I have bought a slow cooker, now I need advice. :)

[misty]

So, after literally years of deliberating, I have finally gone out and bought a slow cooker today. I thought it might come in handy while DH is away and I am juggling all the kids on my own - at the least it might mean we don't end up living on MacDonalds for 3 weeks straight, because I couldn't be bothered cooking by the end of the day.

So I was thinking I would probably mostly use it for casseroles and soups, as these are things I make regularly on the stove and in the oven anyway. I also have a couple of risotto receipies which I love, Can I cook rissotto's in the slow cooker?? Should I use the same measurements or do I need to add more / less moisture???

Also, in my caseroles do I have to brown the meat first, before it goes in the slow cooker??? Or can I just chuck my meat in unbrowned?? (I am assuming it would have to be defrosted regardless, but if I can miss out the step of browning the meat it would make my life just a bit easier).

Are there any other tips , tricks anyone can share??

[feeb]

I have never browned meat for slow cooker ( to me its pain in butt and dirty another pan lol)
I have known others to use frozen meat.

I have no made a rissotto in mine so not sure.

I do sausage casserole, beef stroganoff, chicken curry, lamb shanks are all favs here in slow cooker.

Not made soup as I do that on stove as make so much!!

Enjoy it makes life so easy when at 1700 you think hmm only need to cook rice or pasta to go with dinner!

[sloane]

i brown my meat, but it's just a personal choice you can def get away without doing it.
haven't tried a risotto but with most things in the SC you tend to use less liquid than with other types of cooking.
i have my first batch of soup in the SC at the moment. looks ok so far!
i do curries & casseroles mostly but also do a boned leg of lamb that i then pull apart & we make our own souvlakis - toomanyshoes had a recipe/thread somewhere for that. delish!!
i always heat the liquid first - i read somewhere that putting in hot/boiling liquid helps reduce the cooking time. no idea if it's true but i just stick with it.
chicken breasts can be tricky - you don't want to overcook them.
lamb & beef work beautifully.
there's an epic thread with SC recipes, def check that out

[~StarBright~]

I have a recipe book- 250 recipes for the slow cooker i will lend you!!!

Also DH buys the packet flavour things that you can put in them, and there is always a recipe on the back for what you put in to make it!! Good luck, they are a great thing to have!! And they make th ehouse smell devine all day long!!!!!

[Joeve]

I never brown the meat ever, I also chuck in frozen stuff too. Roast beef is lovely in there, just add water close the lid and open it 7 hours later
You get more adventurous the more you use it, i find rice and pasta anything doesn't work its too gluggy. Enjoy!

[LionsandBears]

I prefer to brown the meat first as I think that improves the flavour but you dont have to.
One of the benefits of a SC is you only need to use the cheaper, casserole type cuts of meat, which is a bonus
I've not made risotto in the SC (I'm about to make some in my TMX instead)
We do big cook up every few weeks then freeze. We're not particularly adventurous but it's amazing what you can produce with some tinned tomatoes, vegies and meat.

Enjoy experimenting.

[misty]

Thank you all so much for your replies everyone. Very appreciated.

SB - I will definitely take you up on that offer to borrow the receipe book.

I am ssooo excited, and DH just doesn't get it - he thinks I am crazy to get excited over a cooking appliance.

[~me~]

My favourite is Ossco Bucco..really yummy!
DH will brown meat before putting in.
I have made a Dublin Coddle, very easy and I always have the ingredients.
You can make golden syrup dumplings or those steam type desserts too.
Our favourite book is called The Gourmet Slow Cooker by Lynn Alley. It has different recipes from 7 countries (Dublin Coddle being one of them). It also has an Artichoke Risotto, it uses 6cups of stock and 1 cup of dry white wine, so quite moist to start with. This book has quite few rice recipes..I have made the Red Beans and Rice one, it was delicious.
Chicken and Dumplings is a good one too!! Yummmmmm Dumplings

[sloane]

I am ssooo excited, and DH just doesn't get it - he thinks I am crazy to get excited over a cooking appliance.

i'm exactly the same - love a good appliance for the kitchen! i bought a cheapie SC & would love to upgrade - i've seen a one in the big w catelogue that i have my eye on, it comes with a recipe book as well. double the excitement!

and heather has reminded me - dumplings definitely do nicely in the SC. yum!

[nothing2lose]

Feel free to share the recipes Heather!

