Best slow cooker recipes: Trick to cooking perfect dinner and dessert

It seems no recipe is off limits when it comes to slow cookers — including pre-cooked frozen meals. But can you really cook anything in them?

From bread to Pavlova and even breakfast, it seems that no food is off limits when it comes to what you can make in a slow cooker.

However one Aldi item has sparked divide over the slow cooker’s use, with some arguing it was unnecessary.

Posting in the Slow Cooker Recipes Australia Facebook group, one woman shared a photo of the store’s Farmwood Lamb Shanks, which cost $14.49 from the frozen section at the German supermarket.

“Got these from Aldi. I saw a post not long ago about cooking them in slow cooker?” she asked in the caption.

Can you cook something that's been frozen in a slow cooker? Opinion is divided. Picture: Facebook.

Her post soon attracted plenty of comments, with people divided over whether she could put it in the slow cooker or whether it was simply a waste of time as the item was already cooked.

“Just microwave! They are pre-cooked they just need a heat through. We eat them all the time!" one person wrote, while another added: “They're already cooked, they only need reheating.”

One commenter argued that if the poster had a slow cooker she should look to make her own lamb shanks from scratch using fresh local produce.

“You bought a slow cooker for a reason. Don't use this slop in a bag,” they wrote.

But not everyone agreed, with several slow cooker enthusiasts revealing they had used their slow cooker to heat up the frozen shanks.

“I put them in slow cooker,” one person wrote. “A little water, whole carrots and potatoes. When potatoes cooked mash and serve on potatoes. You can add peas if you like.”

SLOW COOKER RECIPE INSPIRATION

If you’re looking for some inspo and tried and tested recipes that you can definitely cook in a slow cooker, here’s news.com.au’s pick of the best recipes out there.

Hungry yet?

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE

This spaghetti bolognaise recipe from Kidspot sees maximum return for minimum effort.

Ingredients

olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1kg beef mince

2 carrots, roughly chopped

1 celery stick, roughly chopped

handful cauliflower florets

2 zucchini, roughly chopped

600ml passata

2 tbsp tomato paste

fresh herbs of choice

Method

1. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a deep pan and gently fry onion and garlic until soft.

2. Add beef mince, breaking up with a wooden spoon until browned. Put mixture in slow cooker.

3. Place carrot, celery, cauliflower and zucchini in food processor with a generous slug of passata. Whiz until they are pureed. Add to slow cooker with remaining passata and tomato paste.

4. Add herbs as desired – I threw in some oregano and thyme leaves I had in the crisper.

5. Cook for 8 hours on low.

6. Serve with pasta of choice, sprinkle with some parmesan and add extra veg on the side if you really want to torture the kids.

These stuffed potatoes are an ideal work from home lunch.

STUFFED POTATOES

This Kidspot slow cooker recipe is the perfect set and forget work from home lunch.

Simply pop your spuds in the slow cooker when you wake up and then take out and add your toppings of choice (can be leftovers from the night before) in under 10 minutes.

Ingredients

4 large washed potatoes

Toppings:

canned baked beans (*optional)

chives (chopped,*optional)

sour cream (*optional)

chorizo sausage (cooked,*optional)

bacon (cooked,*optional)

cheese (grated,*optional)

bolognese pasta sauce (*optional)

Method

1. Wash potatoes and dry thoroughly.

2. Tightly wrap each potato individually in foil, making sure they are well sealed.

3. Place into the base of slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 8 hours or 5-6 hours on high.

4. When cooked, remove and unwrap. Add your favourite topping.

5. We topped ours with low-fat cheese, sour cream, chives and some barbecued chorizo and they were the best potatoes I’ve ever eaten. No kidding.

BANANA, DATE & WALNUT BREAD

This Taste.com.au banana bread recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep before you chuck it in the slow cooker to bake.

Keep some extra butter on the side and if you’ve got the time, make some caramelised bananas to have with the banana bread when it’s done.

Ingredients

2 cups (300g) self-raising flour

1 cup (220g) brown sugar

½ cup (125ml) buttermilk

150g butter, melted

2 eggs

2 large bananas, mashed

⅓ cup (45g) chopped dates

¼ cup (25g) chopped walnuts

Caramelised banana, to serve

Butter, extra, to serve

Method

1. Grease a 10cm x 20cm (base measurement) loaf pan and line the base and sides with baking paper, allowing the two long sides to overhang.

2. Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, butter, eggs and banana. Stir to combine. Stir in date and walnut. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

3. Place an upturned heatproof saucer or ramekin in a slow cooker. Place loaf pan on the saucer or ramekin. Bake for 3 hours on high (or 5 hours on low) or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Set aside in pan for 10 mins before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

4. Cut the loaf into slices. Serve with caramelised banana and extra butter.

The most convenient breakfast ever.

BREAKFAST

Slow cookers are ideal for cooking a hot breakfast overnight if you’re time-pressed in the morning.

One woman in the UK shared her slow cooker breakfast on Facebook group Slow Cooker Recipe & Tips, and all that was missing was the eggs.

Ingredients

Bacon rashers

Small sausages

baked beans

mushrooms

hash browns

Method

1. Pour mushrooms and baked beans into separate mugs and set inside the slow cooker.

2. Stand hash browns and sausages upright in slow cooker up against the mugs.

3. Roll up bacon rashers and stand up inside the slow cooker.

4. Cook ingredients on low for up to nine hours then take out and enjoy.

L ASAGNE

Slow cookers are fab if you want to make a big batch of lasagne to eat for several meals.

