Any tasty slow cooker recipes to share?

lonestarfan

I've been given a slow cooker and would like to use it as I think it'll make life easier when I get home from work.
I'd really be grateful if people could share with me their favourite tasty recipes that they know work in it. The girls at work just keep saying add a packet mix eg chilli con carne packet mix . I don't want to do that as they often have wheat flour in them which I don't want as half of my family are coeliac and can't eat wheat flour. I like chilli tho so any recipe you've got that you know actually works in it and is tasty then please share - I find it's the little quirks that you add to recipes that give it that better taste hence why I'm asking rather than just taking recipes off the net.
I really enjoy anything with onions, tomatoes, peppers, veg etc. I'm a meat & fish eater too.
Thanks so much.

Wooftastic

I generally use normal recipes and just allow 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

My two top tips are
1) always brown your meat first to seal it and fry off your onions to soften them
2) I always use roughly half the liquid that the recipie states and reduce it to the consistency you want before adding it to the slow cooker as it won't thicken during cooking.

Enjoy - I love mine and use it all the time

PasturesNew

My advice is: don't try fancy recipes that are a lot of faff until you've got in the habit of actually using it. Keep things simple for the first 10 goes and it'll not become something you dread. Once you know what you can lob in quickly, then you can attempt stuff that's more long-winded and tiresome.

madvixen

Pinterest is fabulous for slow cooker recipes. Make sure to search "crock pot recipes" as well as "slow cooker recipes" though.

Chilli is really easy in the slow cooker, mince, an onion, some garlic, tin of toms, chilli powder and whatever beans you like. Bung it all in and leave on low for 8hrs or so.

Gammon in cola is also really simple and the leftovers make great sandwiches. Take a value gammon joint and stick it in the slow cooker. Cover with full fat Coke and leave on low for 8 hours.

Don't forget you can do bread, cakes and puddings in them as well

pm2326

madvixen wrote: »

Pinterest is fabulous for slow cooker recipes. Make sure to search "crock pot recipes" as well as "slow cooker recipes" though.

Chilli is really easy in the slow cooker, mince, an onion, some garlic, tin of toms, chilli powder and whatever beans you like. Bung it all in and leave on low for 8hrs or so.

Gammon in cola is also really simple and the leftovers make great sandwiches. Take a value gammon joint and stick it in the slow cooker. Cover with full fat Coke and leave on low for 8 hours.

Don't forget you can do bread, cakes and puddings in them as well

I'm making sweet mincemeat steamed pudding in mine tomorrow to use up the remnants of a jar...already drooling at the thought :j

lonestarfan

Ooh lots of ideas there. Thank you. Keep them coming!
Like the sound of the gammon and cola.
Would like to do a chilli - how much chilli powder would I put in?
I'll have a good look at pin interest.
Thanks for the tips

hieveryone

I always used to brown meat off but it made me hate the slow cooker as I then dirtied another pan, plus the slow cooker.

I tried a couple of recipes putting the meat in raw, and well, I haven't died LOL so that would be my tip - don't be frightened about cooking things from raw.

joedenise

I like to cook a whole chicken in the SC. No need to anything but if you want to you can put halved onions in the bottom; or you can just rest the chicken on 3 or 4 balls of scrunched up foil.

The chicken just falls off the carcass.

We usually have as part of a roast; cold the next day then use leftover for risotto, pie etc.

Denise

pandora205

joedenise wrote: »

I like to cook a whole chicken in the SC. No need to anything but if you want to you can put halved onions in the bottom; or you can just rest the chicken on 3 or 4 balls of scrunched up foil.

The chicken just falls off the carcass.

We usually have as part of a roast; cold the next day then use leftover for risotto, pie etc.

Denise

I cook mine that way (though haven't tried balls of foil in the bottom), and finish the lot in the oven to brown the skin. I also put a lemon and herbs inside, though it stays moist enough without.

hieveryone

Ohh that reminds me, I read a recipe that is basically just bunging chicken breasts in the slow cooker and leaving them to cook - tastes like 'roast' chicken when done!

lonestarfan

My biggest worry is it burning dry and setting my house on fire ! Aren't I leaving it to cook all day when I'm out? If you just put breasts in then how does that work. Do you put water or some type of liquid in to stop it burning dry or do I just not know what I'm talking about lol!