Don’t have a slow cooker but still want to try these dishes? You can make them all on the hob – they’ll just take less time.

Slow Cooker Lowdown

Not only is cooking in a slow cooker easy and fuss-free, it can also help to keep meal costs down. That’s because slow cookers tend to use less energy than cooking in the oven or on the hob. And with soaring energy prices right now, that’s exactly what we need.

Slow Cooker Coconut Green Beans Curry

Easy, creamy and totally tasty - this curry ticks all the boxes. Packed with veg and full of flavour, it’s the perfect warming dinner as the colder weather rolls in.

Peel 800g pumpkin or any squash and chop it up, along with three onions and one pepper. Cut one large tomato into quarters.

Add all your veg into the slow cooker, along with 400ml coconut milk, 400g tinned tomatoes, 400g tinned chickpeas and two chopped garlic cloves. Then add 1 tbsp chopped ginger, 1 tbsp ground turmeric, 1 tbsp curry powder and 1 tbsp miso paste (or soy sauce). Pour in 200ml water, give it a good stir and cover with the lid.

Cook on a high heat for 2.5 hours until it’s thickened. Add 200g trimmed and halved green beans, then cook for another 30 minutes.

Get the full recipe here. 

Slow Cooker Brussels Sprouts & Creamy Orzo

Deliciously rich, but oh-so creamy, this orzo is comfort eating in a dish. No sprouts? Swap them out for broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage. And if you’re vegan, swap the cream for coconut milk and leave out the parmesan. It’ll still taste just as good.

Make a broth by adding 600ml vegetable, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp Thyme, 4 sage leaves (you could swap for dried herbs), one chopped onion, two chopped garlic cloves, 120ml double cream and 50ml white wine. Give it all a stir and cover with a lid. Cook for 30 minutes on a high heat. 

Add 180g shredded Brussels sprouts, 200g orzo (or any short pasta) and 60g grated parmesan, cover with the lid and cook for 1 hour. Give it a couple of stirs along the way, adding a splash of water if it looks a little dry.

Once cooked, serve up and season to taste with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Check out the full recipe here. 

Slow Cooker Bean Chilli

Who doesn’t love a bean chilli? Made using mostly store cupboard staples, it’s one of the easiest dinners. Plus, it freezes well, which is great if you like to plan ahead. Serve with rice, tortilla chips (or whatever else you fancy).

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan and fry two diced onions for 5 minutes. Once they’re soft, add two crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp each of ground paprika, cumin and coriander, and a quarter tsp cinnamon. Cook for another minute, then put it all into your slow cooker.

Stir in 150ml vegetable stock, 800g tinned tomatoes, 800g black beans or red kidney beans (or a mix of both if you like) and 1 tsp dried oregano. Give it a stir, then cover with a lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours. 

Adapted from the full recipe on BBC Good Food.

Slow Cooker Squash & Couscous Tagine

Vegan, gluten free and dairy free, this Moroccan-inspired dish is packed with warming flavour. A real crowd-pleaser that tastes impressive, yet is super simple to make.

Peel a butternut squash (or any squash!) and chop it, and an aubergine, into 3cm chunks. Roughly chop a red onion, and finely chop two garlic cloves. Add it into your slow cooker, along with 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp Ras el hanout, 1 tbsp Harissa paste, 1 can chopped tomatoes and 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed). Add in 60g dried apricots and 80g of pitted olives, plus 500ml vegetable stock.

Cover with the lid and cook on the highest setting for 3 hours, stirring a couple of times during cooking if you can. Season to with salt and pepper and serve with couscous, rice or pearl barley.

Find the full recipe here.

No-Fuss Potato Soup

Meals don’t get much easier than this potato soup. This recipe makes about 10 portions – perfect if you’re hungry, or want to batch cook in advance to enjoy it over a couple of days.

Peel and cube 900g potatoes, then add them to a slow cooker with 1.2l water, 100g chopped onion, 100g chopped celery, 100g sliced carrots and 2 veg stock cube. Season with salt and pepper, then cook on a low heat for 7 hours (or until the veg is tender).

Pour in a can of evaporated milk (or vegan alternative) and add some chopped parsley, then cook for another 30 mins.

Adapted from the full recipe on Taste of Home.

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