Slow cookers and 12 hour workdays won’t be the best of friends, as others have noted.
That said, should you ever decide that a slow cooker belongs in your repertoire, the “Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook” (or possibly one of the similar titles by the same authors) may be useful to you.
I got the book to teach myself about slow cooking when I started working from home. Though I almost always change up the recommended seasonings because the flavorings are too muted for our palates.
Agree on that book, by Rick Rodgers, I think, although a bit more prep than some others. More info later.
Thanks for the tips. We have a unique situation where I’m out of the house 3-4 days during the week, inc eve/night. So I’m generally the cook when I’m here, and also the planner, the big batcher, the organizer. He just has too much going on to do all that too, and it won’t get done. He has plans to cook, and doesn’t want to resort to processed or frozen, but often ends up with pizza or whatnot because that’s his life that day. I think that the IP isn’t the solution for us, because that 30-60 could be spent making a meal once he gets home. I appreciate it is hands off in the IP, but I don’t know how freeing that would be for him. And if the slow cooker shouldn’t be left alone for 1/2 a day, then that isn’t really good for our lifestyle either. I do really appreciate the insights. I think what he needs is a butler.
Yes; I understand. I just wanted to point out that the IP lets me do some things in it that make it come out better than my slow cooker.
I was on a teeny tiny iphone sitting in my car for lunch, but thought I would try to respond!
Can’t you prepare the food like to have them cut and marinated in the fridge, and your DH put the preparation in a slow cooker or IP at the right hour, and have the food cook until meal time?
It is just a one off movement and takes less than 5 minutes.
Actually, I’m thinking if you need things to be cooked for 12 hours or more, maybe sous vide suits you the best. You prepared all the bags and let them cook slowly with the low temperature in water bath.
Just a couple of things you may want to think about with either a slow cooker or a pressure cooker/Instant Pot:
You have to like that kind of food - stews, braises, “pulled” meats, beans, soups, etc. If you prefer stir fries and grilled food, you probably won’t like any of those tools.
Be aware that when many Instant Pot recipes say Cook for 15 Minutes, they are usually only referring to the amount of time something cooks when it reaches full pressure. That takes time. You also have to release the steam when the “cook” time is complete. Depending upon the release method the recipe calls for, that also can take time.
Many modern slow cookers have features that the original Crock Pot (which is a brand name - think kleenex) didn’t. You can brown/ saute your food in the SC insert so you don’t have to get another pot dirty. Many have a keep warm function so that if you don’t actually turn the pot off after it cooks for the set time, it switches to a warm program which keep the contents at a food safe temperature but doesn’t continue to cook it.
I work at one of those nationwide cookware/kitchen stores and we have various models of slow cookers and pressure cookers on display. The Instant Pot is still a very hot item and we have demo classes about once a month so that may be a good way to see if the IP will work for you.
I can’t honestly think of anything that actually takes 5 minutes in the kitchen except a bowl of cereal and milk. That said, I really can’t. On the days that I am at home, I work from home. On the days I’m not here, I’m not here at all. Putting together a marinade takes time, with citrus zesting or juicing, garlic/ginger peeling and mincing, herb snipping and washing, etc. Meat has to be thawed in advance from the freezer, then cut up and the gristle or whatnot has to be trimmed. I wish I had your 5 min superpower.
Maybe I misunderstand, I thought it was your husband that was super busy, I mean him putting the prepared food into the pot that you’ve prepared beforehand and keep them in the fridge.
Well I live in France, we buy fresh meat from the shops, parts already trimmed by the butcher to the right size. If you buy pre wash herbs, precut onions, garlic, everything will take under 15 minutes adding spices and wine and roughly cut vegetables. I have made some pull pork using shoulder, only requiring marinating with paprika, salt and oregano and this take a real 5 minutes to prepare, delicious! (of course, I’m talking about 1 pot meal, not something fancy).
Ok, these are my favorite things to make in the slow cooker @Sasha - (please don’t judge me anyone 
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#1 Pork Carnitas - I usually buy a big a** pork shoulder or plain old pedestrian butt roast. I take and season it very well on all sides and ends with what looks like way too much Lawry’s Garlic Salt. I then coat the entire thing with what looks like way too much Penzey’s Adobo Seasoning or a homemade mix. I slice a large onion and lay it on the bottom of the slow cooker. This adds both liquid and flavor, so the roast doesn’t scorch or stick to the bottom of the slow cooker. I then put the roast in and start the cooking process on high til it starts bubbling. If I have to leave before it has a chance to do that, I just start it on low. If it’s a huge hunk of meat, I’ll sometimes cook it all night, depending on when I want to serve it. I will say these big roasts can easily withstand 10 hours at least. We shred the meat and toast it up a little in the small oven. It comes out so tender and succulent, it’s amazing. We freeze the leftovers for other meals. Note: usually don’t cook the huge roasts unless having people over.
#2 I also make Kahlua pork in it - there are recipes all over the internet that usually involve some coarse sea salt and liquid smoke. Again, this results in amazingly flavorful and tender meat. It was a huge hit at a farewell luau we hosted in May.
