Cooking meatballs in the slow cooker is something I’ve posted about before – Spaghetti and Meatballs.  The difference this time around is that the pasta is cooked in the slow cooker as well!  This makes it literally a one-pan (or actually slow cooker) meal.

I must admit, there was a degree of skepticism at first about how the pasta would turn out.  But it worked fantastically.  There is a fair amount of liquid in the cooker before adding the pasta – don’t let this scare you off.  It all gets absorbed beautifully in the last 45 minutes of cooking and comes out a treat.  Just spoon it out and you’re good to go.

Any meatballs will work here so feel free to use your favourite meatball recipe.  Otherwise, try the basic one below or the one here.

Slow Cooker Meatballs and Pasta

Adapted from Super Food Ideas, July 2011

Ingredients

500g mince

25g parmesan cheese, freshly grated

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium brown onion, chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped

2 tablespoons sweet sherry

500g jar tomato paste

6 cups water

350g dried short pasta (e.g. penne, rigatoni)

Method

Combine mince, parmesan, parsley and breadcrumbs in a bowl and mix together well with your hands.  Roll mixture into balls – any size you like – and set aside.

In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat and cook onion and celery until soft.  Add the sherry and cook stirring for 1-2 minutes to boil it down a bit.  Stir in tomato paste and water, combining well.

Tip tomato mixture into the slow cooker then place the meatballs into the mixture.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours on LOW.  Then add the pasta, stir through, cover again and cook for a further 45 minutes or until pasta is tender.  Season to taste.  Serve sprinkled with extra parmesan cheese and parsley.

The Klutzy Cook Notes

• While it doesn’t matter if the meatballs are cooked a little longer, the pasta will start to break down if it is overcooked.  Around 45-50 minutes is usually a good amount of time.
• Don’t be concerned about the amount of liquid, it is all absorbed and reduced in the end.
• Experiment with different flavoured meatballs.

Cooking bolognaise sauce in the slow cooker has become one of my new favourite recipes.  It is so easy and as with most slow cooker recipes, it’s a case of set and forget for the day.  What I also really like is that there is no messing around with softening onions, browning mince and watching the pot while regularly stirring.  No messing around – just throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker, turn it on and get on with your day.  Of course, it is also useful to make a double batch and freeze some for another night.

The recipe below is extremely flexible and fits in a 3 litre slow cooker.  Throw in whatever you would normally use for you favourite bolognaise recipe – just don’t add too much liquid as there won’t be the evaporation you would normally get on the stove top.

Slow Cooker Bolognaise Sauce

Ingredients

1kg lean minced meat (I use kangaroo or lean beef)

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 x 425g can peeled tomatoes

1 jar pasta sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup beef stock

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 bay leaf

Seasoning to taste

Method

Put everything into the slow cooker and stir well to combine.  Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.  Serve with pasta of choice, sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

The Klutzy Cook Notes

• The quantity in this recipe is enough for 2 meals for my family of 2 adults, 3 kids (all with generous servings).
• This recipe is for a 3 litre slow cooker.  Adjust quantities to suit ensuring slow cooker is around 3/4 full for best results.
• If there is too much liquid towards the end of cooking time, remove the lid, turn cooker to HIGH and allow some liquid to boil off for up to an hour.  This will thicken the sauce.
• Dried herbs can be subsituted for fresh.

Be warned, you may never cook bolognaise sauce the ‘old way’ ever again.  If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.  Plus, tell your friends on Facebook (click the icon below) so they can try it too!

Who doesn’t love meatballs?  They are just one of those feel good meals that nobody complains about.  You know that conversation you have with the kids around 5pm every evening (time may vary depending on your family routine) that goes something like this…

Kid:  ”What’s for dinner Mum”

Mum:  ” One of your favourites, it’s {Insert dinner item here} ”

Kid:  ”OOOhhhhhh, I hate {Insert dinner item here}”

Mum:  ”Well last time I made it you loved it.  Remember?”

Kid:  ”Did I?”

Mum:  ”Of course you did.  It’s delicious.  Now go and play/read/annoy your brother.”

