Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (111 page)

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk

1 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

1 tsp. onion powder

1. Place potatoes in slow cooker.

2. Melt butter in small skillet. Add flour and stir. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly.

3. Add salt, pepper, and onion powder. When smooth and thickened, pour over potatoes.

4. Cover. Cook on High 2-3 hours or on Low 4-5 hours.

Swiss-Irish Hot Sauce—A Great Potato Topping!

Jo Haberkamp

Fairbank, IA

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 4 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

2 medium onions, diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup oil

14½-oz. can puréed tomatoes

15-oz. can tomato sauce

12-oz. can tomato paste

2 Tbsp. parsley, fresh
or
dried

½ tsp. red pepper

½ tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

¼ cup red wine

1. Sauté onions and garlic in oil in skillet.

2. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 4 hours.

4. This is a flavorful sauce for eating over baked potatoes or pasta.

Herbed Potatoes

Jo Haberkamp

Fairbank, IA

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 2½-3 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

1½ lbs. small new potatoes

¼ cup water

half a stick (4 Tbsp.) butter, melted

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

1 Tbsp. dill weed

¼-½ tsp. salt, according to your taste preference

⅛-¼ tsp. pepper, according to your taste preference

1. Wash potatoes. Peel a strip around the middle of each potato. Place prepared potatoes in slow cooker.

2. Add water.

3. Cover. Cook on High 2½-3 hours. Drain well.

4. In saucepan, heat butter, parsley, lemon juice, chives, dill, salt, and pepper.

5. Pour over potatoes.

Serving suggestion: Serve with
ham
or any
meat dish
that does not make its own gravy.

Onion Potatoes

Donna Lantgen

Rapid City, SD

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-6 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

6 medium potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, diced

⅓ cup olive oil

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1. Combine potatoes and olive oil in plastic bag. Shake well.

2. Add onion soup mix. Shake well.

3. Pour into slow cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 6 hours or on High 3 hours.

Variations:

Add more zest to the potatoes by stirring in 1 small onion, chopped; 1 bell pepper, chopped; ½ tsp. salt; and ¼ tsp. black pepper, after pouring the potatoes into the slow cooker. Then continue with Step 4.

Potatoes Perfect

Naomi Ressler

Harrisonburg, VA

Makes 4-6 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-10 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3½-qt.

¼ lb. bacon, diced and browned in a skillet until crisp,
divided

2 medium-sized onions, thinly sliced,
divided

6-8 medium-sized potatoes, thinly sliced,
divided

½ lb. cheddar cheese, thinly sliced,
divided

salt to taste

pepper to taste

¼-½ stick (2-4 Tbsp.) butter

1. Layer half of bacon, onions, potatoes, and cheese in greased slow cooker. Season to taste.

2. Dot with butter. Repeat layers.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours or on High 3-4 hours, or until potatoes are soft.

Pete’s Scalloped Potatoes

Dede Peterson

Rapid City, SD

Makes 8-10 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-7 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 6-qt.

5 lbs. red potatoes, peeled or unpeeled and sliced,
divided

2 cups water

1 tsp. cream of tartar

¼ lb. bacon, cut in 1” squares, browned until crisp, and drained,
divided

dash of salt

½ pt. whipping cream

1 pt. half-and-half

1. In large bowl, toss sliced potatoes in water and cream of tartar. Drain.

2. Layer half of potatoes and half of bacon in large slow cooker. Sprinkle each layer with salt.

3. Repeat layers using all remaining potatoes and bacon.

4. Mix whipping cream and half-and-half in bowl. Pour over potatoes.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 6-7 hours.

Variations:

For added flavor, cut one large onion into thin rings. Sauté in bacon drippings; then layer onion along with potatoes and bacon into slow cooker. Sprinkle each layer of potatoes with salt and pepper. Continue with Step 4.