The slow cooker lasagna I tried at a potluck in Fort Worth nearly ruined my week

Last month I brought a slow cooker lasagna to a potluck at a friend's place in Fort Worth. It looked great when I lifted the lid, but the noodles on the edges were mush and the middle was still hard. I followed the recipe exactly, 4 hours on low, and everyone just picked around the bad spots. Turns out that slow cooker runs about 30 degrees hotter than the standard, so the edges overcooked while the center lagged behind. The host said, "You should test your crock with a meat thermometer before trusting any recipe time." I went home and checked mine, and sure enough, it was off too. Now I always cook a small batch first in any new slow cooker to see how it actually behaves. Has anyone else found their slow cooker runs way hotter or colder than what recipes assume?

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1 Comment

jessica84110d ago

Whoa, that's a lot of drama over one potluck dish. Look, I get being bummed when food flops, but saying it "ruined your week" feels a bit much. I've had mushy edges on slow cooker stuff plenty of times and just ate around them, no biggie. Your fix sounds smart, checking the temp on a new crock, but honestly, most recipe times are just a ballpark anyway. Maybe give yourself some slack and don't let a casserole own your whole mood.