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10 Reasons Why I Love My Slow Cooker

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Have you forgotten about your Crock-Pot? I’m sharing 10 Reasons Why I Love My Slow Cooker to remind you how awesome it is to cook low and slow!


I know that it’s been all about the Instant Pot for the past few years.  But, I don’t know, I have this fear of blowing up my kitchen using one.  I’ve seen way too many retro films where a pressure cooker’s blown open and food explodes everywhere (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I’m looking at you)!  I’ll admit that if one was gifted to me, I’d probably use it.  But I’m quite content with my slow cooker in the meantime.

Have slow cookers been abandoned since Instant Pots have become so popular?  Again, I’m not completely sure.  But I do use mine all the time!  And especially now that the weather’s getting cooler.  Slow cookers are great for so many recipes!  Here are 10 reasons why I love using my slow cooker!

1. It’s great for meal prepping

Do you meal prep for the week?  Using your slow cooker to prep meals is unbelievably easy!  Slow cookers tend to make a lot, so you can make a big batch of your favorite meal prep meal and be done for the week!  Not only that, it’ll save you a ton of time and money!  

2. You can use it for every meal

That’s right!  You can slow cook just about everything.  Make a tasty breakfast casserole.  Dinner is a breeze.  Dessert?  Yup!  You can make that in a slow cooker, too.  I’ve even managed to make some delicious, boozy apple sauce and candied walnuts in my slow cooker!

3. Cleanup is a breeze

It doesn’t get easier than dumping a bunch of ingredients into your slow cooker and closing the lid.  Clean up is just as easy!  Especially if you line your slow cooker with liners!  Divide up your leftovers into storage containers.  Then, pull out the liner!  Dishes are done! 

4. Slow cooker recipes are so easy to make

If you’re a beginner cook, I totally recommend a slow cooker.  Just add your ingredients to the slow cooker, close the lid, and set the time and temperature.  That’s it!  You pretty much can’t mess up a slow cooked meal! 

5. It’s great for entertaining

Love entertaining?  You can easily cook for a crowd in your slow cooker!  Keep sausage and peppers in one and mini meatballs in another.  You can even mull wine in your slow cooker or whip up a fabulous homemade hot cocoa! 

6. It doesn’t heat up your house

I use my slow cooker a lot more during the fall and winter months.  But it’s pretty amazing in the summer when I don’t want to heat up the house (it’s hot enough outside!), or the weather’s bad and we can’t grill.  

7. It makes amazing soups and sauces

I hate standing over the stove, watching a pot of sauce, or soup.  So I usually make them in my slow cooker instead.  I just dump everything in, set the timer and temperature, and I’ve got a nice, flavorful sauce or warm, comforting soup to enjoy later! 

8. Cheaper cuts of meat are perfect for slow cooking

You know those cheaper cuts of meat that are so tough to make (and chew)?  They’re actually perfect for the slow cooker!  The slower they cook, the more tender they get.  And when it’s time to serve your meal, the meat shreds like magic!  

9. Meals are totally transportable

My first slow cooker came with bands I could wrap around the lid of the slow cooker to transport it safely.  My casserole slow cooker has a lid that locks making it even easier to tote to a family gathering!  But if you’re still afraid of spills while you’re bringing your favorite slow cooker recipe to a party, put it in a carrying case!

10. They come in different sizes to fit your needs

I gave my sister my gently used, larger Crock-Pot to downgrade to the casserole slow cooker.  Slow cookers come in all different quart sizes to accommodate your needs.

Now that you have a bunch of reasons to love your slow cooker, try some of my favorite slow cooker recipes!

 

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Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Soup {SoFabFood Post}

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There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of chicken soup!  This Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Soup is full of hearty vegetables and Italian flavor!  It’s slow-cooked all day so you can grab a bowl and warm up on a chilly night!


Ah, soup season! There’s nothing like sitting down to a warm bowl of comforting soup.  And there’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of chicken soup!  Except, of course, maybe this chicken soup!  I’m giving traditional chicken soup an Italian style twist with this Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Soup recipe!

