Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (109 page)

4. Repeat layers.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 6-8 hours, or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally if you’re home and able to do so.

6. To add a bit of crunch, sprinkle with toasted almonds or pecans when serving if you wish.

Serving suggestion: Serve with pork or
poultry
.

Sweet Potatoes with Applesauce

Judi Manos

West Islip, NY

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-7 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3- to 3½-qt.

6 medium-sized sweet potatoes,
or
yams

1½ cups applesauce

⅔ cup packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ cup chopped toasted nuts

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into ½” cubes. Place in slow cooker.

2. Combine remaining ingredients, except nuts, in a bowl. Stir into potatoes.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 6-7 hours, or until potatoes are very tender.

4. Sprinkle with nuts just before serving.

Variation:

If you prefer a less sweet dish, cut the sugar back to ⅓ cup.

Pineapple Sweet Potatoes

Renee Baum

Chambersburg, PA

Makes 12-14 servings

Prep. Time: 20-30 minutes, if potatoes are cooked already

Cooking Time: 4-5 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

6-6½ cups mashed sweet potatoes, without milk and butter added

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. lemon extract

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

8-oz. can pineapple slices, drained

¼ cup chopped pecans

1. Combine mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, milk, butter, vanilla, lemon extract, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in slow cooker.

2. Top with pineapple slices and pecans.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 4-5 hours, or until thermometer reaches 160 degrees in middle of potatoes.

Tips:

1. If you need to cook the sweet potatoes, scrub 4-5 large potatoes. Peel them. Cut into chunks. Place in stockpot. Add about 2 inches of water.

2. Cover and cook over medium heat.

3. Check every 10 minutes or so to make sure they don’t cook dry. Cook until very soft.

4. Mash with electric mixer or potato masher.

5. Drain off water. Then proceed with Step 1 above.

or

Follow recipe for “‘Baked’ Sweet Potatoes” on
page 217
of this cookbook. When potatoes are finished cooking, and when they’re cool enough to handle, peel. Then proceed with Steps 4 and 5 immediately above.

Sweet Potato-Cranberry Casserole

Mary E. Wheatley

Mashpee, MA

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 20-30 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-4 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4- to 6-qt.

¼ cup orange juice

1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter

2-3 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup dried cranberries

salt

4 lbs. sweet potatoes,
or
yams, peeled and cut into 1” pieces

1. Place all ingredients except sweet potatoes in slow cooker. Mix together.

2. Cover. Cook on High while preparing potatoes.

3. Add potato pieces to warm mixture.

4. Cover. Cook on High 3-4 hours.

5. When potatoes are soft, stir until they’re mashed and then serve.

Barbecued Black Beans with Sweet Potatoes

Barbara Jean Fabel

Wausau, WI

Makes 4-6 servings

Prep. Time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-4 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 8 chunks each

15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 medium onion, diced

2 ribs celery, sliced

9 oz. Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce

1. Place sweet potatoes in slow cooker.

2. Stir in additional ingredients.

3. Cover. Cook on High 2-3 hours, or on Low 4 hours.

Mashed Potatoes

Mrs. Audrey L. Kneer

Williamsfield, IL

Makes 1 serving, multiplied

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: large enough to hold desired number of servings

1-2 medium-sized potatoes per person

3 Tbsp. milk per potato

½ Tbsp. butter per potato, melted

⅛ tsp. salt per potato

1. Peel potatoes. Place in stockpot. Add at least an inch of water to stockpot. Cover. Cook on stovetop over medium heat until soft.

2. Check after about 20 minutes to make sure potatoes aren’t cooking dry. If nearly dry, add another inch of water or so.

3. When potatoes are falling-apart-soft, mash with electric mixer or hand-held potato masher.

4. While mashing potatoes, heat milk to scalding. Then add hot milk, butter, and salt to mashed potatoes, stirring in well.

5. Put in slow cooker a couple of hours before serving. Set cooker on Low. Stir once in a while. These will be the same as fresh mashed potatoes when you’re ready to serve the meal.

Tip:

This saves needing to mash potatoes at the last minute.