Slow cookers: can you do most of the prep the night before?

[franch]

Does anyone do this? I have no time in the morning, but am finding I can no longer make anything with a long cooking time any more because of the school run in the afternoon. I was hoping to do most of the prep in the evening, then bung it all in the slow cooker in the morning. Will that work?

Yes.

Prep all the veg/meat and put in a covered container and then just put all ingredients in the slow cooker with hot water and set it going.

bloody hell franch -I knew this would be you!

as MNP says, just use boiling water in the morning and it will be fine.

furball yes I've been getting all overexcited ...

Thanks both

do a search - a million and one slow cooker threads with tips and recipes.

Yes done lots of searches in my excitement furball, just didn't find answers to my specific questions ...

Here's another: Sorry if I'm being thick, but as it's a slow cooker and has all day to heat the food, why do you speed it up with boiling water??

you can cook it with cold water, but as it's a slow cooker it takes 1-2 hours to get it to boiling point, so you'll need to add that extra time on the end. I only cook mine from 9am-6pm so always give it a nudge to heat it up with using boiling water

Franch - I too am about to buy a slow cooker and am very excited.

Ok, so 9-6 is a short cooking time is it? I'd be about the same. From the reviews I've read, a lot of people complain that modern slow cookers are too hot/fast - how new is yours furball? I thought the programmable function would be useful if I did find it cooked too fast.

Glad I'm not the only one, littleold

I've got a 'crock-pot' one, had it 2 years

9-6 is not a short cooking time franch, but if you used cold water it would only be 11-6 which is.

OK, got it. So crock pot is good then?

franch - just posted on your other thread - check out amazon only 2 reviews for that crock pot and both bad

OK - so cooking spag bol tomorrow (1st use of slow cooker): can I just put everything raw in the machine in the morning?? I want to cook from 8 till 5 so boiling or cold water?

yep - chuck it in with (always) boiling water.

can't believe it's taken you this long to get it out the box!

you'll need less water than if you were doing it on the hob.

Thanks furball

how did it go franch?

Excellent! I love it!! I used the Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food recipe which says 2 cans tomatoes + 2 cans boiling water, and I used 2 x toms and 1 x water - next time I'd probably just use 1 can of each. But otherwise, great result - thanks