Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (94 page)

Tip:

The meatballs and sauce freeze well.

Tricia’s Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

Shirley Unternahrer

Wayland, IA

Makes 12 servings

Prep. Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 3½ hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

16-oz. can jelled cranberry sauce

½ cup ketchup,
or
barbecue sauce

1 egg

1 lb. ground turkey

half a small onion, chopped

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

1-2 tsp. grated orange peel,
optional

oil

1. Combine cranberry sauce and ketchup in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on High until cranberry sauce is melted and well blended with ketchup, about 30 minutes.

3. Combine remaining ingredients, except oil, in bowl. Shape into 24 balls.

4. Cook in batches over medium heat in skillet, in oil if you need it, for 8-10 minutes, or just until browned. As you finish a batch, add it to sauce in slow cooker.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 3 hours.

Serving suggestion: Serve with
rice
and a
steamed vegetable
.

Turkey Meatballs and Gravy

Betty Sue Good

Broadway, VA

Makes 8 servings

Prep. Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-4 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

2 eggs, beaten

¾ cup bread crumbs

½ cup finely chopped onions

½ cup finely chopped celery

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

¼ tsp. pepper

⅛ tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

2 lbs. ground raw turkey

1½ Tbsp. cooking oil

10¾-oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup water

⅞-oz. pkg. turkey gravy mix

½ tsp. dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1. Combine eggs, bread crumbs, onions, celery, parsley, pepper, garlic powder, salt, and meat in a large bowl. Shape into 1½” balls.

2. Brown meat balls in oil in skillet. Don’t crowd skillet, or Meatballs will steam and not brown. As you finish a batch, drain off drippings. Place meatballs into slow cooker.

3. Combine soup, water, dry gravy mix, thyme, and bay leaves in bowl. Pour over browned Meatballs in cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 4 hours or on High 2 hours.

5. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Serving suggestion: Serve over
mashed potatoes
or
buttered noodles
.

I’m beginning to notice more and more slow cookers at our family potluck gatherings. Old favorite recipes are being converted for slow-cooker use, and new ones are being introduced. Take a copy of the recipe you prepared, plus some blank cards, just in case you want to swap recipes with others.

Shirley Unternahrer, Wayland, IA

Meat and Bean Main Dishes

“Famous” Baked Beans

Katrine Rose

Woodbridge, VA

Makes 10 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-6 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

1 lb. ground beef

¼ cup minced onions

1 cup ketchup

4 15-oz. cans pork and beans

1 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. liquid smoke

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1. Brown beef and onions in skillet. Stir frequently to break up clumps of meat. Continue cooking until no pink remains in meat. Drain off drippings.

2. Spoon meat and onions into slow cooker.

3. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.

4. Cover. Cook on High 3 hours or on Low 5-6 hours.

Note:

There are many worthy baked bean recipes, but these are both easy and absolutely delicious. The secret to this recipe is the liquid smoke. I get many requests for this recipe, and some friends have added the word “famous” to its name.

Barbecued Beans

Esther J. Yoder

Hartville, OH

Makes 10 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-3 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

1 lb. ground beef

½ cup chopped onions

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

28-oz. can pork and beans (your favorite variety)

½ cup ketchup

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. vinegar

¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce

1. Brown beef and onions together in skillet. Stir frequently to break up clumps of meat. Continue cooking until meat is no longer pink. Drain off drippings.

2. Spoon meat and onions into cooker.

3. Add all other ingredients to cooker.

4. Cover. Cook on High 2-3 hours, stirring once or twice, if you’re home and able to do so.

Tip:

These beans’ flavor gets better on the second and third days.