Fix-It and Forget-It Revised and Updated: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (79 page)

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. instant beef bouillon granules

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. dried basil

1 large bay leaf

salt to taste

pepper to taste

4-oz. can sliced mushrooms

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. cold water

1. Combine all ingredients except mushrooms, cornstarch, and water in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 10-12 hours.

3. Remove bay leaf. Stir in mushrooms.

4. Combine cornstarch and water. Stir into sauce.

5. Cover. Cook on High until thickened and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Italian Vegetable Pasta Sauce

Sherril Bieberly

Salina, KS

Makes 2½ quarts sauce

Prep. Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 5-18 hours

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

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup packed chopped fresh parsley

3 ribs celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2-inch sprig fresh rosemary,
or
½ tsp. dried rosemary

2 small fresh sage leaves,
or
½ tsp. dried sage

32-oz. can tomato sauce

32-oz. can chopped tomatoes

1 small dried hot chili pepper

¼ lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced,
or
8-oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained

1½ tsp. salt

1. Heat oil in skillet. Add parsley, celery, onion, garlic, rosemary, and sage. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Place in slow cooker.

2. Add tomatoes, chili pepper, mushrooms, and salt.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 12-18 hours, or on High 5-6 hours.

Variation:

Add 2 lbs. browned ground beef to olive oil and sautéed vegetables. Continue with recipe.

Louise’s Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce

Louise Stackhouse

Benton, PA

Makes 4-6 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-10 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

6-7 fresh tomatoes, peeled and crushed

1 medium onion, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup sugar

6-oz. can tomato paste,
optional

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours. If the sauce is too watery for your liking, stir in a 6-oz. can of tomato paste during the last hour of cooking.

Serving suggestion: Serve over cooked
spaghetti
or other
pasta
.

Slow-Cooker Pizza

Marla Folkerts

Holland, OH

Ruth Ann Swartzendruber

Hydro, OK

Arlene Wiens

Newton, KS

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-4 hours

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

1½ lbs. ground beef,
or
bulk Italian sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

half a box rigatoni, cooked

7-oz. jar sliced mushrooms, drained

3 oz. sliced pepperoni

16-oz. jar pizza sauce

10 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

10 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Brown ground beef and onions in saucepan. Drain.

2. Layer half of each of the following, in the order given, in slow cooker: ground beef and onions, green pepper, noodles, mushrooms, pepperoni, pizza sauce, cheddar cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers.

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

Note:

Keep rigatoni covered with sauce so they don’t become dry and crunchy.

Variation:

Add a 10¾-oz. can cream of mushroom soup to the mix, putting half of it in as a layer after the first time the noodles appear, and the other half after the second layer of noodles.

Dorothy Horst

Tiskilwa, IL

Pizza in a Pot

Marianne J. Troyer

Millersburg, OH

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-9 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage, browned and drained

28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

15½-oz. can chili beans

2¼-oz. can sliced black olives, drained

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca

1 Tbsp. dried basil

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. salt

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 8-9 hours.

3. Discard bay leaf. Stir well.

Serving suggestion: Serve over
pasta
. Top with shredded
mozzarella cheese
.

Pizza Rice

Sue Hamilton

Minooka, IL

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-10 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

2 cups rice, uncooked

3 cups chunky pizza sauce

2½ cups water

7-oz. can mushrooms, undrained

4 oz. pepperoni, sliced

1 cup grated cheese

1. Combine rice, sauce, water, mushrooms, and pepperoni. Stir.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 10 hours, or on High 6 hours. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

Wild Rice Casserole

Carolyn Baer

Coranth, WI

Makes 6-8 servings

Soaking Time for rice: overnight, or 8 hours

Prep Time: 35-40 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-4 hours

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