cookers since it will just break veggies down into mush. Is this true?

JeromeBarry1

When I cooked pinto beans and brown rice together in a crockpot, the resultant mush was nutritious. Both brown rice and beans perform quite well when I cook them in a saucepan. For my other vegetables I use a steamer.

enterdanger

I eat meat, but I don't think that is always the case. It just depends on how long you will have it in there. I make chili in my crockpot with beans and peppers and onions all the time. It comes out fine. I usually only do it for 4 hours if I used canned beans. If you are using dried that you soaked overnight they hold up fine for 8 hours in there.

You might need to adjust your cooking times but I can think of numerous soups I've made in the pot. Most of them have a 4 hour cook time. I prefer stuff that can be in there for like 10 hours while I'm at work.

I've also made oatmeal in it before bed and woke up to deliciousness.

Lizzy622

bean and whole grain dishes work very well in the crock pot. Most cookers now also have timers so you can set it to start cooking later and cook for less time if you have more delicate veggies.

janejellyroll

Beans are amazing cooked in the crockpot. I also make seitan in mine.

Espressocycle

There's nothing you can make overnight in a slow cooker than you can't make in minutes with a pressure cooker.

williams969

janejellyroll wrote: »

Beans are amazing cooked in the crockpot. I also make seitan in mine.

Yes to crock pot beans! Chili, baked beans, barbecue beans, three bean soup/stew, etc. Oh, and you can make baked potatoes in a slow cooker, too. So much nicer than heating up the house in the blazing summer months.

jgnatca

I also vote for the best way to cook beans. Delicate vegetables can be added near the end so they don't get mushy.

ASKyle

I vote no, it's not worth it.

Most things I could make in the crockpot can be made on the stove- with the exception of meats that need the 8 hours of slow heat to tenderize.

punkrockgoth

I use my crockpot for meatless dishes far more often than I do for meat.

Beans! You can cook them right from dry with no presoaking
Chilli! Mmm delicious back bean and lentil chilli
Curry! red lentils, coconut milk, sweet potato and spicy curry powder... *drool*

janejellyroll

ASKyle wrote: »

I vote no, it's not worth it.

Most things I could make in the crockpot can be made on the stove- with the exception of meats that need the 8 hours of slow heat to tenderize.

But I can set up the crockpot before I go to work or while I run errands -- times when I might not want to leave something on the stove.

HarleyHeartstop

You can roast vegetables chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2013/01/10/how-to-roast-vegetables-in-the-slow-cooker/

and even candy nuts in a slow cooker!
chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2015/12/28/cinnamon-pecans-crock-pot/

they just dont take 8 hours

jgnatca

Slow cookers do save energy.
http://nourishedkitchen.com/low-energy-cooking/

JenHuedy

I think an electric pressure cooker might be better for your needs. They have various setting for cooking rice, beans, soups and steaming veggies quickly. Many models also have a slow cook setting.

I have both a slow cooker and a pressure cooker and use them both often. The pressure cooker is great for steaming rice & veggies and more delicate meats like chicken. The one I have has a browning setting so I can make many meals just in the cooker and never turn on the stove.

I use the slow cooker for foods that do better with long low cook times, like fattier cuts of beef and pork or dried beans. If I use it on a work day, I'm gone over 9 hours and many foods, especially lean meats and veg just can't cook that long. I think it's should be a crime to ruin lean cuts like loin in a slow cooker and DETEST chicken breast cooked in the slow cooker. Tried the baked potato thing, and the were more like steamed potatoes. Slow cookers are great, but there are too many recipes out there that try to make them do things they just are good at.

cwolfman13

I only use mine for meat on occasion...I cook beans from scratch and the crock pot is the way to go for that.

I don't do a lot of meals in the crockpot as most of our week night cooking is pretty quick and easy...I will be using it next Thursday for my St. Patrick's day corned beef. For most things that require slow and low cooking for tenderness, I generally prefer my smoker or oven...but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

liftsalltheweights

Why would a crock pot not be worth it if you're not cooking meat? True, I typically make meat dishes in mine but I've also made egg plant parm and in the summer when I'm canning sauce I make it in my crock pots. I've made non-meat based soups in my crock as well. There's a lot of recipe books out there for crock pots and I am sure you can find an abundance of non-meat related ones.

liftsalltheweights

@cwolfman13 - possibly a stupid question but how do you cook your beans in it? How long, what do you do etc. I have a lot of dried beans but I'm unsure as to how to cook them but if I can let them rip overnight in a crock that'd be awesome!

zdyb23456

I've made chili, lentil soup, and split pea soup. I've made this pinterest recipe that's got tortellini in it - kind of a calorie bomb, but good.

