1 week Ago By [email protected] (Laura Mckenna)
As the nights start to draw in, our thoughts turn to hearty evening meals, savouring the flavours of the autumn harvest. Or at least in our house, they do. With the kids back at school and a chill in the air, it's the perfect time to bring out the good old slow cooker.
An easy way to make substantial meals without having to be a whizz in the kitchen, throwing in a handful of ingredients can create delicious dinners that cook themselves through while you do something more exciting. One British mum who likes to share home hacks and recipes on TikTok has shared a way to make Crock Pot cooking even easier, if that could even be a thing. With the help of some fresh ingredients, freezer bags and an eye for a recipe, @abeygaleb has come up with what one follower suggested could be "the best idea ever".
READ MORE: Quorn fans delight with new product - but there's one problem In a method that the TikToker describes as "slow cooker dump bags" the account shares a range of recipes that create tasty seasonal meals. The premise is simple - measure and weigh all ingredients and place them in a bag ready to freeze. When you want to serve one the next day, defrost it overnight and add it to the slow cooker in the morning.
In one chicken casserole recipe, @ abeygaleb pops chicken thighs, chopped carrots, chopped celery, crushed garlic, a large chopped onion, new potatoes, mustard, mixed herbs, bay leaves and chicken stock cubes. She then advises that just before cooking she will "add 300ml of water to the bag and then move them around to get all those lovely juices and pour them in my slow cooker." By writing the name of the recipe and the date on the front of the bag, this fool-proof prepping method means everything is ready to go in advance.
By pre-prepping a mix of fresh meat, vegetables, herbs and spices, the portions are also perfect for feeding a hungry family, helping to avoid food waste. Continually sharing new recipe ideas with her 240K followers, the home cook tries to answer as many questions as possible, explaining to fellow food fans how best to defrost the meal packs and reassuring them that veg won't go soggy. One user called robyn_of_london said "What a GREAT idea.
A week's worth of dinners to gift after birth, surgery...
whatever. A meal is ALWAYS welcome. I love this! Thanks for sharing.
" Alfie O'Flaherty added "Honestly this is such a clever idea!! Can't believe I'd never thought of this. Also the meals look fab" A small number of followers, however, don't quite seem to have grasped the idea completely. In a separate TikTok, the home chef had to explain why the meals must "not be cooked in the plastic bags.
" They explained, "They are called dump bags because you just dump the contents out into your cooker.".
