Slow Cooker Recipes - Convince Me

[EcclesCake]

What is your perfect recipe to convince me that slow cookers are all they're cracked up to be.

I have one in its box that has been staring me out for a few months and as the mercury falls I'm more inclined to give it a punt.....

[Tilly2]

Hours, shoota. not days. It doesn't take days.

[pastafreak]

I find meat done in the slow cooker is far more moist and tender than hob/oven cooked. You do not need the amount of liquid often suggested,as it will make its own concentrated stock. I have two...a 3.5 Morphy Richards,and a dinky 1.5 Wilkos own- which I prefer oddly enough.

[shoota]

Hyperbole Tilly dear, hyperbole....

[Rosie29]

So what about pre-frying? Is it necessary or not?

[woofgang]

I prefer to pre fry but its not essential.

[pastafreak]

I always prefry as I believe it makes for a better flavour and richer colour.

[tamborine]

Prefrying/browning/seals meats juices to retain own taste , adds flavour & colour.

[sherrardk]

I mainly use mine for cooking large joints of ham or lots of chicken drumsticks. Any recipe that needs pre-flying of anything is just not going to get made. I am intending to try and use it more when I can be bothered.

[mazie]

Give it a go Eccles, it's not about a recipe, it's the way it cooks the meat. In my opinion the meat as Pasta says, is moist, tender and seems much tastier. I use mine for casserole, cooking a piece of ham and my favourite is Oxtail stew, delicious

[beattie819]

I slow cook in my gas oven it has S(for slow) ! I put the slow cooker back in its box, its easier for me to use the oven and the results are lovely.

[Tilly2]

I stick a chicken in mine, standing on two halves of lemon. Salt, pepper, a little drizzle of olive oil and bingo. No need for anything else.

[237SJ]

Whenever I' ve made stew in the slow cooker the meat's come out like a piece of old leather. I've even managed to dry out chicken. I think I might sell mine on my workplace classified ads.

[EcclesCake]

I think I struggle because I cannot see how it woUld suit my style of cooking and lifestyle.

I would have to cook onions first and brown meat etc.

Saving power isn't an issue for me either really.

I have to say the thought of shin of beef cooked super, mega slow is making me yearn for winter.......

[Tilly2]

Shoots, it doesn't hyperbole, it hypoboles.

[tamborine]

Depends if you want oven free to make bread, treacle tart & pavlova ;)

[chattykathy]

I tend to cook any type of casserole in mine. Just had beef stifado which I left on all day whilst we went for a cycle ride - tasted delish!

My daughter used hers all the time when her kitchen was being renovated - apparently there's a Facebook group. Here's a link to 15 cake recipes you can do - yum!
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/03/27/slow-cooker-cake_n_5037276.html

[EcclesCake]

Before I give it to the the recycling folk. I will see if it fills my heart with joy this week and do some batch cooking and see if it is any better than my usual hob/oven methods.

[DaisyNonna]

Oxtail? It is very hard to find these days and is far from cheap here.

[shoota]

It's cool enough for shin beef and onions at the moment....

[sherrardk]

I got thrown out of the FB slow cooker group :(