My favourite is Ossco Bucco..really yummy!
DH will brown meat before putting in.
I have made a Dublin Coddle, very easy and I always have the ingredients.
You can make golden syrup dumplings or those steam type desserts too.
Our favourite book is called The Gourmet Slow Cooker by Lynn Alley. It has different recipes from 7 countries (Dublin Coddle being one of them). It also has an Artichoke Risotto, it uses 6cups of stock and 1 cup of dry white wine, so quite moist to start with. This book has quite few rice recipes..I have made the Red Beans and Rice one, it was delicious.
Chicken and Dumplings is a good one too!! Yummmmmm Dumplings

[starangelk]

I think my slow cooker is magic. I just chuck anything in there, frozen or thawed - I never bother browning the meat. I make soups, stews, casseroles - basically anything. We don't bother following recipes at our house - LOL. This week we did turkey shanks with onion and potato in the slow cooker and DH just chucked a few tsp of curry paste in there with water and hey presto - delicious dinner with rice added. Then the following night, I just shredding and remaining turkey and mashed the potatoes and made a turkey cottage pie. Yumbo!

[~me~]

Ok..Dublin Coddle is the easiest, even I can do this one I prefer to brown especially when recipes ask for it. The way I look at..it's on very early in the day and I can sit back and relax for the rest (well as much as possible anyway). You can always prepare first thing in the morning and then switch on the slow cooker later. The best thing about a slow cooker, is you could prepare the night before, get up throw it in before work and come home to a beautiful smelling house and beautiful meal

4 slices lean bacon
1 1/2 pounds pork sausages (6-8 sausages)
2 yellow onions sliced
2 Large potatoes peeled and sliced
2 carrotts peeled and sliced
1 cup water, hard cider, chicke stock or beer.
1/4 cup chopped parsely for garnish
Salt and Freshly ground pepper.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and fry for 7mins or until crisp. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towels to drain.
Add sausages to pan and cook, turning frequently for 10mins or until browned. Using tongs, transfer to a plate. Drain excess fat from the pan.
Add the onions to the pan and saute, stirring frequently for 10mins or until lightly browned.

Spread half the onions in a layer in th bottom of slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place half the potatoes in a layer on top of the onions, spinkle with salt and pepper.
Lay the strips of bacon over the potatoes. Lay the sausages over the bacon. Spread the carrots over the sausages and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Spread the remaining onions over the carrots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add the water or your chosed liquid. Cover and cook on low for 5-6hrs until the vegies are very tender.

Transfer to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the parsely. Servie immeadiately.

To Drink: Harp Lager or Newcastle Brown Ale, Britains most popular beer!

[~me~]

I'll share this one too since this was one of the main questions

Artichoke Risotto

3 Tblsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups chicken stock
4 cooked small artichokes, quartered or to cooked large artichoke hearts sliced.
1/2 cup unsalted butter
6 Tblsp fresh grated parmesan plus more for garnish
Salt and Freshly ground pepper

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute stirring frequently for about 10mins until lightly browned. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute or until opaque. Add the wine and cook for about 10mins until the liquid is reduced by two-thirds.

Transfer the rice mixture to the slow cooker and add the stock and artichokes. Cover and cook on high for about 2 hours until the rice is firm but tender. Stir in the butter, cheese. Salt and pepper to taste just before serving.
Transfer to a warmed serving dish and garnish with cheese. Serve immeaditately

To Drink: Apparently a very big tasting red wine

AND....

Simmered Veal shanks with wine and lemon (Osso Bucco).

8 x 4cm pieces of veal shank
Flour
2 Tbls olive oil
6 cloves garlic peeled
1 cups white wine
2 cups chicken stock
rind 1/2 lemon cut into strips
4 bay leaves
1 tbls chopped thyme
2 baby fennel bulbs halved
cracked black pepper and mash potato to serve

Toss veal in flour and shake away excess flour. Heat oil in a frypan over high heat. Add veal and brown well. Place veal in slow cooker. Place onions and garlic in the frypan cook until golden and add to slow cooker.
Addd wine, stock, lemon rind, bay leaves and thyme to slow cooker and put on low a couple of hours. Add fennel and bake for a further 45mins.

This is from a Marie Claire cook book and my DH just uses the slow cooker instead of casserol dish.

[misty]

Thanks for the recipies, especially the rissotto one. i am very keen to try a rissotto or two and see how it turns out.

I am trying it out today - just a cassorole I would usually chuck in the oven. Will see how it turns out tonight.
Most of my regular oven based recepies I use whould be very easily adaptable for the slow cooker, it will just be a litttle trial and error in the interim.