slow cookers...meal ideas please

[umma]

Been reading on another thread (budget ideas) that slow cookers are really good. I am thinking of getting one, please would you share your recipe ideas...what you put in and for how long?

Also is it safe to leave on all day?? I am a slow cooker virgin!!

Ta x

I tend to use mine to keep hot food that I cook on the stove, eg chilli.

I have cooked starting off at 8am, but it's not something I have really done with any regularity.

I think what to do is to read up on the principles of slow cooking, and then just bung in what you fancy. Basically, veggies need longer to cook, and you need very little moisture overall.

I just got one last week, and have only cooked one meal with it. I did Hungarian beef (ie not remotely authentic goulash) from this book that my friend recommended. The cooker itself came with quite a good little booklet that gave some recipes and explained the general principles.

I set it off with the beef dish before 8am, and we didn't eat until about 8.30pm, apart from the occasional wibble at work (when I thought about trusting the non-burning-down-ness of my house to something that just arrived in the post from Amazon) it went absolutely fine. And was very nice!

I mainly use mine in the winter. I often cook chilli con carne, beef casserole and chicken stew but you can also do soups and risotto's although I haven't tried those yet! I usually bung it all in the cooker at around 8:00am on low ready for us to eat around 6:00pm!

Er, slight hijack, but I really want to get a slow cooker to help me juggle work and family meals. Any particular recommendation regarding brand or model of cooker, or any design features that you definitely couldn't do without?

Bought one like this www.choicebrand.co.uk/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=925 and love it. Amazon do one for £16 inc. delivery.

Use it for rice pudding (2oz pudding rice & 500mls milk - leave on medium for 3-4 hours) for a cheap pudding.

Also good for curries, stews, etc. Bit of work involved peeling veg and browning meat/veg before putting in pot, but basically anything you could casserole can be put in. Also lentils & veg soup.

I use mine for stews, casseroles, spag bog. I also do stocks and soups well anything that take long slow cooking.

I use it as much cheaper then using the cooker and i don't like having the oven on with dd's running around.

2loudboys i would suggest you get the biggest one you can afford so you can make extra to freeze.

I have this one this one.

kormachameleon

i fry an onion and brown mince and place in slow cooker, then i heat up a tin of chopped tomatoes and some tomato puree add some sugar, pepper and dried mixed herbs bring to the boil and add to slow cooker with some chopped/slice mushrooms stir together (i might a little water if i think it needs it) then leave for a min of 6 hours. I normally put it on by about 8/9am and just leave until we eat anywhere from 5pm onwards.

I sometimes add other veg if i have any but you have to remember root veg take a lot longer to cook so need to be cut up small and all liquids should be boiling when adding.

Not realy cooking just browning meat and onions everything else is just put in raw and liquids are boiling.

I just realy following the instructions in my slow cooker book that every thing needs to be hot/boiling when put in slow cooker.

I've only just started using one, but have done it so far without browning meat first, and it works fine. Have done a chicken casserole and spag bol - just thrown in raw meat plus other raw ingredients (like chopped onion without browning first) and 8 hours later, Bob's your uncle.

korma, spag bol slow cooked will be MUCH nicer than one just thrown together at the last minute. I always cook spag bol for ages, the slow cooker will just mean I no more ruined pans or crusty spag bol when I forget about it and don't top up the liquid!

2loudboys, I have the same as verybigbird, but chrome finish. Both are just under £20 from Amazon at the mo. Still only on the one use (shopping tomorrow with it in mind!) but bought it on recommendation of a friend who had the bigger (too big) version.

Ooooh, thanks ladies. I have been at work today and could have done with a slow cooker so that dinner was ready when I walked through the door instead of having to make it from scratch [knackered cow emoticon].

This week I will deffo invest in one!

I just chop rough;y and chck it all in!

If I use a tin of toms I add a tin of water and ignore the lot all day!

I've even managed an OK stew put on at 2pm to eat at 8pm - had to go on high, and needed to be cut up small, but it was ok in an emergency.

Diced potatoes and carrots, browned onion and chicken, veg stock. Leave all day. Lovely - very easy.

Don't put stuff like broccoli in though it just goes mushy. Peas are OK.

Another one: brown some sausages, bung them in with tinned tomatoes and maybe diced onion/carrot. Leave on low all day.

Diced potatoes and carrots, browned onion and chicken, veg stock. Leave all day. Lovely - very easy.

Don't put stuff like broccoli in though it just goes mushy. Peas are OK.

Another one: brown some sausages, bung them in with tinned tomatoes and maybe diced onion/carrot. Leave on low all day.

Don't know why that came up twice, sorry. The sausage one was meant to say diced potato, not onion, though some browned onion along with the sausage would be very nice.