Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever (46 page)

Sweet butternut squash is a perfect vegetable to braise in the slow cooker because it becomes caramelized and tender when cooked low and slow. The addition of thyme and apple cider gives this squash lots of personality. Serve the squash with pork or poultry as a colorful and interesting side dish (see savvy).

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup apple cider

2 teaspoons dried thyme

4 cups 1-inch chunks peeled and seeded butternut squash

combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3½ to 4 hours, until the squash is tender.

serve the squash from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

slow-cooker savvy

This squash is also delicious puréed. When the squash is tender, use an immersion blender to purée it. Serve the squash in the cooker set on warm.

My friend Martha Mand made an Estonian dish called
Hapukapsa,
a caramelized apple and sauerkraut dish that she serves stuffed in a crown roast of pork at holidays. Martha’s recipe translates well to the slow cooker, which allows the apples and sauerkraut to caramelize with a long slow braise. Serve this dish with pork or alongside corned beef.

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

¼ cup sugar

6 cups finely shredded green cabbage

(about 1 ½ medium heads)

Three 15-ounce cans sauerkraut, rinsed, drained, and squeezed dry

2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sugar and sauté until the onions begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the cabbage is tender.

serve the sauerkraut from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

Confetti-colored bell peppers and onions combine to make a delicious side dish or topping for grilled meats, sausages, chicken, or seafood. This also makes a terrific topping for crostini or bruschetta, served at room temperature. Peperonata may be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 medium red onions, cut into half rounds

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and sliced

2 medium yellow bell peppers, seeded and sliced

2 medium orange bell peppers, seeded and sliced

1 teaspoon salt

combine the oil, tomato paste, oregano, basil, sugar, pepper, rosemary, and vinegar in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir to blend.

add the vegetables and stir to coat. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the peppers are tender. Season the peperonata with the salt.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

Stuffed peppers, like many other foods, got a bad rap from cafeteria service, where the tired peppers looked like little green sagging buckets filled with crusty ground beef and rice. No one wants to eat that! These peppers are stuffed with a creamy chicken filling and are cooked in a marinara sauce. They turn out creamy, and, most of all, delicious.

4 cups
marinara sauce
, either fresh or prepared

¼ cup dry red wine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium shallots, finely chopped

4 ounces smoked ham, finely chopped

4 ounces white button mushrooms, finely chopped

8 ounces ground chicken or turkey

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon cream sherry

1½ cups heavy cream

¹
/
₈
teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

6 medium red bell peppers, tops removed, and reserved, seeds and membrane removed

pour the marinara into the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir in the wine. Melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, ham, and mushrooms and sauté until the mushroom liquid is evaporated. Add the chicken to the skillet and sauté, breaking up any large pieces, until it is no longer pink.

sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook for 3 minutes, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Gradually stir in the broth and add the sherry. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the cream, nutmeg, cheese, and parsley.

spoon the mixture into the bell peppers, set the peppers in the slow-cooker insert, and cover with the reserved tops. Cover and cook on high for 2½ hours or on low for 5 hours, until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through. Carefully remove the bell peppers from the cooker.

serve each pepper in a pool of the marinara sauce on a dinner plate.

serves 6

Stuffed tomatoes were a staple at my mother’s house in the summer when the tomatoes were picked ripe from the vines. Mom would split them and top them with a delicious mixture of fresh bread crumbs, Romano and Parmesan cheeses, garlic, and fresh parsley and basil. She would cook them on the stovetop, but the slow cooker does a great job with these tomatoes. They are a stars during the summer months, served with grilled meats, fish, or chicken. The tomatoes are best warm or at room temperature.

