Why haven’t I been slow cooking all my life!?

[icebearforpresident]

After gathering dust for years i’ve actually started to use my slow cooker, 3 times in the last 4 weeks and I genuinely don’t understand why I haven’t been using it! Everything tastes amazing and I love not having to rush to get stuff ready by 6 o clock. This weekend I made chicken tikka and it was better than any supermarket ready meal or jar of sauce. The beef stew last weekend was also a roaring success, even the kids ate it.

Any recipes you can share, I plan on using it as much as possible from now on.

A gammon joint, with a can of either coke or cider. Even nicer if you add a glaze of maple syrup and wholegrain mustard.

I really need to use mine more often. I only do stew or gammon. I would be interested to hear how you did chicken tikka in it?

I don't use mine every week or anything but I wouldn't be without it. Great for soup, stew small roast chicken. Love some more ideas.

pin.it/jz4hpwv5ape3vx
Hopefully the link works ok. Got this recipe off Pinterest and had it last night. It was lovely. There are lots of slow cooker recipes on there... including Mint aero bubble cake.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-lamb-curry

This is absolutely delicious and perfect for the current weather.

Well mine broke, but I just slow pot roasted a beef brisket in the oven and it was lovely - just put less than a spoonful of water in with joints of meat and sit them on top of some veg.

Chicken Cacciatore - chicken breasts/legs or thighs, chopped up bacon, tinned tomatoes, onions and a bit of salt/pepper/chilli flakes and a dash of oil. Haven’t done this for ages but got it from Mumsnet and whenever I used to share it people used to love it.

Also, I don’t generally brown meat first in the slow cooker, unless using sausages. It’s not necessary, but if you have time its good.

Yup- I love mine. Dump stuff in it before work and come back to a lovely hot meal that everyone can help themselves to when they want ( my lot are always in and out so want to eat at different times.)

Last week I did:
Meatballs in sauce- cheat meal- jar of dolmio, meatballs, onions ( which I always fry before adding) Italian herbs and black pepper.

Pork leg steaks with apple and onions- sear a little first then chuck in with some gravy, fried onions and chopped eating apples. Serve with mash and veg.

Half leg of lamb- sear the meat, put in slow cooker ( I usually do this for about 8 hours on low) with cup of lamb stock, couple of tablespoons of Worcester sauce and a jar of cranberry jelly, season. Serve with roasted garlic baby potatoes, Yorkshires and green veg ( sometimes cauliflower cheese too as I am low carbing) I take the liquid out and add a bit more cranberry with more Worcester and let it reduce in a pan. Just yum!

All sounds amazing, especially the meatballs. They’re a firm favourite with the kids and something I make on a weekly basis but I hate cooking them as my kitchen is at the end of the hall from the living room and it’s difficult to keep an eye on the kids while I’m in there (DH often works until 10pm).

The chicken tikka I got from BBC good food, I searched for slow cooker on there and it was one of the results. We had it last night and I’ve just had some of the leftovers tonight,it was bloody amazing. I must learn how to cook basmati rice though, mine was all sticky and claggy and generally yuck.

If you’re on Facebook, slow cooked wonders is a great group to join for ideas.
Chicken and chorizo is lovely - Packet of chicken thighs (skinless and boneless), chopped chorizo, half a chopped onion, bit of garlic, brown the chicken and chorizo off, throw in and cover with chicken stock. 8 hours on low, thicken with a little bit of cornflour.

I don’t usually brown meat first, but I do for this recipe. You can sub the stock for passata if you like a tomatoey version.

Oh and I am also rubbish at basmati rice. I buy microwave ones. Veetee and the one from Aldi are the best - white tray ones, not the ones that come in packets that you stand up.

DH did the Mumsnet garlic chicken in ours today (from the cook book) it was delicious and a real nice change to go with the usual roast trimmings. I believe it's onions then a pack of skinless boneless chicken thighs and then 20 cloves of garlic on low for 5 hours.

20 cloves of garlic 😍 I must try that one!

Basmati rice = 1 cup rice, wash and drain.
Add to pan, add 1 cup of boiled water. Cool on high until boiling, turn to lowest setting and let it cook for 10 mins. Turn off heat and let it sit there for a while until you’re ready to serve. This always comes out perfect and fluffy!

It’s brilliant for pulled pork. Season your joint, Chuck in the slow cooker on a bed of sliced onions and leave it until the meat is falling apart (about 5 hours on a medium heat) Remove skin, fat, shred and mix with a barbecue sauce.

I do rice in the microwave, as I never cooked it successfully. 1 cup rice, 2 cups water, cook on high for 15 minutes. Done! Water perfectly absorbed, rice perfectly cooked.

I use my slow cooker a lot and always have done since getting one.

I did recently dust off my halogen oven though and wonder why that had been gathering dust for 5 years until necessity prompted me to dig it out (running out of gas, already on emergency, the day before pay day), it does roast potatoes and chips brilliantly.

Great for cakes as well.

I'm going to trybthd pulled pork. Sounds lovely

We cooked our Christmas ham in it for the first time this year. Cooked in ginger ale and finished it off in the oven to glaze. It was gorgeous 😋

Some tasty looking recipes on this thread. Must try them.

Sorry. Shamelessly placemarking for new recipes...yum

I love mine, must try meatballs and chicken tikka! Make a good chana saag in mine with frozen spinach.

To cook 1 cup dry basmati rice (enough for 3-4), wash the rice first, this takes a layer of the sticky starch off. Lay in bottom of pan and shake level. Add cold water so that if you put your finger on top on the rice it comes up to your first knuckle (about 2cm). Chuck in a cinnamon stick and star anise if you like. Put on a tightly fitting lid. Boil hard for 5 mins then turn off the heat and keep the lid on for a further 12 mins. Fluff through with a fork.

As Teagoanngoanngoann said :) yum!

Oxtail stew is good old fashioned comfort.
Although I made it in the slow cooker, I can't for the life of me remember the recipe. I added butterbeans towards the end and served with steamed green beans and naice bread and butter.

There is a website called pinchofnom, in the recipe section there is a slow cooker section.
If you use Facebook there are quite a few pages where people share recipes, one I quite like is called 'slow cooking with princess Gaz' it's slow cooking but with a lot of adult humour thrown in.

I used my cooker a couple of times last week, did a chilli, half leg of lamb on veg and chicken fajitas

Funnily enough! i dug out the one my
Sister gave me. I’m going to see which spag Bol tastes better. Using slow for the first time.

Marking my place in this thread for more ideas ☺️👍🏻

I second brisket in a bit of red wine - you think it’s not going to work then all of a sudden you can shred it and it’s amazing x