Slow Cooker Short Cuts

I use my slow cooker for a variety of things, but I really use it for prep work for my recipes.  Here are some of my favorite "short cuts":

Cooking Dry Beans:  I will soak my beans first.  I usually do a "quick soak" where I put 1 package of dry beans in a pot with 1 quart of water and heat on the stove until boiling.  Boil for 1 minute and take it off the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour.  Then I get my crock-pot out and fill it with 1 quart of water and set it on high and let the water heat up during that hour.  Drain and rinse the beans with hot water (if you use cold water, the beans will split), then place in the slow cooker with the hot water and cook on high for 4-8 hrs (depending on the bean: pintos--4 hrs, black--6-8 hrs, great northern-- abt 6hrs).  You do have to be careful to not overcook the beans, though.  Then season as desired (I use garlic, salt, onions, etc.)

Baking Potatoes:  Especially in the summer, I don't want to heat up my whole house baking potatoes in the oven, so I use my slow cooker.   I wash the potatoes (any potato: russet, swet, yams, etc), then spray the outside lightly with oil and wrap in foil.  Set in the slow cooker and with lid and bake on high for about 2-3 hrs.

Baking Winter Squash:  Super Easy!  Wash the outside of the squash (butternut, acorn, spaghetti, whatever).  Slice in half lenthwise and set the 2 halves in the slow cooker, skin-side down.  Cover and cook on high for about 2-3 hours.

Making Homemade Stock:  I like to make my own chicken and beef broth.  It is super easy and convenient in the slow cooker.  I'll use the chicken for an example but the same steps apply to any meat stock.  Roast a whole chicken in the oven.  Remove meat from bones and place carcass in the slow cooker and enough water to cover the bones (I add all the bones and skin).  You can also add onion skins, potato skins, carrot skins, celey tops, etc. for more flavor.  Cook in the slow cooker for at least 12 hours on high, for any longer on low.  I've kept it in the crock-pot for 2 days until I had time to put it away.  Then drain the broth and remove the meat from the bones (I usually get about 1 cup of meat from the carcass to use in a soup or something).  Discard the bones and vegetable peelings.  You can freeze the broth or use it within 2 weeks.