A Slow Warm Up

I’ve had a few requests for slow cooker recipes and I’m pleased to share this fabulous Chicken Sweet Potato Chili with you this week. It’s a delicious, easy weeknight dinner I know you and your family will enjoy.

Truth be told, however – I confess that, after weeks of testing slow cooker recipes, I’m still warming up to the method.

There are a number of reasons I love the slow cooker: having dinner ready after work, a great smelling kitchen, a wide variety of recipes and make-ahead dish ideas, to name a few.

There are also a couple of reasons I don’t love the slow cooker.  I find that, particularly with beef and pork dishes, the flavors meld well in the slow cooker, but the finished dish often doesn’t look as appetizing as those I make in a dutch oven.  This has improved when I sear the meat and vegetables before putting them in the slow cooker – which defeats the purpose and creates two sets of dishes for one meal which is annoying.

Never being a girl to walk away from a challenge and recognizing how helpful cooking this way is for all of us, I will continue to test recipes in the slow cooker and share the winners, like this Chicken Sweet Potato Chili, with you.

Now, truth also be told, I’m completely open to the idea that my frustration with the slow cooker is due to operator error. I invite you to share your time tested, favorite slow cooker tips, techniques and recipes here -let’s learn from each other!