½ cup olive oil

3 large meaty tomatoes, cut horizontally in half

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups fresh bread crumbs

½ cup freshly grated Romano cheese

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil

pour ¼ cup of the oil into the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Arrange the tomato halves in the slow-cooker insert and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the bread crumbs, both cheeses, the garlic, parsley, basil, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a bowl.

mound the mixture on the tomato halves and drizzle with the remaining ¼ cup oil. Cover and cook on low for 3½ to 4 hours, until the tomatoes are cooked through.

spoon some of the pan juices over the tomatoes, turn off the cooker, and serve the tomatoes warm.

serves 6

When the tomatoes in your garden are threatening to overrun everything else, put your slow cooker to work and make this flavorful stewed tomato dish. Keep them on hand to use as you would canned tomatoes, or serve them covered with buttered bread crumbs as a side dish. The tomatoes will keep in in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to six months; store them in zipper-top plastic bags.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

10 large tomatoes, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the tomatoes are tender.

allow the tomatoes to cool before serving.

serves 6–8

A variation on All-American Stewed Tomatoes, this south-of-the-border version can be used to make all manner of Southwestern dishes, or it can be served as a sauce over grilled meats, chicken, or fish. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to six months.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

2 Anaheim chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons sugar

1½ teaspoons salt

10 large tomatoes, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges

heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, chiles, cumin, and oregano and sauté until the onion begins to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.

transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker and stir in the sugar, salt, and tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

allow the tomatoes to cool before serving.

serves 6

Multicolored cherry or grape tomatoes, roasted slowly with olive oil, garlic, and herbs, create a lovely side dish for any main course. The tomatoes can also be served as a relish or condiment.

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, sliced

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1 teaspoon dried chervil

½ teaspoon dried dill

6 cups varicolored cherry or pear tomatoes

combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1½ hours or on low for 3 hours.

serve the tomatoes at room temperature.

serves 6

Zucchini the size of baseball bats can appear in your garden without notice; that’s when you start shredding the zucchini and freezing it in four-cup packages for this terrific gratin, layered with leeks, tomato, and tarragon. Salt the zucchini and tomatoes before layering in the casserole to eliminate any excess moisture.

4 cup shredded zucchini

3 tablespoons salt

3 medium tomatoes, cut into ½-inch-thick slices

2 leeks, coarsely chopped, using the white and tender green parts

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

½ cup chicken broth

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnishing

place the zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and press any moisture out of the zucchini. Sprinkle the tomatoes with 1 teaspoon salt and let drain on paper towels.

toss the leeks with 2 tablespoons of the oil and pour the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Combine the tarr agon, pepper, tomato paste, remaining salt and the broth in a small bowl. Arrange a layer of tomatoes in the slow-cooker insert and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the tomato paste mixture. Top with a layer of zucchini, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the tomato paste mixture, and top with some of the leeks. Continue to layer the ingredients, and pour the remainder of tomato paste mixture over the vegetables.

cover and cook on high for 1½ to 2 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Remove the cover and cook on low another hour.

serve the gratin warm or at room temperature with a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

serves 6–8

Yellow squash casseroles are legendary in the South; you can count on a squash casserole to be on the table at most potlucks, with the guests evaluating whether it’s worthy of the rest of the spread! This casserole, with its creamy, cheesy sauce, filled with nuggets of squash and ham and then covered with buttered cracker crumbs, is the perfect dish to serve with meats, chicken, or seafood.

6 medium yellow squash, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons, melted

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

2½ cups finely shredded sharp white or mild Cheddar cheese

1 cup finely chopped ham

10 buttery crackers, crushed (about ½ cup)

¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (see savvy)

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.

place the squash in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Set the squash aside for 30 minutes to drain excess moisture.

melt the 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and thyme and sauté until the onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the saucepan and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, cream, and Tabasco and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly. The sauce should be quite thick. Pour the sauce into the slow-cooker insert and fold in the Cheddar cheese and ham. Press out any excess moisture from the squash with paper towels and add the squash to the slow-cooker insert. Stir to distribute the ingredients.

cover and cook on high for 1½ to 2 hours, until the casserole is heated through and the squash is tender. While the casserole is cooking, stir together the melted butter, crushed crackers, parsley, and Parmesan.

sprinkle the top of the casserole with the buttered cracker crumbs and serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

parmigiano savvy

Parmigiano-Reggianno is made only in the Parma region of Italy; it is stamped, so you know what you are buying, and it can be expensive. With that in mind, I recommend Parmigiano when I think the taste of the dish depends on its use, but in other instances, when strong flavors are used in a dish, as they are here, it is perfectly fine to use a domestic Parmesan to sprinkle over the top of the casserole.