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1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 to 2½ pounds round steak, cut into 1-inch pieces, fat removed

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

2 medium onions, cut into half rounds

1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup dry red wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 cup beef broth

¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms, crumbled

1 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche

Noodles or long-grain rice for serving

mix the salt, pepper, paprika, and flour in a large plastic zipper-top bag. Add the meat, toss to coat, and shake off the excess flour. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the meat a few pieces at a time and brown on all sides.

transfer the browned meat to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the onions and cremini mushrooms to the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until the vegetables are softened and the mushrooms and onions begin to color, 7 to 8 minutes.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert. Deglaze the skillet with the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire, and broth and heat. Tr ansfer the liquid to the slow-cooker insert and stir in the porcini mushrooms.

cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Stir in the cream, cover, and cook on low for an additional hour.

serve with noodles or steamed long-grain rice.

serves 8

Breakfast or Brunch

The slow cooker makes an ideal “butler” to prepare overnight oatmeal. It’s best to use nonstick cooking spray to coat the inside of the cooker when making oatmeal or egg dishes, or you can fit the insert with a liner to help with cleanup.

Overnight Oatmeal

Waking up to a steaming bowl of oatmeal from the slow cooker is as easy as just adding water and salt. The oats cook to creamy goodness, and your only job the next morning is to pour on warm cream or milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Check out the variations that follow as well.

3¾ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

8 cups water

½ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 cups milk or cream, warmed, for serving

¼ cup cinnamon sugar for serving

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line the insert with a slow-cooker liner according to manufacturer’s directions.

combine the oatmeal, water, and salt in the cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the oats are creamy. Stir in the butter.

serve with warmed milk and cinnamon sugar.

serves 8

GRANOLA OATMEAL reduce the amount of oats to 3 cups and add 1 cup granola to the slow cooker. Proceed as directed.

APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL add 1 cup dried apples, ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar, and ½ cup apple juice or apple cider to the slow cooker. Proceed as directed.

LOADED OATMEAL when the oatmeal is done, serve it with a condiment bar of dried fruits such as cranberries, chopped nuts, granola, wheat germ, brown sugar, and fresh fruit such as berries and bananas.

Huevos Rancheros

A savory ranchero sauce, flavored with sausage nuggets, chipotles, onion, bell peppers, and tequila, bubbles away in the slow cooker and waits for eggs to poach on top before being served for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. Don’t forget the requisite margaritas and tortillas!

1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

3 chipotle chiles in adobo, minced

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 medium orange bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

1½ teaspoons dried oregano

¼ cup tequila

Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

Eight 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into thin strips

½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (see savvy)

8 large eggs

2 cups finely shredded mild Cheddar, Monterey