Well, when the dinner item is Spaghetti and Meatballs, no complaints.  The conversation stops after line 2 and off they go content in the knowledge that they will love dinner.

Now, most of us have made meatballs and then fried them up in a little (or lot) of oil.  Sometimes they can be baked.  However, here’s a new option for you – cooking them in the slow cooker.  It’s so easy and you avoid all that frying business.  Done in the slow cooker, the meatballs need 4 hours to cook and then you can serve them over some spaghetti with a side salad.

Of course, if you don’t have a slow cooker, or would prefer to prepare this dish on the stove top or oven, you could do that too.  A little more liquid may be required as the sauce evaporates, so allow for this.  Either way, this Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe will be a hit with the family,

Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

Recipe adapted from “Slow Cooker: The Slow Cooker Recipes You Must Have” by Jane Price

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup pine nuts, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs

25g parmesan cheese, freshly grated

grated zest of one large lemon

1 egg

500g minced beef

700g tomato passata (pureed tomatoes)

1/2 cup red wine

375g spaghetti

Method

Combine all the ingredients, except the tomatoes and wine, in a large bowl.  Mix together well – the best way is to use your hands.  Take a small quantity of mixture at a time and roll into small balls – about the size of walnuts.  Put onto a plate or tray, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Place the meatballs in the slow cooker and pour over the passata and wine.  Season to taste and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.  Towards the end of cooking time, prepare the spaghetti according to the packet directions.

Divide the spaghetti between serving plates and spoon the meatballs over the top.

Serves 4-6

The Klutzy Cook Notes

• The meatballs and sauce can be prepared in the oven or on the stove top.  More liquid will be required and reduce cooking time.
• Pork mince can also be used.
• Add whatever herbs and spices you would like to flavour the meatballs and give different variations of the meal.

If you have any comments or questions about this recipe, please leave them below.

Whenever mushrooms are in abundance in my fridge, I have two go-to recipes – Two Mushroom Risotto and Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff.  Both use a good pile of the mushrooms up and are enjoyed by everyone.  In fact, one of my beloved’s favourite dishes is Beef Stroganoff, so it’s always one that is met with an even bigger smile than usual.

Pre-slow cooker days (the dim and dark past), this recipe was cooked just ahead of eating.  Nowadays, it’s a slow cooker favourite – put it on in the morning and leave it to bubble and brew along all day.  Using the slow cooker means that cheaper cuts of meat can be used too.

The stroganoff is best served with lots of yummy long pasta – spaghetti or fettucine.  It is also great with rice and an extra dollop of sour cream never goes astray.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

2kg chuck or round steak, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 cup beef stock

500g mushrooms, sliced

300ml sour cream

Method

Dust the beef in flour, shaking off any excess.  Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and cook one batch of beef.  Be careful not to overcrowd the pan and ‘stew’ the meat, rather than frying it.  Cook the rest of the beef in batches and place it all in the slow cooker.

Add all the remaining ingredients, except the sour cream.  Cover and cook on HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-8 hours.

In the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir through the sour cream and season to taste.  Serve with pasta noodles or rice.

Serves 6-8

The Klutzy Cook Notes

These quantities are for a large slow cooker – 4.5 or 5.5 litres.  I have also halved this quantity and done it in a smaller slow cooker and it works just as well.

As discussed in my last Indian themed post (My Roti Recipe), I have been experimenting making curries.  Not only have I been using traditional methods, I’ve also been experimenting in the slow cooker (or crockpot).  In the past I have found that a slow cooker beef curry is to die for as the meat becomes so tender and the flavours are fantastic.

This time, however, chicken was the protein of choice (the lentils came along for the ride) and although my endeavours to master Butter Chicken and Tandoori Chicken have been only mildly successful, this Slow Cooker Chicken Curry was the nicest curry my slow cooker has produced.

I also felt a bit daring using a whole chilli as it’s not something I normally do – I’m actually a bit of a chilli-phobe given some nasty experiences in the past.  This time it was not an issue and I feel my chilli strength building.

The recipe below is pretty much straight from the book (Australian Women’s Weekly Slow Cooking) except brown mustard seeds were used instead of black and green lentils instead of brown.

Don’t be daunted by the long list of ingredients – it’s a super simple dish to prepare.

