Slow Cookers are the ideal choice for those wanting to have a meal ready for them when they get home, don’t have time to make dinner or are looking to make a recipe in bulk! These machines should be utilized all year long, not just in the fall and winter! There are so many advantages to using one. You just throw all of your ingredients in it, set the time and temperature and wait for your food to reach its yummy goodness. The extended cooking times allow better distribution of flavors in many of your recipes. Using the lower temperatures tends to lessen the chance of scorching foods to stick to the bottom of the pan or burn. A slow cooker frees your oven and stove top for other uses, such as crispy bread for the Country Boil or cooked vegetables with your Vegan Green Curry. It will save you from having to scrub and clean a mountain of pots and pans. Slow cookers also use less energy than a standard oven. A slow cooker is also compact enough to travel with you from your kitchen, to the office or even to a party! The best part about one is that it can be left unattended for many of your recipes, so you don’t have to worry about the hassle of checking on a recipe that takes 6 hours to cook. And finally, a slow cooker won’t heat up the whole kitchen like an oven will, which is a huge plus for all those delicious summer recipes you’ll be making on a hot summer day!
The great thing about our products is that they are so versatile. Take our Pressure Cookers for instance, that has a slow cooker built into it. Also, enjoy the other features of the pressure cooker such as Saute, Steam, Canning, Rice, Poultry and more! With one of our pressure cookers, the possibilities are endless as to what you can cook up. All our best summertime slow cooker recipes were made in one of our pressure cookers!
Vegan Green Curry
This dish is a healthier substitution for soup, especially for the summertime! We used firm tofu because it has higher water content and custardy texture. And also, firm tofu is the best for absorbing the flavors up. And the use of tofu makes it vegan too! Pressing the tofu with a few paper towels first is a good idea because after you drain the tofu it will still be a little wet. Pressing it and getting even more water out will make it firmer. We utilized peanut oil for sauteing or “frying:” the tofu and other ingredients, which also added flavor to them. Be careful when putting the tofu in the pressure cooker because the peanut oil will start to splatter. Sauteing your tofu is perfect so that you can crisp it up a bit before slow cooking it. Just make sure to continuously stir your tofu to make certain it doesn’t stick to the pot, burn or fall apart. We opted for vegan fish sauce, since this was a vegan dish, but feel free to substitute regular fish sauce instead!
Ingredients:
12 oz. firm tofu
½ cup peanut oil
2 garlic cloves
½ tsp ginger
2 tbsp green curry paste
1-2 cans of coconut milk, 14 oz.
1 large carrot
1 zucchini
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 head of broccoli
½ tsp vegan fish sauce
cilantro
lime wedges for topping
Directions:
Press the tofu with paper towels to remove water and cut the tofu into cubes.
Pour the peanut oil into the pressure cooker pot and press the Sauté button. Add the tofu cubes and cook until brown and slightly crispy – about 10 minutes, rotating tofu cubes periodically to brown all of the sides.
Remove the tofu and discard the remaining oil in the pot.
Add a splash of oil to the pressure cooker pot, press Sauté and add the minced garlic, ginger and curry paste. Cook until curry paste starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Then, add the coconut milk and stir to combine. Continue to simmer for another 3-5 minutes.
Add sliced veggies to the pot. Press the Keep Warm/Cancel button to stop the Sauté cycle. Then press the Slow Cook button on the pressure cooker. Cover and let cook for 30-45 minutes.
Add in the fried tofu and fish sauce and stir to combine. (Note: the slow cook function does not use pressure. You may remove and replace the lid at any time while using the slow cook setting)
Serve with jasmine rice and top with cilantro and lime juice.
Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken
This recipe has that sweet, tangy and savory explosion we are all looking for! And the flavor-soaked pineapple chunks make that pineapple flavor that much richer. Using the reserved pineapple juice is a good idea so that you use up all of your ingredients and let’s face it, you can never have too much pineapple juice for a Pineapple Chicken recipe! Using a slow cooker makes the meat fall-off-the-bone tender. Using the Sauté setting, searing the chicken gives it a nice crispy skin and will also help maintain a lot of the flavor and avoid a kitchen mess too!
Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter
1 cup pineapple juice
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup brown sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sweet chili sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground ginger
1 can pineapple chunks, juices reserved
1 can crushed pineapple, juices reserved
4 tbsp cornstarch
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
½ tsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Directions:
Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the butter into your Pressure Cooker and melt it using the Saute setting. Add in the chicken and sear both sides for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain excess fat and set chicken aside.
In a large bowl, combine the pineapple juice, chicken broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, sweet chili sauce, garlic and ginger.
Place the chicken thighs in your Pressure Cooker. Stir in pineapple juice mixture and top with pineapple chunks, crushed pineapple and reserved juices.
Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, basting every few hours.
In a small bowl, whisk together the ¼ cup water and cornstarch. Stir in cornstarch mixture, bell pepper and onion into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30-60 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
Garnish with sesame seeds and parsley and serve immediately.
Ravioli & Meatballs
This is the perfect weeknight dinner, because it will only take a few minutes to throw everything together and before you know it you will have yourself the perfect Italian meal! Use a nonstick cooking spray to ensure your food doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of your slow cooker. Be sure to coat all the ravioli’s and meatballs thoroughly, so that each part of your recipe has the same amount of flavor. It is important to top your meal with extra cheese and wait for the cheese to melt to achieve that gooey goodness!
