Fix-It and Forget-It Holiday Main Dishes and Sides (6 page)

Turkey Lasagna

Rhoda Atzeff

Lancaster, PA

Makes 8-10 servings

Prep. Time: 20-30 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

⅛ tsp. garlic powder

2 15-oz. cans tomato sauce

6-oz. can tomato paste

½-1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried oregano,
or
½ tsp. dried oregano and ½ tsp. dried basil

12 oz. fat-free cottage cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

12 oz. shredded non-fat mozzarella cheese

12 oz. lasagna noodles, uncooked,
divided

1. Brown ground turkey and onions in skillet. Drain off any drippings.
   
2. Stir garlic powder, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, and herbs into browned turkey in skillet.
   
3. In a good-sized mixing bowl, blend together cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
   
4. Spoon ⅓ of meat sauce into slow cooker.
   
5. Add ⅓ of uncooked lasagna noodles, breaking them to fit.
   
6. Top with ⅓ of cheese mixture. You may have to use a knife to spread it.
   
7. Repeat layers two more times.
   
8. Cover. Cook on Low 5 hours.
   
9. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.
   

Note:

I tried this on my brothers. It is a delicious dish, but I thought their raves were maybe a bit overdone. But it was a good feeling to know it pleased them. I overheard my one brother calling another brother in Virginia and telling him about it!

Holiday Meatloaf

Wafi Brandt

Manheim, PA

Makes 4-6 servings

Prep. Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 4 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

Meat Loaf:

2 eggs

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

½ cup seasoned bread crumbs

¼ cup chopped dried cranberries

1 tsp. parsley

1½ lbs. ground beef

Sauce:

16-oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce

¾ cup ketchup

½ cup beef broth

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

3 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

2 tsp. cider vinegar

1. Mix all Meat Loaf ingredients together in a good-sized bowl. Shape into loaf and place in lightly greased slow cooker.
   
2. Mix Sauce ingredients together in another bowl. Pour over meat.
   
3. Cover. Cook on High 4 hours.
   
4. Allow to stand 10 minutes before lifting out of cooker and slicing.
   

Tip from Tester:

After slicing and arranging the Meat Loaf on a platter, I ladled the Sauce over the slices. There was more Sauce than fit on the platter, so I put the remainder in a dish to pass. Then individuals could add more to their slices as a condiment. We loved it!

Company Seafood Pasta

Jennifer Yoder Sommers

Harrisonburg, VA

Makes 4-6 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 1-2 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

2 cups sour cream

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

¼ stick (2 Tbsp.) butter, melted

½ lb. crabmeat,
or
imitation flaked crabmeat

⅛ tsp. pepper

½ lb. bay scallops, lightly cooked

1 lb. medium shrimp, cooked and peeled

1. Combine sour cream, cheese, and butter in slow cooker.
   
2. Stir in remaining ingredients.
   
3. Cover. Cook on Low 1-2 hours.
   

Serve immediately over
linguine
. Garnish with
fresh parsley
.

Oyster and Potato Filling Yuletide

Jane Geigley

Honey Brook, PA

Makes 3-4 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes if mashed potatoes are prepared; 50 minutes if you need to make the mashed potatoes

Cooking Time: 1½-3 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 2-qt.

1 small onion, minced

½ cup celery, diced

¼ stick (2 Tbsp.) butter, melted

2 cups very moist mashed potatoes

1 egg, well beaten

1 Tbsp. minced parsley

1-1½ tsp. salt

dash of black pepper

1 qt. stale bread, cubed

1 doz. oysters with liquid

milk,
if needed

1. Sauté onion and celery in butter in skillet.
   
2. Blend together mashed potatoes and egg in slow cooker. Pour in sautéed onion and celery. Mix together well.
   
3. Stir in parsley, salt, pepper, bread cubes, and oysters with their liquid. If mixture is stiff, add several Tbsp. milk.
   
4. Cover cooker.
   
5. Cook on High 1½ hours, or on Low 3 hours.
   

Arroz Con Queso

Nadine L. Martinitz

Salina, KS

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-9 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

14½-oz. can whole tomatoes, mashed

15-oz. can Mexican-style beans, undrained

1½ cups uncooked long-grain rice

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 cup cottage cheese

4¼-oz. can chopped green chili peppers, drained

1 Tbsp. oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1. Combine all ingredients except final cup of cheese in well greased slow cooker.
   
2. Cover. Cook on Low 6-9 hours, or until rice is fully cooked but dish is not dry.
   
3. Sprinkle with remaining cheese before serving.
   

We eat this with
salsa
on the side.