Your favourite tried and tested slow cooker recipe

[Crazyoldmaurice]

Sent our slow cooker to charity last year as I was fed up with stuff coming out bland and watery and it took up so much room in our little kitchen. Lo and behold OH came home last week from aldi with yet another slow cooker. No receipt either or I would have sent him back with it.

Tried to do a beef stew last week and left it on low for 9 hours and the beef was as tough as old boots. Did a curry at the weekend which was really nice but last night did chicken teriyaki which was a watery mess. Tried thickening up a bit with cornflour but it was still a fail.

Can anyone give me their number 1, guaranteed to be tasty slow cooker meal ideas please before I send this slow cooker away again?

Slow cooked lamb shanks from the ‘Pinch of Nom’ cook book. It’s amazing!

People are being rather unkind to don'tknow!

As well as stew, I've done pulled pork in there.

That was fairly easy, if I recall correctly, I literally just shoved the pork shoulder in there, left it on low all day, came back, removed all the fat, shredded it up with a fork and then put it back to cook for a little longer with the BBQ sauce on it.

Thatgain I make a pasta sauce in mine that is veggie. Tinned tomatoes, onions, pepper, mushrooms, loads of garlic and herbs and leave to cook away. I add spinach near the end.
A non veggie version of this is I stick a pork joint in it and cook away.

ModreB Mingting is exactly the right word. I can't think of anything else where you put in great ingredients and inedible muck comes out - both taste and texture. I've tried many recipes. My friend who is a huge slow cooker fan has been here and watched me to make sure I wasn't doing anything wrong - it still came out inedible and went straight in the bin.

On the other hand it's great for when I make scented candles.

I love mine. Beef always comes out super soft...

I do regularly beef stew just chuck onion, mushrooms, garlic or whatever I have at home in with diced braising beef. I usually out a spoon full of tomato concentrate and spices in as well. and olive oil. 1 cup of water (lots of water is coming out if the veg anyways). Results in a lovely stew. Not watery at all. and I don't use salt either.

Or chicken stew - diced chicken breast, onion, garlic, spices, tomato concentrate again and olive oil and a bit of water. turns out great every time.

Or roast beef. I put the joint as a whole in along some onion, mushroom and carrots. some spices and oil and a chunk of butter on top - and leave for 12-14 hours (put it on over night). Beef is so soft, it just can be pulled apart.

I never precook parts but put everything in raw and cook together.

I've not done it myself, but I know people who swear by lasagne done in the slow cooker.

I use mine 3 times a week minimum...
Family favourites are honey & mustard chicken- chicken stock, browned chicken pieces (thighs & drumsticks) spring onion, honey, Dijon mustard, butter...fry off in a pan first for flavour, cook on medium for 4 hours, serve with greens & crusty bread

Chilli- brown of mince and fry onions with garlic first, whack on low, leave for minimum 4 hours with usual ingredients- tomato purée, tinned toms, chilli paste or powder etc and add red lentils to make it stretch

Beef stew- fry off beef cubes first with some onions, lightly dusted in flour. 4/5 hours with stick, veggies and thicken the sauce at the end before serving

Prawns / seafood / fish - basic sauce of fish stock, butter, garlic, peas, fried garlic and add cream or creme fraiche just before serving with mashed potato

Curries- all meat / vegetable/ whatever your family love. We do a korma for younger family members and add flavour to suit others

Sausage casserole. Always brown sausages first- otherwise they are weird!

Pasta- Mac n cheese

Lamb leg- perfect for leaving on and going for a walk; come back to deliciously tender meat!

Give it another go, OP.

I make beef stew in batches it's so easy

Tin of stewed steak
Bag of casserole veg from Lidl
Frozen onion
Garlic
Paprika
Tomato purée
Honey
Thyme
Seasoning
Worcester sauce
Potatoes

Cooked on high for about 6 hours or more overnight. Throw some gray granuals in at the end.

Chilli - 500g mince, 2 onions, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tins tomatoes, 2 tins chilli beans, 3 chopped peppers, 4 tbsp tomato purée, 1 tbsp chilli powder, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp Worcester sauce. Brown mince first then put in slow cooker with everything else for 8 hours on low

Curry - any curry paste (I usually use korma), carton of coconut cream, 1 onion, 2/3 chopped peppers, plus any meat I use 3-4 chicken breasts or chicken thighs or for veggie version use chopped butternut squash and 100g green lentils and spinach near the end - cook for 8 hours on low

Slow cooker spag Bol and slow cooker pork casserole on bbc good food (sorry can’t add link) are lovely also

Any roast joint - chicken, beef, turkey etc - put joint in slow cooker, with 300ml stock plus anything else like chopped onion / carrot / sage or rosemary leaves for flavour - season and cook on low for 6-8 hours

Like pp the Schwartz slow cooker sachets are brilliant - made them all and they are all delicious just need to add meat / veg / chopped tomatoes

Curry, chilli, the spag Bol and the Schwartz meals all freeze well too

A tin of stewed steak in a slow cooker? That would never have occurred to me.
I find mince very gritty unless you cook it first on the hob. I make my spag bol on the hob, cook it through for a bit then slow cook it for 4 hours - delicious but not if you want to do it while at work!

