101 Slow-Cooker Recipes (14 page)

1-1/2 lbs. stew beef, cubed

1/2 lb. smoked pork sausage, sliced

1 onion, chopped

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

28-oz. can barbecue baked beans

Place beef, sausage, onion and potatoes into a slow cooker; mix well. Spoon beans over top. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, or on high setting 4 to 5 hours. Stir again before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Black Bean Chili

Darrell Lawry
Kissimmee, FL

A different kind of chili! I like to top the bowl with a handful of crushed tortilla chips.

1-lb. pork tenderloin

3 15-1/2 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

16-oz. jar chunky salsa

1/2 c. chicken broth

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 t. chili powder

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. dried oregano

Garnish: sour cream, diced tomatoes

Place pork in a lightly greased slow cooker; add remaining ingredients except garnish. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours, or on high setting for 4 hours. Shred pork; return to slow cooker. Garnish servings with dollops of sour cream and diced tomatoes. Serves 4 to 6.

Down-on-the-Bayou Gumbo

Sue Neely
Greenville, IL

You can’t help but smile with a bowl of gumbo in front of you!

3 T. all-purpose flour

3 T. oil

3 c. chicken broth

1/2 lb. smoked pork sausage, sliced

2 c. frozen okra

14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

3/4 lb. cooked medium shrimp, tails removed

cooked rice

Stir together flour and oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 10 minutes, until mixture is reddish brown. Pour broth into a slow cooker; stir in flour mixture. Add remaining ingredients except shrimp and rice. Cover and cook on low setting for 7 to 9 hours. Shortly before serving, add shrimp to slow cooker; mix well. Cover and cook on low setting for about 20 minutes. Ladle gumbo over cooked rice in soup bowls. Serves 6.

Grama’s Minestrone Soup

Lori Czarnecki
Milwaukee, WI

This is a recipe my grandmother used to make on the stovetop...I adapted it to the slow cooker.

1/4 c. zesty Italian salad dressing

1 c. onion, chopped

1/2 c. celery, chopped

1/2 c. carrot, peeled and chopped

14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes

15-1/2 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 14-oz. cans vegetable broth

3 c. water

1 t. Italian seasoning

12-oz. pkg. small shell pasta, uncooked and divided

Combine all ingredients except pasta in a slow cooker; mix well. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours. Measure out 1-1/2 cups pasta, reserving the rest for another recipe. Stir uncooked pasta into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high setting for an additional 30 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Serves 6.

Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

Judith Jennings
Ironwood, MI

This hearty soup is chock-full of veggies! Make it even healthier with fat-free broth and evaporated milk, if you like.

1/2 c. onion, chopped

2 t. oil

1 c. deli smoked turkey, diced

1 c. celery, diced

1 c. carrots, peeled and diced

1/2 c. long-cooking wild rice, uncooked

1 t. dried tarragon

1/4 t. pepper

2 14-oz. cans chicken broth

12-oz. can evaporated milk

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. frozen peas, thawed

Optional: 2 T. dry sherry

In a skillet over medium heat, cook onion in oil for about 4 minutes, until tender. Combine onion with turkey, celery, carrots, rice and seasonings in a slow cooker; stir in broth. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours. Mix evaporated milk and flour; stir into soup along with peas and sherry, if using. Cover and cook on low setting for about 20 minutes, until thickened. Makes 6 servings.

Down-Home Pea Soup

Jude Trimnal
Brevard, NC