Taste of Home - Taste of Home Casseroles, Slow Cooker & Soups: 515 Hot & Hearty Dishes Your Family Will Love

A TASTE OF HOME/READERS DIGEST BOOK 2015 RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC 1610 N. 2nd St., Suite 102, Milwaukee WI 53212 All rights reserved. Taste of Home and Readers Digest are registered trademarks of The Readers Digest Association, Inc. EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief: Catherine Cassidy Creative Director: Howard Greenberg Editorial Operations Director: Kerri Balliet Managing Editor, Print & Digital Books: Mark Hagen Associate Creative Director: Edwin Robles Jr. Editor: Amy Glander Art Director: Maggie Conners Layout Designer: Nancy Novak Editorial Production Manager: Dena Ahlers Copy Chief: Deb Warlaumont Mulvey Copy Editors: Mary-Liz Shaw, Dulcie Shoener, Joanne Weintraub Contributing Copy Editor: Steph Kilen, Valerie Phillips Business Analyst, Content Tools: Amanda Harmatys Content Operations Assistant: Shannon Stroud Editorial Services Administrator: Marie Brannon Food Editors: James Schend; Peggy Woodward, RD Recipe Editors: Mary King; Jenni Sharp, RD; Irene Yeh Test Kitchen & Food Styling Manager: Sarah Thompson Test Cooks: Nicholas Iverson (lead), Matthew Hass, Lauren Knoelke Food Stylists: Kathryn Conrad (lead), Leah Rekau, Shannon Roum Prep Cooks: Bethany Van Jacobson (lead), Megumi Garcia, Melissa Hansen Culinary Team Assistant: Megan Behr Photography Director: Stephanie Marchese Photographers: Dan Roberts, Jim Wieland Photographer/Set Stylist: Grace Natoli Sheldon Set Stylists: Melissa Franco, Stacey Genaw, Dee Dee Jacq Photo Studio Assistant: Ester Robards Editorial Business Manager: Kristy Martin Editorial Business Associate: Samantha Lea Stoeger BUSINESS Vice President, Group Publisher: Kirsten Marchioli Publisher: Donna Lindskog General Manager, Taste of Home Cooking School: Erin Puariea Executive Producer, Taste of Home Online Cooking School: Karen Berner THE READERS DIGEST ASSOCIATION, INC. President and Chief Executive Officer: Bonnie Kintzer Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, North America: Howard Halligan Chief Revenue Officer: Richard Sutton Chief Marketing Officer: Leslie Dukker Doty Senior Vice President, Global HR & Communications: Phyllis E.

Gebhardt, SPHR Vice President, Digital Content & Audience Development: Diane Dragan Vice President, Brand Marketing: Beth Gorry Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis: William Houston Publishing Director, Books: Debra Polansky Vice President, Chief Technology Officer: Aneel Tejwaney Vice President, Consumer Marketing Planning: Jim Woods For other Taste of Home books and products, visit us at tasteofhome.com. For more Readers Digest products and information, visit rd.com (in the United States) or rd.ca (in Canada). International Standard Book Number (Epub): 978-1-61765-407-7 Cover Photographer: Dan Roberts Set Stylist: Grace Natoli Sheldon Food Stylist: Shannon Roum Pictured on front cover: . Pictured on title page: .

WHY CASSEROLES ARE SO POPULAR: Many are convenient meals-in-one. Or just add a salad or vegetable, and dinner is ready! Cleanup is easy because everything bakes in one dish. Youll only have a few items to wash after dinner. Youre free to do other things while it bakes. Many can be assembled one day, then refrigerated and baked the next day. Casseroles are great for large family gatherings and potlucks.

Leftovers make a delicious lunch or quick dinner. Most reheat easily in the microwave. Full of flavor, casseroles make you feel warm and cozy. The casseroles in this indispensible cookbook are sure to become some of your familys favorite dishes. Youll be sure to make them time and again!

ADVANTAGES OF SLOW COOKING: CONVENIENCE. Slow cookers provide people with the ease of safely preparing meals while away from home. The appliances are readily available and budget-friendly. HEALTH. As more people turn to more nutritious food choices to improve their health, slow cooking has gained popularity. Low-temperature cooking retains more vitamins in foods, and leaner cuts of meat become tender in the slow cooker without added fats.

Lower-sodium and lower-fat versions of many canned goods are available, which can help you create even lighter, healthier meals. And, for many busy folks, knowing that a healthy meal is waiting at home helps them avoid the temptation of the drive-thru after work. FINANCIAL SAVINGS. A slow cooker uses very little electricity because of its low wattage. For instance, it would cost roughly 21 cents to operate a slow cooker for a total of 10 hours. If you cook a pork roast for 2 hours in the oven instead of using the slow cooker for 10 hours, youll spend $2.51 to operate an electric oven or $1.49 to operate a gas one.

Also, slow cookers do not heat up the kitchen as ovens do, which saves on summertime cooling costs.

We provide a range in cooking times to allow for variables such as meat thickness, whether the slow cooker is full and how hot the food should be when cooked. As you grow familiar with your slow cooker, youll be able to judge which end of the range to use. New slow cookers heat up more quickly than older ones. If you have an older model and your recipe directs you to cook on low, try cooking on high for the first hour to ensure food safety. Slow cookers range in price from $20 to more than $200 and are available in sizes from 1 1/2 to 7 quarts. Select one that fits your budget and choose a size appropriate for your family.

To learn more about specific models, check online or in reputable consumer magazines for product reviews.

When food is finished cooking, remove it from the slow cooker within an hour. Promptly refrigerate any leftovers. Use a slow cooker on a buffet table to keep soup, stew, savory dips or mashed potatoes hot. Heat cooked food on the stovetop or in the microwave and then put it into a slow cooker to keep it hot for serving. Do not reheat food in a slow cooker. CLEANING TIPS: Removable inserts make cleanup a breeze.