My clients love to come home to a hot meal and during my personal menu assessment I always ask if they have a crock-pot. Most of them buy one after I tell them how wondermous Neno's Pot Roast is! There is nothing better for a busy working client than to come home to a hot meal after working a long grueling day at the office. I should know, I was one of them!

If you are helping your clients pick out a crock-pot, I highly recommend one with a removable crock for ease in cleaning. Your clients do not have time to hand wash things or they would not need you. I also recommend they purchase the larger size so all my wonderful food will fit nicely.

Other than adding frozen food to the crock-pot, there are not many things that cannot be adapted for its use. Most soups are perfect for leaving to cook on the low setting all day so take advantage of it. There is nothing like coming home to a hot crock of my Tex-Mex Chili! Just ask my clients. Using a crock-pot is also a quick entree and when you are preparing 5 or more at a time this helps you use the kitchen to its fullest potential. It also frees up valuable time for you to complete your service in a timely fashion.

Cooking times vary from recipe to recipe, but you can expect most things to fully cook in 6 to 8 hours. There are some food safety guidelines you should know about when using a crock-pot and a test to determine its ability to reach and maintain a safe cooking temperature. Simply fill your crock-pot about two-thirds full of water and place the setting on high then cover with the lid. In two hours, use a thermometer to check the water temperature. It should have reached 160°F or higher during this time. If the crock-pot has not reached this temperature, it is not safe to use.

There are ways to help your food reach the proper temperature faster. You can prepare food on the stovetop, like soups, and get them bubbly hot before adding them to the crock to finish cooking. This will greatly reduce the time the food is in the danger zone. You should also make sure the lid is properly placed and your clients should be told not to lift the lid because that can add up to 30 minutes of cooking time due to loss of heat.

The advantages of using a slow cooker are many. What my clients like the best about them is having a hot meal ready to eat when they come home, and secondly the ease of cleanup. What I like best about them is the tenderness of meat, the mingling of flavors, the end result is very predictable, and it is great to assemble an entrée which frees up the stove or oven for me. While preparing 5 entrée's at a time, it is nice to make the best use of your resources.

You may be surprised to know that some vegetables take longer to cook than some meat in the crock-pot. Your vegetables should be cut into smaller pieces. I prefer using baby carrots and boiler onions instead of cutting them up due to the presentation and end result. About a 1" dice is a good size to ensure proper cooking.

My most popular crock-pot meals are Neno's Pot Roast, Texas Tortilla Soup, Martha's Brisket, Tex-Mex Chili, and Neno's Marinated Chicken. You can also prepare scalloped potatoes in them, cakes, and dressing. There are a lot of creative recipes when it comes to using your crock-pot.

Happy Cheffing!