Fix-It and Forget-It Pink Cookbook (23 page)

Barbara Hershey

Lititz, PA

Meatballs:

2 lbs. lean ground beef

2 eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp. dried onion

²
/
₃
cup dried bread crumbs

½ cup milk

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Stew:

6 medium potatoes, unpeeled if you wish, and diced fine

1 large onion, sliced

8 medium carrots, sliced

4 cups vegetable juice

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1. In a bowl, thoroughly mix meatball ingredients together. Form into 1-inch balls.
   
2. Place meatballs on a lightly greased jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, to make stew, prepare potatoes, onion, and carrots. Place in slow cooker.
   
4. When finished baking, remove meatballs from pan. Blot dry with paper towels to remove excess fat.
   
5. Place meatballs on top of vegetables in slow cooker.
   
6. In a large bowl, combine vegetable juice and seasonings. Pour over meatballs and vegetables in slow cooker.
   
7. Cover cooker. Cook on High 4-5 hours, or until vegetables are tender.
   

Tips:

1. You can speed up the preparation of this dish by using frozen meatballs, either your own, or store-bought ones.

2. If you will be gone more hours than the time required to cook the slow-cooker dish that you want to make, you can cook that recipe in your slow-cooker overnight on Low. I've done this many times. In the morning I put the slow-cooker insert, now full of the cooked food, into the refrigerator. When I get home, I reheat the food in my microwave.

Kim Stoltzfus

Parksburg, PA

1 lb. ground beef

6 medium potatoes, peeled or not, and cubed

16-oz. pkg. baby carrots

3 cups water

2 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1-1½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. garlic powder

6-oz. can Italian tomato paste

10¾-oz. can tomato soup

1. In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain off drippings.
   
2. Combine potatoes, carrots, water, dry soup mix, garlic and seasonings in slow cooker.
   
3. Add beef. Mix well.
   
4. Cover. Cook 4-5 hours, or until vegetables are cooked to your liking.
   
5. Stir in tomato paste and soup.
   
6. Cover. Cook an additional hour, or until heated through.
   

Tip:

You can add the tomato paste and tomato soup with the rest of the ingredients, if that is more convenient.

Lisa Warren

Parkesburg, PA

1 lb. ground beef,
or
turkey, browned and drained

3 carrots, sliced

4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small onion, diced

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

15-oz. can diced Italian tomatoes,
or
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped

6-oz. can Italian-flavored tomato paste

4½ cups water

1 quart beef broth

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
   
2. Cover. Cook on High 6-8 hours, or until potatoes and carrots are tender.
   

Judy Govotsos

Frederick, MD

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 cups onion, chopped

2 cups celery, chopped

2 1-lb. pkgs. frozen mixed vegetables of your choice

2 14 ½-oz. cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 tsp. black pepper

2 beef bouillon cubes

½ lb. shredded coleslaw

2 medium potatoes, unpeeled and chopped very fine

6 cups water,
or
more if needed

1. Brown ground beef in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery to skillet and sauté until tender.
   
2. Place frozen vegetables, tomatoes, pepper, bouillon cubes, coleslaw, potatoes, and water in slow cooker. Mix together well.
   
3. Stir in browned beef mixture.
   
4. Cover. Cook on Low 4-5 hours, or until vegetables are done to your liking.
   

Note:

This soup tastes great even as leftovers.

Carolyn Mathias

Williamsville, NY

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

40-oz. can tomatoes

2 cups water

15-oz. can kidney beans

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. chili powder

½ cup chopped celery

2 cups thinly sliced cabbage

1. Sauté beef in skillet. Drain.
   
2. Combine all ingredients except cabbage in slow cooker.
   
3. Cover. Cook on Low 3 hours. Add cabbage. Cook on High 30-60 minutes longer.
   

Becky Oswald

Broadway, VA

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

3 14½-oz. cans beef consomme

28-oz. can diced,
or
crushed, tomatoes

3 carrots, sliced

3 celery ribs, sliced

8 Tbsp. barley

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 Tbsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper