Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever (15 page)

A perfect side dish for your next fiesta, this rice is mixed with sour cream, cheese, and vegetables to add color and texture. This dish tastes best alongside grilled entrées.

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 Anaheim chile, seeded and finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 medium yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 cups corn kernels, fresh off the cob or frozen and defrosted

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ancho chile powder

1 cup milk

3 cups sour cream

4 cups cooked white rice

1½ cups finely shredded mild Cheddar cheese

1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, chile, bell peppers, corn, cumin, and chile powder and sauté until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl to cool. Once the vegetables are cool, stir in the milk and sour cream, rice, 1 cup of the Cheddar, and ½ cup of the Monterey Jack cheese and stir to combine.

transfer the mixture to the slow-cooker insert and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the casserole. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the casserole is cooked through and is bubbling. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

Different from your usual chicken-and-rice casserole, this dish uses three different types of mushrooms, lemon zest, wild rice, dried apricots, and Marsala wine, and makes a terrific one-pot meal.

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1½ pounds assorted mushrooms, such as button, cremini, shiitake, trumpet, and oyster, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup Marsala wine

Grated zest of 1 lemon

½ cup finely chopped dried apricots (about 5)

3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces or shredded

4 cups cooked wild rice

1½ cups chicken broth

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms begin to turn golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the Marsala, remove from the heat, and set aside to cool.

put the remaining ingredients in the slow-cooker insert. Add the cooled mushrooms and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the casserole is cooked through. Remove the cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed, an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

A classic southern Italian dish from Palermo,
arancini
are tiny balls of leftover rice. Stuffed with goodies such as gooey cheese, mushrooms, eggplant, and sun- dried tomatoes, the arancini are deep-fried and served with a tomato sauce for a light lunch or as antipasti. In larger towns, tiny shops sell up to a dozen varieties, all using leftovers as a base. Instead of deep-frying balls of rice, this dish layers rice and Italian ingredients and makes a stellar side dish or main course along with an accompanying salad.

4 cups cooked white rice

2 cups mascarpone cheese

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups finely grated pecorino romano cheese

6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into eight ½-inch-thick slices

6 slices Genoa salami or sopressata, cut into julienne strips

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

put the rice, mascarpone, broth, and 1 cup of the pecorino in a large bowl and stir to combine. Put half the rice mixture in the slow-cooker insert. Layer half the mozzarella and all the salami over the rice.

put the garlic, parsley, oil, and the remaining 1 cup pecorino in another small bowl and stir to combine. Spread half the garlic mixture over the salami. Layer with the remaining rice mixture, the mozzarella, and the remaining garlic mixture.

cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until the casserole is heated through.

remove the cover and cook until the liquid in the casserole has been absorbed, an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

Tortilla casseroles are terrific to make in the slow cooker. The cooker doesn’t dry them out, and you will have a lovely south-of-the-border feast ready for your family on a busy day. Accompany with salad or fresh fruit, and dinner is all set. I recommend you use either white or yellow corn tortillas because flour tortillas tend to become gummy in a slow cooker. Blue corn tortillas turn everything an ugly shade of purple, so I don’t recommend them either. Enchiladas are traditionally made by wrapping tortillas around a filling. Since all slow cookers are shaped differently, it’s much easier to layer strips of tortillas rather than whole tortillas—I find this distributes the ingredients better than the traditional wrapping method.

