Today is Slow Cooking Thursday, hosted by the lovely Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom . Share a recipe on your blog and go link it at her blog. Please come back and join me for Freezer Food Friday .

PICADILLO

This is from “Cooking Light Slow Cooker,” a book that will let you do great things in your “pot,” things that don’t require canned concentrated soup.

2 pounds ground round
1½ cups chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced green onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/3 cup chopped pitted dates
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
¼ cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
¼ cup slivered almonds, dry-toasted in a small skillet
Hot cooked rice (our Cinnamon Rice)

Cook beef through garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until beef is browned, stirring to crumble beef. Drain well.

Place beef mixture in a 4-quart slow cooker. Add diced tomatoes and next 10 ingredients; stir well. Cover and cook on HIGH 3 hours. Stir in almonds. Serve over rice.