Other Main Dish Favorites
Lamb Stew
Dottie Schmidt
Kansas City, MO
Makes 6 servings
Prep. Time: 35 minutes
Cooking Time: 8-10 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.
2 lbs. lamb, cubed
½ tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. oil
2 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup flour
2 cups water
¾ cup red wine
¼ tsp. powdered garlic
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
6-8 carrots, sliced
4 small onions, quartered
4 ribs celery, sliced
3 medium potatoes, diced
1. Sprinkle lamb with sugar. Brown in oil in skillet.
2. Remove lamb and place in cooker, reserving drippings. Stir salt, pepper, and flour into drippings until smooth. Stir in water and wine until smooth, stirring until broth simmers and thickens.
3. Pour into cooker. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed.
4. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours.
Serving suggestion: We like this served with crusty bread.
Lamb Chops
Shirley Sears
Tiskilwa, IL
Makes 4-6 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 4-6 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. pepper
8 loin lamb chops (1¾-2 lbs.)
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup water
1. Place onion in slow cooker.
2. In a small bowl, combine oregano, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Rub over lamb chops. Place chops in slow cooker.
3. Top chops with garlic.
4. Pour water down along side of cooker, so as not to disturb rub and garlic on chops.
5. Cover. Cook on Low 4-6 hours, or until Chops are tender but not dry.
Colleen Heatwole
Burton, MI
Makes 6-8 servings
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: at least 8 hours
Cooking Time: 8-12 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.
3-4-lb. venison roast
¼ cup vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. salt
½ cup chopped onions
15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. ground mustard
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup water
1. Place venison in deep bowl. Combine vinegar, garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Pour over venison.
2. Add enough cold water to cover venison. Cover. Marinate for at least 8 hours in refrigerator.
3. Rinse and drain venison. Place in slow cooker.
4. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour over venison.
5. Cover. Cook on Low 8-12 hours, or until fork-tender but not dry.
Serving suggestion: Serve this with a green salad, potatoes, and rolls to make complete meal.
Notes:
1. The sauce on this Roast works well for any meat.
2. This is an easy meal to have for a Saturday dinner with guests or extended family. There is usually a lot of sauce, so make plenty of potatoes, noodles, or rice.
Venison in Sauce
Anona M. Teel
Bangor, PA
Makes 12 sandwiches
Prep. Time: 20 minutes
Marinating Time: 8 hours
Cooking Time: 8-10 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.
3-4-lb. venison roast
½ cup vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. salt
cold water
oil
large onion, sliced
half a green bell pepper, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1½-2 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. dried oregano
¼ cup ketchup
1 cup tomato juice
1. Place venison in a large bowl. Combine vinegar, garlic cloves, and 2 Tbsp. salt, and pour over venison. Add water until meat is covered. Marinate 8 hours.
2. Cut meat into pieces. Brown in oil in skillet. Place in slow cooker.
3. Mix remaining ingredients together; then pour into cooker. Stir together well.
4. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours.
5. Using two forks, pull meat apart and stir it through Sauce.
Serving suggestion: Serve on sandwich rolls, or over rice or pasta.
Beef-Venison Barbecue
Gladys Longacre
Susquehanna, PA
Makes 8 servings
Prep. Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 1-3 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.
1½ lbs. ground beef
½ lb. ground venison
oil, if needed
1 onion, chopped
½ cup chopped green bell peppers
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup vinegar
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 cup ketchup
½-1 Tbsp. hickory-smoked barbecue sauce
1. Brown meat in skillet, in oil if needed. Drain off drippings. Place meat in slow cooker.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.
3. Cover. Cook on High 1 hour or on Low 2-3 hours.
Serving suggestion: Serve Barbecue in hamburger rolls.
Tip:
This recipe can be made in larger quantities to freeze and then reheat when needed.
Note:
This Barbecue recipe was made in large quantities and served at the concession stand for our farm machinery sale in 1987. The servers used ice-cream dippers to scoop the meat into sandwich rolls.
Company Seafood Pasta
Jennifer Yoder Sommers
Harrisonburg, VA
Makes 4-6 servings
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1-2 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.
