As the leaves change color and the cool October breeze becomes a daily reminder that summer is officially over, it’s time for some new recipes. When you find yourself pressed for time or have limited culinary expertise, slow cookers provide a great way to come home to a hot and delicious meal. With this in mind, here are some great slow cooker recipes to help you settle into fall.
Chili
- 1 pound ground beef
- 24 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup water
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 can kidney beans, drained
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- In a medium skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain.
- In a slow cooker, combine cooked ground beef, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, beans, cayenne pepper, sugar, oregano, pepper, salt, cumin, and chili powder. Mix thoroughly.
- Cook on medium heat for 4 hours.
Pumpkin Soup
- 1oz (30g) butter
- 2lb (1kg) Pumpkin – peeled and cut into inch square pieces
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves stuck into the onion
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- salt to taste – pinch
- 2½ cup Chicken Stock – make your own, use cubes/powder, or use ready made (this is our choice) OR Vegetable Stock for a Vegetarian Recipe
- 1 cup Milk
- Nutmeg to sprinkle on top
- Place butter and pumpkin in slow cooker and put on high. When butter has melted, stir to coat pumpkin and cook for 1 hour on high.
- Add onion, sugar, salt and stock. Cover and cook for 8-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
- When ready to serve, remove the onion.
- Puree soup in a blender or use a hand held device.
- Add milk, to achieve correct consistency. (Don’t add milk if intending on freezing – just freeze as is and add milk once soup has thawed)
- Serve with a sprinkling of Nutmeg and a dollop of sour cream.
Applesauce
- 8 medium apples (Use a combination of Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Fuji, Gala, etc.)
- 1 strips of lemon peel – use a vegetable peeler
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 inch cinnamon stick
- 5 teaspoon light brown sugar (unpacked) – or agave
- Peel, core, and slice the apples.
- Place them in the slow cooker. Add the cinnamon stick, lemon peel and brown sugar.
- Set slow cooker to low and cook for 6 hours. Stir apples occasionally, apples will slowly become a delicious applesauce. Remove cinnamon stick and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth or if you prefer a chunky sauce, leave sauce intact.
All of these recipes are easy to manipulate and give you the opportunity to make them your own. These recipes make for an impressive meal and are also great to freeze for future use. All that’s left to do is grab a spoon and some friends and have a great evening!
Photo Sources:
http://www.lovepomegranatehouse.com/slow-cooker-chili/
http://www.partybluprintsblog.com/the-menu/soups-and-salads/pumpkin-soup-in-a-crock-pot/
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/10/crock-pot-applesauce.html