Advice please on Slow Cookers

Riversidegirl

When making casseroles, always heat the whole thing in the pan you have browned the meat or veg in. Then tip it in the slow cooker. For very long slow meat dishes, I just leave it on low overnight.

I do that too sometimes.

it can be used for so many thing apart from a meat stew.
Meat casseroles are fine done in the slow cooker.

If cooking something that doesn't need browning first, I always cook the onions in the microwave in a little stock first.

steamed sponge

I do wish people would stop mentioning steamed sponge puddings!

Can anyone recommend a good knife sharpener. I don't
have much success with a steel.

When doing vegetarian meals, say a chilli, the dried beans absorb the spices, tomato, peppers and onion juices with slow cooking.
Soups can cook while you are out and it is easy to make a good veggie stock.

Yes I use my slow cooker mainly for casserole meat dishes. I put the veg in first with the meat on top, seasoning and a small amount - half cup of water, cover with the lid and forget about it until it's time to eat. But just for veg I'm not sure but you can use it for making veg soup etc. Good luck, I'm sure you'll enjoy using it.

I have a slow cooker with a metal insert dish (rather than crockery) which can be used on the hob to brown onions, meat etc with the other ingredients added before switching it on. Saves on washing up as well!

Love my slow cooker, I have one that serves 8, and I cook in bulk, two for now and 6 for freezing. I tend to cook different things in it, but it’s great for curries, both meat and vegetable based, and soups. It’s effort free too, which is a bonus, put it on in the morning and eat for dinner that evening.

The "innard" in my slow cooker fits well in the dishwasher also.

Dare I mention the gammon?

Not until mid-November phoenix!

Although, now you've mentioned it, I rather fancy gammon, cauliflower cheese and jacket potatoes.

Yesterday I decided to try rice pudding in my slow cooker, as I don't like it on the induction cooker that we recently had installed.
So I set it to cook on low, as someone suggested, then after 3 hrs as nothing much was happening I changed the setting to high, it soon cooked after that and the end result was delicious, creamy rice pudding. Next time I will try other recipes such as soups etc. but always using the high setting.