5 Slow Cooker Family Recipes
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5 Slow Cooker Family Dinners To Make Busy Weeks Easier
These are 5 of my go-to slow cooker family recipes for the weeks I want dinner sorted before the afternoon chaos hits.
Minimal prep, family-friendly, and the kind of dinners you can come home to feeling relieved instead of stressed.
Sweet & Smoky Mexican Shredded Beef
Serves 4–6
Ingredients:
1kg beef chuck steak
1 brown onion, sliced
400g crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
3 tbsp BBQ sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
Simple salsa:
250g cherry tomatoes, diced
½ red onion, finely diced
Juice of 1 lime
To serve:
Steamed rice
Corn chips
2 avocados, smashed
Shredded cheese
Method:
1.Before work, add the onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, spices and lime juice to the slow cooker and give it a quick stir.
Place the beef chuck on top, pop the lid on and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5-6 hours.
2.When you get home, shred the beef and stir it back through all of that delicious sauce.
3.For the salsa, combine the cherry tomatoes, red onion and lime juice.
4.Serve the shredded beef over steamed rice with simple salsa, smashed avo, shredded cheese and corn chips for the easiest family dinner.
Slow Cooker Japanese Chicken Curry
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1kg chicken thighs
1 brown onion, sliced
2 carrots, cut into chunks
2 potatoes, cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 packet Golden Curry Mild cubes
To serve:
Steamed rice
Spring onion (optional)
Method:
1.Add the chicken, onion, carrots, potatoes, garlic, ginger, stock, soy sauce and brown sugar to the slow cooker.
Cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
2.When you get home, break the chicken into chunks and stir through the Golden Curry cubes until dissolved and the sauce has thickened. Serve over steamed rice.
Slow Cooker Sticky Date Pudding
Serves 6–8
Ingredients
Pudding
250g pitted dates, chopped
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 cup boiling water
125g butter, melted
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups self-raising flour
Butterscotch Sauce
1 cup brown sugar
300ml thickened cream
100g butter
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
To Serve
Vanilla bean ice cream
Method
1.Add the dates, bicarbonate of soda and boiling water to a bowl. Leave for 10 minutes to soften.
2.Add the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
Stir through the self-raising flour until you have a smooth batter.
3.Grease the slow cooker with butter and pour in the batter.
Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or until the centre is just set.
4. 15 minutes before it is ready- make the butterscotch sauce. Add the brown sugar, cream, butter, salt and vanilla to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until smooth, then simmer gently for 5–8 minutes until thick, glossy and caramel-like.
5.Once the pudding is cooked, poke a few holes over the top and pour over some of the warm butterscotch sauce.
Serve with vanilla bean ice cream and the remaining sauce.
Slow Cooker Sausage Stew
Serves 4–6
Ingredients:
6 thick beef sausages
1 brown onion, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
500g baby potatoes, halved
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp gravy powder
2 cups beef stock
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
-If the liquid is too runny you can stir through a corn starch slurry 1tbsp corn starch to 1 tbsp water
To serve:
Buttered toast
Tomato sauce
Method:
1.Add the onion, carrots, potatoes, garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, gravy powder, beef stock, thyme, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
Place the sausages on top, pop the lid on and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
2.When you get home, slice the sausages into chunky pieces and stir them back through the stew along with the frozen peas.
3.Cook for a further 5–10 minutes until the peas are heated through. (If the liquid is too runny you can stir through a corn starch slurry 1tbsp corn starch to 1 tbsp water)
4.Serve with buttered toast and tomato sauce for the ultimate cosy family dinner
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Burgers
Serves 6–8
Ingredients:
1.5–2kg pork shoulder
1 brown onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup BBQ sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
Cornflour Slurry:
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp cold water
To Serve:
Burger buns
Pre-made slaw
Sliced cheese
Pineapple rings
Method:
1.Add the onion and garlic to the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. In a jug, combine the chicken stock, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Place the pork shoulder on top and pour over the sauce.
Cook on:
LOW for 8–9 hours
HIGH for 5–6 hours
3.Once cooked, remove any large pieces of fat from the pork and shred the meat using two forks.
4.Strain the cooking liquid into a small saucepan and skim any excess fat from the surface.
Bring to a simmer and cook for around 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced.
5.Mix together the cornflour and water to make a slurry, then stir it through the sauce and cook for another minute or two until slightly thickened.
6.Pour the sauce over the shredded pork and toss everything together until the pork is glossy and coated.
Serve in burger buns with pre-made slaw, melted cheese and pineapple for an easy family dinner everyone will love
Hope these recipes make your week feel a little easier 🤍
If you make one, I’d love to see it — tag me on Instagram @wholesomefoodiemel
There’s nothing better than seeing these recipes in your homes.
