The Great American Slow Cooker Book (26 page)

1
Warm a large skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then pour in the oil and swirl it around to coat the hot surface. Crumble the ground beef into the skillet; cook, stirring often, until well browned, between 4 and 8 minutes, depending on how much ground beef you’re using. Use a slotted spoon to get the ground beef into the slow cooker.

2
Stir in the onions, bell peppers, celery, tomato paste, vinegar, molasses, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, mustard, and pepper until the tomato paste has dissolved.

3
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the vegetables have almost melted into the thickened sauce. Serve by spooning the spiced beef mixture into the buns, rolls, or pockets.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
This version of the American classic has no cheating: there’s no bottled barbecue sauce or ketchup that can tip the flavors into a sweet, sticky mess. Instead, the sauce is a blend of sweet and savory because of the way the vegetables naturally balance the molasses and vinegar.

•
If you’re working with 4 pounds of ground beef, you’ll probably need to divide the oil and meat, then work in batches to get it browned, even in a very large skillet. To invest in equipment for large-batch cooking, seek out a 14-inch cast-iron or heavy metal skillet with 2-inch sides.

•
It’s crucial that the vegetables are minced, not just chopped or diced, so they can dissolve into the sauce. Figure on bits of vegetable no wider than the “threads” of ground beef.

ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
To mince celery, set the ribs on your cutting board and slice each one lengthwise into three or four spears. Gather the spears from one rib together, then slice crosswise into very small bits.

Serve It Up!
Have lots of pickle relish, thinly sliced tomatoes, and chopped iceberg lettuce for topping the sandwiches.

1
Melt half the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Crumble in the ground beef; cook, stirring occasionally to break it up into even smaller bits, until well browned, between 4 and 8 minutes.

2
Stir in the garlic, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often, until aromatic. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker.

3
Set the skillet back over medium heat; melt the rest of the butter in it. Drop in the mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their moisture and it evaporates to a glaze, between 6 and 12 minutes. (If you’re using the amount for a large slow cooker, you’ll have to stir far more often to make sure all the mushrooms are exposed to the heat.)

4
Pour in the wine and Worcestershire sauce; crank the heat up to medium-high, and bring to a full boil. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker.

5
Stir in the macaroni, milk, broth, and cheese. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the casserole has absorbed most of the liquid and the macaroni is tender.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
You can make this comfort-food casserole in advance, storing small portions in sealed containers in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to reheat them. To do so, thaw in the fridge if frozen, then dump what you’ve got into a saucepan, add a little beef or chicken broth, cover, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

•
There’s no cheese on top of the casserole, just what’s stirred inside. You can always add some extra to the top, particularly thinly sliced fresh mozzarella or finely grated aged Asiago.

•
For a creamier casserole, substitute crumbled fresh goat cheese (chèvre) for the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
The quality of the purchased broth used in any recipe will directly affect its success. If you want to take your cooking to new heights, you can
make your own stocks
, saving them in the freezer. Or go simpler and pump up your creds by buying a range of canned broths, then tasting them at room temperature and heated in the microwave. You’ll soon know which you prefer.

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Parmigiano-Reggiano, sometimes called Parmesan cheese, is a part-skim cheese with a musky but sweet taste and a slightly sour aroma. Authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano is stamped with its Italian name on the rind and should be bought in chunks to be grated with a microplane or through the fine holes of a box grater. Seal a chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano tightly in plastic wrap and store in the cheese drawer of your refrigerator for up to 3 months. Cut off any white, flour-like mold with ¼-inch margins all around before using the cheese.

1
Stir the ground beef, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste in a large bowl until the meat and onion are slathered in the sauce and tomato paste.

2
Make even, full layers of the ingredients in the slow cooker in this order: half the meat mixture, half the cheese, all of the pasta, all of the pickle relish, all of the ketchup, the remainder of the meat mixture, and the remainder of the cheese.

3
Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the cheese has melted and even has browned a bit at the edges, and until the casserole is fairly firm to the touch.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
Here’s a family favorite that’s, well, beefed up to mimic the flavors of a cheeseburger, right down to the whole wheat pasta standing in for the bun. The only thing missing is a big green salad on the side.

•
There’s no need to boil and drain the pasta; the ziti will soften and cook in the casserole.

•
Swap out other cheeses for the Cheddar: Swiss, pepper jack, or even fancier Gruyère. And while you’re at it, swap out the pickle relish for chow-chow or even salsa.

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Tomato paste—and indeed, most canned tomato products—are available plain or “seasoned,” sometimes with Italian seasonings like
basil and oregano or sometimes with Southwestern ones like chiles. You’ll need to read the ingredient list carefully to determine if you have the right one.

ALL-AMERICAN KNOW-HOW
ground beef is a favorite in the slow cooker, although it has a maddening tendency to clump. In casseroles like this one, it doesn’t matter much, as you’re going for the texture of a hamburger patty anyway. We call for very lean meat: 93% lean, and occasionally we even call for ground round or sirloin. Because there’s little evaporation and thus little condensation, all the fat stays right in the cooker. When you use higher-fat ground beef, all that fat can make the meal too oily, even gooey. leaner ground beef gives you better results—and a healthier dinner!