[wannagrowveg]

I work full time and mine does my dinners most nights except tonight when I had a plate of runner beans and mint gravy yum from a friends lottie 

Allsorts of casseroles from curry to meat and veg hearty stews nothing better in the winter

Yesterday I forgot to get the mince out for the chilli so I bunged it in frozen with the sauce in the morning hey presto lovely chilli when I walked in.

Be imaginative you wont go wrong 

[Yorkie]

Yesterday I forgot to get the mince out for the chilli so I bunged it in frozen with the sauce in the morning hey presto lovely chilli when I walked in.

Glad this worked out OK for you but, generally, this should be avoided.  All the slow cooker books I've read specifically caution against adding frozen meat to the cooker.  The temperatures don't get hot enough quickly enough to kill bacteria during the thawing & cooking process.

[wayne170534]

oh i've just remmembered reading this i have a slow cooker in the cupboard, might have to dust it off for the weekend, thanks for the memory jolt
wayne

[madcat]

Now is the perfect time ... mine is simmering a stock as I type ....

[mumofstig]

They had a reduced joint of mutton in Asda....and I lurve mutton....so it I had it braising all day on a bed of carrots and onions...........it was scrummy 

[wannagrowveg]

Yesterday I forgot to get the mince out for the chilli so I bunged it in frozen with the sauce in the morning hey presto lovely chilli when I walked in.

Glad this worked out OK for you but, generally, this should be avoided.  All the slow cooker books I've read specifically caution against adding frozen meat to the cooker.  The temperatures don't get hot enough quickly enough to kill bacteria during the thawing & cooking process.

Thanks for the tip yorkie but ive yet to poison my family. i can assure you after 7 hrs in there it was well cooked!

[chrissie B]

i love lamb in the slow cooker its such a forgiving way to cook if you get held up you know your food wont be spoilt
chrissie b

[Debsie]

never had one, but planning to invest in one in the next few weeks, have started a full time degree course and thought home cooked meals would have to take a back seat for a while, reassured by all the post on here that I will be able to keep serving up homecooked food throughout the coming year. Thinking lots of soups and stews!! yummy can't wait

[Yorkie]

Make sure you get one which is a decent size - you can make a large pot and then freeze parts to be used later in the week.

[TheSpartacat]

The slow cooker is the BEST investment i've ever made!!!
And i totally second the brisket!! It melts in the mouth, and is SO tasty.
In fact, all the cheaper cuts of meat often have way more flavour when you can leave them to cook while you do other things.

I like to do Oxtail in mine for a really hearty Winter soup.
Lamb shoulders do really nice cooked slow.
Rabbit stew if you aren't a Watership Down fan.
A really nice slow cook chilli is great in Winter too, perfect to come home to after a day down the lotty!!
Stewing steak in Guinness with onions and mushrooms... (oh gosh, I'm hungry)

You can make stock in them... i use my veg peelings and even use onion skins in my stock- leave it to slow cook for a few hours... (but only in Winter, because in the Summer, the compost heap takes first priority over my veg peelings!!)

Does yours have a 'keep warm' function? Those are really handy- mine has a timer, and then switches to 'keep warm' so even if i'm out of the house for the whole day, I can come home to a nice dinner waiting for me!

[Spana]

And i totally second the brisket!! It melts in the mouth, and is SO tasty.

After reading that, went and got a lump from the freezer. :happy:

[joyfull]

whenever I mentioned getting some brisket to my oh he always said he didn't like it but as we had half a dexter in the freezer I just decided to slow cook some brisket and in the middle of him eating it I asked him if he liked the meat. He replied mmmm yes, when I told him it was brisket he said it was nothing like the horrible brisket his mum used to cook  No idea what she did to it but now he is a convert 

[Bizzi Lizzi]

Get down to your butchers and ask for some brisket of beef

We love brisket, dont know why people dont buy it more.  I nice big piece from a good butcher is just the best.

We are beef produces so i can take my pick from our own cattle and i would swap all the sirloin joints for brisket anyday :happy: Cooked real slow you cant beat it :happy:

Have to agree - a nice piece of brisket done in the slow cooker is my favourite joint.  My mother used to put onions, carrots etc into the slow cooker then put water and some stock cubes in until it just covered the meat. It would go on early evening on Saturday, taken out beautfilly cooked before lunch on Sunday, placed in a large bowl with a plate and weights on top and pressed so compact the meat.  All covered in cloths to keep it warm.  The gravy is second only to a bit of skin beef for taste.  I've followed her method since she died and it works every time.

Brisket is a cheaper cut of meat and not necessarily as tender as some but trust me, done this way it is fabulous.

[shokkyy]

I have to admit I've always avoided that type of joint. No matter how slowly I cook it, there's always gristle and fat in it, and I'm just kind of squeamish about that, hate biting down on it.

[Bizzi Lizzi]

No grissle or fat this way.  My other half is extremely fussy (gets it from his mother who cuts fat off boiled ham with scissors) but he loves this recipe.  Honestly.