Contest

2 Slow-Cooker Meals Sure to Make You Feel Downright Cozy

Set them and forget them.

by:
January  2, 2020
2 Comments
A prep scene for a slow-cooker recipe: shallots, herbs, and carrots rest on a cutting board.
Photo by ROCKY LUTEN

Oftentimes, cozy recipes require hours of forethought, prep, and stirring (really, why is there always so much stirring?). But submissions to our latest recipe contest proved that to not always be the case.

Of all the recipes we tasted, these two consistently delivered maximal coziness (with minimal stirring). Both homey, quintessential dishes updated for the modern cook, neither recipe loses out on flavor, complexity, nor texture, in spite of the nontraditional approach. Both not only tolerate the low-and-slow, hands-off method, but are made all the better for it.

The finalists are...

1. The Perfect Instant Pot Soy Chicken

In this one-pot-wonder of a recipe, the aromatics are fried, bird is braised, and sauce is reduced all in the insert of the cooker.

The Perfect Instant Pot Soy Chicken

The Perfect Instant Pot Soy Chicken

2. Slow-Cooker Butter Chicken

Recipe testers and tasters were impressed with how tender the chicken and potatoes got without being too soft, and how warming and complex the sauce tasted despite the recipe's large yield.

Slow-Cooker Butter Chicken

Slow-Cooker Butter Chicken

Do join us in giving both finalists a virtual round of applause in the comments below!

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Try these out at home, then head to our contest page to vote. You have now until 12 p.m. ET on Jan. 8 to tell us which slow-cooker recipe you found coziest. We’ll announce the winner at 12 p.m. ET on Jan. 9.
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Coral Lee
Coral Lee is an Associate Editor at Food52. Before this, she cooked food solely for photos. Before that, she cooked food solely for customers. And before that, she shot lasers at frescoes in Herculaneum and taught yoga. When she's not writing about or making food, she's thinking about it. Her Heritage Radio Network show, "Meant to be Eaten," explores cross-cultural exchange as afforded by food. You can follow her on Instagram @meanttobeeaten.

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2 Comments

Julie B.
Julie B. January 2, 2020
Was curious do these have a recipie for the ninja Foodi? I know that the duo recipie’s can Work in the Foodi as well as the duo would just need sets for the Foodi to be known
 
Coral L.
Coral L. January 3, 2020
Hi Julie! After a bit of poking around online, it looks like yes, you can use the Ninja Foodi as a slow-cooker. These recipes are not written explicitly for the Ninja Foodi, but you can apply similar temperatures/timings.