4-cup (1 L) and 6-cup (1.5 L) ovenproof baking dishes; 6-cup (1.5 L) soufflé dishes; and 8- by 4-inch (20 by 10 cm) loaf pans.
Before you decide to make a recipe that requires a baking dish, make sure you have a container that will fit into your stoneware. I’ve noted the size and dimensions of the containers used in all relevant recipes. Be aware that varying the size and shape of the dish is likely to affect cooking times.
Maximize Slow Cooker Convenience
In addition to producing mouthwatering food, a slow cooker’s great strength is convenience. Where appropriate, my recipes contain a Make Ahead tip that will help you maximize this attribute. To get the most out of your slow cooker,
•Prepare ingredients to the cooking stage the night before you intend to cook, to keep work to a minimum in the morning.
•Cook a recipe overnight and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serving Size Matters
In the 1970s, a typical pasta serving in a restaurant was 1 cup (250 mL); now, it’s not unusual to see a serving size of 3 cups (750 mL). Bagels weighing 5 oz (150 g) or more dwarf those of 30 years ago, which were 2 to 3 oz (60 to 85 g).
We encounter this “portion distortion” or “portion creep” everywhere we turn. And it’s easy to start choosing larger amounts of food than we need, often without realizing it. So you may find that some of the serving sizes in this book are smaller than you’re accustomed to. The Portion Calculator on pages 13–15 will help you serve yourself the right amount.
Portion Calculator
Delicious aromas are wafting from your slow cooker, and dinner is ready. You know the recipe makes 8 servings, but how much is one serving?
Dishing up the right size serving from a large quantity in a slow cooker can be a challenge. But with a little one-time-only “homework,” you’ll always be able to determine how much food is in your slow cooker — and then your serving size. You’ll need a measuring cup or a metric measure for liquids, and a ruler, preferably plastic or metal.
Using Imperial Measures
1.Count the number of measuring cups of water needed to fill the slow cooker stoneware one-half to three-quarters full.
2.Measure the depth of the water to the nearest quarter-inch.
3.Divide the number of cups by the depth of the water in inches to calculate the number of cups per inch.
Example
You’ve poured 12 cups of water into the stoneware of a 6-quart slow cooker, and measured the depth of the water as 2¾ inches (or 2.75 inches).
12 (cups) ÷ 2.75 (inches) = 4.4 (cups per inch)
4.Use the value you obtained in Step 3 to calculate a table of volumes for various depths (rounding to the nearest cup), as follows:
Example
| Depth | x 4.4 = Volume |
| 2.25 inches | 10 cups |
| 2.5 inches | 11 cups |
| 2.75 inches | 12 cups |
| 3 inches | 13 cups |
| 3.25 inches | 14 cups |
Keep this table handy for quick reference when you are preparing meals in your slow cooker.
5.After you have prepared a meal in your slow cooker, measure the depth of the food, then refer to your table of volumes to determine how many cups of food you have. Divide this number by the number of servings stated in the recipe to determine the size of a serving.
Example
You’ve prepared chili, and the recipe states that it makes 10 servings. You measure the depth of the chili and find that it is 3 inches deep. Referring to your handy table of volumes, you see that you have 13 cups of chili. You divide the number of cups (13) by the number of servings (10), and learn that each serving will be 1.3 cups (roughly 1⅓ cups). This 1⅓-cup serving will provide the nutrients and America’s Exchanges/Canada’s Choices stated in the recipe.
Using Metric Measures
1.Count the number of 250-mL measures of water needed to fill the slow cooker stoneware one-half to three-quarters full, then calculate the volume (in mL) of water currently held by the slow cooker:
Example
You’ve poured thirteen 250-mL measures of water into the stoneware of an 8-quart slow cooker.
13 × 250 = 3,250 mL
2.Measure the depth of the water to the nearest 0.5 cm.
3.Divide the volume of the water by the depth of the water in centimeters to calculate the number of mL per cm.
Example
You’ve calculated the volume of the water as 3,250 mL, and measured the depth of the water as 8 cm.
3,250 (mL) ÷ 8 (cm) = 406 mL per cm
4.Use the value you obtained in Step 3 to calculate a table of volumes for various depths, as follows:
Example
| Depth | × 406 = Volume |
| 6.5 cm | 2,639 mL |
| 7 cm | 2,842 mL |
| 7.5 cm | 3,045 mL |
| 8 cm | 3,248 mL |
| 8.5 cm | 3,451 mL |
Keep this table handy for quick reference when you are preparing meals in your slow cooker.
5.After you have prepared a meal in your slow cooker, measure the depth of the food, then refer to your table of volumes to determine how many mL of food you have. Divide this number by the number of servings stated in the recipe to determine the size of a serving.
Example
You’ve prepared soup, and the recipe states that it serves 12. You measure the depth of the soup and find that it is 7.5 cm deep. Referring to your handy table of volumes, you know that you therefore have 3,045 mL of soup. You divide this number by the serving size (12), and learn that each serving will be about 250 mL. This 250-mL serving will provide the nutrients and America’s Exchanges/Canada’s Choices stated in the recipe.
Tip
If you are refrigerating a slow cooker soup, chili or similar mixed dish for a later meal, measure out single-serving amounts into individual storage containers.
Food Safety in the Slow Cooker
Because
