Fix-It and Forget-It Revised and Updated: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (56 page)

Cocktail Meatballs

Irene Klaeger

Inverness, FL

Makes 6 main dish servings,
or
12 appetizer servings

Prep. Time: 35 minutes

Cooking Time: 4 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 3½-qt.

2 lbs. ground beef

⅓ cup ketchup

3 tsp. dry bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 tsp. onion flakes

¾ tsp. garlic salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 cup ketchup

1 cup packed brown sugar

6-oz. can tomato paste

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup cider vinegar

1-1½ tsp. hot pepper sauce

1. Combine ground beef, ⅓ cup ketchup, bread crumbs, egg, onion flakes, garlic salt, and pepper. Mix well. Shape into 1-inch meatballs. Place on jelly roll pan. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes, or until brown. Place in slow cooker.

2. Combine 1 cup ketchup, brown sugar, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and hot pepper sauce. Pour over meatballs.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 4 hours.

Great Meatballs

Judy Denney

Lawrenceville, GA

Makes 12-16 main dish-size servings,
or
24 appetizer-size servings

Prep. Time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 5-qt.

4 lbs. ground beef

2 eggs

4 slices fresh bread, torn into bread crumbs

1½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 cup tomato juice

2 10-oz. jars chili sauce

2 cans whole cranberry sauce

1. Mix together beef, eggs, bread crumbs, seasonings, and tomato juice. Form into small meatballs. Place in slow cooker.

2. Pour chili sauce and cranberry sauce on top of meatballs. Stir lightly.

3. Cover. Cook on High 2 hours. Reduce heat to Low and cook 3 more hours.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs with Pineapples

Elaine Unruh
, Minneapolis, MN

Makes 6-8 main-dish servings,
or
20-30 appetizer servings

Prep. Time: 40-45 minutes

Cooking Time: 6 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

Meatballs:

2 lbs. ground beef

1¼ cups bread crumbs

1½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2-3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 egg

½ tsp. garlic salt

¼ cup finely chopped onions

Sauce:

1 can pineapple chunks, juice reserved

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

¼ cup cold water

1-1¼ cups ketchup

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. garlic salt

½ cup chopped green peppers

1. Combine all meatball ingredients. Shape into 60-80 meatballs. Brown in skillet, rolling so all sides are browned. Place meatballs in slow cooker.

2. Pour juice from pineapples into skillet. Stir into drippings.

3. Combine cornstarch and cold water. Add to skillet and stir until thickened.

4. Stir in ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Add green peppers and pineapples. Pour over meatballs.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 6 hours.

Barbecued Meatballs

Esther Becker

Gordonville, PA

Ruth Shank

Gridley, IL

Makes 30 small meatballs

Prep. Time: 25-30 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-10 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

1½ cups chili sauce

1 cup grape,
or
apple, jelly

3 tsp. brown spicy mustard

1 lb. ground beef

1 egg

3 Tbsp. dry bread crumbs

½ tsp. salt

1. Combine chili sauce, jelly, and mustard in slow cooker. Mix well.

2. Cover. Cook on High while preparing meatballs.

3. Mix together remaining ingredients. Shape into 30 balls. Place in baking pan and bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes. Drain well. Spoon into slow cooker. Stir gently to coat well.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 6-10 hours.

Variations:

1. To increase flavor, add ¼ tsp. pepper, ¼ tsp. Italian spice, and a dash of garlic powder to the meatball mixture.

Sandra Thom

Jenks, OK

2. Use Italian or seasoned bread crumbs in meatball mixture. Add 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce and 1½ Tbsp. fresh parsley to meatball mixture.

Barbara Sparks

Glen Burnie, MD

3. Make meatballs larger and serve with rice or noodles.

Party Meatballs

Marie Miller

Scotia, NY

Makes 8-10 main-dish servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-4 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

16-oz. can jellied cranberry sauce

16-oz. jar salsa

2 lbs. frozen meatballs (see recipe for making BBQ Meatballs on
page 120
)

1. Melt cranberry sauce in saucepan. Stir in salsa and meatballs. Bring to boil. Stir. Pour into slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 2-4 hours.

Nancy’s Meatballs

Betty Richards

Rapid City, SD

Makes 8 main-dish servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-8 hours

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

3-4-lb. bag prepared meatballs (see recipe for making BBQ Meatballs on
page 120
)

3 10¾-oz. cans cream of mushroom,
or
cream of celery, soup

4-oz. can button mushrooms

16-oz. jar Cheez Whiz

1 medium onion, diced

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 6-8 hours.

Serving suggestion: Use as an appetizer, or as a main dish served over
noodles
or
rice
.

Slow-Cooked Cabbage Rolls

Rebecca Meyerkorth

Wamego, KS

Makes 6 servings

Prep Time: 30-45 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-7 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 3-qt.

large head of cabbage

1 egg, beaten

8-oz. can tomato sauce

¾ cup minute rice, uncooked

½ cup green pepper, chopped

½ cup (approx. 15) crushed crackers

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1½ lbs. ground beef, browned

46-oz. can vegetable juice

1. Cook whole head of cabbage in boiling water just until outer leaves begin to loosen. Pull off 12 large leaves. Drain well. (Use remaining leaves for another meal.)

2. Cut out thick veins from bottoms of reserved leaves.

3. Combine egg, tomato sauce, rice, green pepper, cracker crumbs, and soup mix in a bowl.