I have wanted to make this for ages and finally got around to it but as always with me if there is an easy way to do it i will find it! So into the slow cooker it goes – you can easily cook this on the hob or in the oven if you wish. This is a classic family meal that i think works well in both the warmer and colder months.

If this is your first time making this recipe i would suggest you make the sauce up in a bowl and taste it you may need to adjust to it suit your taste this is true of all sauces. There is Sriracha in this (chilli sauce) if you are not a fan then leave it our, reduce the amount or add a pinch of mild chilli powder.

This will batch cook well and freeze well for those days when time is not your friend. You can also find this recipe in my cookbook MY SLOW COOKER MEALS which is available on Amazon in paperback & Kindle press here  https://amzn.eu/d/bxDzxmn

The slow cooker i use is on my Amazon Shop press the link it will take you to my shop the look under kitchen gadgets https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

Now how easy was this???? well it was super easy!!! you can of course just chop everything and throw it into the slow cooker or you can soften down the onions and fry off the beef. I would however suggest you quickly flash fry the beef.

I used diced beef and trimmed off all visible fat you could used beef strips and reduce the cooking time. You will see i added fat free natural yogurt at the end you could also use creme fraiche. Top Tip!! Leave the Stroganoff to cool slightly before adding fat free yogurt or it will split… stir the Stroganoff rapidly to take out some of the heat this action will help cool it quicker.

This recipe appears in my cookbook MY SLOW COOKER MEALS you can find it on my Amazon Shop under IDEAS LIST press the link then look under BOOKS section https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

My slow cooker is also on my Amazon Shop press the link look under ideas tab then select KITCHEN GADGETS https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

I love stew in the winter months they are so easy to prep and get ready and a fab way of using up all those veggies in the bottom of the fridge.

In this recipe i have used chicken thighs as its a much cheaper cut of meat and doesn’t dry out during cooking. If you want to use chicken breast leave the breast whole then once cooked dice or shred.

You can use chicken legs with the bone in but remove the skin cook the legs with the bone in then once cooked remove and take out the bone its so much easier to remove the bone once the chicken is cooked.

Lentils, add any lentils you like i used pearl barley as it works so well in a stew. Lentils swell during cooking so you may need to add a little more water depending on what vegetables you have used.

Any vegetables especially root vegetables will work in this recipe, butternut squash, swede/turnip, parsnips etc. Use whatever you have and can get hold of easily.

I was going to add dumplings to the slow cooker last 45 mins but ran out of time but they will work well with this stew.

Thickening the gravy can be done several ways probably the easiest way is to add Chicken Gravy Granules unfortunately I didn’t have any so used Xanthan Gum which is found in most supermarkets but only add small amounts at a time.

Love a beef stew especially now the weather is getting colder and this one is fab! its no fuss and so easy to make and by using the slow cooker you can buy the cheapest of cuts of beef. I browned off my beef first as you will see in the video but as always the choice is yours. 

My top tip for cooking a fab beef stew is give yourself plenty of time and wherever possible always cook it on low, if the beef is tough and chewy its not cooked keep cooking until it nearly falls apart.

I added pearl barley to mine but you can use red lentils if you want they will disappear during the cooking but will still thicken the gravy – they do exactly the same job as pearl barley but if you have kids then this maybe an easier option!

Lets talk about the Jam i added yep i appreciate that sounds mad but it really does work and you need to adjust it to your taste i would suggest you add 1 teaspoon then taste again before serving and add another one if you like. If your stew has that “too beefy” taste or a “tinnie metalic” taste the jam will counteract that and the sweetness from the sugars will take that taste away. 

The biggest mistake people make when cooking a stew in the slow cooker is they add way too much water trust me it doesn’t need it.

This recipe appears in my Cookbook MY SLOW COOKER MEALS its on my Amazon shop look under COOKBOOKS

The slow cooker i use can go on the hob under the grill and in the oven again its one my Amazon shop press the below link and look under KITCHEN GADGETS

https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

I have wanted to make this for ages and ive now finally got around to it!! Old School sausage and gravy casserole super easy to make but soooooooo tasty!

