Slow Cooker - Do you layer?

davetaylor

Hi,

Just got a sausage casserole going on in my slow cooker. Now, many recipes for different slow cooker meals instruct you to layer the ingredients. For example, onion at the bottom, followed by the meat on top, then your tim of tomatoes etc. Is there any particular benefit to this. Something like a sausage hot pot like I am doing, is going to be mixed up anyway, so why not do it right at the beginning in the cooker? I mean Don't I want the onion taste to be mixing with my tomatoes up above during the whole cooking process for example?

Cheers,


Dave

Emstick14

When I first got my slow cooker it advised me to put all the veg in first and then make like a hole in the middle, put the meat in that and then pour over the sauce - it was something to do wth making sure the meat was cooked properly, if I remember rightly.

TBH I never stuck to it as I like to give my casserole's a good old stir, plus I found that the chicken kind of clumped together if left.

Not exactly answered your question, sorry haha but hope you enjoy the sausage casserole.

Pink.

Hi Dave,

I layer sometimes, but not often. When I got my first slow cooker years ago the instructions said that root veg and potatoes take longer to cook than other veg/meat and recommended that the root veg and potatoes should be placed at the bottom of the slow cooker so that they could be covered with liquid. I don't know if it's necessary with today's modern slow cookers but it's a habit I have got into.

With something like sausage casserole where you are using tomatoes, onions etc I wouldn't think there is any need to 'layer'.

Pink

thevicster

Slightly off topic, but is it okay to cook just veg and vegetarian style 'meat' in a slow cooker? I've been thinking about buying one for ages as I work long days and would be perfect to come home to!!

Lemon_Tree

i just tend to throw everything and stir it around, but then i've never been able to stick to receipe properly.

davetaylor

Oh that is good to hear, I don't feel so bad about stirring it up now!

deebee

I do loads of veggie dishes in mine using veggie 'meat'; bolonaise sauce works well as does veggie sausage casserole - go for it - delish!!!

Meadows

I throw it in & stir in around.

crawley_girl

I use the veggie mince and alternatives in my slow cooker, works a treat!