Slow cookers – the saviour of busy mums across the land. If you haven’t yet cottoned on to the life saver that is the Slow Cooker that where oh where have you been? And now that it’s Autumn, it’s the perfect time to get involved with a bit of slow cooker loving.

The best thing about the slow cooker is quite simply that minimal effort usually always translates to maximum effect. It’s also a great way to make cheaper cuts of meat taste absolutely delicious so also a fab money saver.  Bung a load of ingredients in, leave for 6-8 hours on low then Bob’s Your Uncle. A massive boon when you’ve got a busy day ahead, and know you’re going to be home circa ten minutes before dinner time (usually argh!) because you can stick it on in the morning and be there to reap the not very hard work later on at dinner without having to slave over as hot stove.

Whether it’s your family friendly classics or something a little different, here’s 5 of my favourite and super easy slow cooker recipes to get you started…..

Herby Baked Lamb in Tomato Sauce

This comes first as this is my absolute go-to slow cooker dish. Lamb can be a tough one to get right in the oven but in a slow cooker? OH. MY. GOD. Absolute heaven! See the full recipe here from Healthy Slow Cooking. 

Butternut squash macaroni and cheese

Picture credit: Kate Lewis, Copyrighted by Fair Winds Press

I do love a mac n cheese but can’t resist the urge to use it to sneak some veggies in. Even better when the sneaking has been done whilst nobody is paying attention in the morning madness with this scrummy rendition. See the full recipe here from BBC Good Food.

Teriyaki Chicken

There are so many ways to spin chicken thighs in a slow cooker…sure you can go for a simple stew but I do love to mix things up a little with this Japanese-inspired rendition.  See the full recipe here from Sainsbury’s. 

Bolognaise

OK, not a massive game changer but everyone reading this needs to know that good old spag bol sauce can be left to cook slowly and beautifully in a slow cooker and the perfect way to make a massive batch of it at that too! Better than sweating over a hot stove to make this family staple any day. See the full recipe here from Real Simple.

Chicken risotto

Who wants to stand around for 40 minutes stirring a risotto while you’ve got a child whining at your legs? Not me – let the slow cooker do the cooking instead with this beauty of a risotto.  See the full recipe here from Healthy Slow Cooking.

Are you a slow cooker lover? What recipes do you love to cook in your slow cooker? Do leave a comment and share. And if you’re looking for more mealtime inspo why not check out my ideas on healthy week night dinners here and here.

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