Hi Melody:

You betcha you can cook a whole chicken in a crockpot or slow cooker. I don't remember how brown it got, but I have done that several years ago. Mostly, cooking in these handy gadgets is done with steam so to speak. You can put in vegetables too if you wish - depends on the size of the cooker or crockpot. I think those names are interchangeable. They started out being called crockpots but now I think they are also called slow cookers - at least my latest one is. It is a small sized one good for one person. I do need to get another and larger one, though, so I can have more leftovers.

The chicken made in the crockpot or slow cooker just falls apart, it is so tender. I don't like leaving it alone all day when I am out, although I used to do this years ago. I now have it on during the night and by morning things are done nicely. I add just a little water in the bottom to make steam. I also make sauerkraut and spareribs this way and the meat gets so tender. I used to make beef roast and now I make corned beef briskets. Beef roasts these days, however, come more lean and are not so tender anymore. I also make bits of sliced chuck steak in canned tomato with flour added to make a sort of gravy. This is yummy and the small pieces of beef are so tender. I add the beef raw, by the way. When done, this is very good over potatoes or brown rice.

I love my slow cooker! By the way, best to not keep taking off the lid to check - this removes too much steam!

Shirley H.