Pecan-Apple Bread Stuffing for slow cooker

Pecan-Apple Bread Stuffing for slow cooker

4 cups soft bread crumbs (about 6 slices)
1 cup crushed saltine crackers (about 18 2-inch squares)
1 ½ cups chopped apples
1 cup chopped pecans
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 medium stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2/3 cup vegetable or chicken broth
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon rubbed sage
2 eggs

Chopped fresh parsley, if desired

Preparation:

Spray inside of 2- to 3 ½-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, apples, pecans, onion and celery in cooker. Mix remaining ingredients except parsley until well blended; pour into cooker. Toss to coat ingredients.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 4 to 5 hours or until stuffing is slightly puffed and brown around the edges. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 8 servings.

Pumpkin-Cranberry Custard

Pumpkin-Cranberry Custard

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 30-ounce can pumpkin pie filling
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 cup dried cranberries
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup crushed or whole gingersnap cookies, optional
Whipped cream, optional

1. Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, cranberries and eggs in Crock- Pot; mix thoroughly. Cover; cook on high 4 to 4½ hours. Serve with crushed or whole gingersnaps and whipped cream, if desired.

“Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes” Publications International

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

Cream cheese is the secret to a creamy ready-when-you-want-it squash soup.

Prep Time:15 min
Start to Finish:6 hr 45 min
Makes:6 servings

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 butternut squash (2 lb), peeled, cubed
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed

1. In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender.
2. In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix onion and remaining ingredients except cream cheese.
3. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.
4. In blender or food processor, place one-third to one-half of mixture at a time. Cover; blend on high speed until smooth. Return mixture to slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese. Cover; cook on Low heat setting about 30 minutes longer or until cheese is melted, stirring with wire whisk until smooth.

Success

Use a wire whisk to stir the soup after you add the cream cheese so the soup has a smooth consistency.

Special Touch

Stir in a 1-pound bag of frozen mixed vegetables (thawed and drained) with the cream cheese.

Maple almond sweet potatoes

Maple almond sweet potatoes

Peeled sweet potatoes or yams, cut into 1/2-by-1-inch pieces to measure 6 cups
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup crushed pineapple
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sliced, slivered or chopped almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In a slow cooker that is 21/2 quarts to 7 quarts in size, stir together the sweet potato or yam pieces, water, pineapple, maple syrup and salt. Cover and cook until the potatoes are soft. Mash potatoes and stir in the almonds and vanilla. Delicious, even if you do not add the almonds.

Makes 4 cups.

On low heat, the recipe will take 33/4 hours to 5 hours to cook. An “average” slow cooker will take 41/2 to 5 hours; a “fast” cooker will take 4 to 41/2 hours; and an “extra-fast” cooker will take 33/4 to 41/4 hours.

On high heat, this recipe will take 2 to 23/4 hours to cook. An “average” cooker needs 21/2 to 23/4 hours; a “fast” cooker will take 21/4 to 21/2 hours; and an “extra fast” cooker will take 2 to 21/4 hours.

Tips: The cooker may be plugged into a lamp or appliance timer to begin cooking up to 6 hours later. The potatoes may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated in a plastic bag until ready to cook. The recipe may be cut in half and prepared in a cooker that is 2 to 4 quarts in size.

Cranberry Sauce (Apple Cider and Cinnamon) recipe

Cranberry Sauce (Apple Cider and Cinnamon)

Terrific cranberry sauce recipe. Try this and you’ll never again buy the canned stuff.

4 Servings

Ingredients for Cranberry Sauce (Apple Cider and Cinnamon)

1 bag (12 oz) Cranberries fresh
1 whole Cinnamon stick
1 cup Apple Cider
1/8 cup Water
1 cup Sugar

Directions for Cranberry Sauce (Apple Cider and Cinnamon)

Place apple cider and water over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add cinnamon stick and sugar and stir until dissolved. Bring to near-boiling. Add cranberries. Turn down heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until about one fourth of the cranberries are burst, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Chill at least 24 hours to allow flavors to blend

Golden Harvest Vegetables

Golden Harvest Vegetables

Serves 6

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium head of fennel, sliced and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, parsley, sage or thyme
4 tbsps. butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine potatoes, parsnips, fennel, herbs and butter in the slow cooker.
Whisk together broth, mustard, salt and pepper in small bowl. Pour mixture over vegetables.
Cook on low for 4 1/2 hours or on high for three hours until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.

Pineapple and Yam Bake

Today is Slow Cooking Thursday! Post your favorite crockpot recipe on your blog and go visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM and add your link and title. Don’t forget to comment!

Here are 4 crockpot recipes I posted earlier this week, followed by today’s entry.
I made the meatballs and the orange chicken and they both will be going to my Greatest Hits Blog

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup with Easy Homemade Noodles

Slow Cooker Apple Bread Pudding

E-Z Fix BBQ Meatballs

Slow-Cooker Orange Chicken

Pineapple and Yam Bake

From Julie Kay
Serves 6-8

2 (40-oz.) cans yams, drained
1 (20-oz.) can pineapple chunks packed in its own juice, drained, reserve 1/4 cup of juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsps. cinnamon
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/3 cup chopped pecans

1. Put yams, pineapple chunks and the 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice in the slow cooker.

2. Sprinkle in brown sugar and cinnamon.

3. Cook on Low for 4 hours. Add in marshmallows. Allow to heat until marshmallows are beginning to melt.

4. Using slotted spoon, remove yam/marshmallow mixture to serving dish and top with pecans.