Eat on the Green’s Craig Wilson shares some ideas for no-fuss slow cooker meals
Slow cookers are a great option for having a home-cooked one pot meal ready for dinner. Prep your ingredients in the morning, pop them in to your slow cooker, get on with your day and come home to a delicious aroma and dinner all ready and waiting.
Try sweet and smoky meatballs. They’re really simple to make. For the sauce, sauté off some onion, garlic and fresh chilli in rape seed oil. Then add barbecue sauce, tomato passata, oregano and a splash of whisky or bourbon. Once the sauce is simmering nicely, brown off the meatballs in a pan, then add to the sauce to finish cooking in your slow cooker.
Chorizo, red onion and three bean cassoulet is another favourite, not least because it’s great for using up store cupboard essentials. Quarter a red onion, dice the chorizo, then add a drained can of butter beans, a can of haricot beans, a can of kidney beans and a can of tomato soup. Switch on the slow cooker and let all those delicious flavours come together.
Chicken thighs are perfect for slow cooker curries and stews, they soak up flavour and are cheap to buy. Add ginger, fresh chilli, chopped coriander and a can of coconut milk, and some diced sweet potato, leave it to cook all day and you’ve got a lovely Thai inspired meal.
All of these dishes can also be made using Quorn or another meat substitute. Try a mushroom risotto in your slow cooker. Just sauté off your onion and garlic, add the rice, stock, Parmesan cheese, fresh thyme and cream for an indulgent, tasty dish the whole family will enjoy.
Minimum effort for maximum results. What’s not to love?