Tin of stewed steak seems pointless. Surely it's already cooked pretty well?

You just need to use fattier cuts of meat & less liquid.

I do various things with chicken thighs - makes a good curry (just add spices, reasonably robust veg & coconut milk) or tomatoes & med veg to serve with pasta.

I also make a mean beef rendang & an excellent boeuf bourginonne in mine. Sear the meat then cook in the SL with everything you'd include from a conventional recipe - just reduce the liquid.

It's missing the point to use it for bolognese or chilli, I think. Better on the hob so they simmer & reduce.

The main thing I use mine for is tomato sauce with any sad fridge veg chucked in. I batch cook a good tomato sauce then use it as a base for other cooking.

& yes, gak at tinned steak!

You could do stuff with it - see Jack Monroe - but the point of that stuff is that it's already cooked to buggery.

If you're slow cooking beef, just buy beef that actually hasn't already been cooked!

Nope, I definitely think it's a waste of electricity using slow cooker with tinned strew steak.

I have, thanks to this thread, just cooked a whole chicken and spuds in the SC. I threw in a large red onion, and a load of garlic cloves inside the bird. On high for 3 hours, amazing!

Nothing else, oh, though when I took it all oit cooked, I added half a veg kallo cube to it and whisked wih flour and had a gorgeous gravy from it.

The carcass from that tonight, and sundays chicken will go back in with some carrots, onion, and bay to make stock.

Thanks all! Keen to use it for rice oud and b&b pud too.

Also, never brown anything first, pointless making more dishes for cleaning!

Loads of good slow cooker recipes here: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/slow-cooker I use mine all the time.

curry from tasty

Frittata
Macaroni cheese
Sweet & sour chicken

Slow Cooker Greek Chicken

Ingredients

	Frylight olive oil spray
	2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into big chunks
	1/2 teaspoon salt
	1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
	2 red peppers 
	1 cup olives - kalamata or black
	1 medium red onion — cut into 1/2-inch chunks
	3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
	1 tablespoon minced garlic — from about 3 large cloves
	1 teaspoon honey
	1 teaspoon dried oregano
	1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
	Chopped fresh herbs: mix of basil, parsley, or thyme, if you have them

Instructions
Spray a big non stick pan with Frylight. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then place it in the hot pan. Let brown on the first side for 1 to 2 minutes until golden, then flip and brown on the other side for 1 additional minute. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
Arrange the peppers, olives, and onions around the chicken.
In a cup, whisk together the red wine vinegar, garlic, honey, oregano, and thyme. Pour over the chicken and vegetables.
Cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours on high or 3 to 4 hours on low, until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve warm, sprinkled with fresh herbs.

Slow Cooker Greek Chicken

Ingredients

	Frylight olive oil spray
	2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into big chunks
	1/2 teaspoon salt
	1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
	2 red peppers 
	1 cup olives - kalamata or black
	1 medium red onion — cut into 1/2-inch chunks
	3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
	1 tablespoon minced garlic — from about 3 large cloves
	1 teaspoon honey
	1 teaspoon dried oregano
	1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
	Chopped fresh herbs: mix of basil, parsley, or thyme, if you have them

Instructions
Spray a big non stick pan with Frylight. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then place it in the hot pan. Let brown on the first side for 1 to 2 minutes until golden, then flip and brown on the other side for 1 additional minute. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
Arrange the peppers, olives, and onions around the chicken.
In a cup, whisk together the red wine vinegar, garlic, honey, oregano, and thyme. Pour over the chicken and vegetables.
Cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours on high or 3 to 4 hours on low, until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve warm, sprinkled with fresh herbs.

Slow Cooker Greek Chicken

Ingredients

	Frylight olive oil spray
	2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into big chunks
	1/2 teaspoon salt
	1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
	2 red peppers 
	1 cup olives - kalamata or black
	1 medium red onion — cut into 1/2-inch chunks
	3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
	1 tablespoon minced garlic — from about 3 large cloves
	1 teaspoon honey
	1 teaspoon dried oregano
	1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
	Chopped fresh herbs: mix of basil, parsley, or thyme, if you have them

Instructions
Spray a big non stick pan with Frylight. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then place it in the hot pan. Let brown on the first side for 1 to 2 minutes until golden, then flip and brown on the other side for 1 additional minute. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
Arrange the peppers, olives, and onions around the chicken.
In a cup, whisk together the red wine vinegar, garlic, honey, oregano, and thyme. Pour over the chicken and vegetables.
Cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours on high or 3 to 4 hours on low, until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve warm, sprinkled with fresh herbs.

No idea why posted twice or why some parts are scored through?

@icarriedawatermelon81 can you share your mac & cheese recipe please?

Tater tots
Hot chocolate
Pulled pork
Chicken
Meatballs
Stew

Wheres the bread n' butter pud recipe, and rice pudding...bread?!!

What's tater tots?

Hot chocolate??

3 x Miranda. No score through though