problems with food from slow cooker. HELP

BMG

I have a freezer full of food that was batch cooked in my slow cooker.
When it is defrosted and reheated, it is all mushy and horrible.
Last night I had a chicken casserole that had been defrosted and I reheated it and it all turned really soft and runny. All the vegetables and disintegrated and there was bits of chicken floating around rather than the chicken thighs that were in there.


What am I doing wrong? I am dreading defrosting anything else

joedenise

It sounds as though you could be using far too much liquid when you cook in the SC. You don't need anywhere near as much as if you are cooking on the hob or in the oven.

To salvage it you could try taking out most of the liquid and boiling it rapidly to reduce it or perhaps adding some cornflour to thicken it.

Another option could be to add some mashed potato (just mashed not creamed) to thicken it.

Hope one of these options may help.

Denise

Chris25

and remember when you're re-heating it, it's cooking even more. When you next make some, perhaps try not to let the food get as soft by reducing the amount of time it's in the SC?

Denise's ideas are good; to put in potato or take out some liquid to boil & reduce.

You could also boil up additional veg separately and add to casserole/stew before you serve you not everything is mushy.

If you really feel it's difficult to salvage, you could blitz it into soup or take out the liquid and add the meat & veg to something like a risotto.

Tbh, unless you're serving it to guests, it doesn't matter so much what it looks like, as long as it's tasty

Don't be too hard on yourself, it's all part of learning different methods of cooking.