should i buy a slow cooker?

[lpl]

I have been thinking about getting one for a while but not sure whether I would use it much. My DH loves casseroles and soups etc and actually we do have meals like this quite often. I use the oven and cook them for a few hours but I have read that slow cookers make the meat much tender. There is a morphey richards one on sale in Argos for £22.64 and I have a £10 gift card so I could get it for £12.64. Should I get one??!!

ooooh yes, you must buy one

the meat is very tender and they only use as much electricity as a lightbulb to run!

there have been some really good threads about this recently to give you some ideas. I'll post some links when I've got dd from nursery.

yes yes yes and yes i use mine all the time.

sorry forgot about this

Here you go with some recipes Have fun!

or there are some here too but those are American so some are a bit strange! and they use that cups thingy too...

Yes most definitely. You sound like you would use one and really appreciate it.
We love it for having friends around too because we don't have to spend time in the kitchen getting the food ready.
We did a red wine bourginon with horse radish dumpling - absolutely gorgeous and our friends loved it too.
Great way of feeding children too

Using mine tomorrow for bolognase. DD has a friend coming round for tea, will get it all done first thing in the morning and then tea is sorted - so easy! You won't regret it. Just get into the habit of using it.

Well I have bought one. I work next to Argos so I got it at lunch time. Just come home and have to say that i am quite excited about using it tomorrow. How sad is that!!

The morphy richards ones are a good make too - well done for getting it for such a great price Can thoroughly recommend their chilli con carne recipe in the book that comes with it - and best of all it freezes really well too so leftovers don't get wasted!

they are fab as i cannot live without mine as it makes FAB dinners and also FAB puddings too x

I use one that I got in Asda last winter for a tenner. It's big enough to cook for my family of 5 and if we have visitors like my mil. I use it because when I go out to work I want a good meal ready rather than having to cook/micro something.I cook lots of things in it but always looking for ideas. so would also love ideas!
I cook
rice pudding 5 oz rice, 1 pint milk plus 1 carton cream (or 1and a half pints of milk if broke). Knob of butter. Leave it on low all day.
stew: prefry meat and onions. Put in cooker. Add chunks of veg: parsnips/carrots/leeks/swede/turnip/anything we have in teh root veg line. Add half pint water/stock.wine whatever you have. Also can add can chopped toms. But it's best to start with HOT liquids. Put on low all day. If you get home early enough you can add dumplings. I make mash the night before and micro to reheat.
Taco/wrap mix:
prefry onions/garlic/mince beef (make sure mince is really broken up). Add 1 pack 'taco' seasoning from the mexican brand I can't remember the name of. OR add cumin/coriander/mixed herbs plus a little chilli powder if you like it spicey. Add can chopped toms. Bring to boil. Add to slo cooker. Add up to 1/2 can boiling water. Mixx up well. cook on slo all day. Serve in taco shells with lettuce/cuc/toms/grated chees (all really small) an dgreek yog/guacamole (or just chopped avocado)- any combination. or with wraps but be careful you can't get too much in the warps before it all gets messy. Kids love this as they assemble it themsleves. a favourite tea in our house.
bol sauce
fry onions/garlic. Add oregano (lots). Add 4 oz chopped steaky bacon/pancetta whatever you have it needs to be smoked for the best taste. Fry. Add 2 pack of beef mince, and 1 pack pork mince. (i use 500g each) and break up. Fry until brown. Add chopped carrot (at least one) and one stick celery if you have it. Add 3 cans chopped toms and 1 very generous glasses of red wine. Plus half a tube of tom puree and a teaspoon sugar..Boil. Add to slo cooker and cook all day or all night. Divide into portion sizes. I do kids sizes, adult sizes and family sizes. This does me lots of meals for the family and I use it from the freezer for a quick fix either on pasta or over baked potatoes. I buy freezer bags and balance in old clean big yog pot to decant into. You can also cook this in oven overnight/all day on 1/2 or whatever the lowest setting on your cooker is.

just realsied nothing has salt in - sorry i don't add salt and pepper while cooking, old habit from when kids were little.

OMG! rice pudding: add sugar - 2 oz or 2 tablespoons

yes