A simple comfort food, enchiladas verde are covered with a green tomatillo sauce, rather than a red chile-flavored sauce. In this casserole, a light-green sauce peeks out from under a blanket of bubbling Monterey Jack and mild Cheddar cheeses and tortillas enfold sour cream and
queso fresco
, blending together to make a terrific meatless main dish to serve anytime.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 Anaheim chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

3 cups tomatillo salsa (see savvy)

½ cup chicken broth

2½ cups finely shredded mild Cheddar cheese

2 cups finely shredded Monterey Jack or pepper Jack cheese

2 cups crumbled queso fresco (see savvy)

2 cups sour cream

Twelve 6-inch round white or yellow corn tortillas, cut in strips or roughly torn

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and chile and sauté until they are softened and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.

add 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, the sal sa, and broth and simmer for 30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and thickened a bit. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Put the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese in a mixing bowl and stir to combine.

put the
queso fresco
, the remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, and the sour cream in another bowl and stir to combine. Spoon a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of the slowcooker insert. Layer one-third of the tortillas evenly on the bottom of the slow cooker.

spread half the
queso fresco
mixture over the tortillas and top with one-third of the shredded cheese. Repeat, layering the tortillas, sauce,
queso fresco
, and shredded cheese. Finish layering the remaining tortillas, sauce, and shredded cheese. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until the casserole is cooked through and the cheese is bubbling. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

salsa savvy

Tomatillo salsa, or salsa verde, can be found in the Hispanic section of your supermarket. I’m partial to La Victoria’s thick and chunky variety.

queso fresco savvy

Queso fresco
is a found in the fresh cheese section of the grocery store. Generally sold in rounds, it crumbles easily but doesn’t have the melting qualities that Monterey Jack or Cheddar have. If you cannot find
queso fresco
, feta is a good substitute, but make sure to rinse it thoroughly, as it can be much saltier than
queso fresco
.

In this casserole, mildly-spiced ranchero sauce, filled with bell peppers and onions, soaks into layers of tortillas, chicken, cheese, corn, and onion. Flavored with cilantro, this dish makes a delicious dinner any night of the week.

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large sweet onions, coarsely chopped

2 medium yellow bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 medium green bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ancho chile powder

½ cup gold tequila (optional)

Two 28- to 32-ounce cans tomato purée

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 chicken breast halves, bones and skin removed and cut into bite-size pieces, or 3 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken

1 medium onion, finely chopped

¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 cups corn kernels, fresh off the cob or frozen and defrosted

2½ cups finely shredded mild Cheddar cheese

1½ cups finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Twelve 6-inch tortillas, roughly torn or cut in strips

heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, cumin, and chile powder and sauté until the onions begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.

add the tequila (if using) and swirl in the pan. Add the tomato purée and simmer the sauce for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before proceeding.

heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and sauté until it is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is softened, another 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the cilantro and corn. Set aside and allow the mixture to cool.

combine the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses in another bowl, sprinkle 3 cups of the cheese over the cooled chicken mixture.

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

spoon one-quarter of the sauce in the slow cooker and top with one-third of the tortillas. Spread half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas and top with another layer of the sauce.

top with another layer of the tortillas, the remaining chicken mixture, and sauce. Top with the last layer of tortillas and the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining cheese. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until the casserole is cooked through and bubbling. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

serve the casserole from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

A smoky sauce of chipotle chiles mingles with shredded beef, layers of tortillas,
queso fresco
, and Cheddar in this special casserole. A terrific vehicle for recycling leftover roast beef, this is a great casserole to serve to couch potatoes while they watch football on the weekend.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 chipotle chiles in adobo, minced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Two 28- to 32-ounce cans tomato purée

4 cups shredded or diced cooked roast beef

¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup crumbled queso fresco

Twelve 6-inch yellow or white corn tortillas, roughly torn or cut in strips

2 cups finely shredded mild Cheddar cheese

heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, chipotles, and cumin and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is softened. Add the tomato purée and simmer the sauce for 30 minutes.

set aside to cool before proceeding.

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

combine the beef, cilantro, and
queso fresco
in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Set aside. Pour some of the sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with a layer of tortillas, half the beef mixture, one-third of the cheese, another layer of tortillas, and some sauce. Continue with layers of the tortillas, the remaining beef mixture, and half the remaining cheese.

finish assembly with layers of the remaining tortillas, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until the casserole is cooked through and is bubbling. Remove the cover and cook an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

serve the casserole from the cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8