Boxing Day Slow Cooker What to Cook

[OhWhatToCook]

Having 10 people over. Feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Having a buffet board, and got dessert sorted.

I need a mini main course. It would be good to use my massive slow cooker.

A chilli immediately springs to mind, but wondering if there are any other suggestions?

I’m not sure if it’s exactly what you had in mind, but I do this for Boxing Day: https://www.myfussyeater.com/the-easiest-slow-cooker-christmas-ham-gammon-red-cabbage-salad/

I’ve never done the salad, so I can’t vouch for that, but the ham is beautiful!

I would go for Beef bourguignon or Normandy pork (pork in cider with lardons).

When you say a buffet board what does that include? I'd try to make something that ties in with sides etc Do you know what your guests are having on Christmas Day?

For Boxing day, I think cold nibbles and leftovers are good, which is what I assume you mean by buffet - sausage rolls, cheeses, crackers, etc. The only hot thing I usually cook on Boxing Day is a ham. I do this treacle ham and it's lovely. It says to cook it for some stupidly long time in the oven, but you can just whack in in the slow cooker for however long - I'd normally do 8 hours if cooking for dinner or start the night before if you want it for early in the day.

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/slow-cooked-black-treacle-ham

Slow cooker chicken tikka masala recipe | BBC Good Food This is lovely.

I’d do a curry, and then on the buffet table have bhajis, samosas, naan, popadoms, chapatis, paneer skewers, mango chutney, lime pickle, raita and kachumber salad.

Unless the sides are homemade that meal may just look like a very unappetising meal of processed bits and pieces.

@StrawberryJellyBelly really? Sounds perfect to me 😂. That's pretty much what I am doing on Boxing day, and have done most years and it always goes down well.

And I have just placed an order from the Pakora factory to do it again this year! Admittedly they are processed but they taste good and the curries and pilau rice, raita, salad and tikka skewers will be made from scratch. I totally get some people don't like to eat anything processed ever and wouldn't see it as a treat but we certainly enjoy it and it's a treat to us.

This is very sneery. Even if all the sides aren’t homemade it sounds like there is a homemade curry and fresh salad at the very least.

Would you really object to some naan bread or a chappatti as a side even if you didn’t want to eat the samosas etc? Do you really expect your host to make fresh bread? Mumsnet is a strange place sometimes.

@StrawberryJellyBelly Only if you’ve got no imagination. And don’t worry if you don’t, there are plenty of ideas here to help:

Buffet board inspiration 1 https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/50-mini-indian-snacks/501192-70819-70819

2. https://www.layandleavebuffets.co.uk/product/indian-platter/

3. https://www.marksandspencer.com/indian-style-snack-selection-36-pieces-/p/fdp21054414

I’m sorry if I sounded sneery but yes I would freshly cook the sides suggested as well as make the chappatis. Perhaps it’s cultural but then again it’s probably not - I’d find a spread full of processed food representing any type of meal off putting.

Perhaps you shouldn’t be so defensive and accept that for some ( perhaps even your guests) packet food warmed up and put out on a table isn’t that great.

@Forgottenmyphone no, they wouldn’t tempt me. They taste nothing like the real thing which don’t actually take long to make.