Slow Cookers for Numpties

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Ok, following on from another thread - can someone please tell me how to properly use my slow cooker? My manual says to cover all the meat and veg with liquid, but then I'm left with a sea of it at the end. Can I have a recipe for say a beef stew with actual quantities please?

Also, I stupidly bought a massive one which is really far too big, so how full does it need to be to use properly (as I'm happy to make two or three portions and freeze them).

And thirdly, any recommendations for a good slow cooker book for Santa to bring me?

will be watching this with interest as i too ahve just got a slow cooker and no idea what to do with it! twas half price morphy richards on amazon if anyone intersted but it is mostrous size !!

oh me too....I thought mine would be perfect sized for DD & I. Turns out I completely misjudged the size....much too big for the 2 of us.

Not a clue what to make in it to be honest.

yup i bought one too and haven't used it since the great spaghetti bolognese soup incident of 2009.

oh, and mine is not big enough.

you dont need to cover the meat and veg with liquid. If you are just putting meat in you may need to add more liquid than if adding veg too though.

You can pot roast a chicken with just two inches of water/stock in the bottom. As long as you keep the lid on and make sure its on low it will be fine because any evaporated juices just fall back into the pot.

For bolognese/chilli etc. just use the same amounts you would normally use, but REDUCE the liquid (tinned toms etc.) by one third.

and if you have a mahoosive slo cooker just cook double portions and freeze one for another week.

Fab when time is short.

this is the Slow Cooker book that I have. I quite like it. I have also got a stupidly big slow cooker (present) but I've had some success in it, with dahl (from this book), roast chicken (adapted from this book) and boeuf bourguignon (from the internet). This book was the most modern and appealing of the ones available in Lakeland.

thanks all, i shall experiment.

i find that a tin of chopedtomatoes tipped over any meat/veg is enough liquid for that dish. the water does not evaporate. if i find this is too much liquid then next time i just stir a spoon of plain flour through dry ingredients before adding the tinned tomatoes.