Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (23 page)

1 lb. ground beef

1½ qts. water

¾ cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups cubed potatoes

1½ tsp. salt

½ cup long-grain rice, uncooked

¼ tsp. pepper

10¾-oz. can tomato soup

1. Crumble ground beef into slow cooker. Add water.

2. Add remaining ingredients except soup. Mix together well.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours.

4. Add soup 30 minutes before serving and stir through.

Beef Barley Soup

Michelle Showalter

Bridgewater, VA

Makes 10-12 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-10 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 6-qt.

1 lb. ground beef

1½ qts. water

1 qt. canned tomatoes, stewed, crushed,
or
whole

3 cups sliced carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced potatoes

1 cup diced onions

¾ cup quick-cooking barley

3 tsp. beef bouillon granules,
or
3 beef bouillon cubes

2-3 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1. Brown ground beef in skillet in oil if needed. Stir frequently to break up clumps of meat. When meat is no longer pink, drain off drippings.

2. Place meat in cooker, along with all other ingredients. Mix together well.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours or on High 4-5 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve with fresh
bread
and
cheese cubes
.

Variation:

You may use pearl barley instead of quick-cooking barley. Cook it in a saucepan according to package directions, and add halfway through Soup’s cooking time.

Easy Veggie-Beef Soup

Rebecca Plank Leichty

Harrisonburg, VA

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 5-qt.

1 lb. ground beef,
or
2 cups stewing beef

2 cups sliced carrots

1 lb. frozen green beans, thawed

14½-oz. can corn, drained,
or
16-oz. bag frozen corn, thawed

28-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 cups beef,
or
veggie, broth

3 tsp. instant beef bouillon

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. minced onion

10¾-oz. can cream of celery soup

1. If using ground beef, place in skillet with a bit of oil if needed. Brown, stirring frequently to break up clumps. When no longer pink, drain off drippings.

2. Place meat in slow cooker.

3. Add all remaining ingredients except celery soup. Mix well.

4. Stir in soup.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 7-8 hours or on High 4 hours.

6. If using stewing meat, shred and mix through soup just before serving.

Serving suggestion: Serve with freshly baked
bread
and homemade
jam
.

Note:

Two modern-day conveniences—the slow cooker and bread machine—allow me to prepare tasty meals without too much last-minute dashing around. Utilizing both gives me time to plan table settings and decorations, too.

Make sure your invitations inform your guests about whether your party is informal or formal. It’s really uncomfortable to be over-dressed at an informal party or vice versa.

Anita Troyer, Fairview, MI

Hamburger Soup

Naomi Ressler

Harrisonburg, VA

Kay Magruder

Seminole, OK

Makes 8 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-10 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

1½ lbs. ground beef

oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup sliced cabbage

6-oz. can tomato paste

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2-3 cups beef broth, depending upon how thick or thin you like your soup

1. Brown ground beef in skillet in oil if needed. Stir frequently in order to break up clumps of meat. When beef is no longer pink, drain off drippings.

2. Combine beef, onions, carrots, celery, and cabbage in slow cooker.

3. Combine tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and broth in bowl. When blended, pour into slow cooker. Mix with other ingredients.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours or on High 3-4 hours.

Variation:

Stir in ¼ tsp. black,
or
cayenne, pepper and 2 bay leaves in Step 3 for added flavor.

Ground Beef Soup

Nadine L. Martinitz

Salina, KS

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time: 7-9 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4- to 5-qt.

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. oil

15½-oz. can great northern beans, undrained

15-oz. can tomato sauce

1½-2 tomato-sauce cans water

2 large potatoes, cubed

14½-oz. can tomatoes

1 tsp. salt

1. Brown ground beef and onions in oil in skillet. Stir frequently, breaking up clumps of meat. When meat is no longer pink, drain off drippings.

2. Place beef and onions in slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients.

3. Cook on High 1 hour, and then on Low 6-8 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve with
grilled cheese sandwiches
.