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Fail-safe & easy menu for slow cooker/other cooking method

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BlondeHeadOn
BlondeHeadOn Posts: 2,267 Forumite
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in Old style MoneySaving
I am due to host a 'pot-luck' lunch next month, and the 'host' usually does a hot main dish and everyone else brings salads, bread, puds etc. This is the first time I am due to be 'host', and you need to know that I am a totally cr@p cook!

I have a large slow cooker (in fact I have 2 slow cookers, if that's relevant), so I was thinking that the easiest thing would be to do an easy slow cooker recipe. Although it may be a problem that it is a lunch do rather than an evening meal, so the time required might be an issue (or I get up at 4am to put the food on, I suppose!) The meal will be for 6 to 8 people.

Anyone got any ideas about very easy - and cheap - but nice-tasting receipes to use? I'm panicking a bit - I'm even thinking about going to Waitrose/M&S and buying something just so I can't make a complete co?ck-up of it all! But that wouldn't be as all MSE......................

Can anyone help???

:confused:

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  • mumoftwo
    mumoftwo Posts: 1,903 Forumite
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    chili con carne. You can bake potatoes to go with it. Mince, tinned tomatoes, onions, grated carrots (if liked), chili powder, kidney beans or other beans, cook the day before or overnight in SC.
  • BlondeHeadOn
    BlondeHeadOn Posts: 2,267 Forumite
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    The chili sounds like a good idea - do you have to do anything clever like fry the mince first, or can you just chuck the lot in and wait....??

    :D
  • Noctu
    Noctu Posts: 1,553 Forumite
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    It's up to you - personally I never bother browning (frying) the meat I put in the slow cooker.

    So it would be:
    Chuck uncooked mince, tinned tomatoes, onions, carrots, chili powder (be careful, you don't want it to be too spicy just in case!!), and kidney beans (canned), into slow cooker.

    That's it ;)

    As for the timing.. does your SC have a high/low setting? You could put it on first thing on high for an hour or two, then check it - in my experience it'll probably be all cooked and ready. Then you could put it on low/warm until lunchtime.
  • mumoftwo
    mumoftwo Posts: 1,903 Forumite
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    BlondeHeadOn wrote:
    The chili sounds like a good idea - do you have to do anything clever like fry the mince first, or can you just chuck the lot in and wait....??

    :D

    I do brown the mince first, to "loosen" it all up, just quickly though, I also add some oxo stock cubes for extra flavour, or some peppers and mushrooms if I have them in the fridge, but don't have to, for me it is a good way to bulk it out and get the kids to eat vege.

    If you put it in the Sc first thing in them morning on High for a few hours and then low for another 2 hours, it should be ready for lunch time..
  • debtworrier
    debtworrier Posts: 250 Forumite
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    BlondeHeadOn wrote:
    I am due to host a 'pot-luck' lunch next month, and the 'host' usually does a hot main dish and everyone else brings salads, bread, puds etc. This is the first time I am due to be 'host', and you need to know that I am a totally cr@p cook!

    I have a large slow cooker (in fact I have 2 slow cookers, if that's relevant), so I was thinking that the easiest thing would be to do an easy slow cooker recipe. Although it may be a problem that it is a lunch do rather than an evening meal, so the time required might be an issue (or I get up at 4am to put the food on, I suppose!) The meal will be for 6 to 8 people.

    Anyone got any ideas about very easy - and cheap - but nice-tasting receipes to use? I'm panicking a bit - I'm even thinking about going to Waitrose/M&S and buying something just so I can't make a complete co?ck-up of it all! But that wouldn't be as all MSE......................

    Can anyone help???

    :confused:

    If it's going to be an early lunch, you could put everything in the SC the night before, with a timer switch (one of those plug-in ones that people use to turn lights on and off) to switch it on in the wee small hours.
  • BlondeHeadOn
    BlondeHeadOn Posts: 2,267 Forumite
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    Cracking ideas all, thank you!!

    I have a timer switch already, so I can put it to come on in the early morning, and I also have a slow cooker with high/low/auto settings so I can use the high setting to cook it more quickly.

    I can also easily do a 'trial run' to check the timings - mmm, think I know what we are going to be eating one day this weekend....

    Many thanks to all of you - stars one and all!!

    :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T
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