I love my slow cooker, it gets used at least once a week and I’ve never had a bad meal come out of it.  I’m no professional in the kitchen, I have 2 fussy children and whatever I cook has to be simple.  When I first made vegetable soup I sat and stared when the kids lapped their bowls clean and shuted for more!  In the beginning I never thought this was enough of a meal but it’s so filling and I now just cook some mini sausage rolls or nibbles for after if I think they need it.  There really is no exact recipe for the vegetable soup and each time I make it it varies.  Just buy the vegetables you and the family love the most and I’m sure it’ll be a winner.  

 

Pasta sauce is super simple and cheap to make too and if you have a child like me who begs for pasta pretty much every day then you’ll love having a sauce you can grab out the freezer as and when it’s needed.  I’ll use some on the night it’s made and then use ice cube trays to freeze the rest and it makes loads!  We don’t all want pasta as much as my daughter so I’ll just take 2-3 cubes out the freezer to defrost and warm through when she wants it.  For myself and my husband I normally add chicken and use a chilli and garlic grinder to spice it up a bit before serving.

 

 

Make up the stock, peel and chop all the veggies and pop it in the pot with a little bit of pepper.  I normally add more boiling water if I don’t feel like there’s enough liquid and then leave it on low for the afternoon.  Just before dinner time I’ll blend it all up and if it’s too thick then I’ll again add a little more boiling water.  I love to serve it with warm rolls or a French stick and then a little grated cheese which the kids like and some crumbled stilton for my husband. 

There’s normally enough for 4 good sized bowls and the last few portions will go in the freezer for another day.

Other great veggies to include are leek, sweetcorn, green beans, white cabbage and butternut squash.  

 

 

 

I like to chop all the veggies and cherry tomatoes up nice and small and then put it in the slow cooker with the cans of chopped tomatoes for the afternoon.  That’s it!  Blend it up and you’ll have a huge bowl of sauce which is perfect for smaller freezer portions.  

 

Since making it I’ve used it as a simple sauce with pasta for the kids, spaghetti bolognese with mince, lasagne and even as a pizza base.

 

 

If like me you have a sweet tooth then you might want to have a go at making slow cooker fudge too.  It makes great gifts and the toppings and flavour combinations are endless.  For a simple recipe, please look at our Slow Cooker Christmas Fudge Recipe.