Slow Cooker Marmite Chicken and Vegetables

Life has been getting in the way a bit recently, and almost another week has gone by without me sharing any recipes on this blog. I promise to try and improve things over the next few weeks, and share some delicious sweet treats, but in the meantime you're going to have to make do with another slow cooker recipe. It's a great recipe for busy families as it only takes a few minutes to prepare, which means it can be done before leaving for work in the morning.

Marmite is a great flavour enhancer, and I often add a spoonful here and there, but this dish was flavoured entirely with the lovely stuff - just don't tell the husband as he hates it! (mwahahahaha) It also makes a great gravy, and the cooking juices from this dish can be thickened with a little cornflour to make a delicious gravy to pour over.

Slow Cooker Marmite Chicken and Vegetables - serves 4/5

65g Marmite

2 tbsp boiling water
800g skinless & boneless chicken thighs

3 leeks, sliced

2 corn on the cob, sliced

1kg Charlotte potatoes

tbsp cornflour mixed with a little water

fresh Thyme

• Mix the Marmite with the water
• Place the chicken in a large bowl and add the Marmite & water, and mix to coat well
• Add the leeks, corn and potatoes to a slow cooker
• Add the chicken to the slow cooker and give it a quick stir
• Cook on medium for 5 hours
• Spoon everything into an ovenproof dish, setting the juices aside
• Place under a hot grill for a few minutes to give the potatoes some colour
• Bring the juices to the boil and add a little of the cornflour to thicken for your gravy
• Serve scattered with fresh thyme 

For more ideas for using Marmite in recipes have a look at my Pinterest board.

Follow The Crazy Kitchen's board Marmite recipes on Pinterest.

Slow Cooker Sausages in Onion Gravy

As the nights are drawing in and the temperature begins to drop, we start to wonder when that first frost will be here, and whether we'll we be able to find the ice scraper we tossed aside after last winter, as we ran joyfully into Spring.

As it's British Sausage week this week it would be rude not to share a recipe for one of my family's favourite dishes, sausage and mash, which is perfect comfort food for this miserable weather.

I've been pretty busy recently and have been using my slow cooker a lot more, which makes cooking the evening meal so much easier. Onion gravy cooked in the slow cooker is amazing, and the onions just melt in your mouth - forget the sausages, I would be happy with a bowl of gravy and mash!

Slow Cooker Sausages in Onion Gravy - serves 4/5

tbsp oil

10-12 thick pork sausages

2 large onions, sliced

2 tbsp plain flour

750ml beef stock

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

tbsp Marmite or Bovril

black pepper

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan
• Add the sausages and cook over a high heat to brown
• Add the onions and fry for one minute, stirring continuously 
• Remove the sausages & onions from the pan and add the flour to the juices in the pan
• Cook over a low heat for 2 minutes, adding stock, a little at a time, to make a watery paste
• Add the rest of the stock and stir
• Add the sausages, onions and gravy to your slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours, until the onions are melt in your mouth soft

Serve with mash and steamed green vegetables - here I served mine with a buttery mash of sweet potato and white potatoes