Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (44 page)

Joyce Kaut
, Rochester, NY

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 30 minutes • Cooking Time: 3¼-4¼ hours

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

2 slices bacon, cut in squares

2 lbs. sirloin tip,
or
round, steak, cubed

¼ cup flour

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. seasoning salt

¼ tsp. dried marjoram

¼ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp. pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1 beef bouillon cube, crushed

1 cup burgundy wine

¼ lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1-1½ cups ketchup

2 Tbsp. cornstarch,
optional

2 Tbsp. cold water,
optional

1. Cook bacon in skillet until crisp and browned. Remove bacon, reserving drippings.

2. Coat beef with flour and brown on all sides in bacon drippings. (Don’t crowd the skillet so the beef browns rather than steams.)

3. Combine steak, bacon drippings, bacon, seasonings and herbs, garlic, bouillon, and wine in slow cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 4 hours (or 3 hours, if you’ve browned the beef well in Step 2), or until beef is just tender.

5. Stir in mushrooms and ketchup.

6. Dissolve cornstarch in water in a small bowl. Stir into slow cooker—if sauce is not as thick as you wish.

7. Cover. Cook on High 15 minutes, until sauce thickens.

Serving suggestion: Try serving this over
noodles
.

Italian Beef Stew

Kathy Hertzler

Lancaster, PA

Makes 4-6 servings

Prep. Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 6½ hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

2 Tbsp. flour

2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp. salt

¼-½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

2¼ lbs. beef stewing meat, cubed

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup beef stock

1 cup red wine

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 cups frozen peas, thawed but not cooked

1 tsp. sugar

1. Spoon flour into small dish. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Add beef cubes and coat evenly.

2. Heat oil in slow cooker on High. Add floured beef and brown on all sides.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients except peas and sugar.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 6 hours.

5. Add peas and sugar. Cook an additional 30 minutes, or until beef is tender and peas are warm.

Dawn’s Mushroom Beef Stew

Dawn Day

Westminster, CA

Makes 8-10 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-7½ hours

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

1 lb. sirloin, cubed

2 Tbsp. flour

oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ lb. button mushrooms, sliced

2 ribs celery, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

3-4 large potatoes, cubed

2 tsp. seasoning salt

14½-oz. can beef stock,
or
2 bouillon cubes dissolved in 1⅔ cups water

½-1 cup good red wine

1. Dredge sirloin in flour and brown in oil in skillet. Reserve drippings. Place meat in slow cooker.

2. Sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms in drippings just until soft. Add to meat.

3. Stir in all remaining ingredients.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 6 hours. Test to see if vegetables are tender. If not, continue cooking on Low for another 1-1½ hours.

Tempting Beef Stew

Patricia Howard

Albuquerque, NM

Makes 10-12 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-12 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

2-3 lbs. beef stewing meat

3 carrots, sliced thin

1-lb. pkg. frozen green peas with onions

1-lb. pkg. frozen green beans

16-oz. can whole,
or
stewed, tomatoes

½ cup beef broth

½ cup white wine

½ cup brown sugar

4 Tbsp. instant tapioca

½ cup bread crumbs

2 tsp. salt

1 bay leaf

pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 10-12 hours, or until meat and vegetables are as tender as you wish.

Serving suggestion: Serve over
noodles
,
rice
,
couscous
, or
biscuits
.

Tip:

Prepare this Tempting Beef Stew before your guests arrive. Give yourself time to relax instead of panicking in a last-minute rush.

Variation:

In place of tapioca, thicken stew with ¼ cup flour dissolved in ⅓-½ cup water. Mix in and turn cooker to High. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Beef Stew with Wine

Andrea O’Neil

Fairfield, CT

Makes 8-10 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 9-10 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

1 lb. stewing meat, cubed

oil

2 onions, quartered

4 carrots, sliced

4-5 potatoes, cubed

28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

½ cup wine

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

1 cup water

2 tsp. salt

¾ tsp. pepper

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

¼ cup water

1. Brown beef cubes in skillet in oil.

2. Place browned beef in slow cooker. Add all other ingredients except cornstarch and ¼ cup water. Stir to combine.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 9-10 hours.

4. Ten minutes before serving, stir cornstarch into water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into hot Stew.

Variation: