Cooking with zero effort

Fall is officially here and the days will soon be cooling down (not that you can tell it with our temperatures this week). People walking by the windows of our downtown office will go from shorts and tank tops to long sleeves and jeans. Doors and windows will be thrown open to let in fresh, cool air. The colors will start to change as the bright greens and blues of summer switch over to the deeper reds, yellows, and oranges of autumn. The smells become earthy as plants go into hibernation for the cold of winter, not that we always see much of that around here either.

Katina Holland

Now, I absolutely love my slow cooker year round, but I use it more in the fall. I don’t know why, but it is what it is. I love the easy of cooking with it and the diversity because you can do just about everything in it and it takes so little prep time. Drinks, appetizers and dips are easy in the slow cooker when it comes to an office potluck or the neighborhood football party. Side dishes thrown in a slow cooker can really feed a crowd or make the main entrée for those busy nights when cooking is just out of the question. Desserts are a snap for those days when you have the time to cook, but need the oven for other things and you still want cake. There are really so many options it’s hard to narrow them down to just four choices for this column!

I also want to mention, when using the slow cooker, clean up can be a real chore. At least some food will char or harden on the edges. Not all slow cookers have an interior crock that can be removed. Some meals no matter what you do will always be hard to clean, cheese for example. I don’t like spending a lot of time on clean up. You may have seen it before in other columns, but I like to use crock pot liners. They are my favorite slow cooker accessory. I will mention this almost every time I share a slow cooker recipe. This is a plastic lining that goes into the slow cooker before any food goes in. I find it on the aisle with aluminum foil and wax paper at the store. It makes clean up a breeze. Even if you end up poking a hole in it, the mess is far more contained than if you don’t use it. And if you happen to have leftovers, you can transfer them to a smaller container, then throw the bag away. Wipe out the slow cooker and you are done. So easy!

This week, I am sharing some main dish slow cooker recipes. These can easily be paired with carrots or green beans, garlic bread or fresh biscuits, salad or pasta. The possibilities are endless! This week’s recipes are easy throw together and will give you a wonderful dinner if you put them with an easy side. Make your grocery list and blow the dust off the slow cooker for a super easy dinner with no effort!

Cheesy Breakfast Casserole

3 large Russet potatoes 1 yellow bell pepper, diced 1 medium onion, diced 2 16oz pkgs. breakfast sausage 1 cup sour cream ¼ tsp. dried oregano ¼ tsp. dried basil 1 22oz can cream of chicken soup (use healthy request version for lower sodium) Salt and pepper to taste 2 cups cheese of choice Place crock pot liner in slow cooker. In large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until no longer pink. Place potatoes, bell peppers, onion, sausage, cheese, sour cream, oregano and basil into 6qt slow cooker. Stir in soup and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or high heat for 2-3 hours or until potatoes are tender. During last 30 minutes of cooking, add cheese and cook until melted. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from damndelicious.net.

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken

4-6 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast 1 medium onion, diced 1 22oz can cream of chicken soup (use healthy request version for lower sodium) 1 packet dry Italian dressing 1 packet dry Ranch dressing 2 8oz pkgs. cream cheese, cut into 1” chunks Cooked pasta or rice for serving Place crock pot liner in slow cooker. Add chicken and onion to slow cooker. In medium bowl, combine soup and both dressing mixes. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours stirring occasionally. After 5 hours, check chicken for doneness. Shred chicken breast using two forks when fully cooked. Return chicken to slow cooker. Add cream cheese. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Stir to make sure cream cheese is melted and incorporated. Serve over rice or pasta.

Recipe adapted from serendipityandspice.com.

Sausage and Cheesy Potatoes

3 Tbsps. unsalted butter 2 Tbsps. flour 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 bouillon cubes, crumbled ¼ tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper 3 large Russet potatoes, diced into bite size pieces as desired 2 14oz pkgs. smoked sausage 1 medium onion, diced 2 cups cheese (I used Velveeta Queso Blanco, but use whatever cheese you prefer) Place crock pot liner in slow cooker. In medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and whisk until combined. Whisk in milk, chicken bouillon cubes, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer. Place diced potatoes, sausage and onions in slow cooker. Add in sauce and mix until combined. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours or until potatoes are tender. During last 30 minutes of cooking, add cheese and cook until melted.

Recipe adapted from butteryourbiscuit.com.

Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna

2 lbs. ground turkey 1 can refried beans 1 medium onion, diced 1 cup salsa 1 cup beef broth 3 Tbsps. taco seasoning, more or less to taste 12oz lasagna noodles, broken into thirds and cooked 4 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese 1 cup sour cream Place crock pot liner in slow cooker. Place turkey in slow cooker and break apart as best you can. Add onion, refried beans, salsa, taco seasoning and beef broth. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Break apart turkey further and stir to combine. Stir in sour cream, lasagna noodles and half the cheese. Top with remaining cheese. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite toppings – green onions, tomatoes, sour cream and salsa as desired.

Recipe adapted from eatingonadime.com.