Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever (14 page)

This is a gorgeous casserole with delicate pink salmon and light green artichoke hearts in a creamy dill-flavored sauce. It will be a hit at your next potluck dinner or family meal. Use leftover grilled salmon or poached salmon from the slow cooker for this special seafood dinner. I like to use wide egg noodles for this casserole but leftover fettuccine or spaghetti, cut into two-inch lengths, will also work. This casserole is also delicious using medium cooked shrimp, cooked chicken or turkey, or leftover firm-fleshed fish such as sea bass or halibut.

½ pound wide egg noodles, cooked just short of al dente

1 pound salmon fillet, poached, skin and any bones removed, and flaked (2½ to 3 cups, see savvy)

One 16-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts (see savvy), defrosted, drained, and cut in half

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 small onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup crushed buttery crackers, such as Ritz or Pepperidge Farm Golden Butter Crackers

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

put the noodles, salmon, and artichoke hearts in the slow cooker and stir to combine.

melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook for 3 additional minutes.

gradually add the milk and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly. Add the dill, salt, and pepper. Pour the sauce over the ingredients in the slow-cooker insert, stirring to coat the ingredients.

cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Remove the cover, sprinkle the crackers over the casserole, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

salmon savvy

Although canned salmon may seem convenient, it is not an option for me; it has a strong flavor and will overwhelm the other ingredients in this casserole.

artichoke savvy

If you cannot find frozen artichoke hearts, use two 14- to 15-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained, and quartered.

This casserole is a terrific meatless entrée or side dish. It’s beautifully colored, with spinach tortellini peeking through the creamy pink sun-dried tomato sauce. Since this is a rich dish, I lightened up the sauce by using chicken broth and milk instead of milk and heavy cream.

1½ cups sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained

2 cups packed basil leaves

2½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

6 garlic cloves, peeled

½ cup raw pine nuts

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons flour

1½ cups chicken broth

1½ cups milk

1½ pounds fresh spinach and cheese or other tortellini

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

put the tomatoes, basil, 1½ cups of the Parmigiano, the garlic, pine nuts, pepper, and balsamic vinegar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off to break up the tomatoes, garlic, and pine nuts. Add the butter and flour, and pulse on and off until the mixture is incorporated, about 30 seconds.

transfer the mixture to a large skillet over high heat. Add the broth and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking until thickened. Add the milk and bring the sauce back to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.

spread half the tortellini in the slow cooker. Top with half the sauce and half the remaining 1 cup cheese.

top with layers of the remaining tortellini, sauce, and cheese. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the pasta is tender and the casserole is bubbling. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6

Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. In a slow cooker, chunks of cheese can be laced between the layers of noodles, allowing the cheese to melt slowly during the cooking process, giving you more of its cheesy, oozy goodness. The template for macaroni and cheese is simple: a creamy white sauce, plenty of cheese, and any small pasta, such as shells or tiny rigatoni, if you don’t have elbow macaroni on hand. Variations happen when you substitute cheese and add other ingredients that your family enjoys—so have fun with this one. If your children absolutely won’t eat a mac and cheese that doesn’t have that Day-Glo orange color, the King Arthur Flour Web site sells powdered cheese for just that effect! The entire casserole can be assembled in a slow-cooker liner and then refrigerated or frozen for later use. Before cooking, defrost the frozen casserole overnight in the refrigerator, bringing it up to room temperature for 45 minutes, and you will be on your way to slow-cooked comfort.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 small onion or shallot, finely chopped (about ¼ cup, see savvy)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ cups chicken broth

1½ cups milk

4 drops Tabasco sauce

5 cups finely shredded mild yellow and sharp white Cheddar cheese, plus extra to top

6 cups elbow macaroni, cooked just short of al dente (see savvy)

½ cup crushed buttery crackers such as Ritz or Pepperidge Farm Golden Butter Crackers

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Gradually add the broth and milk and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly.

add the Tabasco and remove the sauce from the heat. Add 3 cups of the cheese to the sauce and stir to melt. Spread half the macaroni in the slow-cooker insert and pour half the sauce over the macaroni.

sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over the layer. Repeat with the remaining macaroni and sauce and 1 cup of the cheese. Cover and cook for on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the mac and cheese is bubbling and cooked through.

sprinkle a little more cheese and the crackers over the top of the mac and cheese. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Allow the mac and cheese to rest about 10 minutes.

serve in the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

onion savvy

Onion-phobic children may not like the onion in here. In that case leave it out, and just cook the butter-and-flour roux as directed.

macaroni savvy

Since the macaroni will cook again in the slow cooker, don’t cook it any longer than al dente, or the resulting mac and cheese will be mushy and the noodles will fall apart. To avoid this, undercook the noodles by 2 to 4 minutes, until they are soft but still chewy.

Rice casseroles are a terrific supplement to a weeknight dinner or a gala occasion. Plan ahead by cooking extra rice and freezing it in 1- or 2-cup portions in zipper-top plastic bags. Although brown rice might seem like a healthier option, I don’t recommend it. It is too coarse and the texture fights with the other ingredients in the casseroles. For all the rice dishes in this chapter we used converted rice, like Uncle Ben’s, because it is reliable in the slow cooker. Other rice tends to absorb too much liquid, or not enough. I discourage the use of short-grain or scented rice, like jasmine rice. Short-grain rice doesn’t absorb sauce well and becomes gummy, and jasmine rice will take over the flavor of the casserole.

Terrific as a side dish, this casserole is filled with dried porcini and sage-scented cremini mushrooms and is a winner any night of the week. I love to serve it alongside grilled meat, chicken, or seafood.

2½ cups beef broth

4 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, crumbled

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered

6 fresh sage leaves, finely sliced

1 teaspoon dried sage

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup full-bodied red wine

4 cups cooked white rice

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

add the broth and the porcini to a large bowl and allow the porcini to reconstitute while you prepare the other ingredients.

melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the cremini, fresh and dried sage, salt, and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms have begun to color, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the wine and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring up any bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan.

remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Put the rice and the sautéed mushrooms in a large bowl and stir to combine. Strain the broth and porcini through a fine-mesh sieve into the rice and transfer the mixture to the slow-cooker insert.

cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Remove the cover and cook an additional 30 to 45 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 8

Filled with chicken, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms in a creamy sherry- and-cheeseflavored sauce, this swell rice casserole offers a terrific way to use up leftover chicken or turkey. You could also use medium cooked shrimp or cooked salmon for a seafood option. Serve this with a green salad with fruit and a sweet vinaigrette.

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced

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cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup cream sherry

4 cups milk

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teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2½ cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

4 cup cooked white rice (see savvy)

One 16-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted and drained

3 cups bite-size pieces cooked chicken or turkey

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until it has softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are colored, 8 to 10 minutes.

add the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the sherry and milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat and add 1½ cups of the cheese, stirring until it is melted.

put 2 cups of the sauce and the rice in a large bowl and stir to combine. Put the artichokes, chicken, and the remaining sauce in another bowl, stirring to blend. Add half the rice mixture to the slow-cooker insert. Top with half the artichoke mixture and ½ cup of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the casserole is bubbling and is cooked through. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 8

rice savvy

A mixture of white and wild rice works well in this casserole, taking it out of the everyday and turning it into a party dish.