Recipes

Slow Cooker Zesty Black Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Zesty Black Bean Soup

Couverts9 servings (11⁄3 cups each)
Preparation 11 hours 35 minutes
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Equipment

  • 4-quart Dutch oven
  • slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 bag 16 oz dried black beans (2 cups), sorted, rinsed
  • 10 cups water
  • 2 cartons 3 2 oz each vegetable broth (8 cups)
  • 2 cans 14.5 oz each diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
  • 2 medium carrots coarsely chopped ( 1 cup)
  • 2 medium onions coarsely chopped ( 1 cup)
  • 1 ⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ⁄4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 ⁄8 teaspoon ground red pepper cayenne
  • Sour cream if desired
  • Chopped fresh cilantro if desired

Instructions

  • In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat beans and water to boiling.
  • Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour.
  • Drain beans.
  • In 6-quart slow cooker, place beans and remaining ingredients except sour cream and cilantro.
  • Cover; cook on Low heat setting 10 to 12 hours.
  • Serve soup topped with sour cream and cilantro.

Notes & Wine Advice

Short on time? Soak the beans in cold water overnight rather than using the quick-soak method in the recipe.
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Course; Crockpot / Slowcooker / Soup
Diets; Low Fat / Vegetarian

Roasted Vegetable Stock

Roasted Vegetable Stock

Couverts9 cups
Preparation 7 hours 45 minutes
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Equipment

  • oven
  • slow cooker

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 450°F.
  • In 15x10x1-inch pan, place carrots, celery, parsnips, potatoes, onion and garlic.
  • Drizzle with oil; toss until well coated.
  • Roast uncovered 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking time.
  • (Vegetables will be browned, but may not be tender or fully cooked. )
  • In 6-quart slow cooker, place roasted vegetables and remaining ingredients.
  • Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 9 hours or on High heat setting 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes hours.
  • Pour stock through fine mesh colander to strain out vegetables and herbs; discard vegetables and herbs.

Notes & Wine Advice

Use stock in 3 to 4 days, or for longer storage, pack stock in freezer containers, label and freeze. Be sure to pack the stock in containers with about the amount of stock you anticipate using in a recipe, for example, 2 cups. Freeze for up to 3 months. To use, thaw the stock overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition values

Calories: 120 kcal
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Course; Crockpot / Slowcooker / Stock
Diets; Low Fat / Vegetarian

Marinara Sauce with Spaghetti

Marinara Sauce with Spaghetti

Couverts12 servings
Preparation 8 hours 25 minutes
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
  • In cooker, mix all ingredients except spaghetti and cheese.
  • Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.
  • Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package.
  • Serve sauce over spaghetti.
  • Sprinkle with cheese.

Notes & Wine Advice

This all-purpose sauce is simple to prepare. Make it often and keep a few extra containers in the freezer. Ladle the cooked sauce into airtight freezer containers; cover and freeze up to 1 month.

Nutrition values

Calories: 310 kcal
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Course; Crockpot / Slowcooker / Pasta / Sauce

Mediterranean Bulgur and Lentils

Mediterranean Bulgur and Lentils

Couverts8 servings
Preparation 3 hours 30 minutes
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked bulgur or cracked wheat
  • ½ cup dried lentils sorted, rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 can 15.25 oz whole kernel corn, drained
  • 2 cans 14 oz each vegetable broth
  • 2 medium tomatoes chopped (11⁄2 cups)
  • 1 can 2 1⁄4 oz sliced ripe olives, drained
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 4 oz
  • Pita bread if desired

Instructions

  • In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except tomatoes, olives, cheese and pita bread.
  • Cover; cook on Low heat setting 3 to 4 hours.
  • Stir in tomatoes and olives.
  • Increase heat setting to High; cover and cook 15 minutes longer.
  • Sprinkle each serving with cheese.
  • If desired, serve with toasted wedges of pita bread.

Notes & Wine Advice

If you’ve never tried the whole grain goodness of bulgur, this is a great recipe to start with. This nutritious food has a chewy, nutty texture that is a nice complement to the lentils.

Nutrition values

Calories: 200 kcal
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Course; Crockpot / Slowcooker
Diets; Low Fat / Vegetarian

Savory Garbanzo Beans with Vegetables

Savory Garbanzo Beans with Vegetables

Couverts8 servings
Preparation 4 hours 30 minutes
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • slow cooker

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, place beans, water, salt and pepper.
  • Cover; cook on High heat setting 4 to 5 hours.
  • In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
  • Add mushrooms, carrots, onions and garlic; cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
  • Stir vegetables into beans.
  • Stir in remaining ingredients.
  • Cover; cook on High heat setting 15 minutes longer to blend flavors.

