Just bought a slow cooker

[medoitmama]

I've just bought a slow cooker from Robert Dyas, reduced ro £20. Dh is already complaining, doesn't think we really need it, says we don't have the storage for it, (which we don't really). Are they really all that or should I just take it back?

How much do you use yours??

Do you like casseroles?
Do you plan ahead to get everything ready at 8am?
Will it save you hassle at the end of the day?
Did you buy it to save ££ compared to ready meals?

I use mine only occasionally due to not wanting to cook before work. You need to get used to it, ie work out what recipes work and how to adjust your favourites. If it's a small one you won't be able to cook extra to freeze for later.

I feel it's something I ought to use more often than I do.

Use ours at least once a week - casseroles, roast etc. Have just put a Sainsbury's Taste the difference Chicken and Mushroom mix in ours.

I use mine 2-3 times a week with different casseroles/stews/chillis etc so I'd say yes.

I rarely use mine, but mine can also be used as a rice cooker, which I use all the time. It's fab.

From your comments I'm thinking I would probably get use out of it. I cook lots of casseroles, chillis (altough usually seperate out a third of meat b4 adding the chilli because my LOs don't really do spicy yet, which I assume I couldn't do in a slow cooker), bolognese sauce and roasts most weeks.

I do batch cook and freeze, my new cooker is a 5.5 litre which sounds pretty spacious to me.

I read a thread on here a while back about making porridge in it over night which appeals.

Can you do rissoto in them? Anyone know of a good website for slow cooker recipes?

Thanks!

I use mine loads, especially in the winter.

You do need to be a little more organised, but if you have a "hot" one then you can shove stuff in after lunch and still have a delish casserole for suppertime.

Bolognese is fab and very easy to put into the freezer just to pull out quickly...ditto chilli, or even plain mince for cottage pie.

Soups...excellent for using all the slightly bendy stuff you have in the veg drawer.

I often do a gammon joint in mine, sit it on a couple of slices of onion, chuck in a cup of stock/apple juice/cider.

Same for chickens, but they are an awful colour and usually completely flat by the tim they are done, very moist and great for stripping the carcass of meat for a pie

Thanks Cat. I love the idea of soups as i'm trying to cut down on waste. I have been trying to meal plan too and freezing is a big part of that for me. I love the gammon joint idea and I've got a lamb joint so that might be my first attempt. Guess I just chuck it in and switch it on??

I'm braising a half shoulder of lamb in mine tomorrow.

Reduced to ridiculously cheap in the Co-op tonight.

I use mine at least once, maybe twice a week.

I love it.

Actually I have two. One small one and a large one. As someone has said, they make great rice.