Put your slow cooker to use with one of our easy recipes. Just assemble your dish, relax and allow all the gorgeous flavours to meld over a low heat.

Slow cooker chicken casserole

Treat the family to this wholesome chicken casserole that delivers comfort while being low-fat. And you can let a slow cooker do most of the work.

Ingredients

• knob of butter
• ½ tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp flour
• 650g boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400g baby new potatoes, halved
• 2 sticks celery, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 250g mushrooms, quartered
• 15g dried porcini mushroom, soaked in 50ml boiling water
• 500ml stock made with 2 very low salt chicken stock cubes (we used Kallo)
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard, plus extra to serve
• 2 bay leaves

Preparation:

1. Heat a knob of butter and ½ tbsp rapeseed or olive oil in a large frying pan, cook 1 finely chopped large onion for 8-10 mins until softened and starting to caramelise.
2. Meanwhile, put 1 ½ tbsp flour and a little salt and pepper in a bowl and toss 650g boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets in it. 
3. Add 3 crushed garlic cloves and the chicken to the pan and cook for 4-5 mins more until the chicken is starting to brown.
4. Transfer to your slow cooker, along with 400g halved baby new potatoes, 2 diced celery sticks, 2 diced carrots, 250g quartered mushrooms, 15g dried and soaked porcini mushrooms with the 50ml soaking liquid, 500ml chicken stock, 2 tsp Dijon mustard and 2 bay leaves.
5. Give it a good stir. Cook on Low for 7 hours or High for 4 hours.
6. Remove the bay leaves and serve with a little Dijon mustard on the side.

Slow cooker aubergines

An easy vegetarian slow cooker recipe, packed with summer flavours – ideal if you’re busy, simply put it on in the morning and it’ll be ready come supper time.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500g aubergines
• 300g ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 1 small fennel bulb, sliced
• 50g sundried tomatoes
• 1 tsp coriander seeds

For the dressing

• small bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• small bunch basil, roughly chopped
• small bunch chives, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• juice 1 lemon
• 2 tsp capers

For the topping

• 100g feta cheese
• 50g toasted flaked almonds

Preparation:

1. Pour half of the olive oil into the slow cooker and put the onions and crushed garlic on top. Slice the aubergines into 1cm thick slices lengthways and brush with the remaining olive oil. Put them into the slow cooker on top of the onions and nestle the tomatoes, fennel slices and sundried tomatoes in and around the aubergines. Sprinkle the coriander seeds over the top then season everything well with salt and pepper.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the aubergines are soft. Once cooked put all the dressing ingredients into the bowl of a mini food processor and blitz until smooth.
3. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a serving platter using a slotted spoon and drizzle over the herby dressing. Top with crumbled feta cheese, flaked almonds and serve with some crusty bread on the side.

Enjoy!