Fix-It and Forget-It Revised and Updated: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (24 page)

5. Stir sausage and gravy into cooked potatoes in slow cooker. Add butter, corn, and onions. Continue cooking until onion is tender, about 30 more minutes on High.

6. Add cream, milk, salt, pepper, and hot sauce if you wish, for final 10 minutes of cooking.

Sausage White Bean Soup

Christie Anne Detamore-Hunsberger

Harrisonburg, VA

Makes 8 servings

Prep Time: 20-30 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-3½ hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

1 lb. Italian turkey sausage, sweet
or
hot, cut in ½-inch-thick slices

½ cup water,
or
more

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 carrots, grated

3 stalks celery, chopped

2-2½ quarts chicken broth

3-4 tsp. low-sodium chicken broth powder

1 tsp. vegetable seasoning blend, your choice, but without salt

½ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. pepper

2-3 cans white beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups frozen spinach, thawed

1. Brown sausage in a skillet in ½ cup water over medium to high heat. Cover. Check and stir after 10 minutes or so to make sure sausage isn’t cooking dry and burning. Add more water if needed and continue stirring until browned on all sides.

2. Remove sausage to slow cooker, reserving drippings.

3. Sauté onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in drippings in skillet until tender. Place vegetables in slow cooker.

4. Add chicken broth, powder, all seasonings, and beans. Stir well.

5. Cook on Low 3 hours.

6. Squeeze excess liquid out of thawed spinach. Add to slow cooker for the last 20-30 minutes of cooking time.

Serving suggestion: Garnish with
parsley
.

Turkey Bean Chili

Christie Anne Detamore-Hunsberger

Harrisonburg, VA

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 15-30 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-6 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 3- to 4-qt.

1 lb. bulk turkey sausage

1 onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

3 14½-oz. cans beans—red, black, pinto,
or
any combination, rinsed and drained

1 quart stewed,
or
whole, tomatoes, chopped

4 Tbsp. tomato paste

½ tsp. oregano

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. cumin

4 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. basil

½ tsp. garlic powder

1 cup water

1. Brown sausage in skillet. Remove sausage to slow cooker. Reserve drippings.

2. Sauté onion and celery in drippings in skillet.

3. Add sautéed vegetables, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, seasonings, and water to slow cooker. Stir well.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 4-6 hours.

Serving suggestion: In addition to serving this in soup bowls, you can also serve it as a topping for baked
potatoes
.

Hearty Potato Sauerkraut Soup

Kathy Hertzler

Lancaster, PA

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-12 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

4 cups chicken broth

10¾-oz. can cream of mushroom soup

16-oz. can sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 medium potato, cubed

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 lbs. Polish kielbasa (smoked), cubed

2½ cups chopped, cooked chicken

2 Tbsp. vinegar

2 tsp. dried dillweed

1½ tsp. pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in large slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 10-12 hours.

3. If necessary, skim fat before serving.

Sauerkraut Soup

Barbara Tenny

Delta, PA

Makes 8 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-8 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 6½-qt.

1 lb. smoked Polish sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces

5 medium potatoes, cubed

2 large onions, chopped

2 large carrots, cut into ¼-inch slices

42-45-oz. can chicken broth

32-oz. can
or
bag sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

6-oz. can tomato paste

1. Combine all ingredients in large slow cooker. Stir to combine.

2. Cover. Cook on High 2 hours, and then on Low 6-8 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve with
rye bread
.

Kielbasa Soup

Bernice M. Gnidovec

Streator, IL

Makes 8 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 12 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 8-qt.

16-oz. pkg. frozen mixed vegetables,
or
your choice of vegetables

6-oz. can tomato paste

1 medium onion, chopped

3 medium potatoes, diced

1½ lbs. kielbasa, cut into ¼-inch pieces

4 qts. water

1. Combine all ingredients in large slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 12 hours.

Serving suggestion: Garnish individual servings with fresh
parsley
.

Ruth’s Split Pea Soup

Ruth Conrad Liechty

Goshen, IN

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 12 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

1 bag (2¼ cups) dry split peas

1 lb. bulk sausage, browned and drained

6 cups water

2 medium potatoes, diced

1 onion, chopped

½ tsp. dried marjoram,
or
thyme