Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [122]
serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 8
Colonial Williamsburg Spoon Bread
Spoon bread is a creamy cornbread that was served in colonial days. You don’t see this on many restaurant menus anymore, except at historic inns and taverns in the South, and that’s a shame because it is a delicious accompaniment to roasted meats, pork, and poultry. At Christiana Campbell’s tavern in Williamsburg, they actually spoon it out of a large cast-iron pot. I love to serve this with maple syrup or honey on the side.
3 cups cornmeal
3 cups water
3 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
8 large eggs
coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
put the cornmeal, water and milk in a large mixing bowl and stir for 3 to 5 minutes. (This will ensure a light spoon bread). Add the sugar, baking powder, butter, and eggs and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth. transfer the mixture to the slow-cooker insert.
cover and cook on high for 3 hours, until the top is set. Uncover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
serve the spoon bread from the cooker set on warm.
serves 8
Grits
Grits cook up creamy and smooth in a slow cooker. All that’s left for you to do is to add flavor and pizzazz to this classic Southern dish. I’m not fond of plain grits, but you can definitely make them in your slow cooker, especially if you like them for breakfast. My favorites are dishes where the grits peek out from under a stellar entrée such as barbecued shrimp New Orleans–style, a lamb shank, or a pot roast. Any way you decide to make them, the slow cooker will treat them well.
Basic Grits
This recipe contains just a few ingredients and is for the purists in the crowd who love plain grits with eggs over-easy in the morning. If you want to dress this up, substitute chicken broth for the water, and add one to two cups shredded cheese at the end for a simple side dish. For grits casseroles, see the recipes on the facing page.
1¼ cups stone-ground grits
5½ cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for serving
coat the insert of a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
stir all the ingredients together in the insert. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the grits are creamy.
serve from the cooker set on warm with additional butter on the side.
serves 8
Cheesy Grits Casserole
This delicious casserole will be a star at your next dinner. The grits are cooked in broth, rather than water, for a richer flavor, and then further enriched with eggs, cream, and cheese halfway through the cooking. This dish is a standout with grilled meats, poultry, and seafood. I love to serve New Orleans-style barbecued shrimp over these grits.
1 cup stone-ground grits
4½ cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 large eggs, beaten
½ cup heavy cream
2 cup finely shredded mild Cheddar cheese (see savvy)
coat the insert of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
stir the grits, broth, and butter together in the slow-cooker insert. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Stir in the eggs, cream, and cheese. Cover and cook for an additional 4 hours, until the grits are creamy and the cheese has melted.
serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 8
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cheese savvy
You can substitute your favorites here: Swiss, Havarti with dill, sharp Cheddar, Asiago, provolone, Monterey Jack, and pepper Jack are all great choices.
GARLIC CHEESE GRITS mince 3 cloves garlic, sauté in the