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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Slow cookers

184 replies

MrsCadwallader · 06/01/2010 20:08

My sister has just bought one and is utterly evangelical and attempting to convert me

Do I need one? Are they worth having? Or will it simply spend all but the first month of its life cluttering up my worktop until my husband eventually puts it in the loft with the bread machine?

And if I do need one, does anyone have any tips? Brand recommendations? Recipes?

Thanks!

OP posts:
Patchybob · 09/01/2010 21:07

I have mine out for the morning to make a beef casserole. I love it, have had it for years and use it all winter long. There is nothing better than getting it all done in the morning and having the satisfaction of not having to cook at tea time!

I am not very brave though and tend to stick to recipes so need to expand what I do. How on earth do you do a whole chicken?

kif · 10/01/2010 08:31

Whole chicken?

Put in chicken. Turn on.

obviously can add your choice of flavouring e.g. put in a couple of cloves of garlic into the cavity, sprinkle with parsley and salt and pepper, bay leaf etc etc. I've heard people advise putting in a few veggies into the bottom of the dish - but I like my carrots with a bit if crunch so I find the veggies got overdone (mind you - kids like the mushy chicken-y veggies).

dreamingofsun · 10/01/2010 13:29

kif - i like a good 8 hours sleep - so agree i prob overcook porridge.

Patchybob · 12/01/2010 19:53

kif re the chicken.....am sure you can tell its bothering me.....don't you put any liquid with it?

mathanxiety · 12/01/2010 22:23

They can be great but they take a bit of getting used to. You can use cheaper cuts of meat in them too, that can use a much longer cooking time.

mathanxiety · 12/01/2010 22:25

I put chopped onion under a chicken and a chopped lemon with the garlic into the cavity, plus salt and herbs like rosemary or whatever I have to hand. The juices that come out of the chicken make the base of very nice chicken broth and soup afterwards.

startingagain · 12/01/2010 23:54

Love love love my slow cooker! Had it for about a year now and it is used a couple of times a week. Doing a chicken casserole tomorrow, nice and cheap and the kids love it.

Use it alot on the summer too. I tend to do chilli and rice or curries which we eat outside on lovely summer evenings

Got a slow cooker book for christmas and did a parsnip and cauliflower curry from it which was very nice although it took abit longer than it said to cook.

Going to buy myself a bigger one as mine is a quite small Tesco one. I have been borrowing a friends so that i have two when i entertain.

FanjolinaJolie · 13/01/2010 12:54

Gulash is delicious in slow cooker.

Fry some chopped onions and chopped/diced bacon in a pan in soe vege oil then remove. Toss diced beef through some seasonsed flour and brown in same pan.

Toss the lot into the slow cooker with a tin of toms and some beef stock for liquid, 1 tsp mixed herbs and 2 tbsp paprika.

Let it cook and simmer away! Just before serving stir in some creme fraiche/sour cream.

Serve on boiled rice.

FanjolinaJolie · 13/01/2010 16:54

Has anyone successfully made a risotto in a slow cooker?? Do you think this would be possible or do you need to stand over the thing and stir stir stir?

Just wondering.

onadietcokebreak · 13/01/2010 21:55

Bumping for risotto question as I want to know too!

aristocat · 14/01/2010 22:47

well, i have bought a slow cooker this week and tonight made a delicious Goulash

mogs0 · 15/01/2010 19:05

I use mine mostly for jacket pots. I can fit 5 medium sized pots in and is perfect for when I have lots of children here for tea. They taste far better than when I cook them in m/w or cooker.

I've made a couple of casseroles but they're not exceptionally tasty but edible. I did do one last weekend that was pretty good and even ds said it was really yummy (he's normally very about my cooking!!).

I fried some onion and garlic then added 4 chicken thighs to brown. Put it in the s/c with loads of chopped carrots, tin of chopped tomatos, tin of baked beans and a shake of dried mixed herbs. Served with roast potatoes and peas.

The next night I mixed the peas in with the sauce and some sausages (all the chicken had gone) and served with rice but it wasn't as nice - I should have left the peas out!!

I have cooked beef casserole before and the meat was really good but the sauce needs work! I'm going to try it again tomorrow but will add some flour when I brown the meat to see if this helps with thickness of sauce.

I also have a recipe book which makes you add a can of soup to every recipe! I was really cross with myself for not looking through it before I bought it because there is not a single recipe that I want to make. I will go and have a look at what our library has to offer - also have some overdue children's books that should be returned .

notanidea · 15/01/2010 19:23

I am going to start work full time starting early in the morning so how do you organise the things before you leave the house. Can anyone suggest a good vegetarian recipe source or book. Am willing to try if it make a difference when we come home.Anything to make life easy. At the moment, binge on biscuits, crisps when we come home.

aristocat · 15/01/2010 19:33

notanidea you would probably be best to prepare the night and refrigerate, then you would just have to put in the slow cooker and switch it on.
amazon have lots of slow cooker books

aristocat · 15/01/2010 19:34

oops missed out the word before.........prepare the night before

cocolepew · 15/01/2010 19:41

I have a question, can you do spuds in it? I usully just put my meat in it but if I put potatoes in would they be done? If so how long? I put it on inthe mornibng but am home by 2.30ish. And can you cook rice (Not pudding) in it? Thanks.

Nice soup. Beef pieces or chicken
soup mix (pulses)
soup veg (parsley,leeks, carrots) stock..........lovely.

onadietcokebreak · 15/01/2010 21:06

Potatoes are fine. But dont cut up too small or you will end up with mush!

Never thought to do Jacket potatoes in it..top idea mogs0

FanjolinaJolie · 15/01/2010 21:29

Mogs0 try tossing the meat in some seasoned flour before browning, this will thicken your sauce nicely.

mogs0 · 15/01/2010 21:43

Fangolina - thanks, will have a go tomorrow. I have a bag of lentily thingys that have been hanging around my cupboard for years months so am going to nervously chuck them in too.

dietcoke - jacket pots are why I love my s/c so much!!! Only problem is that ds has now decided he doesn't like them which is such a pain but I will have my revenge tomorrow when I serve up beef, lentily, casserole - he'll soon forget his dislike of jacket pots!!

aristocat · 16/01/2010 00:07

ladies....another question please.
how long would you cook a whole chicken in there for - do i need to be up at 4am to have it ready for sunday lunch at 1pm

thanks

dreamingofsun · 16/01/2010 16:12

i would put it in at breakfast and if its not done put it in oven for a while - i do that anyway to brown it. it might be ready in time on high, but depends how large. i usually look at cooking things for about 6 hours ish

helpYOUiWILL · 17/01/2010 08:34

i have just got a 3.5L one from tesco for £15. I have done a lamb hotpot and beef stew and they were lovely.

Could anyone help me though. I am presently cooking chicken drumsticks in it but the recipe hasn't asked for any fluid - is this correct? or can the slow cooker not have to have fluid for every recipe?

dreamingofsun · 17/01/2010 13:08

it will prob be ok without any as chicken wil release some. i would add say 1/2 cup of something - say wine, beer, stock - but mainly cause i hate making gravy

helpYOUiWILL · 17/01/2010 21:08

have eaten my chicken and it was lovely!

onadietcokebreak · 17/01/2010 21:09

Mogs0

Sorry to be a pain but I mentioned the Jacket potatoes to a fellow slow cooker fan..and she wanted to know How long do you put them in for. She leaves the house at 7am and back at 5/6ish...so would she just put the jacket in on low, also what do you do with potato...wash and stab? Any liquid required?