Slow Cooker Chatter #19

So I made my chicken in coke tonight... OMG it was soooo good!!! :D

I actually found a recipe that used BBQ sauce instead of ketchup, so opted for that one as DH likes his BBQ sauce ;)

I didn't end up using the whole chicken either, as all of the ones in the shops this morning looked a little cruddy... :p

So I just used breast pieces, and they were fantastic - served them over brown rice.. yummo :)

Am very keen to try the ketchup now.. maybe one night next week - it was the easiest meal ever, I love it! :D

Great glad it worked out Holly!! Maybe DH can add it to the menu LOL

ok, so I am very tempted to get us a slow cooker. All this yummy talk has convinced me it could be just the thing to try for simmering something to get it real tender or to put a meal on earlier in the day so every day in late afternoon I dont have to be starting on a meal. Could be good when baby arrives too....and when DH starts work and me and DS want to eat before he gets home!

...anyway, what I need to ask is advise about the different types of cookers about. Brands, prices, sizes, quality all that stuff.

we just had the mccormacks meditterian chicken with pasta - it was delicious!

Salsa - cant really offer too much advice as I've only had mine for about 3 weeks, but I'd suggest getting a big one, the few times I've used it already, I've made dinner for one night, and then had another meal for the freezer.

I would second a large one, also get one with a timer which switches it to warm after the cooking time has finished.

With a growing family a big one will never go astray. There is nothing better than getting a meal out of the freezer when you need to. I have the 5.5litre (I think) and that is plenty big enough for 3 adults. Talk to the shop assistants and see if they have one and find out why they bought that brand against another. Am cooking tomato & onion sausages for tea tomorrow in it if I get up early enough before work.

I would say a big one as well. I have a 6l or maybe it's 6.5l and it's big enough to fit a decent sized lamb leg in for roasting (if the shank is cut and bent over). If it's not big enough to put a roast in it's not enough IMO.
I know that a couple of the girls have a big one and a small one but I don't really have enough money or space in my kitchen to justify going down that path.

we use a large one - it's big enough to do a decent meal for four adults, three kids, and have leftovers for someone next day. i wouldn't go smaller than a 5.5L but would probably lean toward a 6L or larger.

from a 6L, i can get 7 or more large meals to freeze for DH to take to work...

I have the largest one you can get (I think). I can fit 2 size 16 chooks in it side by side, with vegies underneath. I always double recipies and freeze half so that when I don't feel ike cooking there is something in the freezer for us to eat. I looooove it! Get a big one!!!

yea - a big one sounds great. We do not have a big freezer though, so may not need the largest, but I will look for one around 6.
And one with a timer sounds good, for the purpose of keeping DH food warm if he ends up working later than me and DS want to eat.

Are there any brands that are a bit shonky that would be good to avoid?

Could something like chickpeas be cooked in one and then other things added, or would you need to do the chickpeas in a pot first?

And how much do you use one in summer? Are there some real good things to make during warmer weather in one?

I saw a slow cooker recipe book at the post shop a few weeks ago for about $10, so I wonder if I should go back and get one...?

I don't know about brands to avoid but mine is a Russel Hobbes and it's great.
I think the slow cooker is best for winter foods but I like it in summer because if I feel like a curry but I don't want to slave away near a stove it's perfect. I have thing for curry in summer - I'm not sure why. It makes no sense to eat hot food in hot weather......
IMO there few things that go together as well a hot curry, a cold drink and a summer evening.

I soak chick peas, beans etc overnight (in the fridge) before cooking them and I also keep a few tins for the times that I don't have any pre-soaked.

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I have thing for curry in summer - I'm not sure why. It makes no sense to eat hot food in hot weather......
IMO there few things that go together as well a hot curry, a cold drink and a summer evening.

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How hot?
My father use to tell me that something hot in hot weather is good for cooling you down...? cause it makes you sweat...not sure about the logics but he has lived in some hot places, so I guess he has some idea :dunno:
DH loves a curry and cold larger anytime of year - and I do too (though I cant eat as hot as I used to since spending a few months in Bangladesh), but we`ll see if that still applies once we have our first summer in Australia ;)

I usually keep some dried and tinned chickpeas too, but was hoping a slow cooker might be a easy/lazy way of doing the dried one.

I make heaps of roast chooks in summer in my slow cooker to eat with salad.... my easy dinner. The other thing I like in summer is to make my refried beans for mexican. I make heaps of mexican spicy food in summer. YUM!

Hi everyone.

Got my slow cooker for my birthday after months of looking around for one I wanted. DH just went out and did it all by himself, clever bugger. he did verry well. Got a Russell Hobbs one...Amity Lane range or something like that. Is 6l and is an great size. Can't go wrong with a big one I reckon!

Just wondering what everyones favourite cut of meat is for their slow cooker? I did African Beef (same as the Morrocan Beef recipe that is listed here on BB but using African spice mix instead of Morrocan) and I used whole oyster blade. OMG, I have never eaten such tender beef before!

Going to try to do either the coca cola chicken or maybe the batchelors roast tomorrow. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Whenever a recipie calls for lamb or pork I like to use shoulder. The meat is less expensive than other cuts, and more flavoursome than the leg of the beast, IMHO. I am getting quite good at getting it off the bone now, but you can always ask the butcher to bone it for you.

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we just had the mccormacks meditterian chicken with pasta - it was delicious!

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Kellie - I made this one during the week as well - did you find that you needed to add salt though? I found it was a little bland, but once I added the salt is was great :)

Well it's about time I pop in here now that I have had my slowcooker for the last few days.

I bought a Breville Banquet Meal Maker 6.5ltr. I have a hard time knowing where to start so I am hoping to get my P's in this thread :D

I do have a question, at about 5pm tonight I decided to make a massive batch of vegetable soup, I thought the slow cooker would be ideal because of its size and the fact it will take ages to cook. Is it fine to leave it on low all night so the soup is ready for tomorrow or should I partly cook it and turn it off until the morning?

I look forward to chatting with you all :D

lms - i cook soup overnight all the time on low!