You know I am a HUGE fan of slow cooker recipes that can be just popped straight into the slow cooker with NO browning first, but what if we prepped these in advance too for convenience that’s on another level? Yes it’s possible! Here are some of my favourite recipes – made into… DUMP BAGS! A dump bag is where you prepare all (or most) of the ingredients for a slow cooker meal, then:
Put it into a freezer container. Label and freeze until you want to cook it. Defrost thoroughly, dump in the slow cooker (get it?) and cook according to the usual instructions.
That’s it. Dinner is done! ⭐️ Helps with bulk-buying ingredients (meat, for example, is often cheaper in bulk). ⭐️ Doubling up your prep means double dinners, in less than double the time. (I usually make at least x2 of each recipe.) There’s a really useful article of tips here in the Guardian: Defrost and Dump. But who wants to be buying single-use plastic these days? Luckily the ones below say they can be reused more than once – hurrah! These labels are 100% the best I have found. They are the only ones I’ve used that don’t fall off in the freezer. Just make sure that the bag is totally dry before you stick them on. UPDATE (20 Feb 2023) I have tried these recently and am a fan! They can be squashed very flat so:
They lay neatly in the freezer They freeze quickly Most importantly, they defrost quickly
This is the slow cooker I always use and I cannot recommend enough. It’s so light and easy to handle, the pot can also be used on the hob AND it’s great value. ⭐️ Have bags and labels ready. ⭐️ If you need a shopping list, you can adjust the recipe ingredients needed for portion sizes on every recipe here: Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
