Let's get the slow cookers out!

[mummydummyabc]

It's September! The weather is definitely starting to feel autumnal! It's slow cooker season! So far I have made pork roast, spaghetti Bol, sausage casserole and chicken casserole. Any other recommendations or easy recipes?

Following for inspiration!

I’ve done beef/chicken stew, Bolognese and chicken fajitas so far.

Moroccan lamb stew www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-moroccan-lamb-stew
Jerk chicken www.asdagoodliving.co.uk/food/recipes/juicy-jerk-chicken-thighs-with-caribbean-slaw

Ooo chicken fajitas sound nice, where did you get the recipe?

www.cookingclassy.com/slow-cooker-chicken-fajitas/

They are good! I’m going to give the jerk chicken a go!

Last night I had pork, leek and butternut squash casserole in mine. It was delicious.

Can anyone post the recipes they used please?

How do you make spag bol without it going mushy ?

I tend to cook braised steak (place about four pieces of meat veg and new potatoes halved- add in oxtaik soup)

I've just got one, so am joining for inspiration. We've had rainbow minestrone and a coconut curry. Both were good. We have one vegetarian in the family, and the rest don't eat much meat, so I'm looking for more veggie ideas. I have an Italian vegetable bake and a butternut squash soup planned for this week.

Mine wasn't a recipe as such. I just browned the pork cubes in a wok then threw in a sliced leek and big chunks of squash. Put it all in the slow cooker and heated up a small amount of water (about a cupful) in the wok to pick up all the juicy bits from the pan, added a Knorr chicken stock pot and that's it.

I would also like some non meat recipes. I often make a stew with whatever vegetables are around, a tin of beans of some kind, tin of tomatoes and either a stock pot or a tin of anchovies which dissolve into the liquid. I know anchovies count as meat but husband is a pescatarian so that's OK in our house.

Following for recipes. I would love to use our slow cooker more. The only thing I really make in it is beef and ale casserole - braising steak with a bottle of beer, an onion, a carrot and a beef stock cube cooked for ages on low. But would like more one pot dishes where I don’t then need to come home and cook the mash etc.

@Chilledout11 do you add anything else in the braised steak and how many does that feed x

Has anyone cooked a whole chicken in the slow cooker?
I did a joint of beef on Sunday but it went terribly hard which I was disappointed with. I’ve done it once before and it was beautiful, fell to pieces and was so soft. No idea why it went wrong on Sunday.

Following for inspiration. Made this last week and it was delivious, even my picky stepson wolfed it down. No need for browning, just chuck it all in. I added few extras (mushrooms, peas, chilli flakes).

everydaycooks.co.uk/slow-cooker-sausage-casserole/

I've done a veggie curry in mine before. I use whatever paste you like, tin of coconut cream, carton of passat with large chunks of carrots, sweet potato, cauliflower, sweet potato, courgette. Just before dishing up, throw in some frozen peas and cashew nuts.

Gammon in the slow cooker is amazing! I just chuck a whole joint in.

Also chicken curry and spagbol.

I never put any of my slow cookers away - they are used all the time, no matter what the season!

Have a look at slow cooked wonders facebook group - theres over a thousand lovely recipes in the files on there.

I always brown sausages before putting them in a casserole otherwise they remind me of floppy willies.

I have cooked a whole chicken in a slow cooker, don't put too much liquid in and turn it off before the chicken falls apart. The juice makes beautiful gravy.

We had a been stew last night. I been using the slow cooker through the summer for fajitas, bbq drumsticks, pulled pork. Got a nice lump of beef to go in this week.

Opies, when you say you never put ANY of yours away - how many do you have? I don't have space in my cupboards so mine is just sitting on the worktop.

Just had beef curry from mine.
Usually do casserole or chilli, occasionally bolognaise - I clearly need inspiration too!

I have a big one and a small one.

@PinkDaydreams - my family prefer "roast" chicken out of the slow cooker. I just remove as much skin as I can and put it in with a half glass of water and a lemon. Tou need to experiment with time. Old slow cooker, it could be in there 8 hours and lovely, new slow cooker 5 hours max!

Um... I have four now. A big 8ltr that i mostly do batch cooking in, a 6ltr for whole chickens and joints or if we're having guests, a 3.5ltr for day to day use and a one ltr for side dishes.

I had a couple more but gave them to family/friends as my family dynamics changed.

I've made dhal recently which was good, and on Monday I made a very good ragù to use in lasagne. I browned the minced beef and pancetta; onion, garlic, carrot and celery went in raw but chopped very small. Tin of tomatoes, herbs, seasoning, on low for five hours.

The recipe for Bolognese sauce...
500g minced beef
1 onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
Garlic or garlic purée
1 beef stock jelly
1 tin plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
S & P
1 tablespoon tomato purée
Chuck everything in the slow cooker, stir and pop on lid. Cook on low for about 6-7 hours. It makes a lovely thick ragu, so a little goes a long way