Slow Cookers For Dummies

Contents

How to Use This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Icons Used in This Book

A Few Guidelines Before You Begin

Part I : Revving Up Your Slow Cooker

Chapter 1: Slow Cooking in the Fast Lane

The Hare and the Tortoise: Fast Food versus Slow Food

Here’s Who’s Slow Cooking

The Benefits of Owning a Slow Cooker

Quick and Easy Turkey Vegetable Soup

Chapter 2: From the Fire to the Pot

Cooking with Direct and Indirect Heat

How a Slow Cooker Works

Types of Slow Cookers

Gearing Up for Slow Cooking: The Right Model for You

Part II : Making the Best and Safest Use of Your Slow Cooker

Chapter 3: Slow Cooker Basics from Start to Finish

First Things First: Wash Your Slow Cooker

Caring for Your Cooking Container

Preparing to Slow Cook: Some Tips

Now You’re Cooking

After It’s Done: From Slow Cooker to Server

Chapter 4: Food Safety 101

B Is for Bacteria

Safe Cooking in Your Slow Cooker

Chapter 5: From the Stove to the Slow Cooker

Adapting Your Favorite Recipes for the Slow Cooker

Some of Our Favorite Recipes Adapted to the Slow Cooker

Traditional Bolognese Tomato and Meat Sauce

Slow Cooker Bolognese Tomato and Meat Sauce

Traditional Sweet Potato and Rosemary Soup

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Rosemary Soup

Annie’s Traditional Chicken Provençal

Annie’s Slow Cooker Chicken Provençal

Tom’s Mom’s Traditional Stuffed Artichokes

Tom’s Mom’s Stuffed Artichokes for the Slow Cooker

Traditional White Bean Stew

Slow Cooker White Bean Stew

Part III : Basic and Delicious Recipes for the Slow Cooker

Chapter 6: Snacks, Dips, and Beverages

Slow Cooker Munchies and Dipping Sauces

Good Morning Granola

Slow Cooker Party Mix

Chunky Chili Sauce

Holy Guacamole Tomato Salsa

Nacho Cheese Sauce

A New Twist on Some Classic Party Favorites

Sweet ’n’ Sour Meatballs

Spicy Lil’ Piggies

Asian Chicken Wings

Drinks That Warm Down to Your Toes

Mulled Spice Mix

Irish Coffee for a Crowd

Mexican Coffee — Café de Olla

Chapter 7: Spoonfuls of Goodness: Soups, Chowders, and Chili

What’s in a Name?

Making the Very Best Soups

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Beef Barley Mushroom Soup

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Minestrone Soup

Fisherman’s Chowder

Corn and Lima Bean Chowder

Chunky Vegetable Chili

Tailgate Chili for a Crowd

White Bean and Chicken Chili

Chapter 8: Slow Simmering Stews

Preparing Your Stew Meat

Browning and Layering

Creating a Flavorful Sauce

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Chunky South-of-the-Border Beef Stew

Asian Beef and Vegetables

Chicken Cacciatore

Provençal Chicken and Potato Stew

Curried Chicken with Basmati Rice

Lemon and Thyme Pork Stew

Italian Sausage Stew

Moroccan Vegetable Stew with Couscous

Chapter 9: The Big Cuts: Roasts

Using the Slow Cooker as a Roasting Pan

Searing and Browning Food for Best Results

Testing to See Whether the Roast Is Done

Favorite Roast Recipes

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb

Roasted Lamb Shanks with White Beans and Herbs

Cranberry Brisket

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Our Favorite Pot Roast

Roast Pork with Apples, Sweet Potatoes, and Plantains

Pulled Pork Barbecue

Chapter 10: Casseroles

The American Casserole: A 20th-Century Invention

New Favorites from Old Classics

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Baked Beans and Beef

Stuffed Peppers

Noodles Stroganoff Casserole

Macaroni and Cheese

Classic Vegetable Casserole with French-Fried Onions

Sweet Potato Marshmallow Casserole

Chapter 11: Desserts and Jams

Apple Brown Betty

Apple Bread Pudding

Custards and Puddings

Chocolate Custard

Fruit Butters and Jams

Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam

Part IV : Jump-Starting Dinner with Your Slow Cooker

Chapter 12: Cooking with a Master Meat Sauce

A Master Plan, a Master Recipe

Master Meat Sauce Cooking and Freezing Tips

The Master Meat Sauce

Master Meat Sauce

All-American Chili for a Crowd

Recipes Using the Master Meat Sauce

Johnny Marzetti Casserole

Shepherd’s Pie

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

Mom’s Baked Rice

Spanish Rice with Meat

South-of-the-Border Chili con Carne and Cornbread Too

Cuban Picadillo

Beef and Bean Burritos

Quick and Easy Greek Pastitso

Chapter 13: Master Roast Turkey Breast Recipes

Master Turkey Recipe to the Rescue

Master Roast Turkey Breast

Quick Turkey Gravy

Recipes Using the Master Roast Turkey Breast

Turkey and Dumplings

Turkey Croquettes

Stovetop Turkey Divan

Turkey Chop Suey

Easy Turkey Tetrazzini

Sliced Turkey with Piquant Tuna Mayonnaise

Confetti Pasta and Turkey Salad

Chapter 14: New York Penicillin: Master Chicken Broth Recipes

New York Penicillin

Making and Storing Chicken Broth

Master Chicken Broth

Recipes Using the Master Chicken Broth

Chicken Rice Soup

Chicken Corn Chowder

Matzoh Ball Soup

Greek Egg-Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono Soupa)

Mexican Tortilla Soup

Italian Egg-Drop Soup (Stracciatella)

Creamy Asparagus Soup

French Onion Soup

Potato and Leek Soup

Part V : The Part of Tens

Chapter 15: Ten Special Occasions for Slow Cooker Entrées

New Year’s Celebration

Super Bowl Chili Party

St. Patrick’s Day

Passover or Hanukkah

Easter Sunday Dinner

Potluck Suppers

Chapter 16: Ten Problems and How to Handle Them

Stone-Cold Slow Cooker

Just Broke My Tooth on a Potato

Help, I’m Swimming in Liquid!

Probably Done Three Hours Ago

Honey, I Burnt the Roast

Get Me a Flashlight!

Slow Cookers, Like Cats, Don’t Like Water

Shattered Lid or Liner

Chapter 17: Ten Web Sites to Check Out

The Easy Guide to Crockpot Cooking on iVillage.com

Chapter 18: Ten Tips for Great Slow Cooking

Determining How Much Is Enough

Layering Contents Properly

Intensifying Flavors by Searing and Browning First

Cooking with Dairy Products

Slow Cooking and Frozen Foods

Cooking at High Altitudes

Keeping It Under Cover

Thickening Sauces and Cooking Liquid

If Your Slow Cooker Cooks Too Slowly

Appendix A: Contact Information for Slow Cooker Manufacturers

Appendix B: Metric Conversion Guide