Casserole Slow Cooker 101

This post may contain paid links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Do you have a Casserole Slow Cooker or want one of a fun new Casserole Crock Pot but you aren’t sure what to do with it? Readers ask us all the time what to with it, so we decided to pull together a Casserole Slow Cooker 101 post full of tips and recipes for all you new (or future) proud owners.

Cris here.  I get questions all the time about all kinds of slow cookers, but the “pot that is hot” these days is definitely the new 9 x13 Casserole Crock Pot and let’s get one thing straight…

I absolutely love this casserole slow cooker style. No, they aren’t paying me to say so… and yes, I have bought both of mine with my own money ;).

Casserole Slow Cooker Models

To date, there are currently two different main models of Crock Pot’s Casserole Crock Slow Cooker. I have both. They are pretty much identical except one has a manual setting (pictured above) and one (be still my heart) is programmable. Both have the following features that I love:

• 9 x13 rectangle shaped crock that feels more casseroley 😉 and is great for even cooking of layered dishes.
• Removable- dishwasher and OVEN safe stoneware.  (That oven feature is important for casserole toppings that need browned or to crisp things up after crockin’)
• Latchable lid for secure travel, hello potlucks!
• Smaller cooking vessel (3.5 qt) lends itself to a fuller crock which means it will oftentimes cook food slower and not “too hot” as many complain other styles of slow cookers do.

Can I Convert Oven Recipes to the Casserole Slow Cooker?

Yes. I do it all the time.

But.

I follow a VERY strict rule that I do not leave a recipe unattended on it’s first time in the slow cooker. Regular readers know that is pretty much my rule for ANY recipe in ANY crock pot until I know how it cooks in the slow cooker I am using because like I always say, cooking times will always vary based on shape, size, age and the exact positioning of the moon ;).

When I first got my Casserole Slow Cooker I was converting recipes like a mad woman. I grabbed my favorite casserole cookbook of all time from Gooseberry Patch and went to town.  It is such a good book that the recently re-released it with full color photos! So, when I decided to write this post, I called them up and asked if they would be willing to give one of you a copy and they said sure! (scroll to the bottom to enter to win a copy) Love my pals at the goose!

Note- this cookbook is for OVEN casseroles. However, with a few basic rules of thumb, I easily converted many, many of my favorites.

Tips for Converting Oven Casseroles to Casserole Crock Pot Recipes

• Always do your first trial run when you can watch it closely.
• A general loose starting “guideline” for time to cook the recipe is about double oven time on high or triple+ the time on low. But, again, watch it closely the first time to get it right.
• “Baked” goods typically bake up better if you cook them on high. (If condensation on the lid is a concern, place a paper towel under the lid to keep it off the food.)
• If there is a lot of liquid in your recipe, your end result from your casserole slow cooker will likely be a bit “wetter” than a casserole from the oven. You can reduce your liquid in some recipes to help with this, but this is dependent on the recipe and a lot of trial and error. (You can also sometimes cook with the lid off for the last 30 minutes to help the liquid cook off.)
• If a crunchy topping is a part of your recipe, wait until the end of your slow cooking and finish in the oven to keep things crisp.
• Give cheese a golden finish by popping under the broiler for a minute or two after slow cooking.

Finding Recipes for the Casserole Slow Cooker

People often ask me what they can cook in their casserole crock pot. The answer is anything you can cook in a regular crock pot. You may just have to adjust your time a little but that is true of any two different crock pots. If you are looking for some tried and true recipes, you can always keep up with our latest Casserole Crock Pot Recipes by visiting our “Uses Casserole Crock” page. These are our recipes that have specifically been tested in our casserole crocks.

We also put together a list of a lot of great recipes from our site and other great bloggers that used the casserole crock pot a while back. You can check out the list here and pin it here. You can also follow our pinterest board for Casserole Slow Cooker Recipes too.

Enter to Win a Casserole Slow Cooker and Best Casseroles Cookbook {CLOSED}

So now that you are all ready to cRock the Pot with the new Casserole Slow Cooker, I wanted to give one lucky ready one of these fun babies! (Note: Model and Color are not guaranteed.) When I told my friends at Gooseberry Patch what I wanted to do, they also threw in one of their new Best Casseroles Cookbooks!

Enter by commenting and telling me what casserole YOU want to try in the Casserole Crock Pot if you win!

BONUS ENTRY: Share this post with a friend or on social media and comment below that you shared it.

Daily entries (and bonus entries) are allowed and all entries are on the honor system.

Contest ends at midnight on 8/31/2015.  Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond. Winning book and crock pot will be shipped to continental U. S. addresses only. Must be 18 to enter. GOODe Luck!

And the winner is…