What to Make in Your Slow Cooker if You’re a Beginner
So, you’ve finally unboxed your slow cooker, or dusted off the one hiding at the back of your cupboard, and now you’re ready to get cooking!
Whether you’re short on time, keen to meal prep, or just love the idea of walking through the door to the smell of dinner already made, your slow cooker has your back. Get ready to discover a way of tackling mealtimes that almost takes care of itself.
Don’t worry if you’re a total beginner either, we were once too! And now we can’t imagine cooking without our trusty slow cooker. You just throw in your ingredients, pop the lid on, and let your slow cooker do the hard work while you get on with your day.
Our latest book, Pinch of Nom: Slow Cooker is a great place to start if you’re looking for recipe inspo. It’s packed with 100 simple set-it-and-forget-it recipes that get you from breakfast through to dinner, plus plenty of tips and tricks for getting the most out of your slow cooker.
Here are a few of our standout slow cooker recipes to get you started…
Slow Cooker Chilli con Carne
Let’s start with a classic, shall we? Our Slow Cooker Chilli con Carne is impossible to get wrong, making it a brilliant beginner recipe for your slow cooking journey. Simply toss in your beef, beans, veg, and spices, switch your slow cooker on, and power through your to-do list while the flavours slowly develop.
Even better, this recipe is perfect for batch cooking. Make a big pot, freeze portions, and you’ll have lunches and dinners ready for weeks. Slow cooker meals tend to be even more delicious the next day too, because the flavours have had more time to marinate and stew. The more you know!
Slow Cooker Chunky Tomato Cajun-Style Soup
One thing we’re hoping our Slow Cooker book will prove is that your slow cooker is capable of so much more than soups and stews. But of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not still worth cooking them in your kitchen gadget! Our Slow Cooker Chunky Tomato Cajun-Style Soup is made up of lots of veggies and warming spices and it’s so simple to make. No complicated stirring or timing to worry about!
Pair it with a healthy side salad for a light lunch, or a crusty wholemeal bread roll when you fancy something a little more filling. Just like the above recipe, this one is freezer-friendly, so you can stash it ready to go in your soup flask when you’re on the go.
Slow Cooker Spicy Tomato Chicken Curry
Ready for one of the easiest curries you’ll ever make? An exclusive from our Slow Cooker book, this Slow Cooker Spicy Tomato Chicken Curry is a lifesaver on busy days. Think tender chicken in a rich sauce, with juicy tomatoes and aromatic spices combining to create a dish that’s bursting with flavour.
This recipe can be made as mild or as spicy as you like. Simply swap out the curry powder for a milder version if you prefer things on the cooler side, or add extra chillies to pack in more of a punch. You don’t have to use the specific vegetables included in the ingredients list either, you can handpick your favourites or get creative with whatever’s in your fridge. Just remember to calculate the difference if you’re calorie-counting.
For best results, mix the marinade the night before, stirring it all together to let the flavours soak in. Then when you’re ready, pop everything in your slow cooker the following day and let it simmer.
To get your hands on this recipe (and 100 more fuss-free meals like it), order your copy of Slow Cooker today.
Slow Cooker Spiced Pulled Pork
Pulled pork isn’t just for pub lunches! It might sound fancy, but it couldn’t be easier (or tastier!) to rustle up in your slow cooker. In fact, cooking your pork meat low and slow makes it especially tender, so it falls apart perfectly.
Our Slow Cooker Spiced Pulled Pork works well in wraps, tacos, and salads, or just on its own if you’re trying to pack in the protein and limit your carb intake. It’s also a delicious fakeaway option for when you feel like indulging on a Friday night but don’t want to undo all of your hard work throughout the week.
