OWNFoodRecipesslow cooker

5 Delicious Dips You Can Make In A Slow Cooker

If you've got an oven full of entrées and side dishes, here's how to make a hot, feeds-a-crowd hors d'oeuvre that won't hog up much-needed space.
Lynn Andriani
|
A Way to Enjoy the Best Part of a Warm Goat-Cheese Salad
© Tara Donne
If you love the soft, creamy, tangy goat cheese that comes with greens at French restaurants, you'll fall for this beautiful dish from Stephanie O'Dea's new Five Ingredients Or Less Slow Cooker Cookbook. It features a base of garlic- and lemon-laced cream cheese dotted with pieces of goat cheese and topped with sliced cherry tomatoes that add a bright pop of color. To take this party food straight from the slow cooker to the table, place an oven-safe dish inside the slow cooker and put all the ingredients in that. Then, once the cheese is hot and bubbly, and the tomato skins have wilted, lift out the dish (using pot holders) and serve with crackers or bagel chips.

Get the recipe: Baked Goat Cheese with Tomatoes and Garlic
A Bar Snack Made Ridiculously Easy
1MoreCreative/iStock
One of the best parts of Buffalo wings is the contrast between the sweet and spicy meat and the cool and creamy dipping sauce that accompanies it. This recipe from O'Dea combines the two into one addictive dish that's bound to be a massive hit at your next party (and also happens to be way less work than deep-frying a bunch of chicken wings). It's as simple as stirring together cooked and shredded chicken, ranch-dressing mix, cream cheese, cheddar and Buffalo wing sauce then setting your slow cooker to high for two hours. The dippers, naturally, are carrot slices and celery sticks.

Get the recipe: Buffalo Wing Dip
The Baked Brie with 3 Can't-Miss Additions
© Tara Donne
There are dozens of ways to make festive, fondue-like baked Brie, but O'Dea's version is one we hadn't tried before. She has you sprinkle tart, dried cranberries over the cheese, along with balsamic vinegar (which turns into a rich syrup when cooked) and finely chopped, fresh rosemary. The result is a savory and sweet complement to the melted, buttery Brie that's perfect with crackers, sliced apples or toast points.

Get the recipe: Brie with a Cranberry Balsamic Sauce
A Delicious Way to Turn Anyone into an Onion Lover
Magone/iStock
If you haven't tried caramelizing onions in your slow cooker, prepare to be blown away. It can take some time to get these sharp-tasting roots to turn into the rich, savory, silky strands that are so tasty mixed into sour cream—so a slow cooker makes perfect sense. Once the onions are a deep golden color, you coarsely chop then stir them together with sour cream, cream cheese and parsley. Break out the thick-cut potato chips and look out—because this is going to go fast.

Get the recipe: Slow-Cooker Caramelized-Onion Dip
A Vegetarian Appetizer That Transports You to Greece
Alan Richardson
Greek flavors shine in this healthy, chunky dip that uses dried gigante or lima beans, which become tender and creamy in the slow cooker. You simmer the legumes in a savory tomato sauce, then sprinkle everything with tangy feta cheese. Pita wedges are a natural accompaniment, though we'd also happily dig in with sturdy tortilla chips.

Get the recipe: Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce

Also on HuffPost:

5 Myths About Crock-Pot Cooking
Myth #1: If You Open The Lid During Cooking, You'll Ruin Dinner(01 of05)
Open Image Modal
Here's the thing about peeking inside: Every time you take the top off to sniff or stir, the temperature inside the pot drops 10 to 15 degrees, and you extend the overall cooking time by 30 minutes. If you can wait until you're within an hour, or so, of the finish time, though, you're probably not going to do any damage by opening the lid. Stephanie O'Dea, who has written four slow-cooker cookbooks, says that if, for instance, a recipe suggests a six-hour cooking time, you're likely okay checking the dish after five hours; since, by that point, the majority of the cooking is done, and the flavors are just deepening and melding. (credit:David Wyffels)
Myth #2: The Pot Must Be Two-Thirds Full At All Times(02 of05)
Open Image Modal
We've seen this advice in countless slow-cooker recipes, and O'Dea explains why: The cooking time is partially determined by how much food is in the pot. A standard slow cooker holds six quarts, so if you're only making enough food for two people, the ingredients will probably only fill one-third of the pot—and they'll cook a lot faster than they would if you had more in there. So, it's not a problem to turn the appliance on with a small amount of food in it; just adjust the cooking time. Or, O'Dea suggests, put the ingredients in a smaller, one- to two-quart oven-safe casserole dish (such as CorningWare or Pyrex) and set that inside the slow cooker. (credit:David Wyffels)
Myth #3: You've Got To Brown The Meat First(03 of05)
Open Image Modal
The idea that you can throw a bunch of raw ingredients into the pot, clamp the lid on, set it and, yes, forget it (at least for six hours) is awfully appealing—which is why we sometimes shy away from recipes that tell us to brown the pot roast or chicken thighs on the stove first. Can you get away with skipping this step? Yes, says O'Dea, especially if you're just trying to get dinner on the table on a Wednesday night. In side-by-side comparisons, she can tell the difference between meat that was browned first and meat that wasn't (the browned meat has a deeper flavor and a crisper exterior). But for everyday cooking, it really isn't a deal breaker. (credit:David Wyffels)
Myth #4: You Can Just Throw The Ingredients In And Walk Away(04 of05)
Open Image Modal
Here's one instance where a tiny bit of fussiness actually does pay off. O'Dea says you should put harder root vegetables (such as potatoes or parsnips), as well as tougher cuts of meat, in first. That way, they'll be closer to the heating element, which they need to be to fully cook. If you've got broccoli, asparagus or other more delicate ingredients, lay those on top. Then, pour the liquid over and around the ingredients. (credit:David Wyffels)
Myth #5: There's Nothing You Can't Make In A Slow Cooker(05 of05)
Open Image Modal
We were thrilled to learn that aside from the usual pot roast and pulled pork, Crock Pots can also turn out perfectly gooey brownies and even pizza. There are limits to the craziness, though. O'Dea once tried making hard-boiled eggs in the cooker and wound up with stinky, greenish orbs that had to be triple-bagged before going into the trash. Bacon-wrapped scallops were another mistake. But, in general, if you can make it in the oven, you can make it in a slow cooker. (credit:David Wyffels)
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip