Slow Cooking

[Michelle]

Our slow cooker broke a while ago, and I've just bought a new one. We only really used it for a casserole, mince and chicken, so I'd love lots of ideas on how to use it best - what do you like to cook in yours, how long does it take, problems etc?

Edited November 15, 2012 by Michelle
changing mice to mince!

[Raven]

Our slow cooker broke a while ago, and I've just bought a new one. We only really used it for a casserole, mice and chicken, so I'd love lots of ideas on how to use it best - what do you like to cook in yours, how long does it take, problems etc?

 

That made me laugh.

 

I'm thinking about getting a slow cooker, it would be very handy at this time of the year.

Edited November 15, 2012 by Raven

[Michelle]

I don't think my kids would be very impressed with slow cooked mice!

[SueK]

I don't think my kids would be very impressed with slow cooked mice!

 

Ooh I don't know .... bung a bit of ketchup on them and serve with a few chips, they won't know!

 

Seriously, I've never owned a slow cooker, as I'm not sure about temperatures whilst I was out at work. I like to know that my casserole is bubbling up before I turn down to simmer. Can you do that with a slow cooker?

Edited November 15, 2012 by SueK

[Raven]

Ooh I don't know .... bung a bit of ketchup on them and serve with a few chips, they won't know!

 

Tell them they are chicken nuggets.

[muggle not]

Ooh I don't know .... bung a bit of ketchup on them and serve with a few chips, they won't know!

 

Seriously, I've never owned a slow cooker, as I'm not sure about temperatures whilst I was out at work. I like to know that my casserole is bubbling up before I turn down to simmer. Can you do that with a slow cooker?

Most slow cookers have a brochure that give you times and temperatures. We can set ours on low and it will cook all day without us even checking on it. It is a great time saver. Of course, some items you need to cook at high temperature all day...again, check the guide that comes with it.

 

We especially like ours at this time of year. We always have a turkey and a ham for Thanksgiving. We buy a pre-cooked ham from Honeybaked Ham but need to warm it before serving. We have the turkey in the oven and there isn't room for the ham, so we put the ham in the slow cooker and it keeps it nice and warm and moist without drying it out. we can keep it in the slow cooker for a long duration.

Edited November 15, 2012 by muggle not

[Sofia]

I make meatloaf in mine...and spaghetti sauce...I also recently made a sausage & bean soup that was really good too. I do have a ton of recipes saved that I haven't tried yet...but hope to! One thing I do want to try soon is doing baked potatoes in it....supposedly you just prick potatoes, wrap in foil, cook! I just haven't gotten around to it yet :/

[bobblybear]

I've never used a slow cooker, but I know our oven has a slow cooker function. I'm paranoid, and hate the idea of leaving something cooking all day while no-one was home. I won't even duck out to the corner shop which is 5 minutes away if I have something in the oven. I could try slow-cooking something on a day we were home all weekend, but I think those delicious smells would send me loopy.

[poppy]

We especially like ours at this time of year. We always have a turkey and a ham for Thanksgiving. We buy a pre-cooked ham from Honeybaked Ham but need to warm it before serving. We have the turkey in the oven and there isn't room for the ham, so we put the ham in the slow cooker and it keeps it nice and warm and moist without drying it out. we can keep it in the slow cooker for a long duration.

 

I never thought of using it to reheat/ keep meat warm, especially when you run out of room in the oven, that's an excellent idea Muggles.

 

Corned beef is really nice cooked in a slow-cooker, you just add the usual amount of water.

 

I'll probably sound like a red-neck hillbilly, but since I live in the country we have a lot of blowflies around during summer. If you start cooking meat, they tell all their mates and they come visiting in droves. So now when I have the slow-cooker going, I plug it in outside on the veranda, and it keeps them all outside.

[AbielleRose]

I use mine on a weekly basis. One of my favorites is salsa chicken. 4 chicken breasts, one jar of salsa- let cook for 4 hours on high or 6 on low. An hour from the end (if you like) add black beans and corn and serve over rice.

 

The chicken just falls apart and the salsa gives off a lot of flavor.

 

I also use it for pot roast. 3 lb beef roast, 2 cups of carrots, 2 large potatoes diced, 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 white onion and 3 cups of beef broth. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. I usually put the veggies in at the halfway point or they'll get too mushy.

[Michelle]

I've never used a slow cooker, but I know our oven has a slow cooker function. I'm paranoid, and hate the idea of leaving something cooking all day while no-one was home. I won't even duck out to the corner shop which is 5 minutes away if I have something in the oven. I could try slow-cooking something on a day we were home all weekend, but I think those delicious smells would send me loopy.

I was a bit like that at first, but it's fine. I'm sure about a slow cooker function in an oven though, but the slow cooker itself is fine left all day.

 

I use mine on a weekly basis. One of my favorites is salsa chicken. 4 chicken breasts, one jar of salsa- let cook for 4 hours on high or 6 on low. An hour from the end (if you like) add black beans and corn and serve over rice.

 

The chicken just falls apart and the salsa gives off a lot of flavor.

 

That sounds good - I might try with sweet and sour.

 

I also use it for pot roast. 3 lb beef roast, 2 cups of carrots, 2 large potatoes diced, 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 white onion and 3 cups of beef broth. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. I usually put the veggies in at the halfway point or they'll get too mushy.

Really? Everything I've read says that veggies take longer than meat! I haven't tried veggies yet.

 

I did a casserole yesterday, and added dumplings during the last hour - it was lovely!

[AbielleRose]

That is if your meat is cut up. If you're doing a roast where it's all one big hunk you want to cook the meat a little longer than the veggies or the veggies will turn to mush. Trust me. I like my veggies firm enough to fork without them falling off but tender enough they slide onto the fork easily. That timeframe is what seems to work best for how I prefer my dinner. We're all different, though!

[paperplane]

I occasionally use my slow cooker but not so much now as winter is now over.

 

One of my favourite things to make with it is a chicken salad sandwhich filling.

 

I soak chicken breast in buttermilk over night with paprika and then slow cook the chicken all day the next day so it pretty much shreds itself and falls apart.

 

Mix with a little egg mayonnaise, more paprika, salt, pepper and a small amount of minced garlic.

 

Then spread it on a sandwhich with lettuce!