7 Simple Slow Cooker Dishes for Every Day of the Week
You might associate slow-cooked meals with fancy casseroles and pull-apart meat, but there are several dishes you can make that are quick and simple to prepare and that will be perfect for mid-week eatin'. The dishes I'll be sharing with you are all dinners that I'll cook in the slow cooker, but you will have to whip up some sides to go with it. Whether you need to cook some rice or boil some pasta, it won't take much at all to finish the meal off, so let's get started.
1. Chilli con carne
I'll will literally cook up a chilli con carne mix in the slow cooker and leave it on a slow heat for about 8 hours. When I'm ready to eat it for dinner, all I have to do is cook some rice on the hob or pop some packet rice in the microwave for 2 minutes.
There really is not much to this slow cooker meal, because the bulk of it has been done and will be ready to serve up by the spoonful. I don't make that too difficult either. To make the mix for two (with some leftovers for lunch the next day), I will use:
- 250g beef mince (5% fat)
- Store-bought chilli con carne sauce (either in a jar or in a sachet)
- A tin of chopped tomatoes
- About 300ml of cold water
- 1 tin of kidney beans
- 150g of chestnut mushrooms
- A handful of grated cheese (for the topping)
- A packet of basmati rice (either dry or microwave)
2. Spaghetti bolognese
This follows much the same process as the chilli con carne, but instead of cooking rice, you're boiling up pasta. The mixture is incredibly easy to knock together in a slow cooker, and it's a staple favourite with everyone, so it's suitable even for hosting a dinner party on a Friday evening.
All I do when I'm ready to serve up dinner is boil some pasta for 10 minutes and jobs a good'en. Everything I use to make my spaghetti bolognese mix (for two people with some leftovers for the next day) is below:
- 250g beef mince (5% fat)
- Store-bought bolognese sauce (either in a jar or a sachet)
- 150g of chestnut mushrooms
- 100g frozen peas
- 1 onion
- 150g of pasta shapes or a good handful of dried spaghetti
3. Cottage pie mixture
This might seem like the least hassle-free meal choice for a mid-week dinner, but it's really not that bad. It doesn't take much to whip up a delicious homemade cottage pie, especially if you've made up the bulk of the mix beforehand.
All I do when I want to finish it off is pour the mix into two different dishes, boil some potatoes, mash them up and spoon it on the top. I'll then finish them off in the oven to crisp up the top and you're good to go. Here's what I use to create a slow-cooked cottage pie mix (for two people with no leftovers):
- 250g beef mince (5% fat)
- Store-bought cottage pie sauce (either in a jar or a satchet)
- 50g of chestnut mushrooms
- 100g frozen peas
- 1 thinly-sliced carrot
- A handful of potatoes
4. Spanish-style chicken with chorizo
Another simple recipe involving chicken this time rather than beef. I cut up chicken breast into chunks and brown that in the slow cooker (because ours is a multi-cooker), together with some chopped chorizo and red pepper. Once done, I'll throw the sauce in and cook on low for about 8 hours. Once I'm ready to serve it, I'll microwave some wholegrain rice or I'll boil it on the hob. To make this yourself, this is everything I need for two people:
- A jar of spanish-style chicken sauce (preferably by 'Chicken Tonight')
- 1 red pepper
- 250g chicken breast
- Half a chorizo ring
- 1 packet of wholegrain rice (either dry or microwave)
5. Chicken curry
I say "curry" because this really could be anything when it comes to slow-cooked chicken. I like to use either a madras paste or a balti paste, depending on how spicy I'm feeling, haha. I'll throw in some pepper, preferably red, and some chunky-cut onion. When I come to serve it, I'll either boil some rice or cook microwave rice instead for ease and quickness. Here's everything I need to do a chicken curry in the slow cooker for two people:
- A pot of madras or balti paste (I like to use the pots rather than the small jars as it means less waste and they're cheaper)
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 2 onions
- 1 red pepper
- 250g chicken breast
- Basmati rice (either dry or microwave)
- Poppadoms or naan breads to serve
6. Beef casserole with dumplings
This one is even more simple than the others because it doesn't require any cooking after the slow cooker has done its job. Throw in some beef chunks with shallots, thick-cut carrots, button mushrooms and a ready-made sauce and you're well on your way. You can buy frozen dumplings or you can make them yourself using a ready-made dry mix. All you have to do is add water and shape them into balls. I like to freeze mine so they're ready when I need them. Here's everything I need to make a beef casserole with dumplings for two people:
- 250g of lean diced beef
- A satchet of beef casserole sauce
- 2 carrots
- 1 punnet of button mushrooms
- 5 shallots
- 5 dumplings, either frozen or made from a dry mix
7. Chicken & sausage casserole in mushroom sauce
This one is by far one of my favourites, especially when the weather turns cold. It's so easy to make up and quick to clean up after. All you need to do is throw in some chicken, whole sausages, carrots and button mushrooms, together with a ready-made jar of mushroom sauce and you're good to go. You could pair this dish with either mash potato, pasta or wholegrain rice. I prefer the latter. Here's what I need to make it for two people:
- 1 jar of ready-made mushroom sauce (preferably by 'Chicken Tonight')
- 250g chicken breast
- 5 whole sausages or chipolatas
- 2 carrots
- 1 punnet of button mushrooms
- A packet of wholegrain rice (dry or microwave)
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post and found it somewhat useful. Let me know in the comments what you like to cook in your slow cooker that is quick, simple and tasty and I'll see you all again very soon with a brand new blog post :)
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