Your best "Throw it in a pot and stick it in the oven" recipes please

[TillyScoutsmum]

Have some friends coming over on Friday night. I don't want to be cooking whilst they're here but am at home in the day so would like to prepare in advance and cook for a couple of hours in the oven...

Nothing too technical/expensive but there's not much food I don't like

TIA

lamb shanks.

Slow cook them for hooooooooours and an hour or so before you want to eat bang some potatoes and carrots in the pan as well, and make the stock into gravy with mint or redcurrant.

The meat will fall off the bone and be delish and your mates will think you did tons and tons of work.

oohh I made nigella's chicken/sausage sage thingy and it was lovely, made it night before marinaded it overnight and bunged it in the oven - lovely

will look for a link

ooh made house smell fab too which is always a bonus

here

Beef brisket, red wine, bay leaf, red onions. Slowcooker best of all but oven good too. Just leave it for a few days

Chop up courgettes, peppers, aubergines, onions, garlic and put it a casserole with some tomatoes and olive oil. Lid. Leave for ages.

oh and I didn't do the whole chicken thing, i just bought thighs and drumsticks so that was one less thing

drooling over thought of lamb shanks now too

chicken parts (thighs, legs, breast-on-bone - whatever),

chunks of veg (red & yellow peppers, aubergine, courgette, red onion, cherry tomatoes, butternut squash, new potatoes - whatever)

• unpeeled garlic cloves

• few sprigs rosemary, lots of black pepper and sea salt, drizzle with olive oil

all in a big pan, bun in oven for an hour or so, then squeeze out garlic from skins and mix it all around and transfer to big, gorgeous glass dish. Serve on own or with green salad & crusty bread.

Thanks - some lovely ones..

Squonk - Do I put Lamb Shanks in with anything (i.e. any sort of gravy or do I just do it separately after)

Orm - are the veggies a side dish or do they all go in with the beef etc

Chicken ones both look yum as well.

Any more ? Maybe casserole/saucy type things (Coq au vin type things but not as boring)

Well the veggies can be a side dish, or just served with pasta or nice bread...or whatever. I add chillies too but then I add chillies to everything.

I would put the lamb shanks in a baking tray with some water, some fresh rosemary and maybe some garlic.

Cover with foil and put on a low light in the morning.

Check them every hour or so and top up with water when necessary.

Then make the juice into a gravy later on (you can do it just before serving, but I would recommend doing it an hour or two before serving) Just be aware that if you're putting them back in the oven, the gravy will thicken, so you need to make it quite thin.

Whatever meat I have to hand, whatever veg I have to hand, tin of tomatoes, some flour (stirred in before the tomatoes) and wine or guinness.

Spanish Chicken Casserole - haven't made it yet, but looks nice

Oooh - like the look of that MrsMattie

Will definately give the Lamb Shanks a go though - just think it might be a bit pricey for Friday (there are 9 of us)

it's worth checking, tilly. Sometimes they are ridiculously cheap

This is Yummy.
I am totally in love with Chorizo at the moment and try to put it into lots of meals.
The smell is lovely too ...

I realise the above states to cook on the hob but you could always transfer to oven and cook it slowly there.

Duck leg stew

Chop one onion and sweat in stew pot with duck legs till slightly brown. Add two cloves of chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Add as many carrots and parsnips you want. Pour one bottle of red wine (any variety) minus a glass (that?s for you to drink while you prepare) over the top and add a handful of prunes and simmer slowly on low till wine is reduced, about 2 hours. When ready to serve, transfer food to a serving plate and pour remaining juice into a pan and add finely chopped prunes and reduce a bit more. Serve with crusty baguette and a rocket salad with balsamic and olive oil. Very easy going, relaxed dinner.