slow-cooker

Whether it’s mouth-watering Braised beef ribs, Chicken and chorizo gumbo or one of our other delicious winter recipes, fire up your slow-cooker and watch it work culinary magic!

slow-cooked braised beef ribs with parmesan & cauliflower

serves 4 | prep 30 mins | cooking 6 hours 20 mins

1 tbs olive oil 1.4kg beef short ribs, excess fat trimmed 150g speck, rind removed, cut into strips 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 40g (1 ⁄4 cup) plain flour 2 tbs tomato paste 375ml (1 1 ⁄2 cups) red wine 500ml (2 cups) beef stock 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 2 fresh bay leaves 1 ⁄4 cup chopped fresh continental parsley rosemary cauliflower

1 ⁄2 (about 600g) cauliflower, cut into florets 30g butter 40g (1 ⁄4 cup) plain flour 500ml (2 cups) milk 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary 60g (3 ⁄4 cup) finely grated parmesan White pepper, to season

1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the ribs, in 2 batches, for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to the bowl of a 5.5L slow cooker. 2 Add speck to frying pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden. Add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add flour and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Slowly add wine, stirring constantly until smooth. Transfer slow cooker with stock, rosemary and bay leaves. Cook, covered, on low for 6 hours or until meat is almost falling off the bone. 3 Meanwhile, for rosemary cauliflower, microwave cauliflower for 4 minutes or until just tender. Transfer to a baking dish. Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until bubbling. Remove from heat. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly, until smooth. Place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until boiling and thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in the rosemary and half of the cheese. Season with salt and white pepper. Preheat a grill to high. Pour the sauce over cauliflower and top with the remaining cheese. Grill, 10cm from heat, for 5 minutes or until golden. Set aside for 3 minutes to rest. 4 Skim oil from the beef and discard. Sprinkle beef with parsley and serve with the rosemary cauliflower.

top tips

You will need a 5.5L slow cooker to make this recipe. Use a large metal spoon to skim the fat from the ribs. The sauce was bold and tasty. I would also use it as a base for a beef and red wine casserole. The cauliflower was great too.” rebelphillips

top tip

For a leaner dish, remove the skin from the chicken drumsticks before cooking.

slow-cooker paprika chicken

serves 4 | prep 15 mins | cooking 4 hours

11 ⁄2 tbs olive oil 8 chicken drumsticks 1 brown onion, chopped 2 rindless shortcut bacon rashers, finely chopped 1 large red capsicum, deseeded, chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tsp sweet paprika 2 tbs plain flour 410g can crushed tomatoes 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock 110g (1 ⁄2 cup) medium-grain white rice 150g green beans, trimmed, cut into 3cm lengths 1 tbs sour cream Chopped fresh continental parsley, to serve

1 Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a large, deep non-stick frying pan. Cook chicken, in batches, until browned. Transfer to the bowl of a 5.5L slow cooker. 2 Heat remaining oil in pan. Add onion and bacon. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add capsicum. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add garlic and paprika. Cook for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add flour and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato and stock, stirring until well combined. Season with pepper. Carefully transfer to slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low for 3 hours. 3 Increase heat to high. Transfer the chicken to plate. Add rice to slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Return chicken to the slow cooker. Cook, covered, for 40 minutes or until rice is just tender. 4 Remove lid. Add the beans and cook for 15 minutes or until rice and beans are tender. Stir in sour cream. Stand for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

slow-cooker tuscan-style soup

serves 4 | prep 20 mins | cooking 6 hours 10 mins

1 tbs olive oil 1 brown onion, finely chopped 2 carrots, chopped 2 celery sticks, chopped 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 400g Red Delight potatoes, chopped 1 cup Italian-style soup mix 750ml (3 cups) chicken stock 1 dried bay leaf 1L (4 cups) cold water 1 bunch cavolo nero or small bunch kale, thinly sliced 4 thick slices crusty Italian bread, toasted Finely grated parmesan, to serve 1 Heat the oil in large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until aromatic. Transfer to the bowl of a 5.5L slow cooker. 2 Add the potato, soup mix, stock, bay leaf and water to slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours. Stir in the cavolo nero or kale. Cook for a further 2 hours or until beans are tender. 3 Coarsely tear the toasted bread into pieces. Divide soup among serving bowls and top with the toast and parmesan.

