Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (15 page)

Soaking Time: 8 hours, or overnight

Cooking Time: 5-12 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 2- to 3-qt.

2 cups dry navy beans

1 cup chopped onions

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

½ lb. ham, chopped

1. Place dry beans in slow cooker. Cover with water. Allow to soak 8 hours, or overnight.

2. Drain off water. Add all remaining ingredients to beans in slow cooker.

3. Add water to cover.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 10-12 hours or on High 5-6 hours.

5. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Navy Bean and Bacon Chowder

Ruth A. Feister

Narvon, PA

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Soaking Time: 8 hours, or overnight

Cooking Time: 7¼-9¼ hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

1½ cups dry navy beans

2 cups cold water

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 medium carrots, sliced

1 rib celery, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

⅛ tsp. pepper

46-oz. can chicken broth

1 cup milk

1. Place beans in cooker. Add 2 cups cold water. Soak 8 hours, or overnight.

2. Drain off any water. Add all remaining ingredients, except milk, to beans in slow cooker.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 7-9 hours, or until beans are crisp-tender.

4. Place 2 cups cooked bean mixture into blender.(Cover lid of blender with heavy towel and hold it on tightly. Hot ingredients can blow the lid off as you run the blender.) Process until smooth.

5. Return blended beans to slow cooker.

6. Add milk. Cover and heat on High 10 minutes.

Serving suggestion: Serve with crusty
French bread
and additional
herbs
and
seasonings
for diners to add as they wish.

Bauer 24-Day Countdown to Christmas: Our family hangs a string of our own stockings in our living room each December. There are three of us, so we each choose eight socks and hang them using clothes pins. Each morning we take turns checking a sock for a surprise. We may find a small gift or something as simple as a note that says “Will cook supper for Mom tonight.” We have fun thinking of unique ideas for each other, and before you know it, Christmas is here.

Amy Bauer, New Ulm, MN

Cassoulet Chowder

Miriam Friesen

Staunton, VA

Makes 8-10 servings

Prep. Time: 1¾ hours

Refrigeration Time: 4-8 hours

Cooking Time: 4-10 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

1¼ cups dry pinto beans

4 cups water

12-oz. pkg. brown-and-serve sausage links, cooked and drained

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

2 cups cubed cooked ham

1½ cups sliced carrots

8-oz. can tomato sauce

¾ cup dry red wine

½ cup chopped onions

½ tsp. garlic powder

1 bay leaf

1. Combine beans and water in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1½ hours.

2. Allow cooked beans to cool. Refrigerate beans and liquid 4-8 hours.

3. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours or on High 4 hours.

5. If Chowder seems too thin, remove lid during last 30 minutes of cooking time to allow some liquid to cook off.

6. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Polish Sausage Bean Soup

Janie Steele

Moore, OK

Makes 10 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Soaking Time: 8 hours, or overnight

Cooking Time: 9-9½ hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 6-qt.

1-lb. pkg. dry great northern beans

28-oz. can whole tomatoes

2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce

2 large onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

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

3 celery ribs, sliced

bell pepper, sliced

large ham bone,
or
ham hock

1-2 lbs. smoked sausage links, sliced

1. Place beans in 6-qt. slow cooker. Cover with water and soak 8 hours, or overnight.

2. Rinse and drain. Return beans to cooker and cover with water again.

3. Combine all other ingredients, except sausage, with beans in slow cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on High 1-1½ hours. Reduce to Low and cook 7 hours.

5. Remove ham bone or hock and debone. Stir ham pieces back into soup.

6. Add sausage links.

7. Cover. Cook on Low 1 more hour.

Grandma’s Barley Soup

Andrea O’Neil

Fairfield, CT

Makes 10-12 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4- to 5-qt.

2 smoked ham hocks

4 carrots, sliced

4 potatoes, cubed

1 cup dry lima beans

1 cup tomato paste

1½-2 cups cooked barley

salt, if needed

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, except salt.

2. Cover with water.

3. Cover. Simmer on Low 6-8 hours, or until both ham and beans are tender.

4. Debone ham hocks and return cut-up meat to soup.

5. Taste before serving. Add salt if needed.

Tip:

If you want to reduce the amount of meat you eat, this dish is flavorful using only 1 ham hock.