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry with Lentils and Pumpkin

2/3 cup dried green lentils

2/3 cup dried red lentils

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large brown onion, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2.5 cm (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, grated

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 fresh long red chilli, chopped finely

3 cups chicken stock

1kg chicken thigh fillets, chopped coarsely

400g canned diced tomatoes

500g pumpkin, chopped coarsely

1 ¼ cups  (270ml) canned coconut milk

155g baby spinach leaves

½ cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander

Method

Rinse lentils under cold water until water runs clear, drain.  Pick out any discoloured lentils or stones and discard.

Heat oil in frying pan.  Add onion, garlic and ginger and sauté until onion softens.  Add all the spices and chilli and cook stirring until fragrant – about 1 minute.  Add the stock and bring the mixture to the boil.

Pour the spiced stock mixture into the slow cooker and stir in chicken, undrained tomatoes, lentils and pumpkin.  Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

Stir in coconut milk.  Turn heat to high and cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring once.  Stir in spinach and coriander.

Serve with your favourite flatbread or My Roti Recipe and plain yoghurt.

If you have any comments or questions regarding this Slow Cooker Chicken Curry, please leave them below.

Smoked fish has always been a favourite of mine. My Dad used to cook it regularly and serve it with a nice parsley sauce, mashed potatoes and some seasonal greens.  The smoky flavour is delicious and it makes a nice change to regular fish.

For some reason I haven’t cooked smoked fish a lot myself, but have vowed to change this.  We all love eating fish and this offers something new for the family to try.

In searching for a suitable beginning point, I came across this Slow Cooker Kedgeree recipe.  The addition of rice and eggs would make it even more appealing to the kids  - a good place to begin.

If you haven’t tried cooking a rice dish in the slow cooker, you must try this.  It is so simple and the results are fantastic – lovely moist rice and heaps of flavour.

Slow Cooker Kedgeree

Ingredients

500g smoked cod

30g (1 oz) butter

1 onion, finely sliced

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 cups long grain rice

2 cups boiling water

2 hardboiled eggs, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons cream

Method

Place cod in a suitable pan (I used a frying pan), cover with cold water and bring slowly to the boil.  Cook for 5 minutes, drain and flake.

Heat butter in a frying pan and sauté the onions until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the curry powder and stir for 1 minute or until fragrant.  Add rice, stir well and fry for a few minutes until the grains are coated and golden.  Place the rice mixture into the slow cooker, add boiling water and flaked fish.  Stir well, cover and cook on High for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

When ready to serve, add the eggs and cream and fold through gently until heated.  The kedgeree should be nicely moist.

Season to taste and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4

Recipe from ‘The Margaret Fulton Crockpot Cookbook’, 1976  (an oldie but a goodie)

The Klutzy Cook Notes

• I accidentally added 2 cups of rice so had to increase the amount of water accordingly.  That’s why the photo looks like there is a lot of rice compared to fish – there was!
• This recipe can easily be mixed up bit with some different spices and the addition of fresh tomatoes (see Jamie Oliver’s Kedgeree for some other ideas).  Not only does this enhance the flavour, it adds more colour and texture to the dish.
• Any smoked fish can be substituted.
• Evaporated milk can be substituted for the cream.

Do you have any smoked fish recipes you’d like to share?  Please leave your comments and suggestions below.

In recent times both the slow cooker (or crockpot) and pressure cooker have enjoyed a revival.  The reasons are simple - they both save time, reduce mealtime hassles and can save money if used correctly.

However, it is interesting that these two appliances operate in totally opposite ways.  One slowly, tenderly and gently cooks the food aaaalllllll day long, so when  you return home in the evening, dinner is waiting to be dished out and enjoyed.  Plus, if you’re lucky enough to have a big slow cooker, you might even have enough for leftovers for another night.

In contrast, the pressure cooker’s great advantage is speed.  Once you’re home, throw in a casserole and its done in less than an hour – cooked to perfection and ready to be consumed.

The Tortoise or the Hare?

So which do you prefer the tortoise (slow cooker) or the hare (pressure cooker)?

