Just bought a slow cooker - any ideas for recipies gratefully received!

[Pinkjenny]

Have just purchased a slow cooker, after years of looking at each other at 9pm and saying, 'I'm knackered, shall we go to the chippy?' or, 'why are we throwing so much veg away?'.

Would love recipe ideas to assist me in channeling my domestic goddess.

Bumpety Bump

Hmm, two of my faves

1. Chicken cacciatore - chicken pieces (thighs or breast), some chopped up bacon, a tin of tomatoes, some red wine, some onions, tomato puree and enough water just to cover. Serve with rice, it melts in your mouth.

1. Diced Pork with any casserole veg - potatoes, courgette, sweet potato, carrot, onion etc - plus orange juice (freshly squeezed or from the fridge), cumin and paprika. Really tastes great. I sort of took those basic ingredients from aJamie Oliver recipe but he might have had some other bits in there, can't remember.

Also did pork with mango, orange juice, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, sweet potato and I think it was cinnamon the other night. I liked it but rest of family not much into fruity stuff.

I never brown/cook my meat first, its much tenderer if you don't, and so why bother?

Chilli and bolognaise easy too. hth.

Sounds lovely, how do I do the bolognese?

Do you eat meat? I have a lovely Pork and Apple Casserole that goes superbly with the slow cooker

Also beef casseroles - the slow cooking really lends itself to making the beef literally disintegrate!

OOh they both sound lovely, recipes please!

Does anyone apart from jiminycricket brown the meat first? I don't have a slow cooker, because I reckon it's just as easy for me to make a casserole (I do brown the meat first but it's a hassle) and put it in the oven which I can set to come on and cook slowly when I want it. But if I could literally throw everything into the slow cooker first thing and leave it to cook, without the fiddle of browning, I would get one. Advice please.

I like this site It's nice that they have tried out the recipes themselves ('Crock pot' is American for Slow Cooker as I understand it)

I never brown the meat first - just drop it in!

No - just bung root veg in first, then the meat, then rest of veg, liquid and put it on!

Ok, Pork and Apple:

Diced Pork (enough to feed your family)

3/4 Bramley apples (less if they're huge!) peeled and chopped into wedges (like potato wedges - not too thin)

1 onion chopped

2 tins of chopped tomatoes

Peas

Worcestershire Sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

Water to just cover mixture

Chuck it all in and turn on Low for 8 hours, High for 6ish hours; about an hour before serving, add 2 tablespoons of Cornflour mixed with water to make a paste - stir through casserole if you want it thick (leave out if you want a runny one)

Beef Casserole:

Diced beef

Onion

Tinned Tomatoes

Mushrooms

Peas

Carrots (not peeled)

Can add any other veggies really

Water to cover mixture

Chop all veg, throw in pot, turn on (same times as above)

you don't have to brown it

also is better than casserole because you can decide when you want to eat it

Yes, I love that fact - you can just leave it bubbling away and it won't ruin (especially if yours has a "keep warm" function)