Phyllis Good - Fix-It and Forget-It Slow Cooker Champion Recipes: 450 of Our Very Best Recipes

Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Good Books, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or . Good Books in an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Visit our website at www.goodbooks.com. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. ISBN: 978-1-68099-125-3 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68099-136-9 Cover design by Laura Klynstra Printed in China Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and author have made their best effort in preparing this book with care and accuracy, and it is presented in good faith.

But they make no representations or warranties with respect to the completeness or accuracy of the contents of this book. Sales representatives may not create or extend any warranty either verbally or in sales materials about this book. The advice and strategies contained in these materials may not be suitable for your situation. Consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable for any commercial damages or loss of profit, including but not limited to special, consequential, or incidental damages. Table of Contents Welcome to Fix-It and Forget-It Slow Cooker Champion Recipes! Weve all got our favorite recipes.

We love their flavors; their prep is easy; the people we serve these dishes to keep coming back for more! Im forever experimenting with new recipes and combinations. But when I want to score without worrying, I flip to my cookbook indexes where Ive written a grade for each recipe, and I choose one with an A. Thats whats in this book. My A slow cooker recipes. Are You a Beginner Cook? If youve never cookedor seldom triedthe recipes in this collection will make you feel like a smart cook. These recipes have come from home cooks from across the country.

These are the recipes theyre asked to make again and again. But Ive written the instructions so that I could have made them when I first started cooking. Because I knew zero. And I was too proud to ask my mom, who had given up trying to persuade me to learn. Are You an Experienced Cook? If youre a veteran cookor you love a challenge when cookingthere are recipes here for you, too. You can stage recipes, adding the more delicate ingredients later in the cooking process.

You can make the cream soups from scratch (see ) with raw ingredients, adjusting the flavorings to suit your preference as you go. You Arent Alone When You Cook from This Book Youll see the names of the cooks with the recipes theyve contributed, so you know youre well surrounded and supported when you step into the kitchen to cook from this book. I love their tips, too. Theyre the kind of pointers that you usually learn only after a long acquaintance with a slow cooker, or with cooking in general. Think of them as the voices of your grandmother or your favorite aunt, standing at your elbow with their cooking wisdom. So happy cooking, and welcome to the community! Hints for Cooking with a Slow Cooker What Kind of Slow Cooker Should I Buy? Size? If youre part of a 4-person household (2 adults and 2 kids at home), youll probably be happy with a 4-quart size.

Youll be able to fit in 4 chicken legs or thighs or a 3-lb. beef or pork roast. Or make a full portion of lasagna. On the other hand, a 6-quart cooker works well because it will comfortably hold a whole turkey breast or a whole butternut squash. And with that size youll be able to put a 1- or 2-quart baking dish on the floor of your cookeror several individual little bakersand make bread or muffins. I like having several different sizes.

A 1-quart for dips, a 5-quart for a main dish or vegetables, and a 6- or 7-quart for barbecued pulled pork for a neighborhood gathering or to take to a potluck. Shape? Ovals accommodate most shapes and cuts of meat. They also have more floor space, so they work well for baking layered bars. Or you can suspend a loaf pan filled with bread or cake batter on the edges of the crock itself and bake it. Programmable, probe, or manual? Programmable cookers allow you a lot of control, especially if youre going to be away for most of the day. You set the exact cooking time you want and choose High or Low.

The cooker switches to Warm when the cooking time is up. I really dislike dry, overcooked meat. Thats why Im also drawn to slow cookers with a probe, which allows you to read the actual temperature of food as it cooks. The temperature shows up on the slow cookers control panel. Im also a devoted user of an instant-read meat thermometer. If Im using a manual slow cooker, I whip that out to make sure Im not overcooking the chicken thighs Im hoping to serve to my family and friends.

Other handy features? If youre planning to carry a slow cooker full of food in the car, youll be happier if you have a lid that locks. Safety Alert! Its best not to put frozen meat into a slow cooker. You dont want to risk the growth of bacteria as the frozen meat slowly heats to a safe temperature of 140F. When youre ready to turn on your slow cooker, make sure the cord isnt pinched or isnt lying against anything that could be damaged if the cord gets hot. When a slow cooker is turned on and cooking, all three of its main parts get hotthe lid, the inner crock, and the electrical unit that holds the crock. Use potholders when touching or lifting any part of a slow cooker thats working.

A slow cooker stays hot for a while even after its turned off. Keep your potholders handy. When you lift the lid on your working slow cooker, be careful of two things: 1) not to burn yourself from the cloud of steam that will roll out; 2) not to let the moisture thats gathered on the inside of the lid drip onto the cooked food below. I suggest that you learn the SWOOP move. With one firm action, grab the lids handle and swoop the lid off the cooker, tilting it up and away from yourself in one quick action. When youve emptied a hot crock, allow it to cool to room temperature before plunging it into water or filling it with water to soak.

Many crocks are ceramic and can crack if subjected to a sudden change in temperature. Getting Acquainted with Your Slow Cooker (Dont Skip This Step!) Slow cookers have personalities. Just like your car. Just like your microwave and stove. So learn to know your slow cooker. Plan a little get-acquainted time.