minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Ideal slow-cooker size: 3- to 4-qt
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped onion
10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, cooked
1 cup cooked rice
10¾-oz. can cream of mushroom soup
16-oz. jar cheese spread, or 15 slices American cheese, melted and mixed with 2 / 3 cup milk
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
Cover. Heat on Low 2 hours.
Serve with snack breads or crackers .
When I use mushrooms or green peppers in the slow cooker, I usually stir them in during the last hour so they donât get too mushy. âTrudy Kutter, Corfu, NY
Italiano Spread
Nanci Keatley
Salem, OR
Makes 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 2-3 hours
Ideal slow-cooker size: 2-qt
2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup prepared pesto
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Spread cream cheese on bottom of slow cooker.
Spread pesto over cream cheese.
Add a layer of chopped tomatoes over cream cheese and pesto.
Sprinkle cheeses on top of tomatoes.
Drizzle olive oil over top.
Cook on Low 2-3 hours or until cheese is melted.
Spread on crackers or slices of Italian bread .
Slow-Cooked Salsa
Joleen Albrecht
Gladstone, MI
Makes 8 ½ cups
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking Time: 2½-3 hours
Ideal slow-cooker size: 3-qt
10 fresh Roma, or plum, tomatoes, chopped coarsely
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers
¼ cup cilantro leaves
½ tsp. salt
Place tomatoes, garlic, and onion in slow cooker.
Remove stems from jalapenos. Remove seeds, too, if you prefer a milder flavor. Chop jalapenos. Stir into slow cooker.
Cover. Cook on High 2½-3 hours, or until Âvegetables are softened.
Allow to cool.
When cooled, combine cooked mixture with cilantro and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend or process to the consistency that you like.
Roasted Pepper and Artichoke Spread
Sherril Bieberly
Sauna, KS
Makes 3 cups, or about 12 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Ideal slow-cooker size: 1- to 1½-qt
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 garlic clove, minced
14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped finely
1 / 3 cup finely chopped roasted red bell peppers (from 7¼-oz. jar)
Combine Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and garlic in food processor. Process until smooth. Place mixture in slow cooker.
Add artichoke hearts and red bell pepper. Stir well.
Cover. Cook on Low 1Â hour. Stir again.
Use as spread for crackers , cut-up fresh vegetables , or snack-bread slices.
Baked Brie with Cranberry Chutney
Amymarlene Jensen
Fountain, CO
Makes 8-10 servings
Prep. Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 4 hours
Ideal slow-cooker size: 1- to 1½-qt
1 cup fresh, or dried, cranberries
½ cup brown sugar
1 / 3 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. water, or orange juice
2 tsp. minced crystallized ginger
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1 / 8 tsp. ground cloves
oil
8-oz. round of Brie cheese
1 Tbsp. sliced almonds, toasted
Mix together cranberries, brown sugar, vinegar, water or juice, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in slow cooker.
Cover. Cook on Low 4 hours. Stir once near the end to see if it is thickening. If not, remove top, turn heat to High, and cook 30 minutes without lid.
Put cranberry chutney in covered container and chill for up to 2 weeks. When ready to serve, bring to room temperature.
Brush ovenproof plate with vegetable oil, placeunpeeled Brie on plate, and bake uncovered at 350° for 9 minutes, until cheese is soft and partially melted. Remove from oven.
Top with at least half the chutney and garnish with almonds.
Serve with crackers .
Peach Chutney
Jan Mast
Lancaster, PA
Makes 8 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-8 hours
Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt
2 29-oz. cans (about 6 cups) peaches, diced
1 cup raisins
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. mustard seed
1 tsp.
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