Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (106 page)

Austin, TX

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Soaking Time: 8 hours, or overnight

Cooking Time: 8-9 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

1 lb. dry black-eyed peas

4 cups water

2 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 large onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 ham hocks

1. Place beans in cooker. Cover with water. Allow to soak overnight or for 8 hours.

2. Drain. Return beans to slow cooker.

3. Add 4 cups water, salt, pepper, onion, and celery. Stir to combine.

4. Place ham hocks in cooker, pushing them down into liquid as much as possible.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 8-9 hours, or until peas are tender but not mushy and ham is tender but not dried out.

6. When finished cooking, remove ham hocks from cooker. Allow to cool until you can handle them without burning your fingers.

7. Debone ham and cut meat into small chunks. Stir into soup. Serve immediately, or turn cooker on High for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Note:

We always serve this on New Year’s Day. It’s our good luck dish.

On Christmas Eve we always watch “Christmas Vacation” after dinner. Even if a family member is far away, we synchronize the movie start time, so we still feel like we’re together.

Squash Medley

Evelyn Page

Riverton, WY

Makes 8 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-6 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3½-qt.

8 summer squash,
or
zucchini, each about 4” long, peeled or not, thinly sliced,
divided

½ tsp. salt

2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped,
or
14½-oz. can diced tomatoes,
divided

¼ cup sliced green onions,
divided

half a small sweet green pepper, chopped,
divided

1 chicken bouillon cube

¼ cup hot water

4 slices bacon, fried and crumbled

¼ cup fine dry bread crumbs

1. Sprinkle squash with salt.

2. In slow cooker, layer half the squash, tomatoes, onions, and pepper.

3. Repeat layers.

4. Dissolve bouillon in hot water. Pour into slow cooker.

5. Top with bacon. Sprinkle bread crumbs over top.

6. Cover. Cook on Low 4-6 hours.

Variation:

For a sweeter touch, sprinkle 1 Tbsp. brown sugar over half the layered vegetables. Repeat over second half of layered vegetables.

Baked Acorn Squash

Dale Peterson

Rapid City, SD

Makes 4 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 5-6 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5- to 6-qt., or 2 4- to 6-qt., depending on size of squash

2 acorn squash

⅔ cup cracker crumbs

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

5⅓ Tbsp. (⅓ cup) butter, melted

4 Tbsp. brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp. orange juice

1. Cut squash in half through the middle. Remove seeds.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Spoon into squash halves.

3. Place squash halves in slow cooker side by side.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 5-6 hours, or until squash is tender.

Apple Walnut Squash

Michele Ruvola

Selden, NY

Makes 4 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-4 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5- to 6-qt., or 2 4- to 6-qt., depending on size of squash

¼ cup water

2 small acorn squash

¼ cup packed brown sugar

half a stick (4 Tbsp.) butter, melted

3 Tbsp. apple juice

1½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup toasted walnuts

1 apple, chopped

1. Pour water into slow cooker.

2. Cut squash in half through the middle. Remove seeds.

3. Combine brown sugar, butter, apple juice, cinnamon, and salt in bowl.

4. Spoon mixture into squash. Place in slow cooker, side by side.

5. Cover. Cook on High 3-4 hours, or until squash is tender.

6. Combine walnuts and chopped apple in bowl. Add spoonfuls to center of each squash half and mix lightly with sauce.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Jean Butzer

Batavia, NY

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 2½ hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5- to 6-qt.

3 small carnival,
or
acorn, squash

5 Tbsp. instant brown rice, uncooked

3 Tbsp. dried cranberries

3 Tbsp. diced celery

3 Tbsp. minced onion

pinch of ground,
or
dried, sage

1 Tbsp. butter,
divided

3 Tbsp. orange juice

½ cup water

1. Slice off points on bottoms of squash so they will stand in slow cooker. Slice off tops and discard. Scoop out seeds. Place squash side by side in slow cooker.

2. Combine rice, cranberries, celery, onion, and sage in bowl. Stuff into squash centers.

3. Dot with butter.

4. Pour 1 Tbsp. orange juice into each squash center.

5. Pour water into bottom of slow cooker.

6. Cover. Cook on Low 2½ hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve with cooked
turkey breast
or
pork
or
ham
.

Tip:

To make squash easier to slice, microwave whole squash on High 5 minutes to soften skin.