#3 No Peeking Beef Stew
This is more like a quick version of Beef Bourginon
2 lbs beef stew meat, cut up
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope of Lipton dry onion soup mix
1 soup can of red wine (drinkable but not fancy)
Put all ingredients in the slow cooker the night before you want to use it. Put in refrigerator. Turn it on low and leave the lid on for 8-10 hours.
I like to thicken the sauce with some cornstarch, add Liquid Bouquet for a nice rich brown color.
Sometimes I add a bag of frozen pearl onIons, 1/3 bag or more of petite, early harvest green peas and some precooked carrots. Baby carrots ok, but I prefer the taste of others.
Serve over buttered noodles, mashed potatoes or rice.
#4 Nacho Chicken
6-8 bone in skinless chicken thighs, or combination of bone in skinless breasts and thighs
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 4 oz can of diced green chiles
1 8 oz can tomato sauce or salsa
2 T chopped, dried onion
Garlic powder to taste
Ground cumin to taste
Mexican oregano to taste
Put in slow cooker for about 6 hours - I like to serve over rice. (Kids seem to really like this)
1 large beef roast, any cut
1 pkg dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix
1 can beer (the darker the better)
1 T beef base
1/2 bottle mild pepperoncinI, chopped
water to barely cover meat
Put all ingredients in slow cooker and set to low
Cook for 8 hours
Remove meat and shred
Return meat to juices and leave until warm
Serve on lightly toasted buns and use juice for drippings
Note: this can be a little on the hot side, spice wise, so use your discretion
The leaner cuts are better in the crockpot as the collagen breaks down while cooking low & slow
You can delay the actual cooking time by refrigerating overnight
I’ve never had dry stringy meat out of a crockpot. Fall apart tender meat, especially chicken, falling off the bones, yes.
Let us know what you decide to do with your cooking situation. Good luck, it’s not always easy.
Another recipe you can prepare quickly. Pork shoulder again. Pork in milk: salt and pepper generously the meat, add bay leaves and fresh thyme, add a bulb of garlic, cut midway. Cover the pot with milk and cook for 4 hours or plus depending your size of meat. Serve.
There are many things that it’s just as easy to make a double or triple batch of at one time while only adding a few minutes of prep time- meatloaf, meatballs, lasagna, casseroles, stuffed pastas, etc. that freeze well and reheat easily in the oven on nights you need something fast with little to no prep time. They take even less time to reheat/ cook if you remember to take it out of the freezer in the morning or even the night before and put it in the fridge.
I don’t know if all models have it but my IP has a timer for delayed start- I can dump something frozen in it, set the timer to start at the right time and come home to a ready meal. It also has a keep warm feature. I’m sure there are crock pots that have that function. There are about a zillion freezer IP/ CP recipes at your finger tips via Google that could be dumped in the IP or CP in the morning.
Oof -well we are both super busy. I am out of the house entirely 4 days per week, and I work 5 days a week, about 10 hrs per day. He works 60 hrs per week, mostly in the office, but he brings it home too. I guess what you’re sensing is that we want to do everything ourselves and from scratch and generally take more time than we have. So I have a garden, I grow my own herbs, we buy fresh produce and meat and process (i.e. cut, wash, salt, marinade) etc ourselves. I know there are shortcuts out there. I could buy precut and washed veg at the stores, or the salad bar, pre-peeled garlic, pre chopped onion. But it is so much more expensive. And in the US, I’m always afraid that the more something like that is handled, the more likely it will end up with ecoli or listeria.
I think all of us have difficulty of some type. Mine is time, and the strong desire to pretend it isn’t so. Which is why I wasn’t really looking for recipes, but more general thoughts about whether a slow cooker would actually be any type of solution.
I appreciate your ideas.
Are you saying you put the slow cooker on low IN the refrigerator? That’s a MacGyver!
Haha, thanks for pointing that out. When I’m in brain output mode I can forget small details! 
Next morning of course.
I was mistaken about the Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker book being authored by Rick Rodgers - his book is entitled Slow Cooker, Ready and Waiting. He’s a pretty solid cookbook writer though, and his recipes really work.
Will also add that slow cookers are great for keeping liquid things warm, such as mulled wine or whatever. Also good for heating or keeping dinner rolls warm.
Disclaimer - I don’t work for any slow cooker manufacturer nor have I written any slow cooker cookbooks. Guess I’m just enthusiastic about what they can do. 
I love my slow cookers. For soups, stews, and chill they can’t be beat.
The modern digital ones allow you to program the time and then they go to warming mode.
Another tool in the kitchen is never a bad thing.
I’m following this thread with interest. I work from home 3+ days a week but my days are very full and scheduled. My husband works long hours + a long commute. Dinner is absolutely a challenge for me, especially when I stop grilling for the year. Lately, I’ve been doing triple batches of stuff like brown rice or lentils that take a while to cook then use them in the next meal or freeze them into portions.
I wfh 1 day/wk, and am super jealous of you 
But yes, 2 working parents is certainly a challenge.
Totally. My commute was kicking my butt. Working from home is a serious game changer for us. Nearly my entire team (and the teams we support) are 3 time zones behind me so I frequently have early and late meetings.
But back to your issue at hand, I get the need for control. I find time savings in grocery shopping from home and having it ready for pickup, auto order on some staples from Amazon/Target (coffee, snacks, toilet paper, etc etc etc.). And when it all falls apart, pizza or supermarket rotisserie chicken 
