slow cooker

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili

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  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups diced yellow onion
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 28-ounce can crused tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 5 ounces baby spinach
  • Additional broth, if needed.

Place all ingredients except for the spinach in a slow cooker and stir.

Cook on low for 8 hours. The sweet potatoes should be tender.

You can serve it right away or reheat it later. Just before serving, stir in the spinach until it wilts.

If the soup seems too thick. (This is especially likely if you are reheating it). Add more broth to achieve the desired consistency.

Serve with the topping(s) of your choice. Suggestions: Scallions, cheese, sour cream, avocado, chopped jalapeño, cilantro, crushed tortilla chips.

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Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

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  • 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
  • 3 large carrots, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, halved and sliced
  • 1 ½ pounds , boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 2 handfuls of baby spinach, coarsely chopped
  • 2 packages (5.2 ounces each) Boursin cheese with garlic and herbs, quartered

Put first 7 ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 ½ hours.

Raise heat to high. Add peas and spinach. Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Turn off heat, add cheese and stir until melted.

Quick-Prep Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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    • 2 pounds stew meat
    • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
    • 3 medium carrots, sliced
    • 2 ribs celery, sliced
    • 1 can condensed tomato soup
    • 1 can Campbell’s Beefy Mushroom Soup
    • 2 Tablespoons (or more) tomato paste
    • 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms (optional)

      Brown meat and onions in a non-stick skillet.  Place in slow cooker.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

      Serve with noodles or baked potatoes.

      Makes 6 servings.

      Slow Cooker Eggplant and Sweet Potato Curry

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      Submitted by Mandy Mills, who adapted it from 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson

      • 2 Medium eggplants, peeled, cut into 2-inch cubes, and sweated and drained of excess moisture
      • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
      • 2 Sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
      • 2 Onions, finely chopped
      • 2 Cloves garlic, minced
      • 1 teaspoon minced gingerroot
      • 2 teaspoon curry powder
      • ½ teaspoon salt
      • ½ teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
      • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
      • 1 cup vegetable stock
      1. In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add sweated eggplant, in batches, and cook until browned. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Add sweet potatoes to stoneware and return pan to element.
      2. Add onions to pan, adding remaining oil if necessary, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, gingerroot, curry powder, salt, and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and vegetable stock. Pour mixture over vegetables in stoneware.
      3. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours, until hot and bubbling. Serve with rice, or Indian flatbread (such as Naan).

      Note: This dish can be assembled the night before it is cooked. Complete Steps 1 and 2, cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, continue with Step 3.

      Serves 6

      Robust Leg of Lamb

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      From Real Simple

      • 3- to 4-pound leg lamb
      • 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon of regular salt)
      • 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
      • 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
      • 4 cloves garlic
      • 5 shallots, peeled
      • 1/4 cup red wine
      • 1/4 cup vegetable broth
      • 1/2 cup pitted prunes

      Step 1
      In a large mixing bowl, combine the salt, pepper and rosemary. Roll the leg of lamb in the mixture and rub into the surface of the meat.
      Step 2
      With the point of a sharp paring knife, create deep,1/2-inch incisions, approximately two inches apart, all over the surface of the leg of lamb. Peel and quarter the cloves of garlic, lengthwise, to create spears. Insert the spears of garlic all over the surface of the lamb.
      Step 3
      Peel the outer skin from the shallots and place in the bottom of a 4 1/2 quart slow cooker. Place the leg of lamb on the shallots. Sprinkle the prunes and any leftover garlic around the lamb and then pour the vegetable broth and red wine over it. Cover and set cooker to high for 6 hours.
      Step 4
      Just before serving, remove the bone using tongs (the meat will practically fall off the bone.) Pull meat apart, serve over rice (or with potatoes) and finish with the au jus spooned from the pan.

      Serves 8.