I must state my claim here – i’m a slow cooker person.  I remember stories of pressure cookers from years gone past blowing their lids off and causing untold damage, chaos and messiness in kitchens.  I’m sorry, but I just can’t get that image out of my head.  I know the modern versions have supposedly fixed that problem but for me (being klutzy and all) it is a recipe for disaster.

That is not to say I can’t see the great benefit of a pressure cooker.  I think another way to look at it is are you are morning person or a night owl?  If you are the former, the slow cooker is definitely your type of appliance.  You can prepare dinner in the morning when you are up and getting on with the day, before heading out to work, school or other activities.  Then you can kick back in the evenings when you get home, knowing dinner is taken care of.

Alternatively, if you are a night owl, coming home and preparing a meal to throw into a pressure cooker won’t be a drama.  And the beauty is you can enjoy meals that normally take too long to cook on a weeknight such as casseroles, stews etc.

What is the Difference?

So what actually is the fundamental difference between a slow cooker and pressure cooker?

The slow cooker works on a low, slow gentle heat of about 80C.  Food is brought up to temperature slowly and allowed to simmer gently for a long period of time – up to 10 hours.

A pressure cooker brings the temperature up to 120C quickly and with it the internal temperature of the food elevates quickly.  Moisture inside the cooker builds the pressure and simulates the effects of long braising or simmering in a much shorter time.  For example, a casserole can be cooked in under an hour.

Both have benefits in terms of economy (eg using cheaper cuts of meat), energy efficiency and of course in providing yummy meals.

In summary, either a slow cooker or pressure cooker is a great addition to any kitchen.  It is likely that most people will  have a preference for one over the other based on their lifestyle and preferred style of cooking.

I’m definitely a slow cooker.  What about you? Please leave your comments and thoughts below.

It is only in the last few years I have ventured to make Christmas Pudding.  Christmas cakes were my specialty and the pudding was left to Mum.  These days Mum doesn’t make pudding anymore, and I don’t blame her.  Listen to the video below and you’ll understand why.

So there you have it, cooking the Christmas Pudding in the slow cooker is the answer to all your “pudding making dreams” (well it is for me anyway).  The result is as good as any other method and the benefits are huge – no pot-watching and no hot kitchen (although I know in some parts of the world this isn’t an issue).  Here’s the recipe I use – a lovely blend of citrus and spices really brings this pudding to life.

Christmas Pudding

Christmas Pudding

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups currants
1 ½ cups raisins, chopped
1 ½ cups sultanas
1/3 cup finely chopped mixed peel
¼ cup rum
250g butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
Grated rind 1 orange
Grated rind 1 lemon
4 eggs
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

Method

Combine dried fruit, mixed peel and rum in a large bowl.  Cover and set aside overnight.

Choose a heatproof bowl or pudding basin that will hold about 6 cups and fit in your slow cooker.  Grease the bowl or basin (non stick spray is good) and line with microwave proof plastic wrap.

Cream butter, sugar and rinds together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions.  Stir in soaked fruit.  Fold in sifted flour and baking powder, followed by spices and a pinch of salt.  Finally fold through the breadcrumbs.

Spoon the mixture into prepared bowl, leaving about 1cm from the top, and level with the back of a spoon.  Cover with foil, folding the edges down over the bowl.

Christmas Pudding Into Bowl

Christmas Pudding Covered with Foil

Place into the slow cooker and pour in enough water to come two thirds of the way up the sides of the pudding bowl.  Put on the lid and cook on HIGH for 5-7 hours.

Christmas Pudding into the Slow Cooker

The pudding can be turned out and served immediately or stored for Christmas Day.  To store the pudding, it should be allowed to cool completely, wrapped well and refrigerated for several weeks or frozen (it’s OK to leave the pudding in the bowl).

To reheat the pudding on Christmas Day, thaw (if necessary) and use one of the following methods:

Microwave – Cover the basin with microwave proof plastic film, or if it is a metallic basin, completely remove the pudding and wrap.  Microwave at 55% power (Medium) for around 5 minutes, or until pudding is hot.  It should be moist and steaming.  Alternatively heat single serves at 70% power in 1 minute bursts.

