Get Dinner Done With Stephanie O'Dea's Slow Cooker Secrets

Jan. 12, 20111 — -- Are you looking for a wholesome family dinner? Try a slow cooked one. These dishes come out of the pot after hours of cooking looking and smelling delicious. Before you get started, however, slow-cook expert Stephanie O'Dea shares some of her tips for success.

Size Matters

Slow cookers work best when they are 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full. If you find that you are not regularly filling your cooker to this capacity, you might consider getting a smaller one. For a family of four, a 5-to-6-quart cooker is the perfect size. If you'd like to use your cooker to make smaller appetizers, desserts or side dishes, you can do so by inserting an oven-safe dish into the stoneware to create a smaller cooking vessel.

If you aren't sure what time you'll be home, this kind of cooker allows you to program it for a specific amount of time, after which it moves to a warm setting. That way, if you get home later than expected, your food isn't overcooked. You can get a good one for around $50.

Click here to try Stephanie's White Bean Chili

Click here to try Stephanie's Sweet Potato Chili

Versatile = Cheap

Because you can use the slow cooker to make everything from yogurt to baby food to cheesecake, you save money on foods that are traditionally "store-bought" items on your grocery list. I even use it to cook dried beans so I don't have to buy the canned ones.

What's easier than having to clean only one pot after serving a house full of guests? I made our entire Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in slow cookers. Everything was done by 10 a.m. so I could sit down and enjoy our guests until dinner was ready. I particularly like using my smaller slow cookers to make elegant appetizers such as baked herbed feta.