Please inspire me with your best slowcooker recipes.

[BitterAndTwistedChoreDodger]

I work all day on a Monday, so usually sort out dinner in the morning so it's ready to eat when I get in.

With the warmer weather, I'm a bit stumped as I usually do a casserole, curry or soup.

Please inspire me as I love my slowcooker and it's so convenient when DH, the DC and I all need to eat at different times and DH is not great in the kitchen!

I did chicken curry in my slowcooker, was v nice.

Chop onions, garlic, chicken etc the night before and put in a bowl in the fridge (because who can be bothered to do that in the morning?).

Bung in slow cooker with pataks curry paste, tinned tomatoes, water and stock cube. Put on low for a long time.

When you want to eat, throw in some chopped pepper (apparently you can get them frozen, but watch out because you always get too many green ones that way) to cook a little bit while you boil rice. Stir in yoghurt if you like it creamy or if it's hotter than you want

Curry paste is v important - much better than jarred sauces (plus you get the vitamins from the tinned tomatoes), but easier than doing real spices in the morning.

Ah, I see you already do curry. But curry is not bad for hot weather - I hear it's hot in India!

That does sound Yum Trills. I agree wrt the curry paste. I always make my own, not because I'm smug but because jarred sauces always taste of sugar or salt to me.

I do a ratoutille type thing.
I chuck in
onions (pre sauted)
peppers (I use the frozen diced ones)
tinned tomatoes
grated courgettes

and then add some paprika, chilli powder, oregano and some red wine vinegar.

Can serve either just with jacket potatoes/rice or sometimes I do sausages or similar with it. Also goes quite nice with fish.

I also like sausage and bean casserole which is:
onions
sausages
peppers (from frozen again)
tin of mixed beans
tinned tomatoes

and then paprika, chilli powder, cumin and oregano plus loads of black pepper.

They both sound lovely TheArmadillo. I never thought of doing a ratatouille.

I do a risotto type thing - it's lovely when it's hot.

For 4 people:
2 onions
900ml/1.5 pints chicken stock
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
handful of mushrooms
175g/6oz long grain rice (not risotto rice)
Leftover chicken meat (or just fry some stir-fry sized pieces of chicken with the onion) - as much as you want/have got really.

Finely chop onions, slice peppers and quarter the mushrooms (if using button mushrooms leave whole). Soften the onions in a frying pan in a little bit of butter or olive oil.

Chuck everything into the slow cooker. Stir. Cook for 3-4 hours on Low.

If you need it to take longer you might be able to get away with setting it on a timer to come on 3.5 hours before you are likely to be home. I haven't tried this so not sure if the rice would end up too mushy because of being soaked longer.

You could probably mix it up a bit with some tomatoes and sweetcorn or something too. Or do a veggie version.

that sounds good - dh won't eat risotto because he doesn't like arborio rice (says is too creamy). SOunds like he would eat that.

That does sound nice bertie. I'm sure I could train DH to switch it on, he's not that bad in the kitchen!

I love my slowcooker - use it maybe three or four times a week. Our favourites are...

Beany Sausages

3 Sausages per person
1 onion
diced bacon
2 tins of beans.

Brown sausages in pan. Put in slowcooker. Add chopped onion, bacon and the beans and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Fab served with mash (or smash for very quick dinners) and crusty bread.

Spicy pork

Couple of porksteaks or chops per person
Onion
Tin of toms
Tin of beans
Spoon of curry powder dissolved in water.

Bung everything in the slowcooker for 6-8 hours on low. Serve again with mash or crusty bread.

We do joints of meat and chickens in SC - just do them on high for a couple of hours then turn down low for the rest of the cooking time.

I also make a fantastic rice pud in the SC - divine.

If you're going to get your DH to switch it on then probably an idea to separate the rice or stock, and get him to tip that in just before he switches it on, that would solve the potentially soggy rice problem!