2 cups sour cream
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¼ stick (2 Tbsp.) butter, melted
½ lb. crabmeat, or imitation flaked crabmeat
⅛ tsp. pepper
½ lb. bay scallops, lightly cooked
1 lb. medium shrimp, cooked and peeled
1. Combine sour cream, cheese, and butter in slow cooker.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Cover. Cook on Low 1-2 hours.
Serving suggestion: Serve immediately over linguine. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Invite an elderly person, or someone with limited mobility, to help you bake. If they are unable to stand for long periods they can use bar stools at the kitchen counter or even work at the table from a wheelchair. This offers great fellowship and conversation.
Orpha Herr, Andover, NY
Oyster and Potato Filling Yuletide
Jane Geigley
Honey Brook, PA
Makes 3-4 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes if mashed potatoes are prepared; 50 minutes if you need to make the mashed potatoes
Cooking Time: 1½-3 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 2-qt.
1 small onion, minced
½ cup celery, diced
¼ stick (2 Tbsp.) butter, melted
2 cups very moist mashed potatoes
1 egg, well beaten
1 Tbsp. minced parsley
1-1½ tsp. salt
dash of black pepper
1 qt. stale bread, cubed
1 doz. oysters with liquid
milk, if needed
1. Sauté onion and celery in butter in skillet.
2. Blend together mashed potatoes and egg in slow cooker. Pour in sautéed onion and celery. Mix together well.
3. Stir in parsley, salt, pepper, bread cubes, and oysters with their liquid. If mixture is stiff, add several Tbsp. milk.
4. Cover cooker.
5. Cook on High 1½ hours, or on Low 3 hours.
Charlotte Shaffer
East Earl, PA
Makes 4-5 servings
Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups cooked shrimp
1 tsp. curry powder
10¾-oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1. Place chopped onion in non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir until onion wilts.
2. Place in slow cooker along with all other ingredients, except sour cream.
3. Cover. Cook on Low 2 hours.
4. Ten minutes before serving, stir in sour cream.
Serving suggestion: Serve over rice or puff pastry.
Variation:
Add another ½ tsp. curry for some added flavor.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ruth Hofstetter
Versailles, Missouri
Makes 8 servings
Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2-4 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.
2½ cups dry noodles
1 tsp. salt
½ cup finely chopped onion
6- or 12-oz. can tuna, according to your taste preference
10¾-oz. can cream of mushroom soup
half a soup can of water
¼ cup almonds, optional
½ cup shredded Swiss, or sharp cheddar, cheese
1 cup frozen peas
1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, except peas.
2. Cover. Cook on High 2-3 hours or on Low 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Twenty minutes before end of cooking time, stir in peas and reduce heat to Low if cooking on High.
I make a list of small jobs and ask each grandchild to do one of them. They love to help get everything on the table.
Carol Duree, Salina, KS
Macaroni and Cheese
Sherry L. Lapp
Lancaster, PA
Makes 8 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.
8-oz. pkg. elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
12-oz. can evaporated milk
1 cup whole milk
half a stick (4 Tbsp.) butter, melted
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
¼-½ tsp. salt, according to your taste preference
⅛ tsp. white pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. In slow cooker, combine lightly cooked macaroni, evaporated milk, whole milk, melted butter, eggs, 3 cups cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper.
2. Top with remaining cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.
3. Cover. Cook on Low 3 hours.
Variations:
1. Add 12-oz. can drained tuna in Step 1.
Janice Muller
Derwood, MD
2. Add ½ tsp. paprika and 2-4 Tbsp. minced onion in Step 1.
Kaye Taylor
Florissant, MO
Slow and Easy Macaroni and Cheese
Janice Muller
Derwood, MD
Makes 6-8 servings
Prep. Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 4¼ hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3½-qt.
1 lb. dry macaroni
1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter
2 eggs
12-oz. can evaporated milk
10¾-oz. can cheddar cheese soup
1 cup whole milk
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
⅛ tsp. paprika
1. Cook macaroni al dente. Drain off cooking water. Pour hot macaroni into slow cooker.
2. Slice butter into chunks and add to macaroni. Stir until melted.
3. In large mixing bowl, combine eggs, evaporated milk, soup, and whole milk. Add 3 cups cheese. Pour over macaroni and mix well.
