Gigi - I learnt the biggest trick to slow cooker meals is get cuts of meat that are good for casseroles, which are normally the cheaper cuts, and brown them before adding to slow cooker. Add root vegetables and a can or two of diced tomotoes. Add different herbs and spices depending on your taste and leave to cook. If you have stock add that. It's a good idea to make your own stock using vegie scraps and bones, then freeze in batches. Tastes nicer than the powder stuff but also takes up freezer space. A tip I got off Rouge was to keep adding vegie scraps to a freezer bag and keep frozen. When you have enough, make stock.

Tonight's dinner was a meal Mum made for our freezer- oyster blade beef casserole made in the slow cooker. Sooo yummy with mash. It included onions, carrots and probably tomato.

A cheap, healthy filler for casseroles are lentils. Buy dried lentils, soak overnight and add to a casserole. Other nutritious fillers include barley, brown rice, quinoa etc.