Fill your kitchen with the smell of Christmas with this slow cooked gammon. The cola adds a healthy slow cooker recipes treacly flavour to balance the saltiness of the ham.

Set your slow cooker to medium. Place the gammon joint in and cover with the cola. Lift the ham into a roasting tin, then cut away the skin leaving behind an even layer of fat. Score the fat all over in a criss-cross pattern. Mix the maple syrup, mustard, vinegar and ground cloves or five-spice in a jug. Pour half over the fat, roast for 15 mins, then pour over the rest and return to the oven for another 30 mins. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 mins, then spoon more glaze over the top.

Can be roasted on the day or up to two days ahead and served cold. RECIPE TIPSTIED GAMMON If your gammon is tied, keep the string on during cooking to help it hold its shape. The temperature of slow cookers can vary vastly so it’s worth investing in a meat thermometer to check if your meat is cooked. TRY THE HIGH SETTING ON THE SLOW COOKEROn a high setting the pork should take 4 hrs. Smaller slow cookers will cook faster than larger ones. This website is published by Immediate Media Company Limited under licence from BBC Studios Distribution.

Feed a crowd or freeze a batch of our comforting beef bourguignon. Turn the slow cooker to low and heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Season the meat and fry for 3-4 mins in batches until browned all over, scooping out each batch with a slotted spoon and transferring the browned meat to a plate. Tip the onion, carrot and celery into the pan and fry for 5-10 mins until soft. Add the herbs and flour and cook for another 2 mins. Pour a splash of the wine into a bowl, then add the stock cube, sugar and tomato purée and mix to form a paste.