Question About Cutting Crock Pot Recipes in Half...

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Hi all!

I am a new cook and want to take advantage of the convience of using a crock pot slow cooker, but I have noticed that many of the recipes are geared towards 6, 8, even 12 servings. It is just my fiancee and I, and I really don't want to make that much food, especially since I am an inexperienced cook and there is a good chance the dish may not turn out right! Can you cut down a recipe in a crock pot? If so, how would you adjust the cooking times and settings? We have a rival oval shaped crock pot, 6 quart I believe--and that is probably a bit much for two people. Thanks for any help!!!! I really appreicate it.

--Maren

 

[piratesmate]

We have the opposite problem here. I've often doubled recipes & the cooking time is increased with the size of the piece of meat. Adding more veggies hasn't seemed to affect cooking times, though. One time I doubled the Pumpkin Job recipe shared here on the board & it was done in the proper time frame. (Because most recipes give a range like 4 - 6 hours, it's easy to come in within the right time. Doubling just meant that the Pumpkin Job was done at the longest time.)

Maybe this site will give you some help. . . . Slow cooker tips

One of my favorite uses for my crock these days is to toss in a family-size bag of boneless chicken breasts with a cup or two of water & cook all day. Then I put it in the refrigerator overnight. in the AM I "peel off" any fat on the surface & shred the chicken. I bag it up in meal-sized portions so that my cooking/prep time is reduced for most recipes - I even use this chicken for Chicken Helper meals!

Have fun!

Deb

 

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Deb,

Thanks so much for your reply and tips. Great chicken idea! I will definetly use that! The site you gave was great--very helpful. Thanks for your help!