Here is an incredibly easy Slow Cooker Recipe for Chicken thighs, that takes all of 5 minutes to prepare and your kids will love it! Well it does have Tomato Sauce in it. Apparently, it counts for one of the 5 a day????
Click here for more slow cooker recipe inspiration.
Bit of a laugh yesterday, the team from Netmums sent around a film crew. They’re starting a parenting channel on youtube and would like to highlight food for all the family. They asked if I could knock up a few Slow Cooker recipes that kids would eat. In the end, I did Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs, Mince and Macaroni Soup, Sausages with Chutney Gravy and a Banana Bread. It was really food fun.
I do public speaking everyday and am a fairly confident character and genuinely thought I’d be comfortable in front of the camera but I wasn’t. Once I see the final version, if it’s not to cringe worthy I’ll pass on the link.
I wasn’t going to post a recipe yet, but, the cooking marathon has resulted in a huge amount of food in the house. We went sledging today and it was so nice to come home to some hearty soup that helped us unthaw! So, I thought I’d share it.
Slow Cooker Sunday: Mince and Macaroni Soup
Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Slow Cooking
Author: Mediocre Mum
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
A hearty soup that is perfect for a cold winters night!
Ingredients
1TBSP of oil
400g of minced beef
1 large onion
1 clove of garlic
450ml of beef stock or water
1 500g carton of passata
1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 TBSP of soy sauce
2 tsp of dried Italian herbs
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
200g of uncooked macaroni
Instructions
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Brown the mince for approx 5 minutes, add the onion and garlic, sauté for a further 3 minutes.
Transfer to the slow cooker. Add the stock, passata, tomatoes, soy sauce, dried herbs, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Fifteen minutes prior to serving cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions. Stir into the soup. Ladle into large bowls and serve with crusty bread.
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This is the perfect weather for slow cooking. So what have you been cooking? Do add your recipes to the link below.
I will also be adding your recipes to our Pinterest board which is growing rapidly.
Slow Cooker Lamb, Carrot and Pearl Barley Casserole with Dumplings
Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Slow Cooking
Author: Mediocre Mum
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Cook time:
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Serves: 2-3
I don’t normally cook many casseroles and stews but this is the perfect meal for the current dropping temperatures. It’s hard to describe the smell, but I came home to a lovely ‘sweet’ smell coming from the kitchen. The Pearl Barley gives it a thick creamy texture.
Ingredients
1 TBSP of Oil
300g of lamb (as you are slow cooking you could use mutton)
salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
3-4 medium carrots, sliced diagonally
2 celery stick, chopped
45g of Pearl Barley
450 ml of Lamb Stock
2 pinches of dried parsley
Dumplings – I use Aunt Bessie’s finest frozen
Instructions
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the lamb, season with salt and pepper and brown for approximately 5 minutes.
Add the onion, carrots and celery and fry for a further 3-5 minutes.
Transfer to the slow cooker. Sprinkle the barley over the lamb and vegetables, add the stock, stir and sprinkle the parsley on top.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
And 90 minutes before serving, place the frozen dumplings on top. After 45 minutes turn them.
Ladle into large bowls and enjoy!
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If you do try any of my recipes do pop back and let me know what you think. For more Slow Cooker inspiration, click on the tab at the top.
Slow Cooker Tomato and Basil Soup with Olive Bread
Recipe Type: Soup
Cuisine: Slow Cooking
Author: Mediocre Mum
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Cook time:
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Serves: 6
A lovely, easy to make soup using ripe tomatoes. Much better than the tinned variety and a lot less sugar.
Ingredients
1 TBSP of olive oil
450 grams of ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 Onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 TBSP of Balsamic Vinegar
1 Bay Leaf
300 ml or 430g jar of Passata with Basil
1 Bay leaf
900 ml of vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
1 TBSP of Corn Starch
2 TBSP of water
Crème freche
Couple of pinches of dried basil to Garnish
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, sauté the onions, garlic and tomatoes for 3-5 minutes until they soften.
Transfer to the Slow Cooker. Add the Vinegar, Bay Leaf, Passata, Stock and season with salt and pepper. Leave to cook for 3 hours on high or on low for 6 hours.
Thirty minutes prior to serving, remove the Bay Leaf and use a hand held blender to puree the soup. Mix the corn flour with water and stir into the soup. This should help thicken it.
Ladle into large bowls and top with a dollop of crème freche and some basil.
This isn’t the normal type of meal I would cook. I tend to lean toward fresh ingredients but I do love a cheat sometimes. A while back I was in Ikea and got caught up in the moment and bought a 1kg bag of their frozen meatballs. They’ve been clogging up my freezer ever since.
Last week I came across this very simple recipe from Six Sister’s Stuff for Tangy Meatballs which only has 3 ingredients! The only challenge I had was finding grape jelly here in the UK. So, I substituted Reduced Sugar Black Currant Jam.
It may not sound appetizing but it was really nice and most importantly the 5 year old loved it.
Slow Cooker Sunday: Sweet and Tangy Meatballs
Recipe Type: Main
Author: Mediocre Mum
Prep time:
Cook time:
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Serves: 4
A very easy family recipe with only 3 ingredients.
Ingredients
500g of Frozen Swedish Meatballs ( I think any pork or turkey would do)
100ml of Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce (Blue Dragon)
200g of Reduced Sugar Blackcurrant Jam
Instructions
Preheat the slow cooker on low. Add the Dipping Sauce and Jam to the Slow Cooker and mix well.
Add the meatballs and stir to coat.
Cook on low for 2-5 hours
Serve with rice and greens.
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