Crock Pot recipes elegant enough for entertaining, special occasions and holidays.
Slow Cookers are a great convenience for busy cooks trying to get dinner on the table. Start the appliance in the morning, and have a meal waiting for you at day's end. However, recipes for slow cookers lean toward a homey style that most cooks would not serve to company. This crock pot cookbook is designed for entertaining, so you can start the cooker in the morning and have a party at the end of the day.
Cocktail Parties
Appetizers and hors d'oeuvres can be time consuming party preparations. Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Entertaining includes ingenious recipes for cocktail party planning, such as Champagne Fondue, Plum Sauce Chicken Wings, and Hot Artichoke Dip. There are also recipes for making spicy nuts in the slow cooker, such as Tamari Almonds and Curry Mixed Nuts. Set up a bar, and the cocktail party is ready, thanks to this kind of cookbook entertaining.
Holiday Cooking
Any work you can pass off to an appliance on a busy holiday is both a time and stress saver. Lighten the workload and enhance a holiday meal with slow cooker Candied Yams with Apples and Cranberries, Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy, Parmesan Pine Nut stuffing and Mashed Potato Casserole. Cooking and entertaining can be a breeze during the holidays.
Accompaniments
There is a section of recipes included that are not made in the slow cooker, but are good accompaniments for some of the other recipes. Salad of Greens with Goat Cheese includes a basic vinaigrette, croutons and cheese rounds.
Fresh Ingredients
All the recipes in this book are made with impressive or at least respectable ingredients. This is not the sort of slow cook book that's filled with instructions for using canned cream soups or bottles of ketchup, so you can be proud to serve these recipes to guests, and enjoy delicious dinners any weeknight.
Sample Recipe:
Twice-Cooked Stuffed Potatoes with Macadamia Nuts
Serves 6 to 12
Cooker: Medium or large round or oval
Settings and cook times: High for 4-6 hours, Low for 6-8 hours, then high for 45 to 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 large Idaho or russet baking potatoes, left unpeeled
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chopped unsalted macadamia nuts
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
- Salt and ground white pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (about 4 ounces)
Directions:
- Wash the potatoes. Prick each dripping wet potato with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife and place in the slow cooker; do not add water. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or on low for 6 to 8 hours (pierce with the tip of a knife to check for doneness).
- Remove the potatoes from the cooker with tongs and cut in half. Scoop out the center of each half with a large spoon, leaving enough potato to keep the shell intact. Place the flesh in a large bowl and add the cream; beat until smooth with a fork, electric mixer, or potato masher. You want the mixture to be quite thick. Stir in the nuts and green onions, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the filling back into the shells, mounding each. Place each half back in the slow cooker, setting them in a single layer touching each other, and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover and cook on high for 45 to 60 minutes.
- Remove carefully from the cooker with tongs and serve immediately.
Title: Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Entertaining, 466 p.
Author: Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann
ISBN: 9781558323124
Price: $19.95
Publisher: The Harvard Common Press
