What is the point of slow cookers?

[EachandEveryone]

My neighbour came around to admire it yesterday. It was her that persuaded me to get one, I am a nurse but have stopped nights for now. I batch cook sometimes but I’ve only myself to feed. I really don’t need a slow cooker do I? What does actually taste better in it? And doesn’t it make you living space smell of cooking all day? I’m in a flat and can’t stand it if I smell cooking in my bedroom😃

Use a slow cooker cookbook at first. Wondering why you bought it tbh.

I don't like them because I'd be worried that the house would burn down.

Use mine loads. Do my whole roast chicken in there, just put in oven to crisp the skin up

Roast lamb is amazing, as is beef brisket
Lancashire hotpot
Chilli, Bolognese, curries, daal, absolutely.

Slow cooker fudge is the piece de resistance though 🤤🤤🤤🤤

Lasagna in a slow cooker?? What is this blasphemy? The best part is the crispy edges and top bits you get from it roasting, surely this doesn't happen when it's had the bollocks boiled out if it?

Yup, lasagna in the slow cooker, no bollocks boiled in mine thank you very much , just lovely deliciousness!!

I love the way I can just throw some ingredients in the slow cooker first thing in a morning, switch it on & then without doing anything else have a meal ready for tea plus further portions to freeze for another day.

@Washinglinewench29

I make soup in mine most weeks just bang the veg, lentils and stock and off you go.

That’s exactly what I have in mine at the moment. Nearly ready to blitz with the hand blender, for work this week. I like that you can add anything to it to change the flavour.

Today it’s Herbes De Provence..

@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz You'd be surprised!! Somehow the edges do go crispy.

This is the point of a slow cooker-4hrs to cook, 10mins to demolish!

Oh I love mine!

I always add bistro if I'm making a casserole so it's never watery.

It's horrid chopping onion at 7am but then I'm so happy when I come home and it's delicious.

I've experimented with browning the meat and without and i can't say I notice a huge difference in taste so I don't bother

[quote userxx]@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz You'd be surprised!! Somehow the edges do go crispy. [/quote]
Sorcery, it must be

I begrudgingly admit I'm intrigued.

How do you make lasagne in a slow cooker? Is it as good as an oven?

I live my slow cooker I made chicken, chorizo and potato stew on mine today smells fucking gorgeous, ready for tomorrow with garlic bread.

Doing a chilli in it this week also.

It's horrid chopping onion at 7am but then I'm so happy when I come home and it's delicious

You could do it any time in the preceding 2 days or so and keep them in the fridge, or buy frozen ready chopped onions.

I only use the slow cooker every once in a while but I do sometimes prep veg a bit before I need it, because as well as it being horrid chopping veg at 7 am, it's not great doing it in the evening when you're hungry and need to eat, but I can face it at the weekend or even in the evening after I have eaten.

Or if you want to get to the next level with slow cooking, Google 'dump bags' which is prepping all your ingredients for a slow cooker meal and keeping them in the freezer.

You then just take one out and dump it in your slow cooker on the morning you want to cook something.

Google 'dump bags'

That really is taking it to another level!!

There seems to be a huge misconception about slow cookers that oyu are BOILING food in it - you're not (well, unless you put too much liquid in obviously).
Those who complain that everything is watery and mushy, looks disgusting and all tastes the same: do you not htink maybe you're not doing it right? because it seems unlikely that so many people really like that kind of food, doesn't it?

Any slow cooker recipes for chicken legs?

I thought I'd posted but then it didn't so apologies if this appears twice.

Chicken legs
thyme
salt and pepper
lemon juice (I buy a bottle but freshly squeezed would be as good if not better).

Prick the legs all over with a knife or fork, put in the SC.
Sprinkle liberally with lemon juice

Add seasoning of choice - I use a lot of black pepper and a pinch of salt.

Switch on and come back 4 hours later.

@ExpectTheWorst I think you are right. One of my friends hated the idea of a slow cooker because her mum had used one to make horrible stews, then she eat lamb from mine and now has her own.

She cooked lamb for her brother who said, 'ugh it's not a stew is it?' and he now owns a sc.

I don't like them because I'd be worried that the house would burn down.

Do you unplug the fridge when you go out?

@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz

Lasagna in a slow cooker?? What is this blasphemy? The best part is the crispy edges and top bits you get from it roasting, surely this doesn't happen when it's had the bollocks boiled out if it?

You still get crispy edges you just have to not add too much moisture in the beginning, and I take the lid of for the last hour.

There seems to be a huge misconception about slow cookers that oyu are BOILING food in it

I don't understand that either. If I simmer a casserole in a lidded pot on the hob, in the oven or in a slow cooker it's all the same.

I used to cook ready made pies in mine when we ate them.

Got cowboy vegetarian sausage casserole in mine today.
Literally “back of the cupboard “ stuff thrown in with tins of tomatoes, beans, red lentils, brown lentils, a carrot, celery sticks, half a huge onion, smoked and spicy paprika all chucked in to stew on high all day.
I’ll freeze portions to use for lunches.
Those vegetarian Richmond sausages are Devine!

Did an Aldi ham in coke yesterday for tea.
Cost of whole thing probably £4.
I always mean to save half of the ham for sandwiches....it’s always completely demolished though at tea time with not a scrap left.
My lot absolutely love ham in coke.

No browning here either and it's just the same. Although I'm vegan now so do mostly non meat stuff now anyway.

The consistency when it does in is the consistency when it's done. So your bolognaise or whatever needs to be thick when you start.

Has anyone tried the slow cooker liner bags? I came across them by accident on Amazon and I’ve seen them for sale in Sainsbury’s recently. I’ve been using them for a while now, they’re brilliant.

Yes..when I remember.. you have just reminded me I have a packet in my cupboard but forgot and my cowboy casserole is in the slow cooker without one.
Pffft