The Easy Crock Pot Cookbook for Beginners Review: A Gentle First Step Into Slow Cooking

Buying a slow cooker is easy. Figuring out what to do with it after the third pot of chili is the hard part. The Easy Crock Pot Cookbook for Beginners by Mariela Lemley is written for exactly that moment: you own a Crock-Pot, you want dinner to be ready when you get home, and you'd like more than two recipes in your rotation.

It's a straightforward, no-frills paperback that walks through the whole day, from breakfast to dessert, using ingredients you can find in any ordinary grocery store. It holds a 4.2-star average from more than 150 ratings, which is solid for a self-published cookbook in a very crowded category.

Who it's for

• True slow-cooker beginners. If you've never browned meat before it goes in the pot or aren't sure when to use LOW versus HIGH, the plain step-by-step format is reassuring.
• Busy households. Working parents, shift workers and students who want to load the pot in the morning and eat at 6 p.m.
• Budget cooks. Recipes lean on cheap staples: chicken thighs, ground beef, canned beans and tomatoes, root vegetables, rice and pasta.
• People who like a plan. The four-week meal plan takes the "what's for dinner?" question off the table for a month.

It's not aimed at experienced cooks looking for restaurant-level technique or at anyone who needs strict dietary labeling (keto, low-sodium, gluten-free).

What we liked

• Broad coverage. Eight chapters span breakfast, vegetables and sides, snacks and appetizers, soups and stews, poultry, beef/pork/lamb, fish and seafood, and desserts. Most beginner books skip seafood and breakfast entirely.
• Everyday ingredients. You won't be hunting for specialty spices or expensive cuts. That keeps costs down and makes last-minute cooking realistic.
• Clear instructions and times. Recipes are written for people who don't cook much, with cooking times spelled out so you're not guessing.
• The 4-week meal plan. It's the most useful extra. It gives structure to your grocery shopping and helps you use leftovers instead of wasting them.
• Comfort-food focus. Pot roasts, stews, casseroles and chilis are what slow cookers do best, and the book leans into them.

What could be better

• Not every page has photos. If you rely on pictures to know what a dish should look like, you may want a full-color alternative.
• Simple by design. Experienced cooks will find many recipes familiar. The value here is convenience and organization, not new culinary ideas.
• Limited nutrition detail. If you track macros closely, you'll need to calculate some numbers yourself.
• Self-published polish. Layout and editing are functional rather than glossy. Don't expect the design of a big-publisher cookbook.

Key features, explained

• "Beginner" really means beginner. Expect basic prep steps, simple seasoning and forgiving recipes that are hard to ruin.
• Hands-off cooking. Most recipes follow a prep-once, set-it-and-leave-it approach, which is the whole point of owning a slow cooker.
• Meal plan + chapters. Use the plan when you want structure, and dip into the chapters when you just need one idea for tonight.

Tips for getting more from it

1. Know your cooker's size. Most recipes assume a standard 5–6 quart pot. In a smaller cooker, scale down so the pot is one-half to two-thirds full.
2. Brown meat when you can. Even when a recipe says it's optional, five minutes in a skillet adds a lot of flavor.
3. Don't lift the lid. Every peek adds cooking time. Trust the timer.
4. Add dairy and delicate greens at the end to keep sauces from splitting and vegetables from turning to mush.
5. Cook once, eat twice. Double stews and chilis, then freeze half in flat freezer bags for a future busy night.

How it compares

Among the beginner slow-cooker books we looked at, Mariela Lemley's title sits in the practical middle. It's broader than most, with seafood and breakfast chapters that some competitors skip, and it's one of only two in our roundup with a multi-week meal plan (the other is Levi Reeds' 30-day plan).

• Versus the Ultimate Crock Pot Cookbook (Gladys Roberts): the chapter lineup is almost identical, but Roberts' book has far more ratings. Lemley's edge is the four-week meal plan, which Roberts doesn't offer.
• Versus the Complete Crock Pot Cookbook (Color Edition): Northrup's book is full color with nutrition for every recipe. Pick it if photos and macros matter more to you than a structured monthly plan.
• Versus Levi Reeds' Super Easy Crock Pot Cookbook: Reeds is more modern and protein-focused, with detailed nutrition. Lemley is the gentler, more traditional comfort-food option.

In short, choose this one if you want a calm, classic introduction with a meal plan attached, and you don't mind fewer photos and less nutrition detail. It's the book to hand to someone who has just unboxed their first slow cooker and feels a little intimidated by it.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Does it work with any slow cooker, not just Crock-Pot? Yes. "Crock Pot" is used generically. Any standard slow cooker with LOW and HIGH settings works.

Q: Is there a meal plan? Yes, a four-week plan is included.

Q: Are there dessert recipes? Yes, there's a full desserts chapter.

Q: Is it good as a gift? It's a practical gift for someone who just got a slow cooker, like a new homeowner, a college grad or a newlywed couple.

Should you buy it?

If you want an affordable, easy-to-follow slow-cooker book that covers every meal and comes with a month of planning built in, this is a sensible pick. It won't turn you into a chef, but it will get a hot, homemade dinner on the table on nights when you'd otherwise order takeout, and that's what most slow-cooker owners actually want.

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