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ISBN: Print 978-1-62315-386-1 | eBook 978-1-62315-287-8

Contents

Introduction

PART ONE

Getting Started with Slow Cooking

Chapter One: The Basics of Slow Cooking

Chapter Two: A Guide to Slow Cooking

PART TWO

Slow Cooker Recipes for Two

Chapter Three: Eggs and Brunch

Curried Oatmeal With Dried Fruit

Apple Berry Breakfast Cobbler

Honey Whole-Grain Cereal

Caramel French Toast

Cinnamon Strata

Bacon and Mushroom Hash Browns

Ham Strata

Crustless Quiche

Egg and Potato Casserole

Mexican Egg Bake

Chapter Four: Sauces, Dips, and Appetizers

Cinnamon Applesauce

Roasted Tomato Marinara Sauce

Barbecue Sauce

Chile con Queso

Pizza Dip

French Onion Dip

Artichoke Crab Dip

White Bean and Tomato Dip

Tex-Mex Fondue

Curried Meatballs

Stuffed Mushrooms

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Garlic Shrimp

Spicy-Sweet Nut Mix

BBQ Chicken Wings

Chapter Five: Soups, Stews, and Chilies

Lentil Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

French Onion and Cabbage Soup

Curried Chicken Soup

Bean and Bacon Soup

Many Bean Soup

Seafood Stew

Minestrone Soup

Pasta e Fagioli

Corn and Sausage Chowder

Loaded Baked Potato Chowder

Black Bean Chili

White Chili

Tex-Mex Chili

Wild Rice Chili

Chapter Six: Vegetarian Sides and Entrées

Roasted Vegetables

Steamed Artichokes

Roasted New Potatoes

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Mac and Cheese

Ravioli Lasagna

Creamy Parmesan Risotto

Barley Risotto

Cauliflower Curry

Vegetable Couscous Stuffed Peppers

Chapter Seven: Fish and Seafood

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Salmon Packets

Roasted Salmon and Potatoes

Shrimp Marinara

Jambalaya

Layered Seafood Torta

Red Snapper Veracruz

Chapter Eight: Poultry

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken Pot Pie

Creamy Chicken With Penne

Coq au Vin

Greek Chicken Sandwiches

Butter Chicken

Lasagna Chicken Rollups

Chicken Cacciatore

Sticky Chicken

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Mole

Chapter Nine: Meat

Swiss Steak

Pork In Peanut Sauce

Glazed Ham Sandwiches

Pork Chops With Red Cabbage

Sausage and Peppers

Beef Bourguignon

Cheesy Stuffed Meat Loaf

Taco Salad

Beef Stroganoff

Savory Leg Of Lamb

Chapter Ten: One-Pot Meals

Italian Pot Roast

Short Ribs With Polenta

Rich Lasagna

Chili Over Sweet Potatoes

Hot German Potato Salad

Meat Loaf With Potatoes

Turkey and Sweet Potatoes

Barley–Wild Rice Chicken Salad

Beefy Spaghetti

Tamale Pie

Turkey With Stuffing

Cassoulet

Chapter Eleven: Desserts

Chocolate–Peanut Butter Rice Pudding

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding

Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocolate Fondue

White Chocolate Sauce With Frozen Fruit

Peach Crumble

Stuffed Apples

Turtle Brownies

Caramel Apple Cake

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie

Appendix A: Substitutions and Equivalents

Appendix B: Buying a Slow Cooker

Introduction

Most people associate slow cookers with their mother’s pot roast or big batches of game-day chili, but when you’re cooking for two, these handy appliances are your best friends, enabling you to whip up great meals with little mess and even less waste.

With schedules becoming ever more hectic, everyone is looking for ways to save time in the kitchen, but we still want to eat food that is healthful and tastes good. Having a slow cooker or two allows you to prepare meals hours in advance, leave the house while your food cooks, and return to a fuss-free dinner that is ready to eat.

In this book, you will learn how to prepare delicious and nutritious meals in a small slow cooker that will feed just the two of you. While more than 80 percent of American households own a slow cooker, most recipes are developed for the larger appliances, serving four to six people. Unfortunately, you can’t just put less food into a slow cooker for a smaller yield; you have to use a smaller appliance. All of the recipes in this book were developed for the 1-½ to 2-quart slow cookers. You can use either one for all of these recipes.

You will learn a little about the mechanics of the slow cooker as well as the benefits of this cooking technique and tips for success. You’ll also learn what to stock in your pantry, how to shop for two, and easy and fun ways to prepare and store food safely.

A slow cooker not only saves time; it also saves money and can improve your health. With little preparation and long cooking times, you don’t have to spend much time in the kitchen to produce excellent meals with this appliance. Cooking at home rather than eating out or buying prepackaged processed food is less expensive and helps you avoid additives such as salt, sugar, fat, colorings, and other chemicals that may adversely affect your health. And the food that comes out of the slow cooker is delicious—well seasoned, tender, and perfectly cooked.

While slow cooking is easy, cooking for two does present some challenges. Recipes that produce just enough food for two people are fairly rare, and not all higher-yield recipes work well when the ingredients are simply halved. Certain ingredients are also packaged in larger quantities than what you’ll need for two servings. While cooking for two, you’ll have to take some time to wrap and freeze ground beef and chicken from larger packages, or safely store canned and jarred ingredients if all are not used in a recipe. You’ll also have to learn how to shop differently, choosing smaller quantities and seeking out smaller prepackaged food items.

But there are advantages to cooking in small quantities, too. When you’re cooking for two, you can splurge occasionally on special ingredients that would simply be prohibitive to buy in large quantities, such as exotic mushrooms, lobster, asparagus, saffron, or fresh berries that are out of season.

This book will help you use simple cooking techniques to get the most out of your smaller slow cooker. You’ll learn how to cook an entire meal in the slow cooker using cooking bags, and get tips for getting the most out of meats and vegetables with some judicious precooking. And when a recipe serves more than two, you’ll find tips and easy recipes to turn leftovers into another feast.