Dinner By 5: Slow Cooker Recipes You Need To Try

Imagine coming home after a long day with a couple of tired, cold whiny children to the aromatics of a home-cooked curry without you having to stand vigil to get it done? No rushing to chop, saute and mix. A smooth afternoon without multi-tasking through cooking, homework, snack requests and dings on your phone?

M-A-G-I-C is what that would be. And guess what? A calm golden hour can be yours with a little preparation in the AM, planning and a good slow-cooker.

Slow Cooker Benefits 

If you haven’t joined the host of parents whipping out the slow-cooker on the reg, you really are missing out on some gains like: 

• Energy saving: both yours and actual electricity. A good slow-cooker is an energy efficient tool using less electricity than an oven. 
• Money saving: using cheaper cuts of meat is a YES because the slow cooking process will make that meat tender. 
• Time saving: just 20 minutes in the morning and you’ve got yourself a healthy meal before 5. 
• Versatility: you can make a mean curry, soup, stew, casserole and sauce of any kind. It might even push you to explore a few new recipes. 
• Batch: want to build up your freezer? Double the recipe and you’ve got yourself another dinner ready in advance. 

Slow Cooking Tools Of The Trade 

Ready to give it a go? Preparation will see you succeed. First off, you need the appliance of the hour, a slow cooker. If you haven’t already got one lurking in the back of your pantry, fear not because they’re really cheap.

You can get a  really fancy one with all the bells and whistles from Myer (RRP $169), find a mid-level piece from  Spotlight for $77 OR grab a lean or mean one (that does the job!) from  K-Mart for $42. 

Then, you’ll need get planning. Our top tip? Grab a  Menu Planner and plot-out your dinners weekly. Pop it on the fridge so everyone knows what’s up. Write your shopping list for the week. 

Then, save yourself the headache of battling the shops and order your groceries online. You can even organise a recurring weekly delivery with the essentials like milk, bread, fruit, cereal and then add your extras the day before. Trust me, it saves a whole lot of drama later. 

Slow Cooker Recipes 

Need a recipe stat? No worries. we’ve done the leg work for you to find the most delicious family friendly meals you can make in 20 minutes or less without having to break a sweat. 

Italian Beef Gnocci - 15 Minutes Prep  

Coconut Chicken Curry - 10 minutes prep

Moroccan Lamb & Barley Stew - 15 minutes prep 

Vegan Pumpkin Soup - 20 minutes prep 

Honey Soy Beef Brisket - 5 minutes prep 

Beef & Carrot Ragout - 15 minutes prep 

Vege Dahl - 15 minutes prep 

Chicken Stroganof - 10 minutes prep

BONUS!

Reduce Overwhelm 

Carrying the mental load is exhausting. Feeling responsible for everyone else's activities, plans, appointments and  to-do lists is draining and can lead to mental and physical fatigue.

Turbo-charge your planning prowess with our Family Command Centre. Get on top of your schedule, menu plan, jot down your grocery list and add all the little reminders for instant mental clarity.