In my slow cooker today...

jasmine33

Cat_Addict wrote: »

Pebblespop, browning meat is optional and none of us par boil the veg as far as I know.

Oops, I parboil them because the first time I made a stew, I just lobbed in the veg and they were still hard. How small do you cut them?

Pollycat

I slice potatoes, carrots, swede etc into about 1cm slices.

As root veg cooks more slowly than meat, my instruction booklet says to put the veg on the bottom.

Cat_Addict

I second what Pollycat said. If I had to parboil stuff I wouldn't see the point of my slow cooker. I cut veg very thin or in small dice and have them near the bottom. Sometimes I use the high setting - for example if I was making a root veg soup. If you were doing a chunky stew with large pieces of potatoes and carrots you'd need it on high for quite a while.

Lois_and_CK

cuffie wrote: »

Im really sorry to ask dumb questions.....
If I was making, for example, beef casserole for 5 people and I was going to use a packet mix, would I need 2? There just doesn't seem like there would be enough liquid if I used 1? Or should I use beef stock cubes? Would I add cornflour or just normal flour to thicken it?
Ta! x

I don't use packet mixes so not sure if you should use 1 or 2, but here's my beef stew recipe in case you want to try it instead of a packet!

Couple of carrots and a peeled onion in bottom of pot (no need to chop). Add enough water to cover the veg, a bit of pepper and a beef stock cube. Sit a beef brisket on top. Cook on low for 6 hours or however long your SC takes.

Once cooked, wrap the beef in foil to rest. Strain the stock and discard the onions and carrots.

Saute chopped onions, garlic and carrots. Add the stock, a bit more water, a teaspoon of marmite, a teaspoon of mustard, a tablespoon of tomato puree, 2 tablespoons of worcester sauce and enough bisto to thicken.

Shred the beef with a couple of forks. Chuck it in with the stock, leave it to bubble for 15-20 mins.

I usually get a few meals out this this: stew (with crusty bread mmmm), or I stick some mashed potato on top and grill to make shepherds pie, or put some ready made shortcrust pastry on top to make a pie.

:T

car25

Hi, I want to buy a slow cooker sized between the 3.5l and 6.5l, can anyone recommend theirs, and is it very useful to have a crock that can go on hob or in oven?

Can't wait to get started!
Thanks in advance.

Cat_Addict

Never needed to put mine in the oven or on the hob at all.

I started with a 3.5L and it was too small for 5 of us and was overfull. I now have a 6.5L and its perfect. You don't see many in between. Crock Pot (my make) do all sorts of sizes in the US but not many make it over here. Hope you get the perfect one, they are so useful and so very economical!

car25

Cat_Addict wrote: »

Never needed to put mine in the oven or on the hob at all.

I started with a 3.5L and it was too small for 5 of us and was overfull. I now have a 6.5L and its perfect. You don't see many in between. Crock Pot (my make) do all sorts of sizes in the US but not many make it over here. Hope you get the perfect one, they are so useful and so very economical!

There are two of us plus one child, I was hoping to make enough for 2 dinners at a time (so 4 adult and 2 small child portions), do you think the 3.5L will be big enough?

Thanks.

Cat_Addict

In all honesty no. The 3.5L are quite small, can't fit many veg or potatoes in. You'll end up with it full up to the top and its not supposed to be. I get about seven or eight servings of whatever I cook from the 6.5L so I do us five for a generous tea and then me and my boss for lunch the next day. Her 3.5L one does her and her husband and then us for lunch the next day.

bellrooster

1 Shoulder of lamb, I took most of the meat off the bone and chopped it into chunks - put the bone aswell for flavor.

a few carrots, a swede lots of onions, garlic and rosmary. Some beef stock and then lots and lots of mint sauce!

At tea time I put a bit of corn flour past in to thicken the sauce, then put it in an oven proof dish, lots of pre blanched sliced potatoes on top and put it in the oven on 200 for about 35 mins.

Even my 3 year old had a clean plate!

westcountrymaid_2

I have small joint of beef (silverside) that I'd like to cook and eat cold tomorrow. I've never cooked a joint in the sc, how much water do I need to put in? I'm not good at cooking beef and thought this might be a better way of making sure its tender?