When it comes to dump dinners using the crockpot, you need to have plenty of accessories to help cut your prep time, reduce mess, and keep the cleanup to a minimum. Think of things like crockpot liners, utensils (like thermometers), and everything to streamline the process.

During the week, I can easily get stressed when it comes to making dinner. I love my crockpot, especially when I'm making dump dinners. It genuinely saves me time and also reduces my stress levels when all I want is something nutritious to eat. I much prefer not having to think about dinner and just being able to dump it in and set it to cook in the crockpot.

Try this roundup of 12 accessories and how you can improve your dump dinner game.

1) Slow Cooker Liners

Liners for the slow cooker are little disposable bags that sit inside your crockpot and help catch the food, which minimizes the cleanup afterward. They are amazing for busy nights. All you need to do is toss the liner when you're finished, and the slow cooker is just like new.

It's handy to look for bags that are BPA-free and heat-safe. I always like to try to make sure I get the right size for the crockpot, and I like to make sure it's nice and thick compared to thin bags, which can tear quite easily. Clear bags also help you see through them, and you can monitor what you are cooking.

Place your slow cooker liner into the crockpot first and then simply fold the rim over the top. These liners are only designed for slow cookers, so don't try to use them in the oven.

That moment when you realize that dinner is ready and you don't have to clean the crockpot- wow, it's an amazing feeling. I find these super convenient, and if you like to prep your food, you will love these too.

2) Reynolds Kitchens Slow Cooker Liners

These Reynolds slow cooker liners are heat-safe and made from BPA-free nylon. The great thing about these is that they are clear, so you can see the food as it cooks. These work better in larger cookers than the smaller ones, and due to their design, you will have minimal cleanup afterward.

Using these, you will realize that you have saved a good chunk of time. My kitchen is pretty small, and it's easy for dirty dishes to pile up. Things can get messy fast, so I'm a big fan of these.

3) Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Travel Cooker

This Hamilton Beach slow cooker is perfect for transport. It has a tight lid and sturdy clips, which help to stop any food spillage. It also has a removable insert, which helps to speed up the serving process and clean up.

The walking lid is very handy and lets you prepare the food early for waiter transport. It is also a great size for family meals. It also has handles, but I would recommend carrying it with two hands when it is full.

4) OXO Good Grips Silicone Ladle

The Oxo Good Grips Silicone Wedge is perfect for use in your slow cooker, as it's made from silicone and won't scratch the inside bowl. It's perfect for scooping up soups or chili, or even dishes containing shredded protein, and helps make things a little less messy. It's deep with curved edges and is easy to store. It can hang from a hook or can even lie flat without taking up much space.

I find this tool really useful as most of the things I tend to cook in the crock pot are stews and soups: things that are quite wet and need to be scooped in order to serve. The great thing about this is it's perfect for using if you're serving a lot of people too. Makes sure everybody gets an equal amount. It's a great tool to have when you are making dump dinners in the crock pot.

5) Pyrex Ultimate 10-Piece Storage Set

This Pyrex glass storage set is a 10-piece mix of containers and lids in lots of different sizes. The glass containers are ideal for storing, reheating, and freezing your leftovers. They can work in the oven, the fridge, and the freezer. Just be careful and remember to remove the lid when using these in the freezer.

Because they are made of glass, they are ideal for seeing the contents inside every container. Because of the multiple sizes, they are perfect for batch cooking, prepping ingredients, and storing single servings too. Even though you can see into these, I would still encourage you to use labels so that you know exactly what is in the container. That's how I like to meal prep and batch cook.

Because of all the different sizes, I love being able to look into my fridge and see everything organized neatly and all prepped. It is very satisfying and these Pyrex glass containers are ideal for that.

6) ThermoPro TP19H Digital Meat Thermometer

This Thermopro digital meat thermometer is ideal for those looking to improve their cooking but need something simple and quick to learn how to use. It's compact, has a backlit screen, and will help you to ensure you get the right cook on different cuts of meat. The probe is stainless steel, so it can be wiped clean very easily, and the backlit display is good if your kitchen is slightly dim.

This will fit in a standard-sized utensil drawer with ease, and you will pick up how to use it in no time. Thermometers are very handy when you're trying to achieve a specific cook or level of doneness on cuts of meat.

