Fix-It and Forget-It Revised and Updated: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (78 page)

Meatballs:

1 lb. ground beef

1 egg

2 Tbsp. water

¾ cup Italian bread crumbs

⅛ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. oil

1. Sauté onions and garlic in oil in saucepan.

2. Combine all sauce ingredients in slow cooker.

3. Cover. Cook on Low.

4. Mix together all meatball ingredients except oil. Form into small meatballs, then brown on all sides in oil in saucepan. Drain on paper towels. Add to sauce.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 4-5 hours.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Esther Lehman

Croghan, NY

Makes 8-10 servings

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 8½-10½ hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 6-qt.

1 lb. ground beef, browned

2 28-oz. cans tomatoes,
divided

2 medium onions, quartered

2 medium carrots, cut into chunks

2 garlic cloves, minced

6-oz. can tomato paste

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. dried basil

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. dried oregano

dash pepper

2 Tbsp. cold water

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1. Place meat in slow cooker.

2. In blender, combine 1 can tomatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic. Cover and blend until finely chopped. Stir into meat.

3. Cut up the remaining can of tomatoes. Stir into meat mixture. Add tomato paste, parsley, bay leaf, sugar, basil, salt, oregano, and pepper. Mix well.

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

5. To serve, turn to High. Remove bay leaf. Cover and heat until bubbly, about 10 minutes.

6. Combine water and cornstarch. Stir into tomato mixture. Cook 10 minutes longer.

Serving suggestion: Serve with cooked
spaghetti
and grated
Parmesan cheese
.

Beef and Vegetables Spaghetti Sauce

Colleen Heatwole

Burton, MI

Makes 15 servings

Prep Time: 30-35 minutes

Cooking Time: 4 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 1 7-qt.,
or
2 4-qt. cookers

1½ lbs. lean ground beef, cooked and drained

3 onions, coarsely chopped

1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes

14½-oz. can diced tomatoes

2 14½-oz. cans beef broth

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. dried basil,
or
more

2 tsp. dried oregano,
or
more

2 tsp. salt

2 6-oz. cans tomato paste

1. Combine all ingredients except tomato paste in slow cooker.

2. Cook for 3½ hours on High. Stir in tomato paste.

3. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes.

Char’s Spaghetti Sauce

Char Hagner

Montague, MI

Makes 16-20 servings

Prep. Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 6 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 7-qt.

4 lbs. ground beef

2 large onions, chopped

¼-lb. bacon, cut into small squares

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. salt

¼ tsp. celery salt

4 10¾-oz. cans tomato soup

2 6-oz. cans tomato paste

8-oz. can mushrooms

3 green peppers, chopped

1. Brown ground beef, onions, bacon, and garlic in saucepan. Drain.

2. Combine all ingredients in large slow cooker.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 6 hours.

So-Easy Spaghetti

Ruth Ann Swartzendruber

Hydro, OK

Makes 4-6 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 3½-8 hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt.

1 lb. ground beef

½ cup diced onions

1 pkg. dry spaghetti sauce mix

8-oz. can tomato sauce

3 cups tomato juice

4 oz. dry spaghetti, broken into 4-inch pieces

1. Brown meat and onions in skillet. Drain. Transfer to greased slow cooker.

2. Add remaining ingredients, except spaghetti.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 6-8 hours, or on High 3½ hours.

4. During last hour, turn to High and add spaghetti. Stir frequently to keep spaghetti from clumping together.

Creamy Spaghetti

Dale Peterson

Rapid City, SD

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-6 hours

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

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped green peppers

1 Tbsp. butter,
or
margarine

28-oz. can tomatoes with juice

4-oz. can mushrooms, chopped and drained

2¼-oz. can sliced ripe olives, drained

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

12 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained

10¾-oz. can cream of mushroom soup

½ cup water

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Sauté onions and green peppers in butter in skillet until tender. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, oregano, and beef. Simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

2. Add spaghetti. Mix well.

3. Combine soup and water. Pour over casserole. Sprinkle with cheeses.

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

Tomato Spaghetti Sauce

Jean Butzer

Batavia, NY

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10½-12½ hours

Ideal slow-cooker size: 2½-qt.

1 cup finely chopped onions

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 lbs. fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped,
or
28-oz. can tomatoes, cut up, with juice

6-oz. can tomato paste