This soup recipe was initially just a way to clean out some veggies in our fridge.  These days, it’s one of my favorite soups to make in the slow cooker!  It starts with a tomato base made with diced tomatoes and chicken broth.  Chicken thighs are browned and thrown into the slow cooker along with onions, garlic, green beans, baby spinach, and potatoes.  Throw in some Italian herbs and seasonings and, badda-bing-badda-boom, you’ve got yourself one tasty chicken soup!

Head to SoFabFood.com today for the recipe!  It makes a really big batch, so it’s a good freezer soup!  Or a good soup to share with family, like I did! 

Lighter Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala Casserole

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This post has been sponsored by Social Native and Crock-Pot.  This post may contain affiliate links. Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.

This Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala Casserole is a lighter take on a classic Italian dish.  It’s easy to make in your Crock-Pot and perfect for warming you up on chilly nights!

 

As soon as I feel that familiar chill in the air, I know that it’s time to get those Crock-Pot recipes ready! I tend to use my Crock-Pot year ’round, but I recently received the Casserole Crock Slow Cooker and it’s changing the way I slow cook!  I started thinking about casseroles.  All kinds of delicious casseroles!  But is there anything better than sitting down to a hearty noodle casserole after a cold day?  There’s just something so comforting about a warm, flavorful noodle dish.  

So I wanted to turn one of my favorite Italian dishes into a noodle casserole.  The nights have been chilly and our weekly menu has been adapted to dishes that are warm and satisfying.  Just like our menu, I wanted to adapt a classic Chicken Marsala recipe into a casserole that’s like a hug to your stomach.  Instead of a heavy coating of flour, the chicken is dredged in a light coating of whole wheat flour.  Instead of adding cream to the Marsala sauce, it’s a simple yet flavorful sauce of just wine, broth, and seasonings. 

Classic Italian flavor without the fuss!

 
The only thing that’s “heavy” in this dish is the egg noodles. However, egg noodles do contain a higher amount of protein than regular pasta.  Egg noodles also have that something comforting about them.  They remind me of home cooking and mom’s recipes.  The noodles do soak up a lot of the sauce once they’re added to this dish, but they hold most of the flavor.

This Lighter Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala Casserole was so easy to make in my Casserole Crock Slow Cooker!  The prep involved is easy and worth the small amount of extra work for classic Italian flavor.  The slow cooked chicken is fork tender and the mushrooms give the dish an earthy element. However, it’s the Marsala that’s the star of this dish with a slight sweetness that just works so well.  

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Lighter Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala Casserole

Serving Size: 4

Lighter Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala Casserole

Ingredients

  • 4 thin, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 12 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup Marsala wine
  • 1/2 cup vegetable (or chicken) broth
  • 1 tsp. corn starch + a little water
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 6 oz broad egg noodles, prepared al dente
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Optional: grated Parmesan cheese, fresh oregano

Instructions

  1. Heat about a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a skillet.
  2. While the oil is heating, coat the chicken, on both sides, in flour.
  3. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until the chicken is golden brown on each side, about 4 minutes.
  4. Add the chicken to the Crock-Pot.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk the Marsala wine, broth, corn starch, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning together. Pour over the chicken.
  6. Add the sliced mushrooms around the chicken, cover the Crock-Pot, and heat on low for 8 hours.
  7. About a half hour before serving, prepare the egg noodles by boiling just until al dente.
  8. Add the noodles to the crockpot and stir.
  9. Season with salt and pepper and serve with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh oregano, if desired.

Notes

Tip: The pasta will soak up a lot of the Marsala sauce. Double the sauce recipe if you want extra sauce, or prepare extra sauce on the side in a saucepan (bring it to a boil, lower heat, and allow sauce to reduce a little) to spoon over this dish.

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This take on Chicken Marsala may be lighter and easier, but it’s just as flavorful as the real deal.  Because the noodles soaked up so much of the sauce, next time I’ll make extra.  This dish is still full of that classic Marsala flavor in a fall-worthy noodle casserole!

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