Notes & Wine Advice

Want to make this even easier? Use a drained 8-ounce can of sliced mushrooms instead of the fresh mushrooms. Skip the sautéing in step 3 and just add the canned mushrooms, carrots, onions and garlic to the cooked beans. Stir in a tablespoon of olive oil for added flavor.

Nutrition values

Calories: 250 kcal
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Course; Crockpot / Slowcooker
Diets; Vegetarian

Spicy Black-Eyed Peas

Spicy Black-Eyed Peas

Couverts8 servings
Preparation 3 hours 15 minutes
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 bag 16 oz dried black-eyed peas (2 cups), sorted, rinsed
  • 1 medium onion chopped (1⁄2 cup)
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ⁄2 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 ⁄4 cup chunky-style salsa

Instructions

  • In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except salsa.
  • Cover; cook on High heat setting 3 to 4 hours.
  • Stir in salsa.
  • Cover; cook on High heat setting about 10 minutes longer or until hot.

Notes & Wine Advice

Cooked greens, like spinach, mustard or collards, are perfect mates for black-eyed peas. Serve the greens with red wine vinegar to splash on top. Add a special touch by topping each serving of beans with sour cream and salsa.

Nutrition values

Calories: 200 kcal
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Course; Crockpot / Slowcooker
Diets; Vegetarian

White Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

White Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

5 servings
Preparation 4 hours 10 minutes
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Equipment

  • slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 bag 16 oz dried great northern beans (2 cups), sorted, rinsed
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 6 cups water
  • 1½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¾ cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
  • 1 can2 1⁄4 oz sliced ripe olives, drained

Instructions

  • In 31⁄2- to 6-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except tomatoes and olives.
  • Cover; cook on High heat setting 4 to 5 hours.
  • Before serving, stir in tomatoes and olives.

Notes & Wine Advice

Sun-dried tomatoes add a robust meaty flavor and a bit of chewiness to this dish. You can add a cup of finely chopped seeded fresh tomatoes instead of the sun-dried tomatoes if you want.
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Course; Crockpot / Slowcooker
Diets; Low Fat / Vegetarian

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice

8 servings
Preparation 4 hours 40 minutes
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except rice and pepper sauce.
  • Cover; cook on High heat setting 4 to 5 hours.
  • Stir in rice.
  • Cover; cook on High heat setting 15 to 20 minutes longer or until rice is tender.
  • Serve with pepper sauce.

Notes & Wine Advice

Our test kitchen had good results using instant rice in slow cooker recipes. Instant rice is fully or partially cooked before dehydration and packaging. It produces less starch, so the finished dish is not as sticky as in some dishes using regular long-grain rice. And it’s easier to cook everything all in one pot! The beans are great topped with chopped avocado and sliced green onion.

Nutrition values

Calories: 280 kcal
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Course; Crockpot / Slowcooker / Rice
Diets; Low Fat / Vegetarian

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

6 servings
Preparation 6 hours 20 minutes
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 bag 16 oz dried black beans (2 cups), sorted, rinsed
  • 1 large onion chopped (1 cup)
  • 1 large bell pepper chopped (1 1⁄2 cups)
  • 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 can 14.5 oz organic diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 5 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
  • 4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño chile
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups hot cooked rice

Instructions

  • In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except rice.
  • Cover; cook on High heat setting 6 to 8 hours.
  • Remove bay leaves.
  • Serve beans over rice.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve with bowls of chopped red onion and hard-cooked eggs to sprinkle on top for traditional black beans and rice. Or instead of rice, top each serving of beans with a poached egg and sprinkle with shredded Cheddar cheese and chopped fresh cilantro.

Nutrition values

Calories: 430 kcal
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Course; Crockpot / Slowcooker / Rice

Baked Potato Bar

Baked Potato Bar

12 servings
Preparation 6 hours 10 minutes
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • slow cooker

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pierce potatoes with fork.
  • In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, place potatoes and oil; toss to coat potatoes with oil.
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Wrap potatoes individually in foil.
  • In 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, place wrapped potatoes.
  • Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.
  • Serve potatoes with remaining ingredients as toppings.
  • Potatoes will hold on Low heat setting up to 2 hours.

Notes & Wine Advice

Set out the cooked potatoes and toppings and let your family or guests top their own, just the way they like them.

Nutrition values

Calories: 260 kcal
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Course; Crockpot / Slowcooker
Diets; Low Fat / Vegetarian