Slow cooked meals

Emma White - Nutritionist | 13 Aug, 2021

On a cool autumn evening there's nothing better than coming home to your dinner gently bubbling away, ready to eat. Slow cooker sales are booming as an ever-increasing army of devotees are saving time and money: for time-poor cooks, all that's needed is to steam some veggies or slice a loaf of crusty bread before sitting down to a delicious and hassle-free dinner.

First launched in the 70's as the 'Crock-Pot', slow cookers have shed their retro image and are back in fashion as consumers adopt the ethos of low-energy and low-cost living. Slow cookers claim to only use the same amount of electricity as a standard light bulb, which would make them a very economical cooking method when compared to a traditional oven or hob cooking. They're also perfect for transforming cheaper cuts of meat into warming stews, soups and casseroles – money saving positives all round.

Don't have a slow cooker? No problem – use a covered casserole dish instead and cook at 170°C, Gas Mark 3 for 1-1¼ hours.

Slow cooked pulled chicken rolls

Slow cooked pulled chicken rolls

Serves 4 - 462 kcals per serving

Kcals 462
Fat 12.5g
Sat fat 2.1g
Carbs 50.9g
Sugar 20.7g
Fibre 5.5g
Protein 38.0g
Salt 1.60g

Ingredients

  • 100g BBQ sauce
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 500g skinless chicken breast
  • 4 medium crusty wholemeal rolls
  • 4 tbsp reduced fat coleslaw

Method

  1. Mix the BBQ sauce, onion, garlic, olive oil, Worcester sauce and sugar together in a slow cooker.
  2. Add the chicken breasts and coat well with the sauce mix.
  3. Cook on low for 6-7 hours, until the chicken is easy to shred.
  4. Once cooked, remove the chicken to a chopping board and shred using two forks. Add back into the slow cooker and mix thoroughly with the leftover sauce.
  5. Serve in a bread roll topped with a tablespoon of coleslaw.
Slow cooker beef curry

Slow cooker beef curry

Serves 6 - 528 kcals per serving

Kcals 528
Fat 18.4g
Sat fat 6.5g
Carbs 70.3g
Sugar 10.8g
Fibre 5.3g
Protein 24.9g
Salt 0.24g

Ingredients

  • 500g brisket beef joint
  • 20ml olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 red chillies, deseeded and diced
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • 3 tsp ground cumin
  • 3 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 150g low fat natural yogurt
  • 450g dried rice
  • Salt
  • Fresh coriander, to garnish

Method

  1. Heat a teaspoon of the olive oil in a frying pan and brown the beef joint. Place the browned meat into a slow cooker.
  2. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the onions for five minutes. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
  3. Add the spices and chopped tomatoes to the slow cooker, then fill one of the empty cans with water and add.
  4. Stir all ingredients together and press down the meat to ensure everything is covered in liquid.
  5. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. About half an hour before serving, add the garam masala and yoghurt and season to taste with salt and a little more chilli.
  6. Before serving, gently break up the meat into chunks. Serve with 125g cooked rice per serving and garnish with coriander.
Slow cooker turkey chilli

Slow cooker turkey chilli

Serves 4 - 284 kcals per serving

Kcals 284
Fat 4.2g
Sat fat 1g
Carbs 24g
Sugar 10.7g
Fibre 7.8g
Protein 38.5g
Salt 0.77g

Ingredients

  • Frylight
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 500g extra lean turkey mince
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 400g tin kidney beans, drained
  • 200g tin sweetcorn, drained

Method

  1. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and spray with 10 squirts of Frylight.
  2. Fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften.
  3. Increase the heat and add the turkey mince, stirring until browned.
  4. Add the mince, onion and garlic to the slow-cooker, along with the chopped tomatoes, chilli, paprika, cumin, coriander and stock cube. Pour in a little water.
  5. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on medium for 3-4 hours.
  6. About 30 minutes before serving, add the kidney beans and sweetcorn and replace lid.
  7. Serve with 125g cooked rice per person. Just add the extra calories.
Slow cooker mixed bean stew

Slow cooker mixed bean stew

Serves 4 - 390 kcals per serving

Kcals 390
Fat 5.1g
Sat fat 0.6g
Carbs 66.8g
Sugar 13.0g
Fibre 15.8g
Protein 19.1g
Salt 0.43g

Ingredients

  • Frylight
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 300g dried quinoa
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400g tin kidney beans, drained
  • 400g tin butter beans, drained
  • 1 medium red chilli, sliced
  • 1 medium red pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and spray with 10 squirts of Frylight.
  2. Fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until softened.
  3. Add the onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes, chilli, pepper, carrot, beans, quinoa, chilli powder, ground coriander and 400ml water to the slow cooker. Cook on medium for 3-4 hours.
  4. About 10 minutes before serving, stir in the fresh coriander and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Serve in warm bowls, garnished with coriander.
Slow cooker chicken & veg stew

Slow cooker chicken & veg stew

Serves 4 - 248 kcals per serving

Kcals 248
Fat 2.6g
Sat fat 0.7g
Carbs 20.7g
Sugar 11.9g
Fibre 7.7g
Protein 36.9g
Salt 1.54g

Ingredients

  • 500g skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 3 celery sticks, washed and chopped
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
  • 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 200g frozen peas
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • Cornflour to thicken
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Place all the ingredients, except for the peas and dried thyme, into a slow cooker.
  2. Cook on high for 4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and tender and the vegetables have softened.
  3. Approximately 20-30 minutes before serving, add the peas. At this stage, if needed, use a little cornflour to thicken up the stew.
  4. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Nutritionist Emma White (ANutr), MSc Human Nutrition is passionate about how food science applies to the human body, and how the nutrients in what we eat affect us and ultimately have an impact on our health.

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