Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (58 page)

Prompt

Mary Martins

Fairbank, IA

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 1½-2 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

4-6 medium-sized potatoes, sliced

½-¾ cup uncooked minute rice

1 onion, sliced

1½ lbs. ground beef

1 diced green bell pepper,
optional

1 qt. tomatoes with juice

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1. Layer ingredients in order given in greased slow cooker. Salt and pepper each layer to taste.

2. Cover. Cook on High 1½-2 hours.

Variation:

You may substitute 1 qt. V-8 juice for the quart of tomatoes with juice.

Cheeseburger Casserole

Erma Kauffman

Cochranville, PA

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 3 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp. salt

dash of pepper

½ cup bread crumbs

1 egg

tomato juice to moisten

4½ cups mashed potatoes (leftover mashed potatoes work well)

9 slices your favorite cheese

1. Combine beef, onions, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, egg, and tomato juice in a large bowl.

2. Place one-third of mixture in slow cooker.

3. Spread with one-third of mashed potatoes and 3 slices cheese.

4. Repeat layering 2 times.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 3 hours.

Have a recycled Christmas. All gifts can be either handmade or bought from a boutique specializing in used items. All wrappings can be either reused gift bags or homemade gift wrap, using brown paper bags or the comics papers.

Katrina Eberly, Wernersville, PA

Hamburger/Green Bean Dish

Hazel L. Propst

Oxford, PA

Makes 4-5 servings

Prep. Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 5-6 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 qt. green beans,
or
2 lbs. frozen green beans,
or
2 15-oz. cans green beans

10¾-oz. can tomato soup

¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

6-7 cups mashed potatoes

1 egg, beaten

1. Brown meat and onion in skillet. Stir frequently to break up clumps. When meat is no longer pink, drain off drippings and discard.

2. Place meat in slow cooker. Stir in beans, soup, and seasonings.

3. Combine mashed potatoes with egg in large bowl. Spread over meat-vegetable mixture in slow cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 5-6 hours, or until beans are tender.

Meal-in-One

Melanie L. Thrower

McPherson, KS

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 4 hours

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

2 lbs. ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 large bag frozen hash brown potatoes,
divided

16-oz. container sour cream,
divided

24-oz. container cottage cheese,
divided

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1. Brown ground beef, onion, and green pepper in skillet. Stir frequently to break up clumps. Continue cooking until meat is no longer pink. Drain off drippings and discard.

2. Season meat and vegetable mixture with salt and pepper.

3. In slow cooker, layer one-third of potatoes, then one-third of meat mixture, one-third of sour cream, and one-third of cottage cheese.

4. Repeat layers twice.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 4 hours, sprinkling Monterey Jack cheese over top during last hour.

Serving suggestion: Serve with
red
or
green salsa
.

Variation:

For a cheesier dish, prepare another cup of shredded cheese and sprinkle ½ cup over first layer of potatoes, meat, sour cream, and cottage cheese, and another ½ cup over second layer of those ingredients.

Cedric’s Casserole

Kathy Purcell

Dublin, OH

Makes 4-6 servings

Prep. Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-4 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

1 medium onion, chopped

3 Tbsp. butter

1 lb. ground beef

½-¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

3 cups shredded cabbage,
divided

10¾-oz. can tomato soup

1. Sauté onion in skillet in butter.

2. Add ground beef and brown. Stir frequently, breaking up clumps until pink no longer appears.

3. Season meat and onions with salt and pepper.

4. Layer half of cabbage in slow cooker, followed by half of meat mixture.

5. Repeat layers again.

6. Pour soup over top.

7. Cover. Cook on Low 3-4 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve with
garlic bread
and
canned fruit
.

Note:

I grew up with this recipe and remember my mother serving it often. It makes a wonderful potluck take-a-long.