slow cooker quick questions thread

Olliebeak

To thicken a 'watery stew/casserole' I've done the following:

the cornflour mixed with a little cold water and then stirred in
gravy granules sprinkled on top and then stirred in
remove some veggies, 'whizz' and stir back in again
sprinkle some cheapie powdered mash on and sitr in

much prefer the 'whizzed veggie' bit though.

dronid

:eek: You should never put frozen stuff in the slow cooker. Anything that cold will cause the temperature to rise too slowly at the start of cooking and spend a lot of time in the dangerous 20-45C temperature zone. The cooker should kill any nasty bugs that breed but will leave the toxins in the food which can really cause problems.:eek: :eek: :eek:

The same goes for frozen veg. Most recommend that you heat the liquid that you're going to add, cold is OK but frozen is a no-no.

I simmer frozen sausages until they're defrosted and then fry them to brown them. I don't generally use the microwave as I've had a couple explode on me - microwave heated rather unevenly.

Oh yes - the reason you put the meat on the veg (or surrounded by the veg) is because the veg - particularly the root veg - take longer to cook than the meat so putting them in contact with the slow cooker means they heat up quicker.

CelticStar

Lol still no replies to my post on 16/1, good job I wasn't hungry!

Olliebeak

CelticStar wrote: »

Lol still no replies to my post on 16/1, good job I wasn't hungry!

Sorry CelticStar - I've no experience of doing a 'creamy chicken casserole' in mine.

Have you checked out the recipe index?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=493757&postcount=14


Good Luck

squeaky

CelticStar wrote: »

I am just starting out using my slow cooker and I would like to make a creamy chicken casserole. I've bought some chicken thighs and have a small pot of cream, I also have mushrooms, pepper, onions and carrots.

Do I just brown the chicken thighs (after removing the skin) with the onions and then bung everything else into the slow cooker with a little bit of stock? Also, my sister-in-law has 'borrowed' my instruction booklet so do I need to cook the chicken on low, medium or high and for how long please? I would really appreciate your help.

Thanks.
CelticStar :T

Strange that you should get no answers here - there are hundreds of options!

Best place I can point you is to the Slow Cooker index and then you can pick a recipe or cooking stratgey that appeals to you.

Next time, I guess

The Complete Slow Cooker Collection

Skint_Catt

Would like a Quorn Chilli con Carne receipe (based on 600g of Quorn).

Thanks!

Catt xx

Bongedone

Skint_Catt wrote: »

Would like a Quorn Chilli con Carne receipe (based on 600g of Quorn).

Thanks!

Catt xx

I make chilli in the slow cooker all the time but I am not sure if Quorn would survive the long cooking process. It is not meant to be cooked for more than 20 minutes according to the packet.

Skint_Catt

Thanks bongedone, it did cross my mind, though I find it ratehr dry and I know the sausages benefit from slow cooking. No worries I'll do a normal pan one then!

Thanks

debbiedebt

Hi Skint-Catt - do you cook quorn sausages in your slow cooker? If you do how do you do it?

Thanks

nopot2pin

Skint_Catt wrote: »

Thanks bongedone, it did cross my mind, though I find it ratehr dry and I know the sausages benefit from slow cooking. No worries I'll do a normal pan one then!

Thanks

I have done dried soya mince in the slow cooker... on low.
It took about 3 hours.