One thing I love about Italian soups is how they pack them full of vegies and beans – not to mention big flavour!” Michelle Southan

creamy chicken macaroni

serves 6 | prep 10 mins | cooking 3 hours

5g (1 ⁄2 cup) plain flour 1kg chicken thigh fillets 60ml (1 ⁄4 cup) olive oil 1 leek, thinly sliced 125ml (1 ⁄2 cup) white wine 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock 5 fresh thyme sprigs 2 strips lemon rind 300ml ctn pouring cream 300g dried macaroni pasta 150g (1 cup) frozen peas 80g (1 cup) Kraft Perfect Melt 3 Cheese Blend 60g baby spinach leaves herb crumb

20g butter 60g (1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs 3 tsp finely grated lemon rind 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves 1 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley

1 Place flour on a plate. Add chicken and toss to coat. Shake off excess flour. Season. Heat half the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, in 2 batches, turning, for 5 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a 5.5L slow cooker. 2 Heat remaining oil in pan over medium heat. Stir in leek for 2 minutes or until soft. Add wine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to dislodge bits cooked on base of pan. Add leek mixture, stock, thyme and lemon rind to slow cooker. Cook, covered, on high for 2 1⁄4 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to plate. Stir in cream, pasta and peas. Cook, covered, for 30 minutes or until pasta is al dente. 3 Meanwhile, for the herb crumb, melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs. Stir for 5 minutes or until crisp. Season. Transfer to a bowl. Cool completely. Stir in the lemon rind, thyme and parsley. 4 Coarsely chop chicken and return to slow cooker. Stir in the cheese and spinach. Stand, covered, for a further 5 minutes or until spinach just wilts and chicken is warmed through. Discard the thyme sprigs and lemon rind. Divide among bowls. Top with herb crumb.

spinach & ricotta cannelloni

serves 4 | prep 15 mins | cooking 4 hours 5 mins

1 tbs olive oil 1 small brown onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 700g btl passata 250ml (1 cup) water 2 tbs shredded fresh basil leaves 250g pkt frozen chopped spinach, thawed, excess liquid removed 220g fresh ricotta 1 egg 12 instant dried cannelloni tubes 50g shaved parmesan 120g baby rocket leaves

1 Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Stir for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Stir in passata, water and basil. Bring to the boil. Season. Remove from heat. 2 Combine spinach, ricotta and egg in a bowl. Season. Place in a sealable plastic bag. Cut 1 corner off the bag to make a hole. Pipe spinach mixture into cannelloni tubes. Transfer to a plate. 3 Place 1 cup of the tomato mixture in a 5.5L slow cooker. Top with the filled cannelloni tubes, in a single layer, and the remaining tomato mixture. Cook, covered, on high for 4 hours or until cooked through and tender. Divide among serving plates. Top with the parmesan and rocket.

top tip

To give the cannelloni a more fiery taste, add a generous pinch of chilli flakes to the onion and garlic mixture.

top tip

To make this recipe a bit easier, replace the ground spices with 1 ½ tbs of Moroccan spice mix.

slow-cooker chicken & chorizo gumbo

serves 6 | prep 15 mins | cooking 5 hours 15 mins

1 tsp olive oil 6 chicken thigh cutlets, skinless, trimmed 2 chorizo, thinly sliced 1 brown onion, coarsely chopped 1 red capsicum, deseeded, chopped 1 green capsicum, deseeded, chopped 1 celery stick, sliced 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 tbs plain flour 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock 400g can diced tomatoes 1 tsp dried thyme Large pinch of cayenne pepper (see tip) 150g okra, trimmed, thickly sliced diagonally 2 corn cobs, kernels removed 75g (1 ⁄3 cup) medium-grain white rice Chopped fresh continental parsley leaves, to serve 1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes each side or until just golden. Transfer to the bowl of a 5.5L slow cooker. 2 Add the chorizo to the pan and cook for 1 minute each side. Add to slow cooker. Add the onion, capsicum, celery and garlic to pan. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer to slow cooker. Add stock, tomato, thyme and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. 3 Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours (or on high for 2 hours). Stir in the okra, corn and rice. Cook, uncovered, on low for a further 1 hour or until the chicken and rice are tender. Season. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

top tip

Depending on how spicy your chorizo is, you may want to increase or decrease the amount of cayenne pepper used in this recipe.

The ‘gumbo’ actually refers to the okra or ‘ladies fingers’ that is the classic ingredient in this dish – it helps to thicken the sauce.” Michelle Southan

mother-in-law’s tagine

serves 8 | prep 5 mins | cooking 6 hours 20 mins

11 ⁄2 tbs olive oil 12 (1.25kg) chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, quartered 2 large brown onions, halved, sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground turmeric 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 ⁄2 tsp chilli powder 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock 125ml (1 ⁄2 cup) cold water 150g (1 cup) fresh dates, pitted, halved 60ml (1 ⁄4 cup) honey Fresh coriander, to serve Slivered almonds, toasted, to serve Steamed basmati rice, to serve 1 Heat 1 tbs oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, in batches, for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a 7L slow cooker. 2 Heat remaining oil in pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and chilli. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Transfer to the slow cooker with the stock and water. Season. 3 Turn the slow cooker to low. Cook, covered, for 6 hours or until the chicken is tender. Stir in the dates and honey. Top with coriander and almonds and serve with the steamed rice.