Ingredients:
2 – 24 oz. can spaghetti sauce
25 oz. package frozen ravioli
25 oz. package frozen meatballs
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Directions:
Spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Pour a thin layer of spaghetti sauce to coat the bottom, about half of one can. Then, layer the ravioli and then the meatballs in the cooker.
Add one cup of mozzarella cheese over the meatballs and then pour the remaining spaghetti sauce over everything else.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3 hours. Once it is done cooking, add the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese and allow to melt for about 5 minutes before serving.
This recipe is versatile enough to add whatever ingredients you desire. We chose corn, shrimp and potatoes. Adding beer into this recipe will add major flavor depth. Throwing your squeezed lemon wedges in the slow cooker will enhance that lemon flavor that much more! We increased the temperature before sticking the shrimp and sausage in as those don’t need as much cooking time. This dish goes perfectly with crispy bread, coleslaw, collard greens, potato salad and more!
Ingredients:
5 cups water
1 bottle of beer, 12 oz.
4 bay leaves
3 tbsp old bay seasoning
1.5 lbs. small red potatoes, about 10
3 stalks of celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, cut into quarters
4 garlic cloves
1 bag of frozen corn on the cob, about 12 mini ears
2 lemons, cut in half
1 lb. Hillshire Farms turkey kielbasa
2 lbs. uncooked large shrimp in shells, deveined and thawed
Directions:
In your slow cooker, add the water, beer, bay leaves and old bay seasoning. Stir well until combined.
Cut the potatoes into smaller chunks if they are large. Add the potatoes, celery, onion, corn and garlic to the mixture. Squeeze the lemons over the top and add the squeezed halves to the pot.
Cover and slow cook for 4 hours. After 4 hours, add in the shrimp and kielbasa to the pot. Carefully stir to combine and cook for an additional 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the shrimp has turned pink.
Drain the mixture into a large rimmed dish and save some of the liquid for dipping crusty bread.
Lettuce wrapping this dish makes it a healthier food option. Feel free to substitute lettuce for tortilla wraps or potato rolls to switch things up! Using Boston lettuce is ideal, because it has larger, soft and gently cupped leaves, which is perfect to hold your meat in. Use iceberg lettuce if you aren’t fond of Boston lettuce! Using cayenne pepper sauce gives this meal that extra kick. Hot sauce is also high in minerals and vitamins and can help decrease blood pressure and reduce inflammation. We also went the extra mile and opted for chickpeas in place of chicken to make this a vegetarian option. Just make sure to add enough water before slow cooking, which is about 6 cups. This will ensure that your chickpeas get tender enough to consume. Go ahead and use chicken, tofu, or whatever fixings you want! If you are in a rush or just can’t wait to devour this meal, then cook on high for 4 hours instead.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 16 oz. bags of dried chickpeas (in place of chicken)
1 bottle cayenne pepper sauce, 12 oz.
1 package ranch dressing mix, 1 oz.
2 tbsp butter
6 cups water, optional
1 head of Boston lettuce leaves
Directions:
Put the chicken or dried chickpeas into your slow cooker.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cayenne pepper sauce and ranch dressing and mix together until smooth. For the chicken option, pour the sauce over the chicken. Set the sauce aside if you are making the vegetarian option.
Add 6 cups of water and butter to your pressure cooker if making the vegetarian option and slow cook for 6-7 hours.
If using chicken, add butter in and slow cook for 6-7 hours. Then, transfer the chicken to a large bowl and use 2 forks to shred the chicken.
Strain the liquid from the slow cooker into a bowl to serve on the side. Spoon the chicken or chickpeas into lettuce leaves and enjoy!
I think we can all agree that slow cookers make everyone’s life easier. It safely cooks your food and enhances all of their flavors. It is compact enough to stay in your kitchen or travel with. It’s the kind of machine that can be left alone, like if you are at work during the day. And there are a limitless number of tasty recipes you can make in one! If you need more recipe ideas, enjoy our included recipe book with easy to follow steps and check out a pressure cooker staple of ours Bread Pudding. It’s a delicious dessert for the whole family to enjoy!
If you still feel unsure, there are so many outlets out there to help you with tips, tricks and recipes! We also have a YouTube channel and other helpful blog posts to help you get more familiar with your GoWISE USA product and find useful tips and recipes.
We appreciate every one of our customers and hope you found this post helpful with getting more familiar with your GoWISE USA Pressure Cooker. And don’t forget to share your experiences and creations with our products using the #GoWISEUSA on all of our social channels or join our GoWISE Creations community on Facebook.
A big thank you to the authors of the recipes we tested out. Check out the links below to take a look at the original recipes and benefits on slow cooking.
https://damndelicious.net/2016/03/14/slow-cooker-pineapple-chicken/
https://www.thehappierhomemaker.com/slow-cooker-ravioli-meatballs/
https://www.culinarycory.com/slow-cooker-low-country-boil/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/242269/slow-cooker-buffalo-chicken-lettuce-wraps/
https://www.thespruceeats.com/the-benefits-of-slow-cooker-cooking-3061063
