In my slow cooker today...

morganb

ZLS1984 wrote: »

Also can you add quick cook pasta uncooked to a mix would this work?

Don't know about rice, but I would only add the pasta about 1/2 hour to an hour before you needed to eat, otherwise you can't really see if you've got enough liquid in there (if that makes sense; I made a pork and pasta soup in mine the other day and there was far too much pasta and it absorbed all the liquid so I had to keep adding boiling water, etc., delaying the meal somewhat)

LittleEmms

newlywed wrote: »

In mine is a huge batch of chilli - which will be slopped into wraps for tea when we get home

I love the fact that it cooks dinner for you while you're out and you don't need to watch it, stir it, or worry

I've seen quite a few people put chilli, can i ask a few questions?

1) Do you need to brown mince first like when cooking it on hob?
2) Is it an all dayer? say 8 - 10 hours on low?
3) Do you need extra water incase it thickens over the day?

Thanks (from a SC learner - I should have L plates )

newlywed

morganb wrote: »

Yes, but if you've got it on when you're at home and you can smell it cooking ALL DAY LONG, then that raises the failure rate of a diet rather significantly.:rotfl:

Yes the gammon joint at the weekend did drive me mad all day - but we were baking biscuits with the kids anyway

newlywed

LittleEmms wrote: »

I've seen quite a few people put chilli, can i ask a few questions?

1) Do you need to brown mince first like when cooking it on hob?
2) Is it an all dayer? say 8 - 10 hours on low?
3) Do you need extra water incase it thickens over the day?

Thanks (from a SC learner - I should have L plates )

I brown the mince, I add lentils in with it and a bit of oats (as the oats seem to help thicken it up - I tend to misjudge it and add too much water/passata anyway as the lentils need some liquid to cook).

Ours stays on all day as I'm out all day - so it goes on low at 7.30 am and stays there till 6pm when we get back. The rest gets frozen for quick meals later.

tomtombeanie

LittleEmms wrote: »

I've seen quite a few people put chilli, can i ask a few questions?

1) Do you need to brown mince first like when cooking it on hob?
2) Is it an all dayer? say 8 - 10 hours on low?
3) Do you need extra water incase it thickens over the day?

Thanks (from a SC learner - I should have L plates )

just to add my thoughts! - yes, i brown the mince as well, then just bung everything else in. although i have put it on high for 4-5 hours, i think this works better as an all dayer, the taste and texture is better (kidney beans also much nicer the longer they cook, if you use them).

here's my question for the day - does anyone know how much difference there actually is between a high and low setting (i know that individual slow cookers will probably vary but just as a general...). i find i use high all the time, even for an all day stew or chili. is this a bad thing?

nothing in mine today, we are having leftover beef stew from sunday & leftover sausage casserole from yesterday.

ragz_2

Beef and port casserole in mine today, been there since this time yesterday (oH got back from France late last night and I wanted him to come home to the smell of cooking) and it smells divine, my diet also suffering as mouth is watering dreadfully!
Last chili we did in there OH said would last 3 meals but I kept having it for breakfast and lunch!
Love my slow cooker so much, also keeps the icy chill off the kitchen during the night!

ragz_2

tomtombeanie wrote: »

just to add my thoughts! - yes, i brown the mince as well, then just bung everything else in. although i have put it on high for 4-5 hours, i think this works better as an all dayer, the taste and texture is better (kidney beans also much nicer the longer they cook, if you use them).

here's my question for the day - does anyone know how much difference there actually is between a high and low setting (i know that individual slow cookers will probably vary but just as a general...). i find i use high all the time, even for an all day stew or chili. is this a bad thing?

nothing in mine today, we are having leftover beef stew from sunday & leftover sausage casserole from yesterday.

I notice things do cook quicker on high but I left mine on high for 12 hours yesterday and nothing bad happened, turned it to low before I went to bed as potatoes were cooked through and I just needed to keep it hot.
I shouldn't think there's anything wrong with keeping it high but if you're in you may as well turn it down if everything is done, no point wasting energy, even if it is only a few pence worth.

newlywed

tomtombeanie wrote: »

here's my question for the day - does anyone know how much difference there actually is between a high and low setting (i know that individual slow cookers will probably vary but just as a general...). i find i use high all the time, even for an all day stew or chili. is this a bad thing?

When I left my sausage stew on high by mistake for 10 hours (morphy richards) - the veg was just mush and indistinguishable and the sausages on the top round the edges were blackened. Usually on low the veg would have been just cooked properly but still obviously carrots etc and the lentils would have been just done. So yes there is a difference :rotfl:

geek0

Ive been invited out for dinner tonight so ive put rice pudding in so i can take desert, hope it turns out ok its the 1st attempt, absolutely love the slow cooker though so glad i got it.

shell1000

I bought the cookworks slow cooker from argos last week for 9.70 and im in love with it! its huge! really easy to clean (removable crockpot) and has high, low and warm settings

so far ive made a huge stew and lamb shanks with romesmary and minted gravy in it.. mmmm

i have a whole chicken in the freezer and have no idea whether i can cook it in the slow cooker, any advice gratefully received!

managed to find the link below, but haven't had chance to read it yet as im at work! but don't forget all the recipes

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=490232#post490232