30-day 'slow cook and freeze' menu plan

1

Beef Stroganoff in the Slow Cooker

Beef stroganoff can't get any easier or tastier than this. Throw the ingredients into your slow cooker and then set and forget as your appliance cooks then delivers a tender beef dinner several hours later. All you have to do is make the mash! How to make beef stroganoff in the slow cooker: key tips The crucial element to this dish is prepping the meat well, so that the result is full of flavour and super tender. To do this, you need to brown the beef pieces in a frying pan to seal in the juices and add a little caramelisation. It’s tempting to throw all the meat in the pan at the one time, but please resist – the pieces won’t be able to sear quickly on all sides and will release liquid causing them to stew and become horribly tough and chewy.    A few other ingredients also need to be cooked in the frying pan before adding them to the slow cooker: onion, mushrooms, garlic and flour. The idea is to soften the vegies and also add some caramelisation (flavour!). The garlic is cooked to reduce its pungency and the flour is cooked to eliminate its raw taste. Key ingredients in beef stroganoff in the slow cooker recipe Brisket is used for this recipe, as it’s a good cut for slow cooking and will become meltingly tender after cooking for several hours. Other slow-cooker cuts include round steak, blade steak, topside, silverside, skirt steak and shin (gravy) beef. Beef stock, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce make up the main sauce components of this dish and, when sour cream is stirred through, becomes the delightfully tangy sauce that we associate with a good stroganoff. Mushrooms add a gorgeous earthy flavour and are the main veg in this meal. Choose small cup mushrooms and simply chop them in half. Mashed potatoes is lovely with a beef strog, but you could also serve this dish with steamed rice or cooked pasta. You might also like these slow-cooked beef classics, including a delicious-looking slow-cooked beef goulash. This recipe was originally submitted by Lucy Nunes on behalf of Massel. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Natasha Shaw.

2

Slow Cooker Pork Stew

This hearty and warm pork stew is perfect for winter nights. Throw everything into the slow cooker and relax while it stews, then enjoy!

3

Slow cooker Asian-glazed chicken fillets

For a real crowd-pleaser try this Asian glazed, slow-cooked chicken served with steamed greens and rice.

4

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken

A very tasty and easy slow cooker recipe. Just throw it in and walk away.

5

Jody's Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Chipolata Hotpot

A delicious winter meal prepared in your slow cooker. Has a lovely sweet flavour and is served Mexican style wrapped in a soft flour tortilla or burrito wraps. This has been a hit with my family.

6

Slow Cooker Lamb Roast

This set-and-forget lamb roast will reward you with enough juicy, succulent meat to feed a crowd. The recipe feeds six, but you can easily adjust it to serve more or less people at your dining table, or to simply enjoy some leftovers! How to make a slow cooker lamb roast: key tips Use a small, sharp knife, such as a paring knife, to make incisions 1-2cm deep all over the lamb. Slice the garlic cloves into halves, thirds or quarters, depending on the size of the cloves, and push the pieces into the incisions you made in the lamb. Placing the potatoes in the slow cooker first and then nestling the lamb on top keeps the lamb elevated while cooking so that it cooks more evenly and doesn’t become stuck on the bottom of the cooker. One thing that people often do when cooking a large piece of meat in the slow cooker is take it out as soon as it’s done. Then they discover that the meat is lacking flavour and even a bit dry. This is because the meat needs to be rested. At the end of the cooking time, rest the lamb in the cooking liquid, so that the protein relaxes and some of the juices in the slow cooker are reabsorbed into the meat. The result? Wonderfully succulent lamb that is full of flavour. You will know your lamb is ready when the meat can be easily pierced and pulled apart with a fork.  Key ingredients in this slow cooker lamb roast recipe When choosing a lamb roast for your lamb, a bone-in leg of lamb works very well, but you could also make this meal using a boneless shoulder roast, if you desire. Potatoes bulk up this slow cook and add heartiness. Choose medium waxy potatoes, such as Dutch cream or red potatoes. Personally, I like to use baby (chat) potatoes, as you don’t need to peel them and they hold their shape after cooking for ages. I simply halve them, or quarter them, if large. I really love to use fresh bay leaves when slow cooking, as they not only impart an amazing flavour to the meat, but their aroma is incredible. Here are another 42 hearty slow cooker dinners you may like to try, plus a whole slow cooker roast chicken that would make a great meal on any day of the week. This recipe was originally submitted by MandiOJ, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Natasha Shaw.

7

Slow Cooker Silverside with Honey Sauce

A delicious slow cooker meal that takes little to no preparation.

8

Slow Cooker Beef Casserole

A quick, easy and cheap recipe you can throw together before work and it will be ready when you get home.

9

Slow Cooker Macaroni Cheese

This make a delicious side dish!

10

Slow cooker barbecue chicken

An easy, no-fuss chicken dish, which is a good recipe on a busy day.

11

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Succulent, fall off the bone meat with delicious vegetables.

12

Slow Cooker Beef and Red Wine Casserole

A simple and delicious beef casserole that will have you coming back for seconds.

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Slow Cooker Savoury Sausages

An easy, satisfying and economical recipe for the family.

14

Creamy chicken in the slow cooker

Here’s an easy, warming slow cooker chicken recipe that you can prepare ahead of time. And any leftovers will be delicious the next day!

15

Slow cooker chicken risotto

Don’t waste your time stirring away at the stovetop. Pop everything into the slow cooker and leave it to work its magic. This chicken risotto is every bit as creamy and delicious as if you’d stirred it yourself, without all that hard work! Enjoy the night off 🙂   How to make slow cooker chicken risotto: key tips Just like cooking a risotto on the stovetop, you start by softening the onion and garlic in a pan. When you add the rice, give it a good stir so that it is coated in the onion mixture. Then cook it, stirring, for a minute or two to ‘toast’ the rice a little. This will create a thin protective layer around each grain that will help it absorb the liquid slowly and more evenly, which will give your risotto a better texture and flavour.  Once in the slow cooker, it’s easy to overcook the rice, and every slow cooker is different, so this isn’t a slow-cooker recipe you can walk away from for the day. Make sure to check regularly until the rice is just cooked. Key ingredients in this slow cooker chicken risotto recipe The cook uses breast chicken in this recipe, which is a lean and affordable cut. You could also use chicken thigh fillets, if you wish. Arborio rice is best for a risotto because it has a high starch content and the short thick grains easily absorb liquids while releasing starch, creating the characteristic creaminess associated with risotto.  Opt for a dry white wine, such as chardonnay or pinot grigio/gris. The wine imparts a lovely flavour, but if you would like to omit it, simply add an extra ½ cup (125ml) of stock. This recipe has a good hit of rosemary. If you prefer a more subtle flavour, reduce the amount to 1 sprig, or even half a sprig. You could also add other herbs, such as chopped fresh parsley or sage, if you like. I also recommend a good sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper when serving, along with the parmesan. Browse through more risotto recipes to find your favourites. This pumpkin risotto also looks mega satisfying. This recipe was originally submitted by Greer Worsley, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Australia’s Best Recipe team and Natasha Shaw.