Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (28 page)

M&T’s Chili

Sherry Conyers

McPherson, KS

Makes 4 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 5-6 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

1 lb. ground beef

½ lb. sausage links, sliced

1 envelope Williams chili seasoning

2 10-oz. cans Mexican tomatoes

15-oz. can chili with no beans

2 10-oz. cans Rotel tomatoes

1-lb. can refried beans

¼ cup diced onions

1. Brown beef and sliced sausage in skillet. Stir frequently to break up clumps of beef. When meat is no longer pink, drain off drippings.

2. Spoon meats into cooker. Stir in all additional ingredients.

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

Variation:

If you want a soupier and less spicy chili, add a 1-lb. can of stewed tomatoes or 2 cups tomato juice in Step 2.

Black Bean Chili Con Carne

Janie Steele

Moore, OK

Makes 18 1-cup servings

Prep. Time: 25-30 minutes

Soaking Time: 8 hours, or overnight

Cooking Time: 8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 6-qt. or 2 4- to 5-qt. cookers

1 lb. dry black beans

3 lbs. ground beef

oil

2 large onions, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

6-oz. can tomato paste

3 cups tomato juice,
or
more

1 tsp. celery salt

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. dry mustard

cayenne pepper to taste

cumin to taste

3 Tbsp. chili powder

1. Place beans in slow cooker. Cover with water. Soak 8 hours or overnight.

2. Rinse beans and drain. Return soaked beans to slow cooker.

3. Brown ground beef in batches in large skillet in oil, if needed. Stir frequently to break up clumps of meat. When beef is no longer pink, drain off drippings.

4. Spoon meat into slow cooker with beans.

5. Mix in all remaining ingredients.

6. Cover. Cook on Low 8 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve over
salad greens
or wrapped in
tortillas
, topped with
lettuce
and
grated cheese
.

Beef Tortellini Soup

Char Hagner

Montague, MI

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 8 hours

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

1 lb. ground beef

oil

28-oz. can stewed,
or
diced, tomatoes

10½-oz. can condensed French onion soup

9-oz. pkg. frozen green beans

9-oz. pkg. cheese tortellini

1 tsp. dried basil

1 medium zucchini, chopped

½-¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

3½ cups water

1. Brown beef in a skillet in oil, if needed. Stir frequently to break up clumps. When meat is no longer pink, drain off drippings.

2. Place meat in slow cooker. Stir in all other ingredients.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 8 hours.

Sausage, Tomato, Spinach Soup

Wendy B. Martzall
, New Holland, PA

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 15-20 minutes • Cooking Time: 5 hours

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

½ lb. loose pork,
or
turkey, sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

28-oz. can diced tomatoes

2 14½-oz. cans beef broth

8-oz. can tomato sauce

½ cup picante sauce

1½ tsp. sugar

1 tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. dried oregano

10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

½-¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Brown sausage with onions and peppers in skillet. (If you use turkey sausage, you’ll probably need to add 1-2 Tbsp. oil to the pan.) Stir frequently, breaking up clumps of meat. When meat is no longer pink, drain off drippings.

2. Spoon meat and vegetables into slow cooker.

3. Add all remaining ingredients except spinach and cheese. Stir until well blended.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 4¾ hours.

5. Stir spinach into Soup. Cover and continue cooking on Low another 15 minutes.

6. Top each individual serving with a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.

Sausage Tortellini Soup

Susie Shenk Wenger

Lancaster, PA

Makes 12-15 servings

Prep. Time: 20-25 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-5 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

2 lbs. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

2-3 cups carrots, diced

1 large onion, diced

3 small zucchini, cubed

1½ cups fresh,
or
frozen, sweet corn

1 large can diced petite tomatoes with garlic and olive oil

2 10¾-oz. cans tomato soup

2 soup cans water

1 large can tomato purée

1 family-sized bag of 3-cheese frozen tortellini, cooked according to package directions

shredded cheese of your choice

1. In large skillet, brown sausage, stirring frequently to break up meat. Drain off
all but 2 Tbsp. drippings. Put sausage in slow cooker.

2. Sauté carrots and onions in sausage drippings just until softened.

3. Add carrots, onions, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, tomato soup, water and tomato purée to slow cooker. Stir until well mixed.

4. Cover. Cook on High 1 hour. Stir.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 3 hours, or until vegetables are softened.

6. Just before serving, stir in cooked tortellini.

Serving suggestion: Serve steaming hot with
shredded cheddar cheese
sprinkled over each individual bowl of soup.

Note:

Because we have three ovens in our home, we host a day-after-Thanksgiving cookie-bake every year at our house. Extended family join in, and we have all the ovens going full-time. This soup is always the lunch for this event. It’s the fuel to keep the bakers going through the day, and it doesn’t require oven space.