Allrecipes (a Dotdash Meredith brand) promoted Reynolds disposable cooking bags as a “time-saving accessory” in March 2022: I Use My Slow Cooker Nonstop, and Liners Have Changed Everything: Here's what you need to know about slow cooker liners and why you should use them, too. Remove your dump bag or leftovers from your freezer and place them in the fridge the day before you plan to cook them, at a temperature lower than 5C. Ensure the contents have fully defrosted before cooking. Slow cooker pots usually require to be soaked and scrubbed after use, but when using a slow cooker liner, you will simply just need to give the base of your slow cooker pot a single wipe. Based on the known dangers of plastics, the rah-rah “cook in plastic” promos are irresponsible. Meredith brands reach nearly 95% of American women and with great power comes great responsiblity.

Transfer half the mixture into a slow cooker. Set the remaining onion and spice mixture aside to prepare the dump bag. Rice vinegar – apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar are both good alternatives to rice vinegar. A ceramic inner pot is easier to clean than one with an aluminum inner. Ceramic inner pots are 100% natural with a tough lead-free glaze, which helps make cleaning the pot a breeze. I share a method in below. Plastic is derived from fossil fuels and the process of creating plastic emits greenhouse gases. Single-use plastic or nylon cooking bags are non-recyclable, non-biodegradable waste destined for landfills and oceans.For more information, The New York Times offers an up-to-date article on the types of plastics families should avoid: “the evidence is convincing enough that avoiding endocrine-disrupting chemicals is worthwhile, especially during sensitive periods of development like pregnancy, infancy, early childhood and puberty.” Environmental Impact of Plastic Canned diced pineapple chunks – you could try using fresh pineapple but you might need to add in a bit of extra pineapple juice. If you have cooked frozen pies, lasagnes or pasta bakes from the freezer, ensure the middle has cooked thoroughly and to an appropriate temperature – you may need to allow more cooking time than you would if cooking them fresh. Reynolds Kitchens® is a manufacturer of slow cooker liners. Dotdash Meredith is the largest digital and print publisher in America. And a strategic marketing partnership between the two corporations means Reynolds products are touted on a variety of Meredith media properties. Slow cooker liner examples: So it’s probably not a good idea to leave these meals in these cooking pot liners in the freezer for too long. Makes easy transporting of meals

I’m not going to lie, making these dump bag meals takes a bit of time and effort. Cooking isn’t one of my major interests, so making these bags up is a chore. But in my opinion, two hours of faff for ten healthy family teas, is a fair pay off. I never regret doing it and I often thank my past self when I take one of these out of the freezer and later enjoy a tasty meal. It also shows that you can be busy but find time to eat well.If you’re going to start using dump or freezer bags as a way to use your slow cooker, here are a few tips to make the process painless and easy. 1. Get decent freezer bags Less water needed in the cleanup — You won’t need to soak your slow cooker and this means you will use less water. Dishwasher not overloaded

Dump bags make me feel like I’m nailing family life, so I’d recommend that you give them a try too. Should you use slow cooker liners? No, there is no reason to use slow cooker bags. Everyone should avoid plastics when possible (The New York Times) and most slow cooker recipes allow for easy cleanup, but if needed: For the onion and spice mix, melt the ghee in a heavy-based saucepan over medium–low heat. Add the onion and sauté for five minutes or until softened, being careful not to brown too much. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a further minute. Make sure to get some decent quality freezer bags (preferably one that leaves a space for you to write on clearly). Using a slow cooker works out cheaper than cooking on the hob or in the oven, which is the first win on saving cash.They are safe to use with Instant Pots in slow cooker mode, but NOT when the Instant Pot is in pressure cooker mode. If you are environmentally conscious in the kitchen, you might consider these for occasional rather than regular use. You’re now on your way to batch cooking so divide your ingredients (solid and liquid/wet ingredients) between different dump bags and, before you know it, you’ll have a week’s worth of slow cooker meals prepared in less than an hour! Slow cooker dump bag recipes Big potatoes don’t do so well in a dump bag (but aren’t too bad if you chop them small in a casserole). Pasta, watery veg like courgettes should be avoided and some dairy based liquids as they can curdle. For example, if I was making up a Bolognese dump bag for the slow cooker, I’d add mince, frozen onions, frozen mushrooms, tomatoes and any seasoning to the bag. I’d then put it in the deep freeze. And the night before I wanted the meal, I’d take it out of the freezer. Then, the next morning, I’d put it into the slow cooker and switch it on. When I got home, I’d just have to cook pasta and hey presto, there’d be a healthy meal ready to eat.