slow cooker quick questions thread

Jammygal

forest6 wrote: »

Just wondering why these slow cookers are being recommended. If I put it on before I go to work and turn it off around 6pm when I am ready for dinner, am I using less electricity having it on for 10 hours than I would use having my normal oven on for maybe 2 hours?

Thanks

forest6

Yes basically slow cookers are cheaper to run and use less leccy due to being so small;)
It does depend though on the size of your oven and the size of your slow cooker as the smaller the more cost efficient for both!!

lexuslass

Hi everyone!

I am looking for some advice - apologies if this has been asked before... I did start looking at this thread but it is such a long one!!

I bought a 'crock pot' slow cooker yesterday and I have never used one before!

It has a recipe book with it but these mainly cover fancy recipes that you cook on a hob - nothing basic. I got some chicken drumsticks and thighs to try as i wanted to do something really simple with it being my first time!

I put them in (there's about 11 or 12 of them) 15 minutes ago with a splash of water... I have three heat settings on the cooker itself 1) low, 2) high 3) warm... I have put it on high to give it a kick start.

Is this ok? should I have put more water in it? and should I have started it off on the low setting? and how long should they cook for?

I also fancy putting a sauce in with it so I bought a sachet of Colmans Coq au Vin to try...is this ok to use in it and if so when should I add it?

Sorry if these are common or simple questions but as I said I have never used one of these before... any advice would be welcomed!

Thanks in advance!

Farway

I have just starting adding a teaspoon of Marmite, makes very tasty & brown stews

Gangstabird

I have to say that I did the mince in mine once for Shepherds pie and it tasted very very odd. Didn't do it again. But stews are good, they taste fine. There is a sort of weird taste to slowcooked food.

Butterfly_Brain

Try adding extra seasonings - the slow cooker seems to leach all the flavour out of a meal so add more than you would normally use if cooking in an oven or on a hob.

jomo70

Does anybody have a bread and butter pudding recipe for a slow cooker? Have lots of stale bread to use up...or does anybody else have a better idea?

Thanks in advance!!

trying-very-trying

lexuslass wrote: »

Hi everyone!

I am looking for some advice - apologies if this has been asked before... I did start looking at this thread but it is such a long one!!

I bought a 'crock pot' slow cooker yesterday and I have never used one before!

It has a recipe book with it but these mainly cover fancy recipes that you cook on a hob - nothing basic. I got some chicken drumsticks and thighs to try as i wanted to do something really simple with it being my first time!

I put them in (there's about 11 or 12 of them) 15 minutes ago with a splash of water... I have three heat settings on the cooker itself 1) low, 2) high 3) warm... I have put it on high to give it a kick start.

Is this ok? should I have put more water in it? and should I have started it off on the low setting? and how long should they cook for?

I also fancy putting a sauce in with it so I bought a sachet of Colmans Coq au Vin to try...is this ok to use in it and if so when should I add it?

Sorry if these are common or simple questions but as I said I have never used one of these before... any advice would be welcomed!

Thanks in advance!

We all start somewhere, so no your questions aren't stupid. I'm sorry that you didn't get an answer to this earlier in the day, but anyway.

I find with chicken legs/thighs it is best if you can remove the skin before putting it in the pot, the skin releases a lot of fat into the gravy.
If using a sachet of sauce, it should go in right at the beginning.
The cooking time depends on the rating of your sc, mine is an older one with a 135w, so it takes a good bit longer than the new ones, some are as high as 300w or more. The good thing is that you can never burn anything in the slow cooker, although chicken particularly has a tendency to literally fall of the bone if left too long. The heat setting are just to give you a little control over the timing of your meal. If you're out all day, start it off on low and leave it, it'll be ready when you get home. If you're at home and you didn't mind to switch it on until luchtime, then put it on high, it will probably be ready in about 4hours.

I realise this is all a bit vague, but hope it gives you some clue. I do hope you enjoy using your slow cooker.

rchddap1

Well, the chicken was lovely. Oh was particularly happy as it came with slow cooked carrots and he even got some gravy. I don't like the stuff and he can never be bothered to make it. So I used some of the juices and a few granuales.

Result: One happy man.

I found a recipe for rice put which I'm going to suprise him with one day next week. He loves the stuff.

Just have to collect a load of recipes to make now.

RustyFlange

Olliebeak wrote: »

Make sure that you brown your sausages BEFORE putting them into the SC - nothing worse than anaemic sausages! I usually put softened onions and garlic, mushrooms, peppers and some pre-soaked dried mixed beans (or lentils) into my sausage casserole (though there's nothing to say you can't use carrots, swedes and potatoes - just keep the slices of carrot/swede thin if you do use them).

For the liquid, I use tinned tomatoes (one or two tins depending on the size of your SC) and a pack of sausage casserole mix. (instead of the packet mix, you could use a couple of stock cubes, dried mixed herbs and some paprika/chilli/cayenne pepper depending on your own personal tastes).

At the end of the cooking time, if it's still a little bit too liquid, you can thicken it with a couple of spoonfuls of powdered mash, or a couple of spoons of cornflour 'slaked' with cold water, or some gravy granules stirred in.

I usually serve it with jacket spuds, rice or pasta or some lovely crusty bread to mop all the delicious gravy.

Hope you enjoy your meal . SC's are very forgiving utensils - I've never produced anything totally inedible yet!

Thankyou for your reply. The carribean chicken is still in now. OH works away and is due home in the next 10 mins providing his flight wasn't delayed.

Will try sausage casserole next week for me and the children hopefully.

P.S Carribean chicken went on at 10 ... I had to leave it but turned it from high to low at 3:30pm and it is still on low now

Olliebeak

RustyFlange wrote: »

Thankyou for your reply. The carribean chicken is still in now. OH works away and is due home in the next 10 mins providing his flight wasn't delayed.

Will try sausage casserole next week for me and the children hopefully.

P.S Carribean chicken went on at 10 ... I had to leave it but turned it from high to low at 3:30pm and it is still on low now

You're very welcome, Rusty - always happy to help where I can ! Hope you're meal turned out good. We've had a 'meat meal' every evening this week - so have had toasted garlic and onion bagels with melted cheese tonight. Nice change from the richer food earlier in the week . Though I feel a slow cooker meal coming on tomorrow.

Going to put some mixed beans in to soak in a few minutes. Give them a boil for 15 minutes in the morning (some kidney beans among them so need to eliminate the toxins!). They will go in with some chicken thighs, onions, peppers, tinned tomatoes and spices in the morning. The aroma will drive the OH crazy all day as he's home tomorrow .