Rainy day comfort food: Six slow cooker recipes to make for dinner
Six slow cooker dishes to warm you up on a rainy day
Slow Cooker Paprika Beef Stew
Take the cheapest cut of beef you can buy at the butchers. This meal is meant to be slow cooked. Don’t worry about gristle or fat, that will all break down in the cooking process.
Servings
5Preparation Time
15 minsCooking Time
5 hours 0 minsTotal Time
5 hours 15 minsCourse
MainCuisine
AsianIngredients
5 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
200g of stewing beef, cut into 10 equal pieces
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 white onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3 teaspoons paprika
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
Method
Cut the rashers in half and wrap around the beef pieces. Use a cocktail stick to secure them in place.
Heat the sunflower oil in a heavy frying pan and brown off the rashers and beef. Remove the meat once brown and place into a slow cooker. Add the onions and garlic to the frying pan and soften in the cooking oils from the meat. Once softened pour the frying pan contents into the slow cooker.
Add the paprika, carrots, and chopped tomatoes to the slow cooker and stir. Cook in high for 4-5 hours. Season to taste and serve with creamy mash or boiled rice.
Slow-Cooker Honey Chilli Beef Noodles
This is a quick and lean version of one of my favourite local Chinese takeaway dishes, and one of the most popular recipes I have ever shared with my online followers.
Servings
3Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
2 hours 20 minsTotal Time
2 hours 30 minsCourse
MainCuisine
ChineseIngredients
400g (14oz) beef steaks, thinly sliced
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
5 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp orange juice
4 tbsp honey
2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp cornflour, mixed to a paste with 1 tbsp water
1 red pepper, sliced
200g (7oz) dried egg noodles
350ml (12fl oz) hot chicken stock
chopped spring onions and sesame seeds, to garnish
Method
Place all the ingredients, except the red pepper, noodles and stock, in the slow cooker and stir.
Cook on high for 2 hours.
Add the red pepper, noodles and stock, stir and cook for another 15-20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.
Garnish with spring onions and sesame seeds.
Slow cooker Peanut Chicken Curry
A comforting curry for cold, winter nights
Servings
6Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
5 hours 0 minsTotal Time
5 hours 10 minsCourse
MainCuisine
IrishIngredients
6 chicken fillets, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp soya sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp mild curry powder
1 red onion, chopped
1tbsp cornflour
1 chilli diced (optional)
3tbsp peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
1 tin tomatoes
1 tin coconut milk (optional)
Method
Combine all the ingredients together and cook in the slow cooker with the lid on at Low for 5 hours.
Serve with basmati rice and broccoli.
Slow Cooker Bean Chilli
By cooking up a slow cooker meal I will have a pot of hot dinner on the go for when the kids eat.
Servings
6Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
3 hours 31 minsTotal Time
3 hours 41 minsCourse
MainIngredients
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
500ml passata
1 tin kidney beans
1 tin chickpeas
300g broccoli, finely chopped
1 yellow pepper, sliced
Method
Place the onion, garlic, spices, seasoning, carrots, and passata into a slow cooker. Stir well.
Add in the beans and chickpeas and stir so that they are coated in the sauce.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook at high for 3 hours.
After 3 hours, add the finely chopped broccoli and sliced pepper then stir well. Cook for a further 30 minutes on high. This stops the softer vegetables from getting too soggy.
Serve with cooked rice or crusty bread. If you have any leftovers they will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for over a month.
Slow cooker meatballs marinara
This is enough to feed your family for two meals, if you can stop them from eating the meatballs when your back is turned!
Servings
8Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
4 hours 0 minsTotal Time
4 hours 10 minsCourse
MainCuisine
ItalianIngredients
100g breadcrumbs
50ml milk
1 clove of garlic, crushed
½ tsp salt and pepper
½ tsp oregano
300g beef or turkey mince
Sunflower oil for frying
1 onion, peeled
2 carrots, peeled
1 pepper, core removed
500ml passata
Method
Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl. Let the breadcrumbs soak up the milk (it’ll take about 5 minutes). Once the crumbs have soaked up the milk add the garlic, salt and pepper, dried oregano, and turkey mince to the bowl. Mix all these ingredients together with your hands or a fork. Once mixed thoroughly portion the mixture into ping-pong ball sized meatballs. Use the sunflower oil to fry the meatballs in a non-stick pan until golden brown on the outside.
Once the meatballs are golden brown pop them into a slow cooker set to high, leave the frying pan on low. Close the lid.
Take a food processor and pulse the onion, carrots, and pepper using the general blade until everything is puree style. Cook the puree off in the still-hot frying pan. This will take about 10 minutes to reduce the astringency of the onion. Pour the puree into the slow cooker and add the passata. Stir well.
Cook the meatballs in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours, until you have an unctuous sauce. Season to taste before serving. I like to add torn leaves of fresh basil on top of the meatballs mixture and serve them with penne pasta.
Easy slow cooker lamb shanks
This is a really easy way to cook lamb that is tender and delicious every time
Servings
4Preparation Time
5 minsCooking Time
6 hours 0 minsTotal Time
6 hours 5 minsCourse
MainCuisine
IrishIngredients
4 lamb shanks —you can get these from your butcher
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
500ml passata
Handful rosemary, fresh is ideal but dried works well too
Handful thyme, fresh is ideal but dried works well too
250ml water
Pinch of salt and pepper
Method
Place the lamb shanks, garlic and vegetables in the slow cooker or alternatively, a large casserole dish.
Mix the tomato paste, passata, herbs and water in a jug and pour over the shanks.
Ensure the lamb shanks are fully covered by the mixture, if not add more water.
If using a slow cooker set it to a high setting and cook for six hours.
If using a casserole dish then preheat the oven to 140°C and cook for six hours.
Place the cooked shanks onto warmed serving plates and enjoy with sides of your choice.
