Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (11 page)

Boston Brown Bread

Jean Butzer

Batavia, NY

Makes 3 loaves

Prep. Time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time: 4 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: large enough to hold 3 cans upright

3 16-oz. vegetable cans, cleaned and emptied

½ cup rye flour

½ cup yellow cornmeal

½ cup whole wheat flour

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. salt

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup raisins

1 cup buttermilk
*

⅓ cup molasses

1. Spray insides of vegetable cans, and one side of 3 6”-square pieces of foil, with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Combine rye flour, cornmeal, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Stir in walnuts and raisins.

4. Whisk together buttermilk and molasses in a separate bowl. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until well mixed. Spoon into prepared cans.

5. Place one piece of foil, greased side down, on top of each can. Secure foil with rubberbands or cotton string. Place upright in slow cooker.

6. Pour boiling water into slow cooker to come halfway up sides of cans. (Make sure foil tops do not touch boiling water).

7. Cover cooker. Cook on Low 4 hours, or until skewer inserted in center of bread comes out clean.

8. To remove bread, lay cans on their sides. Roll and tap gently on all sides until bread releases. Cool completely on wire racks.

9. Serve with butter or cream cheese.

*
To substitute for buttermilk, pour 1 Tbsp. lemon juice into a 1-cup measure. Add enough milk to fill the cup. Let stand 5 minutes before mixing with molasses.

Dulce Leche (Sweet Milk)

Dorothy Horst

Tiskilwa, IL

Makes 2½ cups

Prep. Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: large enough to hold 2 cans upright

2 14-oz. cans sweetened condensed milk

1. Place unopened cans of milk in slow cooker. Fill cooker with warm water so that it comes above the cans by 1½-2 inches.

2. Cover cooker. Cook on High 2 hours.

3. Cool unopened cans.

4. When opened, the contents should be thick and spreadable. Use as a filling between 2 cookies or crackers.

Note:

When on a tour in Argentina, we were served this at breakfast time as a spread on toast or thick slices of bread. We were also presented with a container of prepared Dulce Leche as a parting gift to take home. This dish sometimes appears on Mexican menus.

Soups, Stews, and Chilis

Hearty Bean and Vegetable Soup

Jewel Showalter

Landisville, PA

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 20-25 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

2 medium onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

8 cups chicken,
or
vegetable, broth

1 small head cabbage, chopped

2 large red potatoes, chopped

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped carrots

4 cups corn

2 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried marjoram

¼ tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

2 15-oz. cans navy beans, drained

1. Sauté onions and garlic in oil in skillet. Transfer to large slow cooker.

2. Add remaining ingredients. Mix together well.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 6-8 hours.

Variation:

Add 2-3 cups cooked and cut-up chicken 30 minutes before serving if you wish.

Note:

I discovered this recipe after my husband’s heart attack. It’s a great nutritious soup using only a little fat.

Invite friends over. Have everyone bring a slow-cooker soup. Set all of the slow cookers around the counter with labels on each one. It’s a great way to sample lots of different kinds of soups. (You can assign a different recipe to each person if you’re concerned about having duplicates.)

Nancy Wagner Graves, Manhattan, KS

Minestrone

Bernita Boyts

Shawnee Mission, KS

Makes 8-10 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-9 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3½- to 4-qt.

1 large onion, chopped

4 carrots, sliced

3 ribs celery, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

6-oz. can tomato paste

14½-oz. can chicken, beef,
or
vegetable, broth

24-oz. can pinto beans, undrained

10-oz. pkg. frozen green beans

2-3 cups chopped cabbage

1 medium zucchini, sliced

8 cups water

2 Tbsp. parsley

2 Tbsp. Italian spice

1 tsp. salt,
or
more

½ tsp. pepper

¾ cup dry acini di pepe (small round pasta)

grated Parmesan,
or
Asiago, cheese

1. Sauté onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in oil in skillet until tender.

2. Combine all ingredients, except pasta and cheese, in slow cooker.

3. Cover. Cook 4-5 hours on High or 8-9 hours on Low.

4. Add pasta 1 hour before cooking is complete.

5. Top individual servings with cheese.