Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (6 page)

Slow Cooker Reuben Dip

Allison Ingels

Maynard, IA

Makes 5 cups

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-4 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

8 oz. sour cream

2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened

8-oz. can sauerkraut, drained

3 2½-oz. pkgs. dried corned beef, finely chopped

6-oz. pkg. shredded Swiss cheese

rye crackers and/or rye party bread

1. Combine all ingredients except crackers and/or bread in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Heat on Low 3-4 hours, or until cheeses are melted.

3. Serve from cooker with rye crackers or rye party bread.

Cranberry Meatballs

Char Hagner

Montague, MI

Makes about 50-60 meatballs

Prep. Time: 30-45 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3- to 4-qt.

Meatballs:

2 lbs. ground beef

⅓ cup parsley flakes

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

½ tsp. garlic powder

2 Tbsp. minced onion

1 cup cornflake crumbs

2 eggs

½ cup ketchup

Sauce:

1 can jellied cranberry sauce

12-oz. bottle chili sauce

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine Meatball ingredients until well mixed.

2. Form into 50-60 Meatballs and put in lightly greased 9x13 baking pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until Meatballs are cooked through. (Cut one open to test.)

4. While meatballs are baking, combine Sauce ingredients in saucepan. Heat over low heat until jellied sauce and brown sugar melt. Stir frequently.

5. Place baked Meatballs in slow cooker. Pour Sauce over Meatballs, making sure that all are covered in Sauce if you’ve layered them into the cooker.

6. Cover. Cook on Low 2 hours, or until Sauce is bubbly.

7. Turn slow cooker to Warm and serve with toothpicks.

Variations:

1. Use 1 lb. ground beef and 1 lb. ground pork instead of 2 lbs. ground beef.

2. Use 10¾-oz. can condensed tomato soup, mixed with 1 tsp. prepared mustard, instead of chili sauce.

Jane Geigley

Honey Brook, PA

3. Here’s an alternative meatball recipe:

2 egg whites

2 lbs. ground turkey

2 green onions with tops, sliced

4 tsp. grated orange peel

2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce

½ tsp. black pepper

⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper,
optional

Follow Steps 1-3 above, and then continue with rest of recipe.

Mary Ann Bowman

East Earl, PA

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Gail Skiff

Clifton Park, NY

Makes 3-4 cups

Prep. Time: 30-40 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ideal slow cooker size: 2- to 3-qt.

8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

½-¾ cup bleu cheese dressing

½ cup bleu cheese crumbles

½ cup buffalo wing sauce (I use Anchor Bar Buffalo Wing Sauce)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

celery sticks and/or your favorite chips

1. Mix cream cheese, dressing, blue cheese crumbles, and sauce in slow cooker.

2. Stir in chicken.

3. Cover. Heat on Low 1 hour, or until cheeses melt and Dip is heated through. Stir several times during the hour if you’re home and able to do so.

4. Serve warm with celery sticks and/or your favorite chips.

Keep it simple. Too many different items, especially finger foods, are a lot of work. A few (3-4) very nice items will be remembered and enjoyed.

Carol Findling, Carol Stream, IL

Sweet Chili Chicken Bites

Nanci Keatley

Salem, OR

Makes 4 cups

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-6 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle Asian sweet chili sauce (we use May Ploy brand)

1. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Place in slow cooker.

2. Pour bottle of sauce over chicken. Stir together well.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 4-6 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked.

4. Serve with toothpicks.

Tester’s Idea

This is also good as a main dish served over cooked rice.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings

Irma H. Schoen
, Windsor, CT

Makes 6-8 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes • Cooking Time: 7 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3- to 4-qt.

1½ cups sugar

1 cup cider vinegar

½ cup ketchup

1 chicken bouillon cube

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

¼ tsp. salt,
optional

¼ tsp. pepper,
optional

16 chicken wings

¼ cup cornstarch

½ cup cold water

1. On stove in medium-sized saucepan, mix together sugar, vinegar, ketchup, bouillon cube, soy sauce, and salt and pepper if you wish.

2. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and bouillon cube.

3. Put wings in slow cooker. Pour sauce over wings.

4. Cover. Simmer on Low 6½ hours, or until wings are tender but not dry.

5. A few minutes before end of cooking time, combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl. When smooth, stir gently into wings and sauce.

6. Cover. Simmer on High until liquid thickens, about 30 minutes.

7. To serve, keep cooker turned to Low. Stir occasionally.

Hot Crab Dip

Cassandra Ly

Carlisle, PA

Miriam Nolt

New Holland, PA

Makes 6-7 cups

Prep. Time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-4 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

½ cup milk

⅓ cup salsa

3 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, cubed

2 8-oz. pkgs. imitation crabmeat, flaked

1 cup thinly sliced green onions