Slow Cooker Family Meals for Fall, by Christine's Notebook on YouTube. 30 min 22 s.
- Video length
- 30 min 22 s
- Time to do it
- 7 to 8 hours, mostly hands-off
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Set a 6-quart slow cooker to low. Add 3 lb beef chuck, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp gochujang, 4 cloves garlic and 1 tbsp grated ginger. Cook 7 to 8 hours.
Shred the beef in the pot with two forks and stir in 1 tbsp sesame oil. Warm tortillas and fill them with beef, shredded cabbage and sliced green onion.
Mix 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 to 2 tbsp gochujang and a squeeze of lime for the quick mayo. Taste and add more gochujang if you want it hotter.
Heat the oven to 350 F. Whisk 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp cinnamon. In another bowl beat 1 cup pumpkin puree, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup oil and 1 cup sugar.
Fold the dry mix into the wet mix until just combined, then scrape it into a greased loaf pan. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
Beat 4 oz soft cream cheese with 2 tbsp butter, 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Spread it over the cooled loaf.
For chicken tikka masala, put 2 lb boneless chicken thighs in the slow cooker with 1 cup plain yogurt, 2 tbsp garam masala, garlic, ginger and 1 tsp salt. Cook 5 to 6 hours on low.
Stir 1 cup cream and 2 tbsp tomato paste into the chicken 20 minutes before serving. Serve with rice and naan.
For sesame chicken, whisk 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tbsp ketchup, garlic and ginger in the pot. Add 2 lb chicken thighs and cook 4 to 5 hours on low.
Thicken the sesame sauce with a cornstarch slurry and cook 10 more minutes. Top with sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
Tips and common mistakes
Brown the beef in a hot pan first if you have time, since it deepens the sauce.
Use chicken thighs rather than breasts, because lean breast meat dries out over long slow cooking.
Add cream or yogurt at the end so it does not split during hours of heat.
Raw chicken and its juices must stay off the cutting board used for vegetables, so wash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water.
Questions
Can I cook these recipes on high instead of low?
Yes. Roughly halve the time, so 3 to 4 hours on high instead of 7 to 8 on low. Check that chicken reaches 165 F before you serve it.
Can I double the recipes for a bigger crowd?
You can, but keep the slow cooker no more than two thirds full. A packed pot heats slowly and the food sits in the danger zone too long.
What can I use instead of gochujang?
Sriracha, chilli paste or a spoon of miso mixed with chilli flakes all work. Start with less and taste before adding more.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
