Freezer to Slow Cooker recipe inspiration needed...

rej-c

onedayiwill - I'm sure one of the SC veterans will be along with a better response [I've still very much got my SC 'L' plates on, and have only cooked veggie stuff in mine so far, but I've read loads of sites, blogs and cook books on this subject!], so, for what it's worth...

Yep, SC recipes can often seem like they'll be dry, but generally, it's not something to worry about. Veg and meats usually generate plenty of moisture, and it's all kept in the pot because the SC lid remains on throughout the cooking process [give or take a stir later on], so liquids aren't evaporating off during cooking.

Where there is a significant amount of liquid included in the ingredients, you're more likely to get a fully soupy or stewy [or very saucy] product.

When I do a veg curry in the SC, for example, the only 'liquid' that goes in is what's in the tin of tomatoes, but you end up with plenty of 'sauciness' to it due to the liquid released by the veggies.

HTH

SailorSam

Why do you bag up the raw ingredients. I usually do it the other way around, i'll make curries or casseroles and bag them up in the freezer, get them out of a morning and by the time say i've boiled rice in one pan the curry has been reheated in another.

tigerfeet2006

To be honest I had never thought about doing it this way. But then I like to brown my meat before bunging it in the SC. I hate un-browned sausages, they look like pale,flaccid penis's. And I think it tastes better browned but it is personal preference.

I tend to do extra when I do a SC meal and box it up so that it can go in the micro as a HM ready meal.

Or I have a weekend where I will do a great big vat of 3 to 4 different meals in the slow cooker ie; Sat morning first lot goes in, something like chilli. Sat evening the next lot goes in, something like beef stew and the same on Sunday. Then they are boxed up in portions (I use the cheap takeaway size boxes from Tesco and people give me their takeaway boxes.) Then they are bought out as micro meals. I will put them in the fridge the night before usually or I bung them in from frozen. just takes longer and then go and get my coat off, sort out the kids, sort out the dishwasher/washing machine, lay the table etc. until the meal is ready.

Sometimes if I have to be out early in the morning and will not be back till late then I will prep the night before and put in the ceramic SC pot and then put that in the fridge and then put it in the SC in the morning.

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Sparklyfairy

onedayiwill wrote: »

Sparklyfairy - that's a brilliant site! Thanks. Just to check - most of the recipes on that site seem very "dry" at a glance ... do you ever need to add liquid or do they all just seem to generate enough themselves? (like I said .. *really* new to this so all tips appreciated )

No worries ! I literally just bunged it all in together - no added liquid at all & it comes out perfectly!

Sparklyfairy

SailorSam wrote: »

Why do you bag up the raw ingredients. I usually do it the other way around, i'll make curries or casseroles and bag them up in the freezer, get them out of a morning and by the time say i've boiled rice in one pan the curry has been reheated in another.

I suppose it saves cooking it twice iykwim.

Sparklyfairy

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

I hate un-browned sausages, they look like pale,flaccid penis's.

:rotfl: Good point! I needed that chuckle this morning!

Linda32

Oh, I was one who said I never brown meat, sorry I meant stewing beef cut into chunck.

If I'm doing sausage casserole then I always deskin and cut into chunck and fry these first.

Agree they would look horrible not brown and would look raw as well.