Pearl barley, bacon & leek casserole

I got this recipe from the bbc website, but I altered it slightly and cooked in my slow cooker for ease. I cooked it for around 6 hours on low and I felt it was over cooked, the pearl barley had puffed more than I would have liked. I added salt and pepper too. I portioned it up, so will be having it as a meal with a chicken breast or something similar. Although I have put I wouldn’t cook it again - I would, just with some minor adaptations, such as not cooking for too long, or put it in the oven instead. And add some meat, so add gammon rather than bacon, just to give that more feeling.