I’ve been looking for a great slow cooker recipe and this is it!” Ntrevor slow-cooker beef ragu

serves 6 | prep 25 mins cooking 6 hours 15 mins

2 tbs olive oil 1kg beef chuck steak, cut into 4cm pieces 1 brown onion, finely chopped 1 celery stick, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 250 ml (1 cup) dry red wine 2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes in juice 250ml (1 cup) beef stock 2 tbs tomato paste 3 sprigs fresh thyme Cooked curly fettuccine, to serve Grated parmesan, to serve Fresh continental parsley leaves, chopped, to serve

1 Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook beef, in 2 batches, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to the bowl of a 5.5L slow cooker. 2 Add remaining oil to pan. Add onion, celery and carrot. Cook for 3 minutes or until just tender. Add wine, tomatoes, stock, tomato paste and thyme to pan. Bring to the boil. Carefully pour over the beef and stir to combine. 3 Cook, covered, on low for 6 hours (or on high for 4 hours) or until the beef is very tender. Stir with a wooden spoon to roughly shred beef. Toss ragu through the fettuccine. Season. Serve topped with parmesan and parsley.

top tip

You could also use beef blade, oyster, skirt or topside steak for this tasty ragu, as these cuts become lovely and tender when slow cooked.

slow-cooker osso buco with gremolata

serves 4 | prep 20 mins | cooking 6 hours 20 mins

2 tbs plain flour 8 (1.2kg) veal osso buco 1 tbs olive oil 1 medium brown onion, chopped 2 medium carrots, chopped 4 celery sticks, chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 125ml (1 ⁄2 cup) red wine 2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes 70g (1 ⁄4 cup) tomato paste 125ml (1 ⁄2 cup) beef stock 4 sprigs fresh thyme gremolata

1 ⁄3 cup chopped fresh continental parsley leaves 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind 1 garlic clove, crushed

1 Place flour in a large snap-lock bag. Add half the veal. Seal and shake to coat. Remove veal from bag and shake off excess flour. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining veal. 2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the veal, in batches, for 3 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to the bowl of a 5.5L slow cooker. 3 Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until onion softens. Add wine. Bring to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes or until reduced by half. Transfer to the slow cooker with the tomato, tomato paste, stock and thyme. Turn the slow cooker on low. Cook, covered, for 6 hours or until the veal is tender. Season. 4 For the gremolata, place parsley, rind and garlic in a bowl. Stir to combine. Serve osso buco with gremolata.

top tip

Osso buco, with its richly flavoured sauce, is even more delicious eaten with generous dollops of creamy mash or polenta.

Such a great winter winner and great for the busy mum. Served it with risotto... mmm! This is now a regular meal at our house.” pookeymuffin

slow-cooker lamb pot roast with almond & pomegranate

serves 4 | prep 15 mins | cooking 6 hours 10 mins

1 tsp olive oil 1.2kg easy-carve leg of lamb 1 brown onion, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped 400g can diced tomatoes 2 carrots, thickly sliced 1 small red chilli 2 tsp ground cumin Large pinch of saffron threads 125ml (1 ⁄2 cup) cold water 95g (1 ⁄2 cup) raisins 1 ⁄2 pomegranate, seeds removed Cooked quinoa, to serve Flaked natural almonds, to serve Fresh mint leaves, to serve Fresh coriander leaves, to serve Extra pomegranate seeds, to serve 1 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to the bowl of a 5.5L slow cooker. 2 Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute or until aromatic. Transfer to the slow cooker. Add the tomato, carrot, chilli, cumin, saffron and water. Stir to combine. 3 Cook, covered, on low for 6 hours (or on high for 3 hours), adding raisins halfway through cooking. Season. Stir in the pomegranate seeds. 4 Slice lamb and serve with quinoa. Sprinkle with almond, mint, coriander and extra pomegranate seeds.

top tip

Pomegranate seeds (technically called arils) can be found in the refrigerated fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket.

