During the holidays, we tend to cook more food. We also crave crock pot style recipes. With the season upon us I wanted to share our absolute favorite slow cooker holiday recipe and the best slow cooker (in our opinion).
A couple of years ago, I was in search of a new slow cooker because my Crockpot was on its last leg. Truthfully it had become a fire hazard, so I needed a replacement quick. There are so many options for slow cookers ranging from $25-$250. I spent many hours reading about the top rated Amazon slow cookers. I finally decided on the Ninja.
What is the Ninja Cooking System?
The Ninja Cooking System is a multi-functional cooking device that can cook food quickly or slowly, depending on what I want it to do. I can also bake, roast, steam, sear and stir-fry food in it as well as my original intention of using it as a slow cooker. In other words, I like to refer to it as a crock pot on steroids! It was slightly hard to believe that I could use one kitchen appliance for all of those cooking methods and never need to heat up my stove, oven or microwave. This extraordinary cooking device has an aluminum pot that is claimed to not crack and has a professional non-stick coating that actually works. The lid is made of steel and is domed so you can use it for roasting. It has a dial that switches to Stovetop, Slow Cook, and Oven. And a programable timer. It comes with a removable rack that is made of chrome plated steel and a mini silicone muffin pan.
How does the Ninja Cooking System work?
The bottom and sides of the Ninja Cooking System get hot, allowing you to cook your food in several different ways. This is referred to as “Triple Fusion Heat Technology.” It can be used las an ordinary slow cooker, as an oven, or as a steamer. You can also saute, sear and stir-fry in it. But what makes the Ninja Cooking System extremely appealing to us is its ability to steam food at high temperatures, allowing you to bake and roast foods very quickly. And when I say quick I mean half the time of a normal crockpot.
Example ways we use the Ninja Cooking System
We use the Ninja Cooking System weekly. It is super easy to clean and the meals always cook quicker than I am used to, which took some adjustment. It has become our favorite way to roast turkey tenderloins – taking a quick 18 minutes which includes 6 minutes of browning in the stovetop mode then turning it to oven for the remaining 12 minutes; it turns out moist and the spices soak in for full flavor and little fat. We slice the tenderloin and use in a wrap for a quick, healthy lunch that used one pot, little energy and is simple to clean up. Taco chili is another favorite one pot meal we create in the Ninja. I brown the ground turkey meat with onion on the stovetop setting then add canned tomatoes, chilies, corn, and taco seasoning (THIS IS MY FAVORITE SEASONING!) and let it slow cook for 40 minutes then topped with shredded cheese. We often make spaghetti and meatballs using frozen meatballs on busy weeknights. What would usually take several pans (boiling noodles, heating sauce, and thawing meatballs) was done in just the Ninja system and took little effort and time!
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Signature Ninja Recipes We have Tried and Enjoyed:
Savory Pot Roast Easy Spaghetti and Meatballs Stuffed Artichokes
Ratatouille White Bean and Artichoke Dip Honey Glazed Carrots
Spiced Nuts Lemon Roasted Salmon
Advantages and Disadvantages of the NinjaCooking System
By this point, it is obvious that we love our Ninja Cooking System. But with all things, there are both good and bad points. So I have listed out what I feel are the pros and cons for The Ninja Cooking System.
Pros:
- Greatly reduces cooking time
- Several different appliances combined into one: Oven, stove-top, steamer and slow cooker
- It truly is NONSTICK
- The meal timer let’s you pre-program cooking, so you can enjoy a hot dinner just as soon as you get home after work
- You can use the cooking system to sear and brown food before steaming
- You can use racks to let you cook a whole meal; like pasta, meat and vegetables in one pot
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- It is large, so you’ll have to find room for it in your cabinets or leave out on your kitchen counter
- Cost is much higher than most slow cookers BUT this is more than just a slow cooker (average price $159.99)
- You may have to learn to modify some of your favorite recipes when making them in the Ninja due to the quick cooking and atypical method
- Some parts of the Ninja, like the lid and rack, are not dishwasher safe
Where to Buy the Ninja Cooking System?
They are sold practically anywhere that slow cookers are sold. I recommend that you do a price research before buying. I bought mine from Bed, Bath, and Beyond when it went on sale after Christmas a few years ago plus I used a 20% store coupon. They are also sold on Amazon and you can also buy it directly from the Ninja website or at least go there to read more exact product specifications.
I was so impressed with this product, that it turned me into a Ninja fan. My next Ninja buy was the blender. Then we upgraded to the Ninja Nutri Bowl Duo. And most recently I happily had the opportunity to replace my Keruig with the Ninja Coffee Bar! Do any of you have any Ninja Products that you love?