ok, these are some super simple recipes we made up for my aunt (who has an intellectual disability and intelligence somewhere between a 10 and 12 year old) - so far, she's managed to make them all perfectly! they are VERY basic, very vege rich and work out very economical (even doing the big bad and using spag bol sauce rather than making it from scratch!). so, hopefully for those who arent sure how a SC will work for them (or those who've had issues in the past) these might get your mojo happening again!

a quick note - if i put "soup pack" and you can't get one at the moment, it's basically 3 carrots, a parsnip, swede, turnip, onion and a spud.
i use powdered stock, rather than cubes, as they work better, aren't as salty etc - if i have the time, i make up stock myself but not possible for my aunt, so again we made it easy for her!


Slow Cooker ? Spaghetti Bolognaise

1kg mince

4 jars of spaghetti sauce

1 small tub tomato paste

Soup pack* (finely diced)

2 decent onions (finely diced)

3 large spuds (finely diced)

4 sticks of celery (finely diced)

Capsicum traffic light** (finely diced)

Average zucchini (finely diced)

Frozen peas and corn

500g packet of spiral WHOLEMEAL pasta

Brown mince in electric frying pan ? make sure that the mince is well broken up, just cooked. Don?t over cook. If you like the onion slightly cooked first, you can brown it at the same time

Transfer browned mince (and onion) to the slowcooker pot. Add all vegetables (excluding peas and corn). Mix to combine

Add jars of sauce and tomato paste.

Fill one jar to approx ? with water. Add lid, shake to get sauce of outside of jar. Transfer this fluid to next jar, cap, shake. Continue with all four jars. Transfer the water mixtured to the pot. Ensure not to add too much water.

Mix well

Put lid on slow cooker, turn it to LOW and leave to cook.

Stir every hour to two hours.

After FOUR or FIVE hours, cook pasta in water on the cook top (per instructions on the pack)

While that is cooking, stir through peas and corn ? generally about a cup and a half, but you can add more or less to taste

When pasta is cooked, drain well, and stir through bolognaise sauce. Leave on low for approx half to an hour more (not essential). Depending on the size of your cooker, you may need to remove from the cooker and add pasta in another pot. Turn cooker off, allow to cool then dispense into the containers for freezing. Serve straight away if you?re having it for current meal.

Defrost in the fridge overnight. Before heating, transfer to microwave safe container. Heat until piping hot. Serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese if desired.





Slow Cooker ? Chicken Bolognaise

1kg chicken breast fillets, skinned and diced

4 jars of spaghetti sauce

1 small tub tomato paste

Soup pack* (finely diced)

2 decent onions (finely diced)

3 large spuds (finely diced)

4 sticks of celery (finely diced)

Capsicum traffic light** (finely diced)

Average zucchini (finely diced)

Frozen peas and corn

500g packet of spiral WHOLEMEAL pasta

Transfer diced chicken breast to the slowcooker pot. Add all vegetables (excluding peas and corn). Mix to combine

Add jars of sauce and tomato paste.

Fill one jar to approx ? with water. Add lid, shake to get sauce of outside of jar. Transfer this fluid to next jar, cap, shake. Continue with all four jars. Transfer the water mixtured to the pot. Ensure not to add too much water.

Mix well

Put lid on slow cooker, turn it to LOW and leave to cook.

Stir every hour to two hours.

After approx FIVE hours, check chicken to ensure it is cooked through (break a piece in half and ensure it is enitrely white through). If chicken done, cook pasta in water on the cook top (per instructions on the pack)

While that is cooking, stir through peas and corn ? generally about a cup and a half, but you can add more or less to taste

When pasta is cooked, drain well, and stir through bolognaise sauce. Leave on low for approx half to an hour more (not essential). Depending on the size of your cooker, you may need to remove from the cooker and add pasta in another pot. Turn cooker off, allow to cool then dispense into the containers for freezing. Serve straight away if you?re having it for current meal.

