Make It Fast, Cook It Slow (10 page)

SOUTHWESTERN SWEET POTATO AND CORN MEDLEY

serves
6

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Plop the sweet potato into the stoneware. Add the onion, corn, and basil. Sprinkle in the chili powder and salt. Add the lime juice, and then toss everything so the seasoning is dispersed somewhat evenly. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. The medley is done when the potatoes have reached the desired tenderness.

The Verdict

This is a great side dish. The flavors dance in your mouth—which is a saying I never, ever thought I’d ever say (or type), but there you go. That’s what they do. This is simple to put together, but looks great on a buffet table.

STEWED TOMATOES

serves
6

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Drain the tomatoes—use a strainer, you don’t want any liquid. Plop the tomatoes into your stoneware. Sprinkle on the black pepper, and add the Parmesan cheese. Slice the butter into thin squares, and dot them over the top. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or until the cheese bubbles and begins to brown.

The Verdict

These tomatoes are delicious. They are warm, flavorful, and a bit spicy. Stewed tomatoes get a really bad rap, probably because they look like baby animal hearts, but I promise they taste amazing.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES

serves
2

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker, so the ’chokes can sit side-by-side. Peel and chop up the stem from the artichokes (be careful—I cut myself) and mix the stem pieces with the other ingredients in a small bowl; the mixture should be moist and gooey. Use a knife to cut off the top of each artichoke, and use kitchen shears to cut off the pointy leaf tips. Spread the leaves slightly and fill the spaces with the breading mixture. Nestle the artichokes into the slow cooker, and add ½ cup of water. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 2 to 4 hours. My artichokes took 4 hours to cook on high. This is a much fancier way to eat artichokes than the traditional way of dipping leaves into mayonnaise.

TRADITIONAL STUFFING

serves
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the onion, parsley, celery, and apple into the stoneware. Add the seasonings, and the melted butter. Stir well. Add the bread cubes, and toss to combine. When the bread is coated nicely, pour in the broth. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. When done, the bread will have browned a bit on the top and around the edges, and it will be hot throughout. Your stuffing can stay on warm for up to 2 hours before serving. Stir. If you’d like more moisture, add up to ¼ cup of additional broth.

The Verdict

I am so excited I can hardly stop squirming. This tastes amazing and is absolutely wonderful—it tastes just like a store-bought mix. I’m thrilled with this recipe.

SWEET-AND-SOUR CARAMELIZED ONIONS

serves
8

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Cut the tops and bottoms off all the onions and peel away the papery skin. It takes a while to peel the onions, so make sure you’re in a good mood. Put the onions into the stoneware and toss with the balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add the pat of butter and raisins. Toss in the pine nuts. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours, stirring approximately every 45 minutes. I cooked ours for a bit more than 3 hours, and stirred 3 times. You want the onions to get brown and caramelized. The raisins plump and take on the vinegar flavor while slow cooked, and the pine nuts add a bit of crunch and a smoky flavor.

TOMATO CURRIED POTATOES

serves
6

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. The night before cooking, wash and chop the potatoes in 1-inch chunks (I didn’t peel them), and put into a ziplock freezer bag. Add the olive oil, paprika, curry, chili powder, sugar, and salt. Shake well. Add the drained tomatoes, and toss again. Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, pour the contents of the bag into the slow cooker, and turn it on. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for about 4 hours. The potatoes are done when they are fork-tender.

The Verdict

These smelled delicious while they were cooking, and cooked beautifully in the slow cooker. The potatoes were tender and the skin browned nicely. The first time I made these potatoes, I didn’t add enough spice, nor did I refrigerate them overnight. If you have the time, marinating overnight is really the way to go for maximum flavor.

WALNUT AND SAGE POTATOES AU GRATIN

serves
12

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Spray the inside of the removable stoneware with cooking spray. Put the sliced potatoes and onion into the stoneware. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour into the melted butter. Add the cream and salt, pepper, and sage to the bowl, mixing well. Pour the cream mixture into the slow cooker, and toss with the potatoes and onion. Sprinkle the shredded Gruyère and the walnut halves on the top. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 5 hours, or until potatoes are tender.

The Verdict

Adam made this because I was recovering from the flu, and he wasn’t. It’s quite annoying how he never gets sick. I barked orders from a fetal position on the couch. I never got to eat any, but sent it off with my parents for Easter dinner, and everybody reported back “thumbs up.”

T
he awesome thing about beans (actually, there are a few awesome things) is that they are cheap, full of fiber, and supereasy to prepare in the slow cooker. Dried beans can be purchased in bulk, cooked ahead, and frozen (Dried Beans,) for all recipes that call for canned beans.

SIXTEEN-BEAN SOUP

serves
10

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Sort and rinse beans, and add to the stoneware. Add enough water to completely cover the beans, plus an additional 3 inches or so. If you want more broth, use more water. If you want it thick and beany, use less. Add the onion, garlic, spice blend, and the entire can of tomatoes. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours, or until the beans are tender; soup tastes better the longer you cook it. Add salt to taste. Since water was used instead of broth, your soup will require quite a bit. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired. For additional bulk, you can add some sliced sausage. My family ate this for lunch for a good week.

BAKED BEANS WITH APPLES AND JALAPEÑO

serves
6

The Ingredients

The Directions

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put 2 pieces of bacon into the bottom of your stoneware. Layer in the beans, jalapeño, onion, apples, and garlic. Sprinkle the mustard, salt, and sugar on top. Add ketchup, molasses, and apple juice. Stir gently to combine. Add 2 more pieces of bacon. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Cook the remaining slices of bacon on the stovetop and crumble over the top before serving.