This recipe from Taste.com.au shows you how to easily whip up the comfort dish inside a slow cooker.

Ingredients

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1kg veal mince

90g (⅓ cup) tomato paste

125ml (½ cup) red wine

680g jar bolognese pasta sauce

250ml (1 cup) chicken-style liquid stock

1 tbs dried oregano leaves

250g pkt dried lasagne sheets

600ml can pouring cream

3 eggs, lightly whisked

300g (3 cups) coarsely grated three cheese mix

Fresh curly parsley leaves, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook the mince, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 10 minutes or until the mince changes colour. Add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute to coat. Add the wine. Cook for 1 minute or until the wine evaporates. Add the pasta sauce, stock and oregano. Season. Simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced slightly.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the cream and eggs in a bowl until well combined. Season. Stir in 2 cups cheese.

3. Grease the insert of a 3.5-litre slow cooker. Spread a thin layer of the mince mixture over the base of the insert. Cover with a layer of lasagne sheets, breaking the sheets to fit, if necessary. Drizzle one-fifth of the cream mixture over the lasagne sheets and top with one-quarter of the remaining mince mixture. Continue layering with remaining lasagne sheets, cream mixture and mince mixture, finishing with a layer of cream mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

4. Cook on low for 3½ to 4 hours or until the lasagne sheets are tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Carefully remove the insert from the slow cooker. Set aside, covered, for 10-15 minutes to rest. Sprinkle with parsley.

This roast chook is delicious and easy to whip up.

ROAST CHICKEN

This recipe from the Slow Cooker Recipes Australia Facebook group sounds so delicious, our mouths were watering when we were reading it – BRB just making this now.

Ingredients

1 whole organic/pasture-raised chicken

1 cup chopped fennel stalks (from 2 fennel bulbs)

1 lemon, halved

½ cup chopped onion

2 tbs chopped fennel fronds

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 capsicum, chopped

1 tsp sea salt

Pepper to season the top

Stuffing:

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg

grated rind of 1 lemon

Method

1. Prepare the chicken, remove any giblets or organs. Clean and pat dry.

2. Combine stuffing ingredients in a medium bowl.

3. Stuff half the lemon, onion, fennel and 1 clove garlic inside the cavity of the chicken and homemade stuffing with bread /egg /lemon rind.

4. Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover it with the rest of the onion, garlic, fennel stalks and chopped capsicum and then coat the outside with the fennel fronds and sea salt/ pepper, and add water or stock or broth to help steam the chook.

5. Place the timer on 6-8 hours and allow it to work its magic. When it’s finished the chicken will super succulent and juicy.

6. Serve with roasted vegetables, roasted fennel and crispy potatoes and gravy and use pan sauces for the gravy.

Many home cooks say it tastes better when cooked in a slow cooker than in a bread maker.

BREAD

That’s right, you can even make bread in your slow cooker.

This recipe from Facebook page Slow Cooker Recipes and Tips breaks it down:

Ingredients

½ cup water, warm

2 cups milk, warm

2 tbs unsalted butter, melted

1-3 tbs sugar

3 tbs active dry yeast

3 cups whole wheat flour

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar and yeast. Leave for 5 minutes until frothy on top. Meanwhile warm 2 cups milk and 2 tbsp butter in microwave.

2. Add milk and butter to yeast mixture. Using a stand mixer with dough hook, slowly add the flours, salt and baking powder. Knead for 5-10 minutes until silky.

3. Line slow cooker with baking paper and place in dough. It will rise in the slow cooker as it heats through. Cook on high for 2-2.5 hours. Start checking at every 7-10 minutes until top is spongy but springs back and no moisture on the top. The bottom should be a nice brown colour as well as sides.

Yes, you can make a cheesecake in a slow cooker.

CHEESECAKE

Needing some sweet recipe inspo? Then this cheesecake recipe shared in the Facebook group Crockpot/Slow Cooker Recipes & Tips should do the trick.

Ingredients

For the base

120g biscuits

80g melted butter

For the cheesecake filling

250g cream cheese

100ml sour cream

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tbs plain flour

1 tbs cornflour

1 tbs vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

Chocolate chunks and Nutella (to taste)

Method

1. Grease and line the slow cooker. Crush biscuits to a crumb. Add melted butter and combine. Pour the crumb mix into the slow cooker and press evenly over the base.

2, Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add sour cream, eggs, flour, vanilla and salt. Combine. Add chocolate chunks. Mix until smooth.

3. Pour filling over the crust. Add Nutella and swirl through. Cover with tea towel and slow cook for 4-5 hours on low, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

4. Chill for at least 3 hours. Carefully lift the entire cheesecake out of the slow cooker pot and enjoy.

GOLDEN SYRUP DUMPLINGS

If a slow cooker cheesecake doesn't satisfy your sweet tooth then these golden syrup dumplings will do the trick.

The recipe, shared by Slow Cooker Recipes & Tips on Facebook, tastes incredible with a side of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

Syrup

¾ cup of brown sugar

¾ cup of golden syrup

50g of butter

2 cups of water

Dumplings

1½ cups SR flour

½ cup lemonade

½ cup cream

Extra cream or ice cream, to serve

Method

1. Combine syrup ingredients then put in saucepan on the stove and bring to the boil. Carefully pour syrup into slow cooker.

2. Gently combine dumpling ingredients then roll into about 4cm balls and drop into the syrup.

3. Cover and cook on high for 60-90 minutes

4. Serve with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of cream