10 Skinny Crock Pot Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What size crock pot is needed for most recipes? ›

The smallest slow cookers are ideal for singles or couples who want to cook enough for one meal, to use in a recreational vehicle, or for keeping gravy or dip warm. A young family of four would find the 4- to 5-quart size handy. Most crockpot recipes are designed for a 6-quart slow cooker.

Size Matters: Choose an oven-safe bowl that fits inside your slow cooker. This bowl should be big enough to hold your meal but small enough to allow space around it. Filling Right: Aim to fill the oven-safe bowl two-thirds to three-quarters full to ensure even cooking.

Size of your Slow Cooker

The size of your crockpot can affect the outcome of your meal. If your crockpot is smaller than what we recommend, you may need to cook your meal a little longer. If it's larger than what we recommend you may need to shorten the cooking time.

However, Crockpots generally have ceramic or porcelain pots, while most slow cookers have a metal pot. As with a lot of cooking appliances, the biggest difference comes from the distribution of heat.

The larger 10-Quart Capacity is perfect for serving 13 or more people and this Multi-Cooker features additional conveniences like the pressure progress bar, sterilize function, and easy release steam dial.

“Small slow cookers such as the 1 to 1.5-quart models are a great option for those cooking meals for one,” says Grainer. “Whether you're entertaining at home or bringing food to share, small slow cookers are easy to transport and will keep dips, appetizers, sides, and sauces warm.”

If You're Cooking for One or Two People: Buy a 3-Quart Slow Cooker. If you're cooking for one to two people and you're not a fan of leftovers, or simply don't have the space to stash them in the fridge or freezer, a 3-quart (or 3 1/2-quart, as they're sold by some brands) slow cooker is just right for you.

Cooking times in Pyrex are about the same, even a little shorter in some cases but you need to lower baking temperature by 25F to avoid overcooking. Can you put a Pyrex dish in a slow cooker? Yes, of course. Pyrex was developed to withstand heat and to be shatter-resistant.

Cook time options include 4 or 6 hours on HIGH, or 8 or 10 hours on LOW. The corresponding light illuminates, the slow cooker heats, and the internal timer starts counting down the time. NOTE: WARM is ONLY for keeping already cooked food at the perfect serving temperature until you are ready to eat.

Does crockpot size matter? ›

A 5- or 6-quart slow cooker is the most versatile option.

It can be used for everything from dinners to meal prep and more. If you use your slow cooker a lot, you might find it worthwhile to buy both a large and small slow cooker, because the size of the slow cooker called for in a recipe does matter.

This small slow cooker has a 2-quart capacity that feeds 2+ people and is perfect for making small meals or dips. Use the manual warm setting to keep food warm while you are serving, or for heating up leftovers.

homes of 1 or 2 will only need a slow cooker with a 1.5 to 3-litre capacity – enough for 1 or 2 servings. Families of 3 or 4 will benefit from slow cookers with a capacity of about 3 to 5-litres, while homes of 5 or more will probably need a larger capacity slow cooker.

The “I” setting is low, the “II” is high and the one with the wavy lines/ cooking pot is the keep warm function.

And slow cookers do drastically range in size — from tiny two-quart models to huge eight-quart ones, with plenty of options in between. Because slow cookers work best when they're two-thirds to three-quarters of the way full, size really does matter.

With a 7-quart capacity, it cooks meals for 9+ people, perfect for feeding a crowd. The stoneware bowl is removable and oven-safe. Cleaning this Crock-Pot® slow cooker is easy: the stoneware and the glass lid are dishwasher-safe.

The 4.5-quart capacity feeds 5+ people, making it perfect for family meals, soups, chilis, stews, and more.