Slow Cooker – Place pudding bowl into slow cooker and pour in water as before (two thirds of the way up the sides).  Reheat on HIGH for 2-3 hours prior to serving, or on LOW for twice this time.

Serve the pudding with custard, whipped cream, brandy butter (my Mum’s favourite) or all three!

The Klutzy Cook Notes

• The fruit can be soaked for longer if you like – no rush.
• Leaving a bit of room at the top of the pudding allows for a little expansion.   However, if some of the mixture bubbles over the side and into the slow cooker don’t worry it won’t affect the end result.
• While the suggested cooking time is 5-7 hours, it doesn’t matter if it’s longer – up to 12 hours it will still be fine.

You might even find this method so easy you decide to make more than one pudding – like I did!

If you have any comments or questions regarding Christmas Pudding in the slow cooker, please leave them below.

This Chicken, Chickpea and Tomato Bake recipe has appeared regularly on our menu for the last few years.  The latest adaptation is done in the slow cooker, my favourite kitchen appliance.  Although my “favourite” appliance can change at the drop of a hat, depending on what cooking mood I’m in.  And with summer coming up, the ice cream maker is likely to find its way back onto the scene very soon.

Although this recipe is done in the slow cooker, it is still called a ‘bake’ because it can just as easily be done in the oven.  But I guess it could also be called a chicken casserole recipe.  The combination of chicken, chickpeas and tomatoes is very delicious.  It’s also a lot of fun, albeit a little messy, tackling the sauce covered chicken legs.

Cooking this recipe last week (Menu Plan #5) something major happened.  I had a huge lightbulb moment as I watched my family devour the meal.  I realised that I will need to start increasing the quantities for a lot of my recipes now.  My kids seem to have doubled their intake lately, particularly when it’s a meal they enjoy (like this one).  A recipe that used to be a good sized meal for everyone, with a little leftover, is now being totally devoured!  There goes the grocery bill!

Chicken, Chickpea and Tomato Bake

Chicken, Chickpea & Tomato Bake

Adpated from Super Food Ideas

Ingredients

8 chicken drumsticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
300g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
½ cup chicken stock
75g feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Method

Heat 1 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Cook the drumsticks for 5 to 6 minutes, until golden.  Place them in the bottom of the slow cooker and pour over the chickpeas.

Heat remaining oil in the frying pan and cook the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes, stock and season to taste.  Bring mixture to the boil and allow to simmer for 10 minutes until thickened slightly.

Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker and ensure drumsticks are coated.  Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.  If using, sprinkle feta over for the last half hour of cooking.

Serve with couscous.

The Klutzy Cook Notes

• This recipe can be done in the oven too.   Simple add the chicken, chickpeas and tomato mixture (as cooked above) to a suitable capacity baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 180C.  If adding feta, remove foil and sprinkle over then bake uncovered during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
• Other chicken cuts can also be used – wings, thigh cutlets, thighs – adjust cooking times accordingly.

If you have any comments or questions about this recipe, please leave them below.

Here is a quick and easy slow cooker recipe that was on Menu Plan #3.  This Chicken & Corn Chowder is really a super chunky soup.  It is a great way to use up leftover chicken and is really easy using the slow cooker.

The recipe comes from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbookwith just a few tweaks.  I used fresh corn which gave the dish slightly more crunch, but frozen corn works well too.

Chunky Chicken and Corn Chowder

Chicken & Corn Chowder

Recipe adapted from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 sticks celery, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into 5 cm dice
2 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Pinch of paprika
2 cups milk
3 cups corn, fresh or frozen
1 -2 cups cooked chicken, diced

Method

Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion and celery for a few minutes.  Place the potato onto the bottom of the slow cooker scrape over the onion and celery mixture.

Add the stock, bay leaf, paprika and season to taste.  Stir the top layer of ingredients ensuring the potatoes stay submerged.  Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours – the potatoes should be tender.

Add the milk, corn and chicken.  Stir well, cover and cook on HIGH for around 1 hour to heat the chowder through.  Remove bay leaf and season to taste.

Please feel free to leave your comments on this recipe below.

Some other Slow Cooker recipes you might like:

Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks with Red Wine & Honey

Pea and Ham Soup

Slow Cooker Beef Curry