Can I add frozen vegetables to my thawed chicken meat in a slow cooker?
I accidentally added frozen instead of thawed vegetables to my Chicken Alfredo meal I'm cooking in an Instant Pot (slow cooker mode). It's currently cooking right now, but I'm not sure if I should throw it out.
I didn't add any boiling hot water. I just added some room temperature alfredo sauce, refrigerated heavy whipping cream, thawed chicken, and frozen chopped veggies.
Is this safe to eat?
EDIT: I have not made this recipe before. Usually 7 hours works with plain chicken + room temperature vegetables, and sauce but this is the first time I'm using frozen vegetables. I left it on overnight so I think it's finished now but haven't tried it yet.
Best Answer
Most slow cooker instruction manuals tell you to put the food in hot for most recipes. For traditional crockery inner pots the list of foods that can be cooked from cold (never mind frozen) is quite short and consists mainly of foods that are stable at room temperature. So you were marginal to start with (less so for some "auto" modes).
If you put the veg in then realised (almost) straight away, just bring it to the boil and carry on cooking. Of course don't use a crockery pot on the stove top or a metal one in the microwave.
If it's been sitting lukewarm for some time you're on your own. It couldn't be deemed safe.
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Can you use frozen vegetables in a slow cooker?
Placing frozen foods into the slow cooker keeps the temperature at an unsafe level for too long, encouraging the growth of bacteria. If your freezer is full of frozen meat and vegetables as we speak, don't panic. You can still cook them in the slow cooker, so long as you completely thaw them first.When should I add frozen vegetables to slow cooker?
Canned and frozen vegetables (remember to thaw first) should be added during the last hour of cooking. Do not remove the cover of the crockpot unless it's necessary for stirring, though most recipes don't need stirring. You can lose 30 minutes of cooking time each time the lid is removed.Can you add frozen vegetables to cooked meat?
Cooking any meat and removing it before you add the frozen vegetables can add a lot of flavor to the dish, as can seasoning the oil before you cook the vegetables. Keeping the pan at a very high heat is also important so that the vegetables cook properly. Chop suey is a Chinese-American stir fry vegetable dish.What goes in slow cooker first meat or vegetables?
Place firm, slow-cooking root vegetables like potatoes and carrots at the bottom of the crock and pile the meat on top.Mistakes Everyone Makes Using The Slow Cooker
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