Until now, you've probably only used your slow cooker for stews and Super Bowl wings. If that's the case, you're missing out on a whole slew of slow cooker snacks. Yes, believe it or not, your slow cooker doubles as an awesome snack maker.
Slow cookers are the ideal cooking vessel when you don't have a lot of time to stand around and stir your food. The low, gentle heat of a slow cooker means food won't burn. Plus, since we're talking about snacks, overcooking isn't much of a problem.
You can even ditch the blender or cocktail shaker. Your slow cooker is the ideal vessel for drinks like mulled wine, hot chocolate, apple cider, and hot buttered rum.
Hankering for a dessert snack? It's easy to bake cakes and fudge in a slow cooker. Again, your low setting will perform miracles here as it's the perfect temperature to slowly melt chocolate without the fear of burning or tempering it. Ever wonder how to perfectly candy nuts? Your slow cooker is the answer. The low, slow heat allows sugar to melt and candy. A bag of your favorite nuts, egg whites, sugar, and seasonings like cinnamon and vanilla are all you need for perfect food court-style candied nuts. Plus, your kitchen will smell like a candy shop all day long. Replace half the nuts with oats, sub out the sugar for honey, add some dried fruit, and you've got the makings of the perfect sweet and salty granola.
Yes, you really can do it all in the slow cooker. Heck, people have been known to make soap in their slow cookers, too. For now, we'll focus on the snacks.
Candied Nuts
If you've ever gotten in line for a cone full of street vendor nuts during Christmas, this recipe is for you. You can use any nuts you want, but the subtle sweetness of pecans and the rich flavor of almonds make for a perfect combo.
Slow Cooker Chex Mix
Sure, you could buy Chex mix, or just mix together dry cereal and call it a day. This recipe, however, will take your savory snacking to a new level. Store it in snack-sized resealable bags for on-the-go eating. Add coated candies like M&Ms for a bit of sweetness.
-Fabiana Santana, The Daily Meal