Top tips for delicious winter meals using a slow cooker
<p>It’s now mid-winter so there’s no better way of warming yourself up than with a delicious, slow-cooked meal. Here are our five top tips for creating delicious meals with a slow cooker. </p>
<p>With a high number of people in lockdown across the country, there’s probably never been a better time to start learning new slow cooker recipes to make warming, winter meals.</p>
<p>Bettina Jenkins, Culinary Expert at <a href="https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/">Appliances Online</a>, has shared her top five tips for making slow cookers a part of your everyday cooking experience.</p>
<p><strong>Top slow cooker tips from Bettina Jenkins, Appliances Online Culinary Expert</strong></p>
<p>“Imagine getting home from work and your dinner is ready? Gently simmering, all day, tenderising those inexpensive cuts of meat and turning them into melt in the mouth morsels - that's slow cooking for you! If you’re time poor in the morning, try the night-before technique - throw everything in the slow cooker the night before, pop it in the fridge, then start cooking it all the next morning and dinner will be ready later on in the day!</p>
<p><strong>Tip No. 1) You don't have to use expensive meats for slow cooking to produce quality culinary results. </strong>You can use inexpensive cuts of meat and because they’re slowly simmering all day, this turns them into melt-in-your-mouth morsels - that's slow cooking for you<strong>!</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tip No. 2) You can cook just about anything in a slow cooker. </strong>Slow cookers are so versatile, that you can cook soups, casseroles, lasagna, desserts and even cakes and yoghurt! You’ll love the results from these time and energy saving appliances!</p>
<p><strong>Tip No. 3) Try the night-before technique. I</strong>f you have other things to do in the morning, throw everything in the slow cooker the night before, pop it in the fridge, then start cooking when you get up and dinner will be ready later on.</p>
<p><strong>Tip No. 4) Try overnight oats. </strong>You can cook oats, milk, sultanas and grated apple and carrots - cook on low for 8 hours and wake up to a warm and nourishing breakfast! </p>
<p><strong>Tip No. 5) Cleaning is a breeze too!</strong> Just one removable pot at the end of the night – simply give it a quick clean or pop it in the dishwasher!</p>
<p><strong>As well, Bettina gave us a list of five slow cookers suitable for all different budgets: </strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/product/tefal-rk732-18l-easy-rice-slow-cooker?sli_sku_jump=1"><strong>Tefal RK732 1.8L Easy Rice & Slow Cooker</strong></a><strong>- RRP $130</strong></li>
<li><a href="https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/product/breville-lsc650bss-searing-slow-cooker?sli_sku_jump=1"><strong>Breville LSC650BSS the Searing 6L Slow Cooker</strong></a><strong>- RRP $219</strong></li>
<li><a href="https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/product/westinghouse-3-x-25l-slow-cooker-whsc07ks?sli_sku_jump=1"><strong>Westinghouse 3 x 2.5L Slow Cooker WHSC07KS</strong></a><strong>- RRP $149.95</strong></li>
<li><a href="https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/product/kitchenaid-artisan-slow-cooker-92395?sli_sku_jump=1"><strong>KitchenAid 5KSC6222ASS Artisan 5.7L Slow Cooker</strong></a><strong>RRP $259</strong></li>
<li><a href="https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/product/crock-pot-chp600-choose-a-crock-one-pot-slow-cooker?sli_sku_jump=1"><strong>Crock-Pot CHP600 Choose-a-Crock One Pot Slow Cooker</strong></a><strong>- RRP $129</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>
