Fix-It and Forget-It Revised and Updated: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (123 page)

Slow-Cooker Chai

Kathy Hertzler

Lancaster, PA

Makes 18 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 1-1½ hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 5-qt.

1 gallon water

16 regular black tea bags

8 opened cardamom pods

9 whole cloves

3 Tbsp. ginger root, freshly grated,
or
chopped fine

3 cinnamon sticks

8-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

12-oz. can evaporated milk (regular
or
fat-free are equally good)

1. Pour one gallon water into slow cooker. Turn cooker to High and bring water to a boil.

2. Tie tea bag strings together. Remove paper tags. Place in slow cooker, submerging in boiling water.

3. Place cardamom seeds and pods, cloves, and ginger in a tea ball.

4. Place tea ball, and cinnamon sticks in boiling water in slow cooker. Reduce heat to Low and steep, along with tea bags, for 10 minutes.

5. After 10 minutes, remove tea bags. Allow spices to remain in cooker. Increase heat to High.

6. Add condensed milk and evaporated milk. Bring mixture to a boil.

7. Immediately turn back to Low. Remove spices 30 minutes later.

Serving suggestion: Serve tea from the slow cooker, but do not allow it to boil.

Note:

We love this after leaf-raking or for a fall party, especially when we serve it with muffins and fruit.

Almond Tea

Frances Schrag

Newton, KS

Makes 12 1-cup servings

Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ideal slow-cooker size: 5-qt.

10 cups boiling water

1 Tbsp. instant tea

⅔ cup lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond extract

1. Mix together all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Turn to High and heat thoroughly (about 1 hour).

Serving suggestion: Turn to Low while serving.

Homestyle Tomato Juice

Jean Butzer

Batavia, NY

Makes 4-5 1-cup servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-6 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 5-qt.

10-12 large tomatoes

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. seasoned salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. sugar

1. Wash and drain tomatoes. Remove cores and blossom ends. Place in slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on Low 4-6 hours, or until tomatoes are soft.

3. Press through sieve or food mill.

4. Stir in seasonings. Chill.

Spiced Coffee

Jan Mast

Lancaster, PA

Makes 10-12 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-3 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

2 quarts strong hot coffee

¼ cup chocolate syrup

⅓ cup sugar

¼-½ tsp. anise flavoring,
optional

4 cinnamon sticks

1½ tsp. whole cloves

1. Combine hot coffee, chocolate syrup, sugar, and anise if you wish in slow cooker.

2. Tie cinnamon sticks and whole cloves in cheesecloth or a coffee filter and tie shut with strong string. Add to slow cooker, submerging in liquid.

3. Cook on Low 2-3 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve hot with a garnish of
whipped cream
and a dash of
cinnamon
if you wish on each individual serving.

Carolers’ Hot Chocolate

Pat Unternahrer

Wayland, IA

Makes 12-14 1-cup servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-2½ hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 5-qt.

10 cups milk

¾ cup sugar

½ tsp. salt

¾ cup cocoa,
or
hot chocolate mix

2 cups hot water

1. Measure milk into slow cooker. Turn on High.

2. Mix together sugar, salt, and cocoa in heavy pan. Add hot water. Stir and boil 3 minutes, stirring often.

3. Pour into milk. Cook on High 2-2½ hours.

Serving suggestion: Top with
marshmallows
.

Minty Hot Chocolate

Jan Mast

Lancaster, PA

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours

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

6 small peppermint patties

6 cups milk

½ cup chocolate malt mix

1 tsp. vanilla

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cook on Low 2 hours.

3. Whisk or hand-beat until thoroughly mixed and frothy.

Serving suggestion: Serve hot, topping each individual serving with
whipped cream
.

Equivalent Measurements

dash = little less than ⅛ tsp.

3 teaspoons = 1 Tablespoon

2 Tablespoons = 1 oz.

4 Tablespoons = ¼ cup

5 Tablespoons plus 1 tsp. = ⅓ cup

8 Tablespoons = ½ cup

12 Tablespoons = ¾ cup

16 Tablespoons = 1 cup

1 cup = 8 ozs. liquid

2 cups = 1 pint

4 cups = 1 quart

4 quarts = 1 gallon

1 stick butter = ¼ lb.

1 stick butter = ½ cup

1 stick butter = 8 Tbsp.

Beans, 1 lb. dried = 2-2½ cups (depending upon the size of the beans)

Bell peppers, 1 large = 1 cup chopped

Cheese, hard (for example, cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, mozzarella), 1 lb. grated = 4 cups

Cheese, cottage, 1 lb. = 2 cups

Chocolate chips, 6-oz. pkg. = 1 scant cup

Crackers (butter, saltines, snack), 20 single crackers = 1 cup crumbs

Herbs, 1 Tbsp. fresh = 1 tsp. dried

Lemon, 1 medium-sized = 2-3 Tbsp. juice

Lemon, 1 medium-sized = 2-3 tsp. grated rind

Mustard, 1 Tbsp. prepared = 1 tsp. dry or ground mustard

Oatmeal, 1 lb. dry = about 5 cups dry

Onion, 1 medium-sized = ½ cup chopped

Pasta

Macaronis, penne, and other small or tubular shapes, 1 lb. dry = 4 cups uncooked

Noodles, 1 lb. dry = 6 cups uncooked

Spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, 1 lb. dry = 4 cups uncooked

Potatoes, white, 1 lb. = 3 medium-sized potatoes = 2 cups mashed