The fourth time was a charm! After three failed attempts, my Crock Pot has finally produced something edible. The difference? I tossed the recipes and did what felt right – the method that I use when cooking on the stovetop or in the oven.

My first successful slow cooker meal was very simple. A large bag of frozen meatballs, a large can of Swedish meatball gravy, a dash of white pepper, and a heaping scoop of confidence!

The smell of slow-cooking ingredients filled the house for hours and I couldn’t wait to debut my newest dish. The idea to serve it over a bed of egg noodles (cooked on the stove) was a hit!

One of the benefits of having a slow cooker is that I’m able to cook larger quantities in one pot, which is ideal not only for cleaning purposes, but for producing leftovers. Of course, leftovers mean less time getting dinner ready to put on the table. We were able to enjoy yesterday’s dinner again tonight and since dinner was already done, I had a bit of free time to make my first batch of can-less biscuits. Another bonus!

The recipes haven’t been tossed forever. In fact, I plan to give my potato soup recipe another try tomorrow (armed with modifications) and on Sunday, I want to try a recipe for slow cooker sweet potato casserole.

For now, I am basking in the success of finally doing what countless other home-based chefs do – use a slow cooker.

What was your first slow cooker success, or disaster?

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