10 amazing slow cooker tips for the holidays and beyond

For a super moist turkey, start your bird on high for one hour. Then, switch it to low and cook it for seven more hours. Finish things off by placing it in the oven at 350 degrees F (about 177 C) to let it brown.

Those who live at high altitudes will want to adjust their cooking times. A good rule of thumb is to add an 30 minutes for each hour of cooking recommended in the recipe.

Successful slow cooking is all about temperature and time. Typically, plan on cooking meals at low temp for eight to 10 hours. If you just don't have that kind of time, you can speed things up. Set your slow cooker to high for for four to five hours.

When you're not cooking, put your slow cooker to work as an air freshener. Put your slow cooker on low, fill it with water and add two orange slices, a tablespoon of cloves and a couple cinnamon sticks to give your home a fantastic holiday scent. Here are some more ways to make your house smell fantastic.

Peeking at the food in the slow cooker can make it cook more slowly. Each peek adds 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time, according to the Food Network. 

Don't put frozen veggies or meats in your crockpot. They won't heat up quickly enough, which can allow bacteria to grow. Eww.

I like to make at least one side dish in my slow cooker during big holidays. It's just one less thing to worry about. Sticky foods like mac and cheese can be hard to wash off, though. To help with cleanup, be sure to line your slow cooker. Liners can be found next to the plastic storage bags in many grocery stores.

You can also cook desserts in your slow cooker instead of taking up valuable room in your oven. Chowhound has a great recipe for slow-cooker peach crumble.

Foods that contain milk, like cream cheese, sour cream and milk-based sauces, can curdle in a slow cooker. Be sure to add them during the last hour of cooking for the best results.

For the best-tasting dishes, be sure to brown your meat first before popping it into a slow cooker. Browning retains the meat's texture, especially if you're using ground beef.