A Slow-Cooker Dish A Day: February
Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti
Spend 20 minutes in the kitchen prepping this gorgeous, hearty sauce. Once the sauce simmers in the cooker, all that's left to do is cook a pound of pasta, and serve.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti Recipe
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Beer-Braised Pot Roast
This is no ordinary pot roast. First, it's rubbed with coffee. Then it simmers in dark stout beer and beef stock, yielding a deeply delicious gravy. Small carrots with tops and pearl onions elevate it further. Just be sure to pile the veggies on top of the beef after all other ingredients are in your cooker, so they'll cook perfectly and keep a vibrant color.
Beer-Braised Pot Roast Recipe
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Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce
This fun dish is two recipes in one: delicious, easy meatballs and a slow-simmered tangy tomato sauce. If you have any extra sauce, toss it with your favorite green vegetable, spoon it over a bowl of creamy grits, or pair it with pork chops or other meats.
Meatball Sliders with Tomato Sauce Recipe
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Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese
Classic cafeteria-style goodness, this recipe yields enough to serve as a side for a crowd, or it could be dinner for a family of four.
Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese Recipe
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Pork-and-Black Bean Chili
Fresh tomatillos look like small green tomatoes wrapped in thin papery skin. Remove skin, and rinse before chopping. Garnish with Chipotle Cream, corn chips, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Pork-and-Black Bean Chili Recipe
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Slow-Cooker French Dip SandwichesĀ
The meat simmers in the slow cooker for 5-7 hours, creating the luscious dipping sauce at the same time. All you have to do is shred the meat, pile it atop crusty sandwich rolls, and serve.
Slow-Cooker French Dip SandwichesĀ Recipe
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Italian Braised Pork with Polenta
When ready to serve, just whip up a fresh batch of polenta. Pack any leftover pork in an airtight container and pop into the freezer for a quick and flavorful supper down the road.
Italian Braised Pork with Polenta Recipe
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Mexican Stew
Classic posole, a delicious slow-simmered Mexican pork stew often reserved for special occasions, is typically a time-consuming labor of love. But this one gives you all the comfort and flavor of the old-world version made in your slow cooker.
Mexican Stew Recipe
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King Ranch Chicken
Craving delicious Tex-Mex flavors?Ā This slow-cookerĀ version of the fan favorite King Ranch Chicken CasseroleĀ is sure to please the whole family.
King Ranch Chicken Recipe
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Slow-Cooked Brown Sugar Apples
Nothing says comfort like the aroma of these apples cookingā¦unless, of course, itās sitting down to enjoy them. Bonus: They only require 5 ingredients!
Slow-Cooked Brown Sugar Apples Recipe
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Slow-Cooked Baby Back Ribs
Start these fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs in the slow cooker, then baste with a sweet-and-smoky homemade sauce and grill until nicely charred.Ā Serve with steak fries.Ā
Slow-Cooked Baby Back Ribs Recipe
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Smoky Turkey-and-Sweet Potato Chili
Chipotle chiles add a kick, but sweet potatoes balance the heat. Adjust the spice in this homey chili by increasing or decreasing the amount of chipotle to suit your taste.
Smoky Turkey-and-Sweet Potato Chili Recipe
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Slow-Cooker Pork Loin Carnita Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce
These make-ahead tacos are an ideal way to showcase slow-cooked pork. Browning the pork roast before adding it to the slow cooker adds rich flavor.
Slow-Cooker Pork Loin Carnita Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
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Zinfandel-Braised Leg of Lamb
For Valentine's Day, treat your sweetie to an elegent, yet low-maintenanceĀ meal of braised lamb over egg noodles.Ā Reducing the wine before placing it in the slow cooker gives the dish a more rounded flavor.
Zinfandel-Braised Leg of Lamb Recipe
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Sichuan Beef Soup
Beef shank works beautifully for slow-cooked soups, breaking down during long simmering to render the aromatic broth meaty and flavorful.
Sichuan Beef Soup Recipe
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Slow-Cooked Veal with Winter Vegetables
Veal shank is usually a tough cut of meat. But after cooking it several hours in a slow cooker, you'll be surprised at how tender it can be. Serve over creamed potatoes.
Slow-Cooked Veal with Winter Vegetables Recipe
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Red Beans and Rice
Celebrate Fat Tuesday with a Cajun classic.Ā This is the ultimate in thriftiness and convenience - beans in a slow cooker. The long, slow cooking time coaxes all the flavor from the sausage into the beans for a mild yet full-flavored dish.
Red Beans and Rice Recipe
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Beef-and-Bean Chili
This classic red chili has chunks of stew meat and ground beef along with tomatoes, red beans, and spices. Fire-roasted tomatoes add a note of smokiness to the mix.Ā
Beef-and-Bean Chili Recipe
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Slow-Cooker Meat Loaf with Shiitake Mushrooms
Because no evaporation takes place, the slow cookerĀ makes an especially moist and tender meat loaf. The mushrooms add moisture as well.
Slow-Cooker Meat Loaf with Shiitake Mushrooms Recipe
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White Bean, Artichoke, and Chard Ragout
A crunchy topping of raw fennel and bell peppers makes an ideal accompaniment to the mellow flavors of this slow-simmered stew of beans and vegetables. You can make and refrigerate the relish up to a day ahead to save time.
White Bean, Artichoke, and Chard Ragout Recipe
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Osso Buco with Gremolata
Inexpensive veal shanks become a succulent meal in the slow cooker. Even if you aren't an anchovy lover, don't omit the anchovy paste--it adds immeasurably to the flavor. Use the remaining broth mixture in soups and stews.
Osso Buco with Gremolata Recipe
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Easy Brunswick Stew
The secret is in the name of this recipeāit's so easy to make! Just combine all of the ingredients, set your slow cooker for 8 hours and serve this stew with your favorite side of bread.
Easy Brunswick Stew Recipe
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Black Bean Soup with Shredded Pork
This heartier version of black bean soup gets added protein with the addition of shredded pork. Amp up the flavor by adding salsa to the mix andĀ serve with warmed corn tortillas for dipping.
Black Bean Soup with Shredded Pork Recipe
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Mediterranean Brisket
Diced tomatoes, red wine, kalamata olives, and rosemary add Mediterranean flavor to this easy dinner recipe. Always use dried herbs inĀ the slow cooker, and then top with fresh herbs just before serving.
Mediterranean Brisket Recipe
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Chili-Beef Soft Tacos
Soft corn or flour tortillas are the ideal vehicle for eating succulent beef chuck pot roast. The recipe says to top them with lettuce, sour cream, and avocado, but feel free to add more of your favorite toppings if desired.
Chili-Beef Soft Tacos Recipe
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Vegetable-Lentil Soup
After a hectic day at work, hearty bowlfuls of Vegetable-Lentil Soup await you in the slow cooker. This version requires minimal effort andĀ tastes so much better than the canned variety!
Vegetable-Lentil Soup Recipe
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Char Siu Pork Roast
In this recipe for Char Siu, the Chinese version of barbecue, the pork is cooked in the slow cooker for an extra tender, juicy, and stress-free meal. Serve with sticky or long-grain white rice and a steamed or stir-fried medley of bell peppers, carrots, snow peas, sliced baby corn, and water chestnuts.
Char Siu Pork Roast Recipe
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Overnight Apple Butter
Slow cookersĀ make more than meaty dinner dishes. Make a sweet, rich apple butter spread that goes perfectly on a toasted English muffin or served over pork chops. One taste and you'll never believe it's fat free.
Overnight Apple Butter Recipe