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Avoid Mushy Veggies! How to Layer Ingredients in the Slow Cooker | Healthy Kitchen Hacks

Avoid Mushy Veggies! How to Layer Ingredients in the Slow Cooker | Healthy Kitchen Hacks

The trick to a perfectly-cooked Crock Pot is to layer the ingredients in the right order: Dense, tough veggies on the bottom, delicate ones on top – and meat or lentils on top of everything.

Healthy Kitchen Hacks -Check out our shortcuts and "aha" tips on healthy and delicious cooking at Teapoonofspice.com

It’s Healthy Kitchen Hacks Wednesday – the day we share our favorite time-saving kitchen tricks and cooking shortcuts to help you make healthy and delicious meals. 

You can see all our Healthy Kitchen Hacks here.   To get exclusive healthy kitchen hacks – only available to our email subscribers – sign up HERE.

Now…onto today’s featured Healthy Kitchen Hack:

How to Layer Ingredients in the Slow Cooker

Avoid mushy veggies: HOW TO LAYER VEGETABLES IN THE SLOW COOKER | @TspCurry - For more Healthy Kitchen Hacks: TeaspoonOfSpice.com

Here’s hoping you’ve never had mushy mystery vegetables from the slow cooker. And let’s not even talk about shoe-leather meat.

Avoid mushy veggies: HOW TO LAYER VEGETABLES IN THE SLOW COOKER | @TspCurry - For more Healthy Kitchen Hacks: TeaspoonOfSpice.com

The issue is the order in which ingredients are placed in the slow cooker. To preserve their texture and individual flavors, quick-cooking and delicate vegetables must be placed on the top.  Hearty, tough veggies must be placed on the bottom of the slow cooker.

And meat is generally best on top. If you place it directly on the bottom heating element, the meat can overcook, while the veggies are still crunchy.

Layer ingredients in this order:

Bottom – Next to the bottom heat source, the temperature is highest. Place dense vegetables like:

  • Potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, parsnips, beets, soaked dry beans, butternut squash and other winter squash

Avoid mushy veggies: HOW TO LAYER VEGETABLES IN THE SLOW COOKER | @TspCurry - For more Healthy Kitchen Hacks: TeaspoonOfSpice.com

Middle – Medium-dense vegetables go here so they cook through, but don’t get mushy:

  • Celery, fennel, carrots, green beans, bell peppers – and sometimes onions (although onions are usually sauteed first for more flavor)

Avoid mushy veggies: HOW TO LAYER VEGETABLES IN THE SLOW COOKER | @TspCurry - For more Healthy Kitchen Hacks: TeaspoonOfSpice.com

Top – Add these tender vegetables the last 30 minutes of the cooking time

  • Zucchini, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, canned beans, fresh herbs

Avoid mushy veggies: HOW TO LAYER VEGETABLES IN THE SLOW COOKER | @TspCurry - For more Healthy Kitchen Hacks: TeaspoonOfSpice.com

Very Top – Place meat on the very top so the meat juices drip down and flavor the entire pot – and meat doesn’t over-cook.

Now that you know, try out a few of our slow cooker recipes and enjoy a perfectly cooked pot:

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes

Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Peas | @tspcurry

Moroccan Slow Cooker Meatballs

Moroccan Slow Cooker Meatballs | Teaspoonofspice.com

African Peanut Stew with Quinoa

African Peanut Stew with Quinoa | @TspCurry

Slow Cooker Mushroom Bolognese

Rich sauce gets flavor from mushrooms not meat: SLOW COOKER MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE | @TspCurry

Have you ever experienced mushy mystery veggies from the slow cooker? What’s your fave slow cooker recipe?

Glenn

Monday 29th of October 2018

Should my Vegies and meat all be cover with a stock? How much stock should I be using?

Serena Ball

Monday 29th of October 2018

No, you do not need to cover all ingredients in the slow cooker with liquid. Just follow the recipe or use about 1-2 cups of liquid for a thick stew-like consistency. For a soup, use a lot more water, usually around 4-6 cups. Because the slow cooker traps all the moisture, in my super-popular recipe like Slow Cooker Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes only 1 cup of liquid is used. You can never really add too much water, but if you feel like you have, you can always scoop out extra liquid and save to use as stock. Also, extra liquid increases cooking times somewhat. Thanks for stopping by Glenn!

Tanya

Friday 10th of March 2017

I love using the crockpot but hate when things get mushy. Great advice! Thanks :)

Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table

Thursday 9th of March 2017

I've never really thought about how to layer, but it makes total sense! I've not had mushy veggies, but I've definitely had some slightly too fir sweeter potato chunks!

Serena Ball

Sunday 12th of March 2017

Ha! Yup, I've had too-firm potatoes on top of my overdone shoe-leather roast beef! Thanks for reading and sharing Laura!

Autumn @ AutumnPTW.com

Wednesday 8th of March 2017

Oh I love these tips! Thanks for the reminder, I need to use my crockpot for veggies more often!

Serena Ball

Sunday 12th of March 2017

Thanks Autumn. I love just setting my Crock Pot and forgetting it. And waiting for yummy smells to fill the kitchen. Let me know what you cook in your slow cooker!

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