Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (73 page)

New England Boiled Dinner

Leona M. Slabaugh

Apple Creek, OH

Makes 4 servings

Prep. Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-6 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3- to 5-qt.

2 lbs. boneless smoked ham piece

1 lb. potatoes, halved

1-lb. bag baby carrots

1 lb. cabbage, cut in wedges

¼ cup water

1. Place meat in slow cooker. Fit vegetables around meat.

2. Add water

3. Cover. Cook on Low 6 hours or on High 3 hours, or just until meat and vegetables are as tender as you like.

Ham, Bean, and Potato Dish

Hazel L. Propst

Oxford, PA

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

8-10 small potatoes

3-4 cans string beans, undrained

ham hock,
or
leftover ham

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1. Place potatoes in bottom of slow cooker.

2. Alternate layers of beans and ham over potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 8 hours if using ham hock; 6 hours if using leftover ham, or until meat and potatoes are tender but not dry or mushy.

Schnitz und Knepp

Jean Robinson

Cinnaminson, NJ

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Soaking Time: 2-3 hours

Cooking Time: 5¼ hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

Schnitz:

¾-1 lb. dried sweet apples (also known as “schnitz”)

3 lbs. ham slices, cut into 2” cubes

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick

Knepp (dumplings):

2 cups flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 egg, well beaten

3 Tbsp. melted butter

scant ½ cup milk

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1. Cover apples with water in large bowl and let soak for a few hours.

2. Place ham cubes in slow cooker. Cover with water.

3. Cover cooker. Cook on High 2 hours.

4. Add apples and water in which they have been soaking.

5. Add brown sugar and cinnamon stick. Mix until sugar dissolves.

6. Cover. Cook on Low 3 hours.

7. Combine dumpling ingredients in bowl. Drop into hot liquid in cooker by tablespoonfuls.

8. Turn cooker to High. Cover. Do not lift lid for 15 minutes.

9. Serve piping hot on a large platter.

Note:

This was my grandmother’s recipe and she had no slow cooker. I was allowed to drop in the dumplings. Schnitz und Knepp cooked on the back of the woodstove while Grandma quilted.

Ham with Sweet Potatoes and Oranges

Esther Becker
, Gordonville, PA

Makes 4 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes • Cooking Time: 7-8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼” thick

1 large ham slice

3 seedless oranges, peeled and sliced

3 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate

3 Tbsp. honey

½ cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1. Place sweet potato slices in slow cooker.

2. Arrange ham and orange slices on top of potatoes.

3. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle over ham and oranges.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 7-8 hours.

Serving suggestion: Delicious served with a
fruit salad
.

Serving suggestion:

Ham and Hash Browns

Evelyn Page
, Riverton, WY

Anna Stoltzfus
, Honey Brook, PA

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

28-oz. pkg. frozen hash brown potatoes

2½ cups cubed cooked ham

2-oz. jar pimentos, drained and chopped

10¾-oz. can cheddar cheese soup

¾ cup half-and-half,
or
milk

dash of pepper

salt to taste

1. Combine potatoes, ham, and pimentos in slow cooker.

2. In a bowl, combine soup, half-and-half, and seasonings. Pour over potatoes and ham. Stir well.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 6-8 hours. (If you turn the cooker on when you go to bed, you’ll have a wonderfully tasty breakfast in the morning.)

Variation:

Add a 4-oz. can of mushrooms, drained,
or
¼ lb. sliced fresh mushrooms, to Step 1.

Creamy Ham Topping (for baked potatoes)

Judy Buller

Bluffton, OH

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 1-2 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3½-qt.

half a stick (¼ cup) butter

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk

¼ cup half-and-half

1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon granules

½ tsp. Italian seasoning

2 cups diced cooked ham

¼ cup Romano cheese, grated

1 cup sliced mushrooms

baked potatoes

shredded cheese