Any good slow cooker recipes for cheap meals which don't need browning?

[MrsKoala]

i don't see the point of slow cooker recipes which require browning - i'd rather use a le crueset casserole dish in that case as i don't want to make more washing up for myself. But all the recipes i see have quite a lot of faff beforehand/preparation. What i need are recipes where you can bung it all in and leave it to get on with it. Do all meat recipes require browning?

No. I never brown anything. I'm too lazy.

Only sausages need browned to stop them looking like penises.

Tarka dhal but I do roast the spices quickly before chucking everything else in the SC and cooking on low for about 4-5 hours.

Boston baked beans is yummy.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos is cheap and filling.

You need your sc recipe book and a black marker.

Take the marker and delete anything that tells you to brown anything before putting in the slow cooker.

Pretending to be a WWII censor is optional.

I was going to say Dahl too. I think you'll be fine. Slow Cooker can struggle to take stuff from cold to hot (rather than keeping hot iyswim) so you'll needs to add on more cooking time.

I love my slow cooker - its saved family from scurvy since we had kids

chicken soup?

I sit the chicken on onions/celery carrots, cover with water and let that fester all day.

That gives you a gorgeous chicken stock (strain out the veg) and lovely moist chicken meat once you have picked it all off the carcass

From there, you can make chicken noodle soup or bulk it up with veg and pearly barley for a more brothy soup.

Or make some sort of casseroley affair, add more chiunky veg/tatties

Or keep some of the meat back and make a pie with it..obv not in the SC.

Or use the stock for a risotto.

I only brown mince these days and that's just because I think it improves the flavour and appearance.

For casseroles, curries etc there's no point in browning chunks of meat. It adds to the washing up and time to prepare the dish. In fact I think the meat is more succulent and nicer if not browned first so I just skip that stage even if a recipe says to do it.

Jamie Oliver says not to as well, so it's official

I brown the mince but I have stopped browning most other things unless I have time. Some slow cooker recipes are ridiculous and involve you adding things at different times. No point in that. I think of it as a casserole maker and the only adaptations I made are adding more seasoning.

love it sashh :)

Pot roast - I do the putting salt and pepper/herbs/spices on the meat (like you would before browning), but I don't brown the meat - just sit it on top of the veg, put in the stock, press go. Tastes gorgeous, no browning necessary.

I don't brown and I use frozen cooked slices to. If I don't have time to cook I don't have time to be faffing about with raw meat either.

Join a slow cooker group on Facebook. Search for slow cooker saddo's (sic) and slow cooked wonders. They have tons of recipes. I prefer drier slow cooked meats but i do the occasional stew or chilli in there, too. Just don't brown things if you don't want to. I only brown minced meat, only because I want to get some fat off it.

Roast chicken: put a chicken in the sc and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Turkey drumstick: do the same thing as the chicken, with a turkey drumstick. It's amazing how much meat you get and it's so cheap! This week I put the drumstick on top of a big pile of carrots, onions, bacon, and potatoes, chopped. Season as desired. I used dried sage. Close to the end of cooking time, when the turkey is cooked and falling apart, take the meat out, break it up, and add back to the veg, so it's like a stew Thicken with flour.

Gammon: do the same thing as chicken. A lot of people glaze it or cook with a can of coke but I've never done that.

I rarely brown anything regardless of the recipe. Meat just gets seasoned and bunged in on top of the veg. Last week I softened some onions but that was because they were a pretty firm variety that had hardly softened in the stew I made the day before. Mince you might need to fry off first to pour off the fat and also to stop it from coming out in huge shapeless lumps. Or shape into meatballs and gently sit on the sauce still raw, that usually works well to.

Potato Gratin- Its juts layers of potato and onion slices with milk poured over it and some cheese on top. You can throw in anything else you like so its also good for using up odds and ends

I don't brown stuff very often. Just chuck it all in! My favourite is some pig cheeks, potatoes, frozen veg, stock, white wine, onion. Yum

I just brought some turkey drumsticks after reading Ananikifo suggestion, it's quite big and was only £2!! will try that tomorrow. I've got three different meals planned via week with my slow cooker..
The turkey drumstick concoction tomorrow, and also a beef and ale stew and sausage and bean casserole.
Working full time means the slow cooker gets lots of use from me!

Wow! Thanks all. These are great tips - especially loving the turkey drumstick recipe. DS naps 10-11.30am so i want to be able to bung dinner in the sc (as well as get on with MNing other chores) then and have it nice and ready for 7pm when he goes to bed.

I made this for the first time last week

www.skinnytaste.com/2008/11/crock-pot-chicken-taco-chili-4-pts.html

It was lovely with the soured cream and erode with rice. No browning required (just some translation from the American measurements!)

The fb groups introduced me to turkey drumsticks. It's great because it's so cheap but turkey tastes like a treat to us. I hope everyone enjoys it.

I only brown things because I have a sc where you can put the internal dish directly on the hob and then transfer it straight into the slow cooker. This means no extra washing up and no lost flavour

oh Willie, that's a good idea. I didn't know they existed. I'll have a look for one :)

Ananikifo - i don't really 'get' facebook. I just get really confused whenever i try to use it. I know i sound about a hundred, but i have no idea how i would join a facebook group

i have the morphy richards sear and stew. it's a bit more expensive than others (about £30) but worth it for the non-stick dish that can go on the hob and then directly into the slow cooker. it's very easy to clean, and if you end up with too much liquid you can just put it back on the hob and reduce

i was just looking at this one at john lewis . i have some vouchers to use up so may invest.

ananikifo dinner was delicious tonight with the turkey drumstick.. Both DS ate the lot and there is just enough left for me to take to work for lunch tomorrow. Dinner cost less
Than £3 today!!
And have saved the juices for stock to freeze (as I added to much liquid obv so at least it will carry though it's flavours for the next time I make this.)

Google lasagne in a slow cooker. Ok maybe not authentic but no browning. If you have a jar of white sauce (ala aldi) it's the work of minutes.