When the slow cooker was introduced to the world, many greeted it with warm smiles, open arms, and an electric excitement over the possibilities of future meals never prepared more easily. At its core, a slow cooker is much more hands-off once you’ve prepared your chosen slow cooker dish. You can just let it do its thing with minimal supervision and enjoy the final product alongside the heavenly aromas that it fills your home with.
There are, however, certain foods that you should never be caught putting into your slow cooker. You might say that any of these foods is basically a recipe for disaster.
1. Dairy
If you decide to go mad scientist and experiment with adding any dairy products including milk, cream cheese, cheese, sour cream, or yogurt to your slow cooker, you can count on having a whopping curdled mess at the end of it all.
2. Rice
This one might be surprising to some folks, but when you slow cook rice, you’ll end up with brittle rice around the edges and undercooked grains in the center. With the average cooking time for rice being between 20-30 minutes, you’re best off just cooking rice on the stove or in an Instant Pot.
3. Raw Meat
Raw meat — and especially beef — is just one of those foods that you simply must cook yourself to ensure that you’re able to enjoy the full flavor profile. Sear that cut of raw meat first, and then you can add it to the slow cooker.
Related: 20 Unique Meatloaf Recipes for a Cozy Weeknight Dinner
4. Seafood
Your typical seafood dishes like scallops, shrimp, and salmon will cook to completion in rapid fashion. Were you to try to slow-cook a seafood dish, you would very likely end up with a rubbery final result. No thank you.
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5. Pasta
It sure would be nice if we could all just toss our go-to pasta in the slow cooker with its necessary ingredients, and return to enjoy a tasty feast when the timer tells us to, but alas, we’re not so lucky. Pasta just ends up being a soppy mess when slow cooked.
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6. Tender Vegetables
When we say “tender vegetables” we’re talking about peas, asparagus, and peppers. Any of these tender veggies will end up devolving into unappetizing, mushy messes that nobody wants to have on their plates.
