Slow cooker to freezer....?

Question

I love using my slow cooker, but what recipes can I do in it, which can then be frozen? As a person living on my own, I hate wasting food, but it can be hard to get quantities right. I am bored of sausage casserole which is the only thing I could think of that could be slow cooked and then frozen!! Any ideas much appreciated!

Answer 1

All sorts of things!  Casseroles (chicken, beef etc), chilli con carne, soups  etc.

Answer 2

as denny hamlin would say, who wants a slow cooker?

see the video "yard sale" at fedexracing.com

seriously though, you can cook chili or a variety of soups in it.  we cook a big pot of gumbo down here and freeze it in smaller containers so we can eat one meal at a time.

good luck.

Answer 3

Anything can be frozen after it is cooked!  Just cool down as quickly as possible, portion, pack and label and freeze.

Only things that should not be frozen are salads - ie lettuce.  Raw garlic is not good in the freezer and meat that has already been frozen - but it can be refrozen once it has been well cooked.

I should do more of what you are doing.  I live alone too and find it difficult.  Also am too tired to cook alot of the time.

Answer 4

here are a few slow cooker receipes.

Scotch broth



350g lamb

1 litre boiling water

50g pearl barley

2 sliced onions

175g small diced carrots

175g small diced turnip

2 thin sliced leeks

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped parsley for serving



put lamb in to pan cover with cold water and bring to boil remove and scum add rest ingredients bring to boil again then transfer to slow cooker.



High 3-4 hours or low 7-12 hours

Minestrone soup



25g butter

1 clove garlic crushed

1 large leek

1 large carrot chopped thin

1 large potato

1 onion

2 celery sticks thinly sliced

175g cabbage finely shredded

397g canned tomato’s including juice

Salt and black pepper to taste

1.4 litres chicken stock

2 bay leaves

1 bouquet garni

50g thin cut macaroni

Parmesan cheese



heat butter in a large pan add the garlic leek and carrot potato onion and celery sauté until the butter is absorbed add the remaining ingredients except the macaroni and parmesan bring to the boil transfer to the slow cooker and cook for the recommended time. 45 mins before serving remove bay leaf and bouquet garni and add the macaroni. Serve with the grated parmesan.

High 3-5 hours or low 7-10 hours.

Tomato soup



25g butter

1 finely chopped onion

1 finely chopped carrot

4 rashes of streaky bacon chopped

700g tomato skinned and chopped

900ml chicken stock

5ml sugar

Good pinch of sweet basil

Salt and pepper to taste



Sauté the onion carrot and bacon in the butter for 3-4 mins stir in the remaining ingredients and transfer to the slow cooker. Liquidise for smooth soup.

High 3-4 hours or low 7-10 hours

French onion soup



25g butter or marg

450g onions sliced

550ml chicken stock

1 bay leaf

4 slices of French bread

100g grated cheese



Melt butter in a large pan fry onions until golden brown add stock bay leaf and seasoning to taste bring to the boil then transfer to the slow cooker. To serve sprinkle slices of French bread with grated cheese and float on top of the soup remove the cooking pot and brown under the grill until the cheese bubbles. High 3-4hrs low 7-10hrs.

Beef bourguignon



15ml cooking oil

1 kilo stewing steak cubed

100g streaky bacon chopped

30ml flour

300ml red wine

30ml brandy

150ml stock

Good pinch of thyme

1 bay leaf

1 clove garlic crushed

10-12 shallots or tiny onions whole

salt and pepper to taste



heat oil in a large pan fry beef and bacon until lightly brown add flour gently stir in the wine and brandy add the remaining ingredients and season well bring to boil and add to slow cooker. Remove bay leaves before serving. High 4-5 hrs low 7-9 hrs

Braised steak chasseur



700g braising steak cut in to 4 portions

Seasoned flour

30ml cooking oil

8 shallots thinly sliced

225g button mushrooms thinly sliced

300ml beef stock

150ml white wine

5ml mixed herbs

Chopped parsley to garnish



Coat the meat in the seasoned flour heat oil in a frying pan quickly fry steak on both sides

transfer to slow cooker add shallots to frying pan and cook until softened add beef stock and wine season and add the mushrooms bring to the boil pour over steak and cook for recommended time. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.  High 3-4hours or low 5-7hours



Sweet and sour spare ribs.



75ml soy sauce

210 crushed pineapple

150ml sherry

15ml brown sugar

1 garlic clove crushed

1.1kg, 2 1/2lb spare ribs of pork

Seasoned flour to coat

15ml cooking oil



Combine first five ingredients to make sauce. Dip the spare ribs in flour heat oil in a large pan and brown spare ribs drain off surplus fat add sauce to spare ribs and bring to the boil transfer to slow cooker. High 3-5 hours or low 5-7hours.

Pork and pineapple curry.



1kg lean pork cut into cubes

40g flour

5ml salt

30ml oil

1 large onion chopped

15ml curry powder

15ml paprika powder

300ml chicken stock

2 dried red chilies

15ml mango chutney

5ml Worcester sauce

454g pineapple cubes and juice

2 bay leaves



Toss pork in flour and salt. In a large pan heat the oil then add the pork. Lift out the pork and place on a plate. In the same pan fry the onions until soft. Stir in the curry powder and paprika. Fry for 2 mins then return meat to the pan stir well and cook for a few mins. Add remaining ingredients bring to the boil and transfer to the slow cooker. Remove bay leaves before serving. High 3-4hours or low 6-8hours

Chicken risotto



5ml oil

1 onion chopped

175g bacon

350g cooked chicken chopped in to small pieces

397g caned tomato’s and juice

1 green pepper

75g button mushrooms sliced

5ml mixed herbs

550ml chicken stock

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

175g easy cook long grain rice



heat oil in a pan add onion bacon and chicken and fry lightly stir in tomato’s green pepper mushrooms herbs stock bay leaf and seasoning bring to the boil transfer to slow cooker and stir in rice. Remove by leaf before serving.  Low approx 2 hours.

Hope at least some of these are to your taste.

you can find more receipes on the internet by typing slow cooker receipes in to your search engine.

Answer 5

soups and stews can be frozen. Just put them into serving size containers after cooking and stash them in the freezer. I like the ziplock freezer bags for this because they can be frozen then stacked neatly.

any bean recipe works the same way. as do pot roasts.

find some really good recipes at recipezaar. put crock pot or slow cooker in the search box and there will be thousands.