Looking for really good slow cooker recipes

[Rathkelter]

Have recently invested in a Morphy Richard's SC and am really disappointed with the taste! I'm quite a good cook but bought the SC to save time during the week as we were eating too late.
I also bought a bbc slow cooker book but the sauces have tasted bland and watery and the sweet spiced cabbage was foul and stank the house out for a week.
Would love to hear from.anyone who has found a few staple meals thst work well, meat and veggie. They need to be 8-hour recipes because I'm out at work. Thanks

Following for the same reason!

allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/17202/slow-cooker-butter-chicken.aspx

One of the best recipes I've ever cooked in the slow cooker. You must try it!

Great Tinks must try that one.

I know what you mean. People rave about them but I think a lot of stuff tastes the same. I consistently use this recipe for pulled pork which is amazing
mudpiesandfries.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/epic-pork.html?m=1

I've also recently experimented with putting a piece of silverside beef, french onion soup and a stock cube in all day. That makes amazing beef (good with mash and veggies or amazing in soft Vienna rolls). Brown your joint before it goes in.

I've had more joy looking on American sites because they love their stock pots as they call them. Though there's a lot of making soup in them which doesn't seem tpnsave much time to me.

I came to say the same butter chicken recipe! Made it yesterday and it's fantastic.

I agree, Almostthere lots of the recipes seem to have too many steps, browning this and that, and adding things at different stages that it hardly seems worth the point in slow-cooking them. May as well just cook them the normal way.
When I have done vegetables in it, like a tomato sauce last week, it was gross: seemed way too stewed. My kids liked it so clearly their tastebuds aren't quite there yet! I'll give it a couple more goes and then stick it on eBay if there's no joy!

Try meat with a higher fat content - eg I find chilli in slow cooker better with mix of pork & beef. Very lean beef mince not a winner. Lamb generally good. Or any traditional casserole cuts.

Adding red lentils to just about anything sorts out watery sauces.

Robust flavours or curries also work better than plainer dishes I think.

I also got a timer, so can set for 6 or 8 hours when I'm out of house for 10,to avoid over cooking. That really helps. I also put meet & veg in frozen to slow cooking time, as well as being convenient. (I think you're not really meant to use a timer, but it works for me)

Having said all that, my rule of thumb is no more than 2 slow cooker dinners a week, or it starts to feel like an old people's home

Link to a recent thread.

I never brown things

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3146534-Give-me-your-best-slow-cooker-recipes-pretty-please

It's already on the link but very easy chicken recipe.

Chicken breasts or thighs, a tub of crème fraîche, a tin of Campbell's condensed mushroom soup a few sliced mushrooms.

Just stick it all in and switch the power on. Depending on the size you might need to double up the ingredients.

I don't like slow cooker food so much - it doesn't taste as good as stove top or oven food, so I only use it when I have no other choice, but it's great for cooking dried pulses.

Have to agree with those that are sceptical about slow cookers. Consistency of food seems to fall somewhere between baby food and slop. Sorry!

That pulled pork recipe looks amazing, AlmostThere! Will definitely have to try that, thanks for sharing

I use the Schwartz slow cooker sachets, and stick to the recipe on the pack. BBQ pulled pork is my favourite. Beef and ale stew for tomorrow. Was surprisingly impressed with the chicken curry. Sausage casserole wasn't good because I started added extra things which don't slow cook well.

Beef mince, frozen onions and peppers, a jar of red jalapeños (liquid and all) 2 oxo cubes and a sprinkle of thyme. Shove it in, mix it and leave for 8 hours - best chilli ever! If sauce is a bit watery then I add some gravy granules at the end but it’s normally fine

I've never been able to love my slow cooker. Trouble is, it is rarely slow enough! If we're going to use it midweek when we're both out at work, I need to put it on at 7am, but we won't be ready to eat until 8pm. That butter chicken looks amazing, but the cooking time is only 6 hours, whereas I have to leave it for 13! I know, I know - I could use a timer switch. But I've had too many disasters with them over the years to really trust that I'm not going to come home to a room temperature pot of marinated chicken.

I will admit that it makes very good pulled pork though - I literally just shove a pork shoulder joint in with a couple of bottle of BBQ sauce.

Feezles - We're usually out of the house 12 hours, I just cook whatever it is on low until we're ready, never had a problem with things being overdone.

Feezles that's my issue too. Half the recipes in my slow cooker cookbook (written by Sarah Cook, would you believe....) are 4 or 6 hours. I need 8+. My machine has a keep-warm setting for max 4 hours but I think that's when the food starts stewing. They need to have inbuilt delayed start-times.

Rathkelter

My first ever slow cooker had an 'auto' setting, it cooked on high for 6 hours then switched to keep warm, no idea why they don't do that any more.

I have hear of using some frozen ingredients to extend cooking time, but to me that sounds like a recipe for food poisoning.

pinchofnom.com/recipes/syn-free-campfire-stew/

Campfire stew is amazing. Can be done with gammon or pork. I did gammon and had it with homemade potato wedges. Then leftovers later on in the week we had with jacket potatoes and cheese on top 😋

Timing - why don't you buy a timer (Argos sell them) to come on at whatever time suits.

Was coming on to add that I find dinners the same but they are good for soup/ keeping mulled wine warm. Also heard good for rice pudding.

My first ever slow cooker had an 'auto' setting, it cooked on high for 6 hours then switched to keep warm, no idea why they don't do that any more.

Mine does, makes a huge difference.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007XEJ4G2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8

This is one of my favourites, just chuck everything in the slow cooker:

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/jools-s-favourite-beef-stew/

And thanks for the butter chicken recipe, went down a storm in our house.

A whole chicken with fajita seasoning. No liquid. Whack some tortillas in the oven for 5 mins when you get home whilst you chop up some veg. Dinner on the table in 10 mins

I bought my slow cooker when I had a job that meant I was out of the house for 12 hours - it has an Auto setting - and I agree that things don't taste as good as other methods but tbh it cooks healthy meals that taste ok and sometimes that is good enough for a couple of week nights. I found tricks like adding a spoon of fresh garam masala to a curry or some freshly chopped herbs to a stew at the last minute helped. Pulled pork was one of the better dishes.

The BBC Good Food slow cooker recipe book has a version of this lentil ragu. It's exactly the same ingredients, except only 500ml stock.

It's really delicious.

Basically put everything except the lentils and stock in the slow cooker on low for 6-7 hours. Then add the lentils and stock, turn to high and cook for 1-2 hours until the lentils are soft. Depending how watery the tomatoes are, you might not even need 500ml stock.

@Pinklady1981 Just made the campfire stew with gammon - made it in the oven but it was lovely, dairy and wheat free and everyone happy and well fed! Thank you!

This Mexican chicken recipe is ace:

carlsbadcravings.com/easy-slow-cooker-shredded-mexican-chicken-recipe/

It comes out quite wet (like most slow cooker food does) but you drain the liquid off, and can use it to cook rice. The you shred the chicken and use it for fajitas, enchiladas, or just with rice.

I agree with what others have said here - the slow cooker is better for strong / robust flavours. Also if a recipe is saying 4 hours on high, just give it 8-10 on low. No point in a slow cooker on fast setting!