A quick slow cooker question?

[bodiddly]

I want to use my slow cooker tomorrow - beef casserole. Can I soften the onions and brown the beef tonight, add the rest of the ingredients then put them in the fridge for the night? I leave for work early and can't do it in the morning before I go.

Alternatively, can I do it without softening the onions and browning the meat?

You shouldn't part cook the beef...everything else could be pre- prepared.

Although browning does increase the depth of flavour, it is not necessary and you can put the beef in raw with all other flavour enhancers/veg etc. (Nice recipe on Good food website yesterday using cinnamon)

traditional slow cooking methods (eg tagine) use raw meat not browned

Thank you. Will just throw it all in raw then!

I bung everything in as is. I never fry or part cook anything and it is still delicious when I come to eat it.