Mom & Dad's Chili

1 lb ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
3/4 c water
28 oz can whole tomatoes
OR - 2 14.5 oz cans petite diced (I got the ones with garlic in them and then skipped adding in the cloves)
10 3/4 oz can tomato soup
6 oz can tomato paste
Large can mushrooms
15 1/2 oz kidney beans, undrained (I used cannellini beans)

In medium skillet, brown ground beef with onion; drain. In large saucepan, combine ground beef mixture and remaining ingredients except beans.

Cover; simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Add beans and heat thoroughly.

Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese and a slice of cornbread!


Source: My parents

Pirate Stew

3/4 c sliced onion

1 lb ground beef

1/4 c uncooked, long grain rice

3 c diced raw potatoes

1 c diced celery

2 c canned kidney beans, drained (I used white cannelenni beans)

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 c tomato sauce

1/2 c water

Brown onions and ground beef in a skillet. Drain.

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in order given.

Cover. Cook on Low 6 hours, or until potatoes and rice are cooked.

Source: Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook (Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good)

Jambalaya Red Beans & Rice

1 bag (12 oz) frozen, deveined shelled cooked small shrimp
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 c)
3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
15.5 oz can red beans, drained, rinsed
6 oz can tomato paste
14.5 oz can garlic-seasoned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp sugar
3 tsp dried Creole seasoning
1/2 lb precooked Kielbasa, halved lengthwise, 1 inch slices ** I use a full pound
4 c uncooked instant rice (white or brown)
water

Thaw shrimp in fridge. In slow cooker, layer onion, chicken, garlic, bay leaves, beans, tomato paste, tomatoes, sugar and Creole seasoning.

Cover, cook on low 6-8 hours.

35 min before serving, remove and discard bay leaves. If necessary, remove tail shells from thawed shrimp; gently stir in shrimp and sausage into chicken mixture.

Increase heat to high - cover - 20-30 min more.

Cook rice in water as directed on package.

Serve meat mixture over rice. If desired serve with red pepper sauce.

**Corn bread tastes excellent with this!

Source: Pillsbury Slow Cooker 2005

Beef with Red Wine Sauce

3 lb boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, sliced
1 lb fresh mushrooms, halved
1 (1.61 oz) package brown gravy mix
1 (10 1/2 oz) can beef broth
1 c red wine
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
Hot cooked egg noodles or rice

Place first 3 ingredients in a 6-qt slow cooker.

Whisk together gravy mix and next 3 ingredients; pour evenly over beef and vegetables. Add bay leaf.

Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles.

Personal Variation: Instead of cutting the roast, I left it whole. When it finished cooking, I tore it into pieces. I also added 2 Tbsp cornstarch to the gravy when the roast was removed. (To add cornstarch, I pulled out 1 c of gravy and mixed the 2 Tbsp with that and then added it back in.)

Source: Southern Living magazine, February 2006