Make clean-up fast and easy by lining your slow cooker with a specially designed slow cooker liner, and eliminate the need to soak or scrub any cooked-on foods (made with a special heat resistant nylon BPA-free material that resists breaking or puncturing).

Fill the slow cooker only 1/2 to 2/3 full. Foods will not cook properly if it’s too full, and foods will cook too quickly if it’s below half full.

Use less expensive cuts of meat since they have more fat and connective tissue, which breaks down during the long, moist heat cooking process. However, be sure to trim off any excess fat after cooking. More expensive cuts of meat that are typically leaner will dry out, and you won’t be happy with the results. 

Defrost all foods before adding them to the slow cooker. Frozen foods can increase the amount of time needed for the contents of the slow cooker to come up to the recommended safe minimum internal temperature of 140°F and increase the risk of foodborne illness.

Brown ground meats in a skillet before adding to the slow cooker. Although not necessary, consider browning all meats as it does increase the flavor of the dish, and meat does not brown in a slow cooker.

Follow the recipe’s layering instructions since vegetables cook slower than meat. Foods on the bottom of the slow cooker cook faster, and are more moist because they are cooking in liquid.

Reduce the liquid by about one third if adapting a standard recipe - add just enough to cover the meat and vegetables. They often give off a lot of liquid while cooking in a slow cooker, and the tight fitting lid prevents it from evaporating. Cook on high without the lid for 1-2 hours to reduce the amount of liquid if too much is added.  

Keep a lid on it! Although you may be tempted to sneak a peek or to stir … don't lift the lid until the end of the cooking time unless instructed by the recipe. Each time it’s lifted, heat will escape and will add approximately 20 minutes to the cooking time.