4. Cover. Cook on Low 4 hours.
5. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cook 15 minutes, or until cheese melts.
6. Sprinkle with paprika before serving.
Variation:
Add 12-oz. can drained tuna in Step 3.
Easy Stuffed Shells
Rebecca Plank Leichty
Harrisonburg, VA
Makes 4-6 servings
Prep. Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 3-8 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 3½- to 4-qt.
20-oz. bag frozen stuffed shells
15-oz. can marinara, or spaghetti, sauce
15-oz. can green beans, drained
1. Place shells around inside edge of greased slow cooker.
2. Cover with marinara sauce.
3. Pour green beans in center.
4. Cover. Cook on Low 8 hours, or on High 3 hours.
Serving suggestion: Serve with garlic toast and salad for a complete meal.
Variation:
Reverse Steps 2 and 3. Double the amount of marinara sauce and pour over both shells and beans.
Cheese Souffle Casserole
Vicki Dinkel
Sharon Spring, KS
Makes 4 servings
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 4-6 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.
14 slices fresh bread, crusts removed, divided
3 cups grated sharp cheese, divided
¼ stick (2 Tbsp.) butter, melted, divided
6 eggs
3 cups milk, scalded
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. salt
paprika
1. Tear bread into small pieces. Place half in well-greased slow cooker.
2. Add half the grated cheese and half the butter. Repeat layers.
3. In a good-sized bowl, beat together eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and salt.
4. Pour over bread and cheese. Push bread and cheese down into liquid. Sprinkle top with paprika.
5. Cover. Cook on Low 4-6 hours, or until Souffle sets up.
Nadine L. Martinitz
Salina, KS
Makes 6-8 servings
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 6-9 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.
14½-oz. can whole tomatoes, mashed
15-oz. can Mexican-style beans, undrained
1½ cups uncooked long-grain rice
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup cottage cheese
4¼-oz. can chopped green chili peppers, drained
1 Tbsp. oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1. Combine all ingredients except final cup of cheese in well greased slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 6-9 hours, or until rice is fully cooked but dish is not dry.
3. Sprinkle with remaining cheese before serving.
Serving suggestion: We eat this with salsa on the side.
Minestra Di Ceci
Jeanette Oberholtzer
Manheim, PA
Makes 4-6 servings
Prep. Time: 25 minutes
Soaking Time: 8 hours, or overnight
Cooking Time: 5½-6 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.
1 lb. dry chickpeas
1 sprig fresh rosemary
10 leaves fresh sage
2 Tbsp. salt
1-2 large garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
1 cup uncooked small pasta, your choice of shape, or uncooked penne
1. Wash chickpeas. Place in slow cooker. Cover with water. Stir in rosemary, sage, and salt. Soak 8 hours, or overnight.
2. Drain water. Remove herbs.
3. Refill slow cooker with peas and fresh water to 1” above peas.
4. Cover. Cook on Low 5 hours.
5. Sauté garlic in olive oil in skillet until clear.
6. Purée half of peas, along with several cups of broth from cooker, in blender. Return purée to slow cooker.
7. Add garlic and oil.
8. Boil pasta in saucepan until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain. Add to beans.
9. Cover. Cook on High 30-60 minutes, or until pasta is tender and heated through, but not mushy.
Variation:
Add ½ tsp. black pepper in Step 1, if you like.
Easy Wheatberries
Elaine Vigoda
Rochester, NY
Makes 4-6 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Soaking Time: 2 hours
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.
1 cup uncooked wheatberries
1 cup couscous, or small pasta like orzo
14½-oz. can broth
½-1 broth can of water
½ cup dried craisins
1. Place wheatberries in slow cooker. Cover with water. Soak 2 hours before cooking.
2. Drain off soaking water. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Stir together well.
3. Cover. Cook on Low until liquid is absorbed and berries are soft, about 2 hours.
Notes:
1. If craisins are unavailable, use raisins.
2. This is a satisfying vegetarian main dish, if you use vegetable broth.