Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [174]
1 cup finely shredded mild Cheddar cheese
One 8-ounce package cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
4 green onions, finely chopped, using the white and tender green parts
8 strips bacon, cooked crisp, drained, and crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
cook the potatoes in salted water to cover until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Drain the potatoes thoroughly and place in the bowl of an electric mixer.
add 2 tablespoons of the butter, ½ cup of the Cheddar, the cream cheese, and sour cream and beat until fluffy and light. Stir in the green onions and bacon and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the potato mixture to the slow-cooker insert and top with the remaining butter and cheese.
cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until the butter is melted and the potatoes are heated through.
serve the potatoes from the cooker set on warm.
serves 8
Grown-Up Mac and Cheese
Although there are mac and cheese recipes elsewhere in this book, this one is so special that you should serve it only to your very closest friends. Filled with gourmet cheeses and a sauce flavored with brandy, this dish is special as a side or light dinner entrée.
1 pound elbow pasta, cooked in salted water till al dente and drained
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
4 medium shallots, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1½ cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup brandy
2½ cups shredded Gruyère cheese
¾ cup shredded Comté cheese
¾ cup shredded Manchego cheese
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Put a layer of the pasta in the insert. Melt the butter in a medium sauce panover medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes. Whisk in the mustard, milk, cream, and brandy and bring the sauce to a boil while continuing to whisk.
remove the sauce from the heat, add 1½ cups of the Gruyère and ¼ cup each of the Comté and Manchego cheeses and the Tabasco, and stir until the cheeses melt. Spoon some of the sauce over the pasta in the insert, then spr inkle with some of the remaining cheeses, reserving some of the Gruyère for the top. Continue to layer the pasta, sauce, and cheese, ending with the Gruyère.
cover and cook on high for 2 hours, until the mac and cheese is heated through and bubbling. Remove the cover and cook for another 30 minutes. If you would like a crunchy top, fire up your crème brûlée torch and brown the cheese on the surface.
serve the mac and cheese from the cooker set on warm.
serves 8
Entertaining Desserts
The end of the meal is what your guests will probably remember long after your party, so make sure to serve something that is showstopping, whether it’s a decadent hot fudge cake topped with caramel ice cream, fruits slow cooked in syrup, or a bread pudding filled with delicious flavors. These desserts all fit into the category of simple-but-delicious, and the best news is that the slow cooker will do all the work, leaving you more time to tend to the other parts of the meal.
Hot Fudge Sundae Sauce
There is nothing better than a decadent hot fudge sauce to serve over ice cream, cake, or bread pudding. This recipe is simple, and the results are spectacular. The sauce can be made in a 1½- to 3-quart slow cooker and any leftover hot fudge sauce may be refrigerated for up to two weeks or frozen for up to six months.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, grated
3 cups sugar
2 cups evaporated milk
put all the ingredients in the insert of a 1½- to 3-quart slow cooker and whisk to blend the sugar into the butter and milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring once during the cooking time to distribute the melted chocolate.
serve from the cooker