Help! Never used a slow cooker before and need some

[xXHopeXx]

Hi all!

I'm a newie to using a slow cooker (read: never used one before and have no idea! Lol)

And wanting some nice, cheap, tried and true slow cooker recipes! Meat and meatless ones are fine, it's only DH and I so no need to worry about particular veggies, well eat it all!

Would love any good, easy and YUMMY recipes to christen our slow cooker! Lol

Thanks in advance all

[MrsFabuloso]

Here is a link to the slow cooker thread for you, good luck!!

Slow Cooker Recipes & Discussion

[Rivlas]

I will only make pumpkin soup in mine, soooo easy and can be put on in the morning and ready for tea.

Have a look at the thread lilias posted as there are alot of yummy ideas. Must remember to use mine this summer

[trishalishous]

I love our slowcooker, it was a gift to my mum at her wedding, so is 31yrs old! we do soups, casseroles, stews, pasta sauce, curries, seafood laksa etc.
they are so easy, chop up&chuck in!

[MrsFabuloso]

Here's a few recipes I have hunted down for you, these are our faves!

Bean and bacon soup

1 lg ham hock
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
1 leek
1 cup white beans
1 cup orange lentils
5 cups chicken stock
2 large handfuls of baby spinnach
shaved parmesan

Peel and chop onions finely.Crush and chop garlic. Wash leek thoroughly and slice. Place all ingredients into the slow cooker, except for the spinnach and parmesan. Cover and cook on high for about 8-10hrs.
Remove the ham hock from the slow cooker. Peel off the rind and discard. Take the meat from the bone and chop. Return to the slow cooker. Turn off the slow cooker and mix in spinnach leaves. Serve hot garnished with the parmesan.

**I grate 1-2 carrots, zucchini and sometimes some pumpkin into this to add bulk and more veg. I also don't always use all of the stock, usually adding half stock and half plain water as it sometimes turns out a bit salty from the ham hock. I have made it with just water and it turned out ok, I just added a bit of salt into the pot instead. This is my fave slow cooker recipe so far!!


Beef and Veggie Casserole with Dumplings

Casserole:
700g stewing beef (shin/shoulder/chuck)
tbsp flour
2 onions chopped
550ml beef stock
3 carrots
sliced

Dumplings:
100g self raising flour
1 tsp salt
50g butter
2tbsp chopped parsley
90ml cold water

Cut the meat into even peices and toss in the flour. Fry meat in a pan with some oil until browned. Transfer into teh slow cooker. Add the onions to the frying pan and cook til slightly browned. Slowly add the remaining flour and gradually the other ingredients. Bring to the boil and transfer to the slow cooker. Ensure vegetables are immersed in the cooking liquid. Cook on high 4-6hrs OR low 7-12hrs.

Dumplings

Mix flour salt butter and parsley. Add water and mix into a soft dough. Shape into about 8 balls. Put them onto the top of the casserole and cook on high for 45mins with the lid on.

**I don't put any of it into a frypan. It all goes straight into the slow cooker! I don't often add the parsley to the dumplings either as I never have it. And I often add more veggies and make it a meal in one pot!


Chicken with BBQ sauce

1-1.5kg Chicken whole or legs
1 onion
4 tbsp Tomato sauce
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp mango chutney chopped
1 tsp french mustard
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp worstershire sauce

Brown the chicken in a frypan with some oil. Transfer to the slow cooker. Add the other ingredients to the frypan and bring to the boil. Pour over the chicken and cook on high for 4 1/2-5hrs, basting occaisionally.

**I don't put any of it into the fry pan. It all goes into the slow cooker straight away. I have also made it without the chutney, sometimes replacing it with some orange marmelaide, or not replacing at all. I haven't made it with a whole chicken, I use legs all the time, they turn out really yum!



The first two are great wintry dishes, the last one is good for summer too, depending on what you serve it with- salad, corn on the cob and bread for summer OR mash and steamed veg for winter, it's soooo yummy, often a weekly meal in our house.

[xXHopeXx]

mmm rhyb - that sounds delicious! how did it turn out?? hopefully well, because that dish sounds so easy and awesome! lol

lillias - thanks for those recipes! they sound great! thats exactly what i was after, people's favourite S.C meals that turn out nice, and are nice and easy (and being cheap is always good too! ) there's so many recipes on here i didnt know where to start, so i thought i'd go straight to the people and ask opinions and recipes

[informedbirth]

Love my slow cooker, didn't use it much till we moved to Tassie earlier in the year.

Great for roasts, I put in topside ar blade (brown in frypan first and then place meat on upturned bread and butter plate) cook on slow for approx. 7hrs. Also do the silverside in it as well. Curries, ossu bucco whatever, just follow normal recipes (I usually brown everything in pan first and get sauces heated thru before adding to cooker). Enjoy.

[informedbirth]

Love my slow cooker, didn't use it much till we moved to Tassie earlier in the year.

Great for roasts, I put in topside ar blade (brown in frypan first and then place meat on upturned bread and butter plate) cook on slow for approx. 7hrs. Also do the silverside in it as well. Curries, ossu bucco whatever, just follow normal recipes (I usually brown everything in pan first and get sauces heated thru before adding to cooker). Enjoy.