Describe your slow cooker routine please ...

[franch]

Still debating whether to buy one - I envisage myself doing a bit of light chopping in the evenin, breezily chucking everything in in the morning then lifting the lid at dinnertime to a delicious meal - is that realistic or do you in fact end up doing loads of meat-browning and involved stuff the night before, and having to get up extra-early in the morning to do all the last-minute stuff before you switch it on?

Sorry to be clueless

You get it for a wedding and leave it in a cupboard for fifteen years to ROT

Message withdrawn

I prefer to do the sauteeing and meat browning in the traditional way and just using the slow cooker to stew or keep warm.

So Yorkie - a matter of minutes in the morning is it? How often do you use yours then?

Oh I use mine all the time.

Good for irish stew and casserole.

I put the stuff in at night, (I dont bother browning etc, I'm lazy) and then in the morning boil the kettle, pour on stock, leave on 'auto' and eat at night.

If I'm doing irish stew, I put the spuds in when I get home, they are cooked in about 30-40 mins.

I love myslow cooker.

Also really good for long cooking indian dishes eg tikka masala.

Wonderful invention, need a bigger one!

I either chop it all up and cook it over-night then just have to re-heat in evening. Or chop it up and throw it in in the morning - 'throw it in' being the most technical it gets usually

It is easy-peasy and soon there will be reams of slow-cooker 'recipes' being swapped again. Most go for the 'throw it in' method it seems!

Message withdrawn

chop it up,chuck it in, job done til serving.
I'm not sure if i really like the veg all tasting the same (gravy soaked).
curry is nice cooked in it i also put a bowl of rice and water in the middle (of curry) for perfect rice.

I never brown the meat just chuck it all in - have never had any problems, meat is always cooked through and lovely and tender.
You may find that you need to cut root veg quite small as larger chunks don't cook too well

If I don't brown stuff, I find it tastes a bit funny. Sort of over-stewed and sweet and nasty

Also I find that peppers taste horrible cooked in a slow cooker as well.

But mine is very old. Probably at least 10 years old, if not older.

I put half shoulder of lamb in slow cooker. Chop & brown off vegetables in wok. Put in slow cooker on top of lamb. Bung in can of red wine sauce. Job done.

My Slow Cooker really comes into its own during the Mulled Wine season. Short preparation time, and it never boils!

Ah, Scienceteacher, we like to use it for that too, but my dh won't let me in on his secret recipe

also never brown meat here I chop and chuck aswell