Use any sausages you like and add any flavours you like

If you want the gravy really thick you may need to add a touch of flour or corn flour – i didnt have to do this as the onions thickened the gravy for me

This is a perfect winter warmer and for me had the right amount of heat and spice if your not good with spicy foods then only add a small chilli and take the seeds out this dish makes 4 big portions but will freeze well

On slimming world this is completely syn free and if you dont sweat down the onions it really is a chop and chuck it in jobby. Once cooked stir through some fat free yogurt to get a really creamy sauce.

I softened off the onion but this is optional if you dont have time chop it and chuck it in the slow cooker, then add all the above ingredients, do not add any further liquid you can always add a splash at the end if it gets too thick. On low for approx 7 hours once cooked stir through some fat free yogurt which will give the sauce a lovely creamy taste.

Who doesn’t love Shepherds Pie??? we do in our house! lovely warm winter food that never fails to hit the spot! I added split red lentils to make a thick gravy these disappear during the cooking so you wont see or taste them they just dissolve but its a fab way to thicken a sauce or gravy and if your following slimming world its syn free!

I added a mixed mash to the top of my shepherds pie but add any mash you want – one point to note is make sure your slow cooker inner can go in the oven or under the grill, mine is aluminum so is oven proof

In the video I have made 4 portions but foze 2 portions of the meat part and used 2 portions topped with mash. The reason I did freeze with the mashis because sometimes I like carrot as nd turnip mash to top the Shepherds Pie with.

This recipe appears in my cookbook MY SLOW COOKER MEALS Press here for my cookbook MY SLOW COOKER MEALS

https://amzn.eu/d/bxDzxmn

My Slow cooker and the chopper I use is on my Amazon Shop (AFFILIATE) press here https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

This is such an easy way to cook lasagne – i cooked the ragu (bolognese) part in the slow cooker for me this is just easier but you can do it whichever way you like – cooking it on the hob works equally as well. Plus my recipe for this part is basically my spag bol recipe it just works so well, so i cook up a huge batch of bolognese then decide which meal to turn it into.

For the white sauce i have tried everything and to be honest most of it works but my preferred method at the moment is to use primula cheese, (because it does not taste like cheese) to which i add hot water and create a creamy sauce. I promise no one is going to pick this up i use this a lot throughout my recipes and many people have eating my food and never once guessed what the sauce was made of.

Lets talk lasagne sheets i will not put everything into the slow cooker and cook for 4-7 hours the pasta sheets taste awful cooked this way they are overcooked and become soggy. In my recipe you will see i pre soak the sheets in hot water then build the lasagne after the ragu is cooked this way the pasta sheets are only cooking for approx 30mins meaning they are not overcooked or soggy.

Whatever you do please dont worry about the lasagne sheets breaking or looking untidy once its cooked you wont notice it at all.

This has got to be the easiest slow cooker meal i make and i usually turn to it when i know im going to have little time! Its very adaptable and can be easily changed to suit your family needs you can spice it up or spice it down the choice is yours plus it the most cost effective meal ever to feed a family.  I have used 4 weight watchers Cumberland sausages for 2 of us but you will see in my video how i make the sausages go further which if your on a budget keeps the cost down
You can also change this into a vegetarian dish and use vegetarian sausages and it will work just as well if your using Quorn add them to the slow cooker in the last hour of cooking

Below is a different version of the above recipe this is similar to a pasta bake but done in the slow cooker. The recipe is exactly the same as above BUT i have broken up lasagne sheets and added them to the slow cooker and added a layer of cheese and cooked for a further 15 minutes – verdict??? GORGEOUS

Very quick and easy way to get a mid week meal on the table and very adaptable as you can literally use all the bits you have lurking at the bottom of the fridge, freezer vegetables also work well in this dish .

As you will see on the video i dont add any further liquid or stock the reason for this is that all the veggies frozen or fresh will add liquid to the dish (most veggies are water anyway) the trick here is towards the end of cooking if the sauce is too thick just add a splash of water but to date i have never added any further liquid – but each slow cooker is different and you will know better how yours cooks

This recipe appears in my cookbook MY SLOW COOKER MEALS which is available on Amazon in paperback and kindle  https://amzn.eu/d/bxDzxmn

The Slow Cooker i use is on my Amazon shop press the link it will take you there then look under KITCHEN GADGETS https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook