Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [123]
SMOKED BACON AND CHEDDAR CHEESE GRITS cook 8 ounces thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon until crisp. Drain; then crumble and set aside while the grits cook. Substitute sharp white Cheddar cheese for the mild cheese and add ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce along with the eggs, cream, and cheese. Stir the bacon into the grits just before serving.
Chapter 9
Eat Your Veggies
Whether or not you have vegetarians in your life, the slow cooker can be used to make a wide variety of vegetable dishes, including potato casseroles, root vegetable braises, eggplant Parmesan—the list goes on! Vegetables in the slow cooker can be an accompaniment or main course any night of the week. Vegetables and side dishes seem to require a lot of forethought for some home cooks, but the slow cooker takes out a lot of the guesswork. The ingredients are layered, the machine turned on low, and hours later a delicious vegetable dish emerges from the slow cooker.
Refried Bean Casserole
An easy Southwestern side dish, these beans are spicy, creamy, smooth and cheesy. Serve them at a build-your-own-taco bar or with carne or pollo asada.
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Four 14- to 15-ounce cans refried beans
1½ cups sour cream
2 cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, cumin, and oregano and sauté until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes.
transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the refried beans and sour cream. Spoon half the mixture into the slow-cooker insert and sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese. Top with the remaining beans and sprinkle with the pepper Jack cheese.
cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the beans are heated through and the cheese is melted.
serve the beans from the cooker set on warm.
serves 8
Caribbean Black Beans
Black beans, fragrant with island spices and cooked in the slow cooker, are a great side dish to serve at a barbecue or as part of a Southwestern dinner. Black beans need to be covered with liquid at all times, so this is one recipe where lifting the lid and stirring is encouraged!
1 pound black turtle beans, soaked overnight in water to cover and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium red onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Anaheim chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon jerk seasoning
1 bay leaf
One 14- to 15-ounce can crushed plum tomatoes, with their juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 cups chicken broth
pour the beans in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, chile, bell pepper, jerk seasoning, and bay leaf and sauté until the vegetables are softened.
add the tomatoes and transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert. Stir in the lime juice and broth.
cover and cook on high for 5 hours. Check the level of the liquid after 3 and 4 hours of cooking; stir and add more chicken broth if needed. The beans should be tender and creamy.
serve the beans from the cooker set on warm.
serves 8
Creamy White Beans
White beans are a staple in the Mediterranean, and this simple dish flavored with extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and rosemary is a winner any night of the week. The beans become creamy as they cook and are terrific served as a bed for lamb or chicken. The leftovers can be puréed and served as a dip or spread, like hummus.
2 cups dried small white beans, soaked overnight in water to cover and drained
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary