More Slow Cooker Recipes. Katie Bishop
salad.
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to add a couple of layers of lasagne sheets to this recipe to make a more substantial dish. See the lasagne recipe opposite for more guidance on quantities and how to do it.
Easy mushroom and Parma ham lasagne
PREPARATION TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 4½–6½ HOURS, PLUS PREHEATING
SERVES 6
This recipe is so easy to make and perfect for a family supper or relaxed entertaining.
A large knob of butter
2 tbsp olive oil
500g (1lb 2oz) sliced white mushrooms
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
700g (1lb 9oz) jar good-quality tomato pasta sauce
12 very thin slices of prosciutto di Parma (ham), shredded into 1–2cm (½–¾in) pieces
About 9 sheets white ‘no need to pre-cook’ dried lasagne
150g (5oz) grated mozzarella cheese
25g (1oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Remove the slow cooker dish from the base and rub the butter generously over the inside of the dish. Turn the slow cooker base (without the dish in it) on to high to preheat.
Warm the olive oil in large frying pan over a high heat. When very hot, add the mushrooms and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden. Add the pasta sauce to the pan. Fill the jar a third full with cold water and rinse out the contents into the pan. Add the ham and mix well.
Spread about 4 tablespoons of the mushroom sauce over the base of the slow cooker dish. Top with 3 sheets of the lasagne, about a third of the remaining sauce and a third of the cheeses. Repeat this process twice more but do not cover with the final layer of cheese (the top layer should be the mushroom sauce). Insert the dish carefully into the preheated slow cooker base, cover with the lid and cook on low for 4–6 hours or until the pasta is tender when tested with the tip of a knife.
Once cooked, remove the lid and sprinkle over the reserved cheese. Leave uncovered for about 10–15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve with a dressed green salad.
PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 6¼–8¼ HOURS
SERVES 4
These tasty pork ribs are so easy to make and lip-smackingly tasty!
150g (5oz) tomato ketchup
150g (5oz) soft dark brown sugar
100ml (3½fl oz) cider vinegar
1 heaped tsp English mustard powder
½tsp paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5kg (3lb 5oz) individual pork ribs
Place the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, mustard powder and paprika into the slow cooker dish, season well with salt and pepper and mix until smooth. Add the ribs and toss to coat evenly in the sauce. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6–8 hours.
Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and cover with a tent of foil to keep warm. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the sauce with a spoon and discard. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Boil for 5 minutes or until thickened, then drizzle over the ribs before serving.
COOKING CONVENTIONALLY?
Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3. Place the ribs into a large casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid and add 250ml (gfl oz) cold water to the sauce ingredients. Cover and bake in the oven for 2½–3 hours or until tender.
PREPARATION TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 2 HOURS 10 MINUTES
SERVES 4
This risotto is SO easy to make – there’s no standing over a pot stirring for ages. Instead everything is mixed together and then left to its own devices.
4 tbsp good-quality olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
25g (1oz) butter
250g (9oz) risotto rice
750ml (1¼ pints) chicken or vegetable stock
1 × 400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes
25g (1oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 handfuls of rocket leaves
Warm a quarter of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. When hot, add the onion and garlic and sweat gently without colouring for about 5 minutes.
Cover the base of the slow cooker dish with the remaining olive oil. Place the cooked onion and garlic into the dish together with the butter, rice, stock and tomatoes and mix well. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 2 hours or until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Don’t be tempted to stir or remove the lid.
Stir in the Parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold the rocket through the risotto and serve with plenty of Parmesan to sprinkle over.
COOKING CONVENTIONALLY?
Follow the recipe using a large casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid instead of the