Slow Cooker Ham, Leek and Potato Soup
Like we said earlier, your slow cooker is capable of so much more than soups, but it’s still absolutely worth cooking them in. Our Slow Cooker Ham, Leek and Potato Soup makes for a warming winter bowl when the evenings start to get chillier, and you can pop it in your fridge or freezer for a low-effort light lunch. The smoky flavour of the ham combines with the natural sweetness of the leeks to give it a rich depth of flavour, balanced with the creamy comfort of the potatoes.
We love this on its own or with a slice of buttered wholemeal sourdough!
Slow Cooker Beef and Baked Bean Stew
Just like soups, a hearty stew is a slow cooker staple, and our Slow Cooker Beef and Baked Bean Stew is no exception. We’ve simmered tender beef with protein-packed baked beans and plenty of vegetables to bring you maximum flavour with minimum effort.
One of the things we love about this Slow Cooker Beef and Baked Bean Stew is how versatile it is. There’s no need to be rigid with your ingredients, you can use whatever leftovers you have in the fridge to reduce food waste and experiment with different flavours and textures. We think mushrooms, frozen peas, and courgette would all work really well. And since everything cooks together in one pot, it’s almost impossible to get wrong.
Slow Cooker Vegetarian White Chilli
A lot of our recipes can be easily adapted to make them vegetarian-friendly, but we also have plenty of already-vegetarian ones that you can enjoy straightaway without any tweaks, like this Slow Cooker Vegetarian White Chilli. A fresh take on your usual midweek staple, we’ve used reduced-fat cream cheese to give the sauce a rich, silky texture.
If you’re wondering what to have on the side, we tend to go for tortilla chips for a satisfying crunch, but rice works just as well. You could even put the chilli in a wrap or taco for a true Mexican-inspired meal.
Slow Cooker Honey-Glazed Ham
Sunday lunch is about to get 10 times tastier, not to mention 10 times less stressful. If you struggle juggling different pans on the hob like a circus act in an apron (we’ve all been there), let your slow cooker do some of the heavy lifting instead. We’ve coated this Slow Cooker Honey-Glazed Ham in a sweet homemade glaze that caramelises to perfection in your trusty kitchen gadget, resulting in tender, juicy pork that’s mouthwateringly delicious served hot or cold.
Once you hear the “ding!” of the slow cooker, dish your ham up on a bed of vegetables as the centrepiece for your roast dinner. And if you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers, stick them on a sandwich with a tangy spoonful of chutney. Yum!
Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings
Next up is another stew! This Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Cheesy Dumplings is exactly what you need when you’re craving a big old plate of comfort food. The best part? You don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to make it happen.
For this one, we’ve slow cooked carrots, mushrooms, butternut squash, spinach, and beans in a rich and creamy sauce, then topped the whole thing with fluffy, cheesy dumplings. There’s nothing stopping you from adding some cooked meat to pack in extra protein or a little more bite, either. We recommend cooked bacon or ham, the smokiness will complement the autumnal aromas of the dish.
Which Beginner-Friendly Slow Cooker Recipe Will You Try First?
We hope we’ve given you the confidence to try a few new things in your slow cooker. Let us know if any of these recipes make it onto your menu next week. Our friendly Facebook group would love to hear all about your slow-cooked creations! It’s also a great place to swap slow-cooking stories and advice.
Visiting our Gallery is another great way to find out what everyone else is cooking from Pinch of Nom: Slow Cooker.
You’ll want to sign up to a free website account to upload and share your photos (it’s really easy – we’ve got a step-by-step guide you can follow here).
If you liked this article, here are a few more that you might find useful:
- How to Make Healthy Slow Cooker Dump Bag Meals
- Our Top Slow Cooker Recipes
- What Can I Cook in a Slow Cooker? The Best Ingredients and Our Top Tips
- The Best Slow Cookers to Buy: How to Choose the Right One for You
- How to Convert Recipes to a Slow Cooker
- 10 Slow Cooker Recipes You Need to Try
- The Best Slow Cooker Recipes for Batch Cooking
- Easy Slow Cooker Fakeaway Recipe Ideas to Make on Busy Days