We’ve found that many of our guests don’t want to think too hard about cooking after a day of enjoying our on-site activities. They want to relax when they get back to their cabin. That’s why we highly recommend bringing a slow cooker when you come to stay with us.
Slow cookers are brilliant pieces of kitchen equipment that allow you to slowly and safely cook delicious meals throughout the day when you’re out and about.
We’re big fans of slow cookers at Cleveleymere, and these are our top favourite slow cooker recipes to get you feeling warm and cozy in the winter.
Tatty Hash
This is a proper northern classic! Good old tatty hash (a.k.a. Lancashire potato hash) is a nostalgic and comforting dish including minced beef, potatoes and vegetables.
Ingredients:
500g minced beef
1 onion
1kg potatoes, diced
400g carrots, chopped
Beef stock
15ml olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Method:
Brown the minced beef in a frying pan with the olive oil. Add it to the slow cooker
Add the chopped onion, carrot and diced potatoes (peeled or unpeeled)
Cover with the beef stock and cook on high for 4 hours
Tip: You can add a lashing of an ale of your choice to this for a yummy boozy taste.
Lentil Dal
This cheap and cheerful slow cooker recipe will warm your cockles.
Ingredients:
250g red lentils
2 diced onions
4 diced garlic cloves
200g chopped tomatoes
1 tsp crushed chillies
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
Method:
Wash the lentils and put them into your slow cooker
Then, add in the garlic, onion and chopped tomatoes
Add the turmeric, garam masala and crushed chillies
Cover with the vegetable stock and cook on low for 6 hours
Serve with rice or naan bread
Beef Stroganoff
This is a Russian dish that soothes the soul. Plus, it goes perfectly with just about any carb!
Ingredients:
600g stewing steak
200ml milk
1 tin of cream of mushroom soup
2 onions, chopped
1 punnet of mushrooms, sliced
5 tbsp of cream cheese
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Method:
Add all of the ingredients apart from the cream cheese to the slow cooker
Cook on low for 6 hours
Add the cream cheese 1 hour before serving
Serve with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes
French Onion Soup
This is a much-loved vegetarian soup with a flavour that packs a punch.
Ingredients:
2 white onions, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 beef stock cubes
1 bay leaf
¾ cup grated swiss cheese
2 sprigs of thyme
Black pepper (to taste)
Method:
Put the butter in the bottom of the slow cooker
Add the onions and black pepper, cook on low for 5 hours
Add all of the other ingredients and cover with water, cook on high for 2 hours
Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs before serving
Tip: For an added bit of oomf, you can choose to add meatballs or dumplings to this recipe.
Beef Stew
This is another crowd-pleasing slow cooker favourite, perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients:
500g diced beef
15ml olive oil
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
5 carrots, chopped
3 beef stock cubes
5 sticks of celery, chopped
5 potatoes, chopped
5 tbsp spoons red lentils, washed and drained
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Method:
Brown the beef with the olive oil in the frying pan. Add it to the slow cooker.
On top of the beef, add the celery, onion, potatoes, garlic, carrots and lentils.
Crumble the stock cubes and add into the slow cooker
Fill the slow cooker with cold water
Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours
Tip: You can add all sorts of things to this recipe for your preferred tastes. Bovril, tomato puree and ale are all really lovely additions to this dish!
These are just a handful of the delicious slow cooker meals you can make in your luxury lodge at Lancashire’s Cleveleymere Lakeside Lodges. For more slow cooker recipe inspiration, this page on BBC Good Food has loads of excellent ideas.
To find out more about our lakeside lodges and onsite activities, browse our website.