Needless to say, if you are determined, you can cook up a lot of vegetarian recipes in the crock pot.

NaturalNancy

I absolutely LOVE my slow cooker/crock pot and I don't cook meat in there.

I love to cook dry beans in there. Black beans with onions and tomatoes, white beans/navy beans with onions, garbanzo beans/chick peas with cumin, 3 bean chilli, vegetable soups/stews... I seriously love it because I throw everything in the pot the night before and when I come home from work I don't have too cook as much when I'm tired.

For dry beans you DO NOT need to soak them first, (I recommend washing them though)
then just make sure you have enough water, fill it up 1/2 way....add your seasonings and it's really delish, the water will evaporate so just make sure you have enough water when your not home.
I put it on high when I'm home and then in low when I'm gone.

Tomatoes, onions, salt, pepper, garlic an onion powder taste SO good with any dry beans.

kuroshii

There are tons of casserole-type things you can make in a slow cooker.
Also oatmeal! The kind of oatmeal that would take half an hour on the stove. If you get one that has a timer, you can set it up the night before and it will come on and cook the oatmeal and then keep it warm as you wake up.

dragon_girl26

kuroshii wrote: »

There are tons of casserole-type things you can make in a slow cooker.
Also oatmeal! The kind of oatmeal that would take half an hour on the stove. If you get one that has a timer, you can set it up the night before and it will come on and cook the oatmeal and then keep it warm as you wake up.

Oatmeal is one of my favorite things in the crockpot, and there are all kinds of recipes for it on Pinterest. I'd go out there and look around for meatless crockpot dishes. You can even make mashed potatoes and baked potatoes in the crockpot. Curries, stews, soups...desserts...or make a pasta sauce and let it slow cook all day. Such good stuff. I use my crockpots (yep, I have three!) ALL the time..

pomegranatecloud

Not for me. I rarely use mine. I make soup, stew, or beans in it maybe 8 times per year.

SolotoCEO

If you get one, I'd suggest a pressure cooker/crock pot combo. I use the pressure cooker functions more often than the slow cooker function - but I use them both and I use the machine often enough to leave it sitting on the counter. Tonight I did rice and veggies in the pressure cooker for 8 minutes - yummy dinner!

dopeysmelly

I think I've made a meat dish once in my slow cooker. I do veggies in it all the time. I eat a lot of beans etc., and the slow cooker is better than the pressure cooker I think. I have an electric pressure cooker which also has a slow cooker function. I use it several times a week. It's great for steaming veggies as well as cooking bean-based soups and stews. You don't need to presoak, just pile everything in, set it and go.

Francl27

I use mine about 8 times a year too, lol, and I don't think I've ever made anything that doesn't have meat in it...

Lounmoun

There are plenty of meatless dishes that do well in a slow cooker. Bean dishes are fine. I have cooked corn on the cob and whole potatoes in a slow cooker. It depends on what you put in there and for how long if it will get mushy.
http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/types-vegetables-cook-well-slowcooker-36006.html
Do a search for vegetarian slow cooker recipes.

niamibunni

A pressure cooker works great for veggies and you can get a really great meal made in very little time (and it tastes better than a crock pot). Beans cook super fast, no more overnight soaks. My crock pot is now in storage. No need for it!

Insta Pot is a great pressure cooker, but can be pricey.

ColossusCain

I use Beyond Meat Beef crumbles to make chili in a slow cooker and let me tell you, there is zero difference! I've been veg for less than I year and I can tell the difference nor can my meat eating friends. The answer is yes, slow cookers are always great to have, you just need to broaden you recipe game

nilbogger

There are a bunch of vegetarian dishes you can make in a slow cooker. It works well with legumes and root vegetables.

This recipe sounds pretty good:

http://recipes.ilovepeanutbutter.com/slow-cooker-peanut-butter-potato-stew/

And I enjoy this one:

http://www.food.com/recipe/ratatouille-in-the-crock-pot-52757

leggup

Things I like to cook in my crock pot:

• Pumpkin oatmeal. It makes the whole house smell amazing.
• Stuffed peppers
• Butternut squash dishes: when the squash is cubed, crock pots are perfect for cooking.

kuroshii

See also: soup! The best soups are the ones that burble on the back burner of your stove for hours so that all the flavors meld, so I would imagine making it in a slow cooker set on low for hours would have the same delicious effect. Maybe do all the chopping and dicing the night before. Oh, and then you can add beans.