It's definitely one of the gadgets that earns its place amongst my kitchen tools. I always like to use this when people ask to have their meat cooked a specific way. As long as you know the temperatures, using a digital meat thermometer means you're more likely to get the perfect cook.

7) Crock-Pot 6-Quart Manual Slow Cooker

This 6-quart manual slow cooker doesn't have any digital features or an app and utilizes manual controls with a low, high, and warm-only selection of settings. The crock is removable, heats nicely and evenly, and is hand-washable. The glass lid helps you to check the food without lifting it.

This crockpot will feed 5 people easily, but it does take up some counter space. This is ideal for dump dinners as you don't have to think too much: turn it on, set it to low or high, and let it do its thing.

I'm a huge fan of that style of cooking, so this crockpot is well suited to making your dump dinner that much easier.

8) YETI Rambler Half Gallon Jug

The Yeti Rambler half-gallon jug is made from stainless steel and insulated. It's perfect for hands-free hydration when you are busy with dinner prep. It also holds enough volume that you don't need to refill regularly. It's strong and won't dent easily.

There's a large handle and a large opening for ice. It's ideal for busy households, but its large size may make it difficult to store in the fridge. The great thing about stainless steel jugs is that they keep everything cold for hours.

This is the sort of jug that will definitely survive busy meal prep in your kitchen.

9) KitchenAid Classic Can Opener

The KitchenAid Classic can opener is a sturdy manual opener with a comfortable handle and a sturdy metal wheel. It's compact and easy to use and needs no batteries. It's ideal for making your dump dinners easier and allows you to open multiple cans quickly. It uses a metal cutting wheel, and this will need to be dried after wet use. Hand washing would be recommended. It will also fit in standard utensil drawers easily.

Having a can opener is so important when you are making dump dinners or reaching for the canned goods on busy nights. I keep mine in a utensil pot on my kitchen countertop. This kitchen knife can opener is sturdy, but I have owned cheaper versions that have failed right at the moment that I need to be making dinner. Typical.

The great thing about this one is it actually feels comfortable in your hand, which is so important. If the tool doesn't feel comfortable it only contributes to the stress of cooking.

10) Norpro Grip-EZ Slotted Spoon

This stainless steel slotted spoon has a soft-grip handle. It's a great size at 13 inches. It's well-suited to serve from crock pots and helps to drain sauce and reach the inside of any deep containers.

It's perfect for keeping anything solid on the spoon while letting the excess liquid drain away. The soft-grip handle is ideal too and will help prevent your hands from getting tired. It's easy to clean and will not rust.

This is well suited for making your dump dinners in a crock pot, as it helps to reach inside and serve the contents without getting burned. A slotted spoon is such an important tool to have in the kitchen. I recently had to buy a longer version of my old spoon, as it was too short, and repeatedly serving people from the crock pot would burn my hand.

11) OXO Good Grips Vegetable Chopper

This Oxo Good Grips vegetable chopper is an ideal manual tool to help you make your dump dinners easier. It's quick and will help you to evenly chop an array of vegetables.

It's perfect for time-saving when meal prepping. It's compact in size, so it's easy to store, and its soft grip makes it comfortable to use. The blade is made from stainless steel and will stay sharp throughout regular usage.

This also has a small container attached, which helps you see how much you have chopped before dumping it out. The soft grip will stay non-slip even when your hands are wet. One of the stressful things about chopping a lot of vegetables is bits of vegetables going everywhere and creating a mess.

This vegetable chopper prevents that, so it's ideal for busy meal prep. I also find this handy when chopping onions. The container helps to stop me from crying, which is a huge win.

12) Progressive International Prepworks Measuring Cup Set

This measuring cup set is made from sturdy plastic, and the cups nest inside each other and come in multiple sizes and colors with clear measurement markings. These are great for using when intending to cook something quickly, and they also save space.

Perfect for measuring out things like broth or beans in crockpot meals. They're ideal for everyday ingredients and excellent for meal prep, but due to being made of plastic, I would avoid using these with hot liquids.

I use nested cups myself as they save so much space and would be very awkward to store individually. Having them nested together is ideal for when a recipe calls for numerous amounts of different ingredients. Using these with your crockpot should be perfect. Just keep them away from things that are too hot, such as boiling hot liquids.

Keep reading

• 30 Slow Cooker Dump Dinners (5 Ingredients or Less)
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