slow cooking favorites Three-Bean Soup Three-Bean Soup Makes 8 to 10 servings hours or until beans are tender. Discard bay leaves before serving. Osso Buco Makes 4 servings Soak the beans just before you go to bed, and then assemble the soup in the slow cooker the following morning. Brunswick Stew Makes 8 to 10 servings 2 cups new potatoes, coarsely chopped 2 cups frozen lima beans, thawed 2 cups frozen corn, thawed 2 cups frozen okra, thawed 1 onion, chopped 3 pounds boneless beef roast, trimmed 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (28-ounce) bottle barbecue sauce 1½ cups beef broth Cornbread, optional 1 cup chopped carrots 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped onion 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup red wine 1 cup beef broth 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 4 (1½-inch-thick) veal shanks 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano Hot cooked orzo Garnish: fresh rosemary 1. In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine potatoes, beans, corn, okra, and onion. Place roast on vegetables. Pour tomatoes, barbecue sauce, and beef broth over roast. Cover and cook on high 1 hour. 2. Reduce heat to low, and cook 8 hours. 3. Using 2 forks, shred meat into bite-size pieces. Serve with cornbread, if desired. 1. In a 3-quart slow cooker, combine carrots, celery, onion, garlic, red wine, beef broth, tomato paste, and dried rosemary. Arrange veal shanks on vegetables. Sprinkle veal and vegetables with salt and pepper. Pour tomatoes over veal shanks. Cover and cook on high 1 hour. Reduce heat to low, and cook 7 hours. 2. Serve over orzo. Garnish with fresh rosemary, if desired. ½ pound dried light red kidney beans ½ pound dried pinto beans ½ pound dried navy beans 1 ham hock 2 cups chopped onion 1½ cups chopped celery 1½ cups chopped carrots 10 thyme sprigs 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 12 cups hot water 1. In a large bowl, add beans and cold water 2 inches above beans. Soak beans 8 hours or overnight. 2. Drain beans, discarding water. In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine soaked beans, ham hock, onion, celery, carrots, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and water. Cover and cook on low 12 Veggie Spaghetti Sauce Makes 8 to 10 servings Osso Buco 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes 2 cups sliced zucchini 1 cup sliced yellow squash 1 (8-ounce) container sliced fresh mushrooms ¼ cup finely chopped carrots 3 cloves garlic, minced ¼ teaspoon dried basil ¼ teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon dried parsley ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Hot cooked spaghetti Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional 1. In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine tomatoes, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, carrots, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on low 7 hours. 2. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired. “Slow cookers fill your home with an aroma that signals ‘welcome home, there’s no cooking tonight.’ ” –Paula Veggie Spaghetti Sauce Asian Chicken Thighs and Bok Choy Asian Chicken Thighs and Bok Choy Makes 4 servings ¼ cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper 4 cups sliced bok choy 1 cup sliced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper) 1 cup sliced green bell pepper (about 1 pepper) 1 cup sliced yellow bell pepper (about 1 pepper) 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs ¼ teaspoon salt Hot cooked rice 1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, ginger, lemon juice, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Set aside. 2. Place bok choy and peppers in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker. Arrange chicken evenly on top of vegetables. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Pour soy sauce mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on high 1 hour. Reduce heat to low, and cook 5 hours or until chicken is done. 3. Spoon vegetables over rice. Top with chicken. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve immediately. Lemon-Thyme Chicken Makes 4 to 6 servings Sometimes grocery stores put out partially frozen chicken. Before adding chicken or any ingredient to the slow cooker, make sure it is fully thawed so it will cook properly. 1 (5- to 6-pound) chicken, rinsed and patted dry 1 teaspoon salt, divided 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided ½ lemon 3 thyme sprigs 3 cloves garlic, crushed 4 cups baby carrots 6 shallots, peeled and halved ¼ cup white wine 1. Season chicken cavity with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Place lemon half, thyme, and garlic into cavity. Truss chicken. Season outside of chicken with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Arrange carrots and shallots in a 5-quart slow cooker. Place chicken on top. Pour wine over chicken and vegetables. Cover and cook on high 1 hour. Reduce heat to low, and cook 5 hours or until chicken is done. Lemon-Thyme Chicken Hand-me-down Check To test an older slow cooker to make certain it gets hot enough to cook foods safely and thoroughly, try this. Fill it with 2 quarts lukewarm water. Turn on low setting for 8 hours with the lid on. Remove lid, and check water temperature with an instant-read thermometer. If it doesn’t register 185°, consider replacing the cooker. SLOW-COOKER MEAT LOAF Makes 6 servings 11/2 pounds ground beef 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) 1 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon dried minced onion 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup ketchup CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA Makes about 8 servings 11/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 1 onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with garlic and onion 1 cup chicken broth 11/2 tablespoons Creole seasoning* 2 cups instant white rice* {1} In a 5-quart oval slow cooker, combine chicken, smoked sausage, onion, bell pepper, celery, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and Creole seasoning. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 3 to 4 hours. {2} Stir rice into jambalaya mixture. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes or until rice is tender. *We used Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning and Minute Rice. {1} In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, panko, mushrooms, eggs, onion, garlic powder, and salt. Gently form into an 8x5-inch loaf. {2} Fold two (24-inch-long) pieces of aluminum foil lengthwise in half twice. Crisscross foil strips in bottom of a 5-quart oval slow cooker so that edges of strips hang over top edge of slow cooker. Place meat loaf in center of foil strips in slow cooker. {3} Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low. Remove lid, and quickly brush top of meat loaf with ketchup. Return lid to slow cooker, and cook on low for 3 hours. Use edges of foil strips to gently remove meat loaf from slow cooker. *We used 90/10 ground beef. PULLED PORK BARBECUESTUFFED BAKED POTATOES Makes 4 servings 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), trimmed 3/4 cup ketchup 2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1 (1.6-ounce) package barbecue pork seasoning* 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 11/2 tablespoons liquid smoke 4 baking potatoes Garnish: shredded Cheddar cheese, chopped green onions {1} Place pork tenderloin in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. {2} In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, pork seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke. Pour ketchup mixture over pork tenderloin. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. {3} During last hour of slow cooking, preheat oven to 375°. Place potatoes on a baking sheet, and bake 1 hour or until skin is crisp and potato is tender. {4} Remove pork from slow cooker, and shred with a fork. Return pork to slow cooker, and stir gently to coat shredded pork with sauce. Serve shredded pork over baked potatoes. Garnish with shredded cheese and chopped green onions, if desired. *We used McCormick Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning. SPINACH MANICOTTI Makes 7 servings 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry 1 egg, lightly beaten 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 (14.5-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, chopped 1 (24-ounce) jar roasted garlic and herb pasta sauce, divided 1 cup chopped onion 1 (8-ounce) package uncooked manicotti shells (14 shells) {1} In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and salt, stirring to combine. {2} In a 5-quart oval slow cooker, combine 1 can stewed tomatoes, 1 cup pasta sauce, and onion. {3} Fill uncooked manicotti shells with spinach mixture. Arrange 7 stuffed shells over the tomato mixture in slow cooker. Top shells with remaining can stewed tomatoes. Arrange remaining stuffed shells over stewed tomatoes. {4} Pour remaining pasta sauce over manicotti shells, spreading evenly. Top with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. {5} Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Note: Chop the stewed tomatoes in the can using kitchen shears.
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