Defrost in the fridge overnight. Before heating, transfer to microwave safe container. Heat until piping hot. Serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese if desired. If chicken is in the tin container, it can be reheated in the oven as it is ? ensure it is piping hot. DO NOT reheat in microwave in a tin dish! this dish can also be topped with white sauce and baked in the oven for a simple dinner





Slow Cooker ? Braised Lamb

1kg lamb chops (preferably with single round bone)

Soup pack* (finely diced)

2 decent onions (finely diced)

3 large spuds (finely diced)

Extra carrot and onion (or a second soup pack) to taste

Chicken stock powder

Beef or vegetable stock powder

Traditional Gravox gravy powder

Curry powder, salt and pepper (to taste)



Dice the meat from the bone of your chops ? take notice of how many bones you have! Place ALL of this in the slow cooker pot ? bones included (they add flavour)

Add all the vegetables and mix together

In a seperate bowl, combine 4 teaspoons of chicken stock, 2 teaspons of beef or vegetable stock, some salt and pepper, curry powder (teaspoon) and approx a cup of gravox. Mix. Add boiled water to cover, stir into a paste ? make sure there are no lumps

Add to pot and mix. Cover ingredients with water

Lid on the cooker, put it on low and leave to cook. Stir every hour or so. When meat is cooked thoroughly, turn it off and leave to stand.

if you find the liquid is a little too watery, remove some liquid, mix with gravox to make a paste and mix this into the pot.

Serve as is or with mash. Ensure you locate and remove all bones (as noted in the first step ? so if you put 8 in, take 8 out!) Freeze remainder in meal containers.

Defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat in microwave safe container





Slow Cooker ? Braised Beef

1kg stir-fry beef or similar (we use 1kg diced blade steak)

Soup pack* (finely diced)

2 decent onions (finely diced)

3 large spuds (finely diced)

Extra carrot and onion (or a second soup pack) to taste

Chicken stock powder

Beef or vegetable stock powder

Traditional Gravox gravy powder

Curry powder, salt and pepper (to taste)



Place your meat in the slow cooker pot. Add all the vegetables and mix together

In a seperate bowl, combine 4 teaspoons of chicken stock, 2 teaspons of beef or vegetable stock, some salt and pepper, curry powder (teaspoon) and approx a cup of gravox. Mix. Add boiled water to cover, stir into a paste ? make sure there are no lumps

Add to pot and mix. Cover ingredients with water

Lid on the cooker, put it on low and leave to cook. Stir every hour or so. When meat is cooked thoroughly, turn it off and leave to stand.

if you find the liquid is a little too watery, remove some liquid, mix with gravox to make a paste and mix this into the pot.

Serve as is or with mash. Freeze remainder in meal containers.

Defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat in microwave safe container






Slow Cooker ? Vegetable Soup

2 soup packs* (roughly chopped)

4 sticks of celery (roughly chopped)

Small head of brocolli (roughly chopped)

Small cauliflower or half large cauliflower (roughly chopped)

Average sized zucchini (roughly chopped)

3-4 extra potatos (roughly chopped)

1-2 extra carrots (roughly chopped)

Pumpkin ? ? butternut, ? jap OR full butternut OR ? decent sized jap***

2 tetra packs of liquid stock (generally use one chicken, one vegetable) OR

8 teaspoons of chicken stock powder, 4 of vegetable ? dissolved in 1L of water ? plus additional water as noted

Salt and Pepper to taste



Peel and roughly dice all vegies ? place in the slow cooker crock pot. Add any other vegies you want to add until crock pot is almost full

Season with salt and pepper

Add 2L of stock. You may need to add more liquid ? use boiled water from the kettle ? take fluid levels to within approx an inch of the top of cooker

Place lid on cooker, turn it on low, and allow to cook until vegies are cooked. Bamix or food process until it is pureed. Serve.

Freeze additional amounts. Defrost overnight in the fridge ? reheat on stove top in a saucepan to ensure it is piping hot.