Bung it in, no prep slow cooker recipes

nublue

Hi

I was wondering if anyone had any nice slow cooker recipes that don't require any precooking/frying, that you can just bung in before work in the morning when you are in a rush?

I don't like to eat jar sauces, and most other recipes seem to have lots of prep or use this type of ingredient...

Thank you for your help...

pjs_3

I would love to know the answer to that too. Sorry I cannot help you. hope someone answers soon.

stef240377

Up to now i have not pre cooked anything that has gone in mine unless its come from leftovers which is slightly different.

All stews i do everything is bunged in the night before and then switched on in the morning, same with spag bol/ chilli.

Soups i use the stock from whatever meat has been cooked the day before and then bung in which ever vegs i have to hand.

Thinking of doing a chicken hot pot in mine on thurs so will defrost a couple or three chicken breasts tomorrow ready, make up some stock and throw in veg, leave it till kids get in from school and then add some dumplings, dishing up 30/40 mins later.

Peartree

This is probably another one to get me drummed out of the OS brownies but I buy big bags of frozen chopped onions in the supermarket. Nothing added, just pre-chopped and I'm convinced they are just as cheap as the real thing with far less hassle. I also keep a big bag of frozen peppers and a bag of frozen mushrooms (frozen by myself this time). I'm not keen on frozen root vegetables in the slow cooker, personally, they seem to get a bit bit soggy to me. If I want to include them, I'll just buy and prep fresh (if I'm organised enough). I also keep cut up blanched potatoes in the freezer.

In the cupboard, I have boxes of both red and white cooking wine (v cheap in Costco), cider and apple juice. I don't like jar sauces (I always feel there's a claggy tang of uncooked cornflour or something) but there are a few of the dried packet sauces I don't mind if they are made up with wine or cider or apple juice or tomatoes rather than water. Those tiny little tubs of knorr stock are good too but not at full price! I've got a cupboard full of the vegetable ones bought in Home Bargains for pence. It is also useful to have in some jars like wholegrain mustard, redcurrant jelly or caramellised onions to add a bit of flavour plus spices and herbs (dried and fresh in garden).

With all the above, I can have something lovely in the slow cooker in minutes. Handful of onions, mushrooms and peppers (from frozen) plus your choice of meat (thawed, obviously - browned depending on preference and type of meat) plus wine/cider/other plus flavourings (as above).

When I get in I sometimes add the part cooked potatoes or might do baked or roasted. You can also quickly microwave/steam another veg to accompany.

I'm lucky that I can brown meat in my slow cooker (an Intellichef) but I don't always bother. Sausages look a bit miserable if you don't but otherwise, with a thick sauce you can't see a difference and after a few hours I'm not sure you gain that much extra in flavour.

I don't tend to follow recipes

Petlamb

I have to admit, Peartree, that I also buy frozen peppers, but my chopped onions are home-frozen - but nothing more than for the fact that I get about 50% extra for the price for doing all the work myself! If the ready frozen ones were cheaper I'd do those! :P

Olliebeak

I also chop and freeze shop bought onions - get the 2kg packs of SmartPrice onions for around 86p.

Also get the SmartPrice carrots for around the same price for chopping freezing in advance.

Bunny200

I never bother browning the meat beforehand, don't notice much difference, except as above sausages are a little funny looking but we don't mind!
Usually its an experiement of combinations of stuff in the cupboard, tinned toms, stock, herbs, vinegar(balsamic or wine), garlic etc. The thing I find is that as there is raw meat in there I can't taste it as I'm preparing it so its a bit of a surprise later on!

jenster

Olliebeak wrote: »

I also chop and freeze shop bought onions - get the 2kg packs of SmartPrice onions for around 86p.

Also get the SmartPrice carrots for around the same price for chopping freezing in advance.

i do the same buy the onions value same with carrots and havea good old food proceeser session - grating all the carrots and dicing all the onions up

baging them in value freezer bags -- tescos 48p for 50 bags - so they can be used to make shep pies stews spag bols ect

i too used to buy the diced frozen onions but for a liitle bit off effort i can get 2 times if not 3 times or more when offers on then what u would pay for the alreadey diced frozen

infact our farm shop set the large nets of onions 5 kgs and i got my last one for 1.50 cos i was cheeky enough to say ive bought my pototaoes and eggs off u how about the onions for a quid down from 2.50 he said u can have them for 1.50 deal done !!

and when Aldis do there super 5 get a few extra then too

Pink.

nublue wrote: »

Hi

I was wondering if anyone had any nice slow cooker recipes that don't require any precooking/frying, that you can just bung in before work in the morning when you are in a rush?

I don't like to eat jar sauces, and most other recipes seem to have lots of prep or use this type of ingredient...

Thank you for your help...

Hi nublue,

This thread has loads of 'bung it in and leave it alone recipes' that may help:

Slow Cooker - The Recipe Collection

Pink

LilacPixie

i just fling everything in. My current fave is diced beef, 2 handfulls of frozen onions, 2 tins of chopped toms and 1 tin of cheapo baked beans. oxo cube and 60ml water. stir is all around then low for 8 hours.

BexInLondon

Monday night I did this:

Diced beef
2* chopped tomatoes (is that too ready-made for you?)
Half a cubed swede
A handful of puy lentils
A handful of barley
A bit of hot water
A bay leaf

Once it was done I seasoned it a bit, but didn't want any salt in there in the first place as lentils don't like cooking in salt.

Despite what everyone seems to think, browning meat beforehand DOES NOT seal the juices in (well, this is according to McGee's book on the science of food and cooking). What it does is cause the caramelisation and browning of some sugars giving that meaty flavour we like. It's not essential at all, and for some stews it can be nicer not to have done so.