What starts off as a simple pot roast in the slow-cooker is transformed into an event of a dish once dressed with the pomegranate, almonds and fresh herbs.” Michelle Southan

slow-cooker mexican pork chilli with pickled corn salsa

serves 6 | prep 25 mins (+ 30 mins marinating time) | cooking 6 hour 45 mins

2 tbs olive oil 1.5kg pork scotch 1 large brown onion, halved, thinly sliced 1 large red capsicum, deseeded, thinly sliced 4 fresh jalapeno chillies, quartered, deseeded 3 garlic cloves, chopped 2 tsp smoked paprika 2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes in juice 1 tsp sugar 125ml (1 ⁄2 cup) chicken stock Mini corn tortillas, warmed, to serve pickled corn salsa

2 x 125g cans corn kernels, drained, rinsed 2 tbs white wine vinegar 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil 2 tbs chopped fresh coriander leaves

1 Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook for 6 minutes, turning often, until browned all over. Transfer to the bowl of a 5.5L slow cooker. 2 Heat remaining oil in the pan. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add the capsicum and chilli. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until capsicum is just tender. Add the garlic and paprika. Cook for 1 minute or until aromatic. Spoon mixture over the pork. 3 Add the tomatoes, sugar and stock to the slow cooker. Season. Cover and cook on low, turning every 2 hours, for 6 hours or until pork is very tender. Remove pork from the sauce. Use 2 forks to coarsely shred the meat. Return pork to the sauce and cook for a further 30 minutes. 4 Meanwhile, to make the pickled corn salsa, place the corn, vinegar and oil in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 30 minutes to marinate. Stir in coriander. Serve pork with tortillas and salsa.

top tip

This Mexican pork chilli is also great served up in a jaffle or as a filling for quesadillas.

What could be a more perfect marriage than pork neck and a slow-cooker? The result is pull-apart strands of succulent meat.” Michelle Southan

slow-cooker boeuf bourguignon

serves 6 | prep 25 mins | cooking 8 hours 35 mins

750ml btl pinot noir 2 tbs olive oil 200g speck or streaky bacon, rind removed, cut into batons 500g French shallots, peeled 1 large carrot, peeled, thickly sliced 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1.5kg chuck steak or gravy beef, cut into 5cm pieces 2 tbs plain flour 250ml (1 cup) no-added-salt beef stock 20g butter 200g small Swiss brown mushrooms 1 bunch baby carrots, trimmed, peeled Creamy mashed potato, to serve bouquet garni

10cm piece celery 5 fresh thyme sprigs 2 fresh continental parsley sprigs 2 fresh bay leaves

1 Bring the wine to the boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside. 2 Heat 1 1⁄2 tbs of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the speck, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the speck to the bowl of a 5.5L slow cooker. Add the shallots and sliced carrot to the frying pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until golden. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute or until aromatic. Use a slotted spoon to transfer shallot mixture to a bowl, reserving the fat in the pan, and set aside. 3 Season the beef. Return frying pan to medium-high heat. Cook the beef, in 3 batches, turning often, for 4 minutes or until browned. Return all the beef to the pan and sprinkle with flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until coated. Add the wine and stock. Cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until mixture comes to a simmer. Transfer to the slow cooker. 4 For the bouquet garni, tie the celery, thyme, parsley and bay leaves together with kitchen string. Add the bouquet garni to the slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low for 6 hours. 5 Heat the butter and remaining oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until browned. Transfer the mushrooms to the slow cooker with the shallot mixture. Add the baby carrots. Cover and cook on low for a further 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Serve with creamy mashed potato.

top tip

Give this tasty boeuf bourguignon recipe even more traditional flavour by using a red wine from Burgundy.

Yes, this is nice and easy. Great family feed in winter.” gavinduffy

slow-cooker beef daube

serves 4 | prep 30 mins | cooking 6 hours 10 mins

2 tsp olive oil 600g beef chuck steak, trimmed, cut into 3cm pieces 1 brown onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1 celery stick, chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 375ml (1 1 ⁄2 cups) red wine 3 tomatoes, chopped 3 fresh thyme sprigs 7cm strip orange rind 2 dried bay leaves Creamy mashed potato, to serve Steamed green beans, to serve

1 Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to the bowl of a 5.5L slow cooker. 2 Heat the remaining oil in pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Transfer to the slow cooker. 3 Add the wine, tomato, thyme, orange rind and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cook, covered, on low for 6-8 hours (or on high for 4 hours), removing lid halfway through cooking. 4 Remove and discard the thyme sprigs, orange rind and bay leaves. Season. Serve with the creamy mashed potato and steamed green beans.

top tip

You could also serve this with steamed rice or polenta instead of the creamy mashed potatoes if you prefer.