The Great American Slow Cooker Book (9 page)

1
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble in the sausage and cook, stirring often, until well browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate lined with paper towels.

2
Grease the inside of the slow cooker well with unsalted butter. Whisk the milk and eggs in a large bowl until smooth.

3
Layer the tortillas, sausage, cheese, and red peppers in the cooker, starting with some of the tortillas and ending with a layer of cheese. Alternate the ingredients to create several layers, tearing the tortillas so they’ll fit the contours of the slow cooker without creeping up the sides, then use the leftover bits of tortilla to plug holes in the next layer. Pour the milk mixture over everything. Make sure the tortillas are completely moistened by pressing down with the back of a wooden spoon where necessary.

4
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the eggs are set and a flatware knife inserted into the center of the strata comes out clean (with the possible exception of a couple of cheese threads).

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
There’s no heat from chiles here because the acids in some chiles can curdle the milk as it cooks. If you want more pop, pass pico de gallo on the side.

SHORTCUTS
Rather than having to remove sausage casings, you can often find bulk sausage meat in the deli case of larger supermarkets. Or you can buy your favorite ground pork, meat, or chicken and season it as you prefer.

Serve It Up!
If you turn the cooker off and keep it covered for 30 minutes, you can take this strata out whole—or in large chunks. Save leftover pieces wrapped in foil in the fridge, then reheating them, still wrapped, on a baking sheet in a preheated 350°F oven for about 20 minutes. (Or unwrap individual servings and microwave them on high for 2 minutes.)

1
Dab some olive oil on a paper towel and grease the inside of the slow cooker.

2
Layer the bread slices, red peppers, chickpeas, and cheese in the cooker, starting with the bread and ending with the cheese, but making two, three, or even more layers of ingredients depending on the size and shape of your cooker. You’ll need to cut or tear the bread so that it fits.

3
Whisk the milk, eggs, egg yolks, and paprika in a large bowl until foamy but creamy. Gently pour this mixture over the ingredients in the cooker, taking care to pour it all over, not just in one spot. Press down with the back of a wooden spoon to make sure the bread is thoroughly moistened.

4
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, until the egg mixture has set and is firm, and a flatware knife inserted into the center comes out with some moist bits on it but no eggy milkiness.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
Because of the way the oat bread soaks up and holds the milk mixture, this strata can actually be kept warm for a bit—in case everyone’s alarm clock didn’t go off at the same time.

•
This strata is modeled on the basic flavors of some typical Spanish egg dishes. The chickpeas—a bit of a surprise for some—add lots of body plus a creamy mellowness.

•
There’s no added salt here because the cheese, chickpeas, and jarred roasted red peppers add plenty of sodium. You can always pass some flakey salt or sea salt at the table.

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Manchego is a Spanish sheep’s-milk cheese from the La Mancha region. It actually comes in three varieties:
fresco
(or fresh),
curado
(or cured), and
viejo
(or aged). Avoid the fresh Manchego here—it’s difficult to find in North America—and go for either the creamy beige
curado
for a sweeter, richer casserole or the more expensive
viejo
for a refined, slightly bitter taste.

1
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crumble in the sausage meat and cook, stirring often, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

2
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to the slow cooker, taking some or even all of the fat as well. Stir in the potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and olives. Continue tossing until everything is well mixed. Pour the broth over the top of the ingredients in the slow cooker.

3
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the potatoes are fork-tender.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
This is a main-course hash, stocked with lots of sausage and vegetables. You don’t need much else—except maybe a bottle of hot pepper sauce at the table.

•
There’s no need to seed the tomatoes. The extra juice will just add more moisture to the hash as it cooks.

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
s Cubanelle peppers (also called
Italian frying peppers
) are long, thin, sweet peppers reminiscent of bell peppers, but with a thinner skin and a little more brightness in the flavor. When immature, they are green and a tad more sour. They can mature to a deep red with a mellower flavor. We prefer the green ones in slow cooker dishes, although either will do.

Serve It Up!
Of course, you’ll want fried eggs and crunchy, whole-grain toast to round out the plates. Together, they’re a welcome meal even for dinner. Or skip the heartier fare and just offer applesauce on the side. Or even a green salad for a late-summer supper.

1
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until brown and crunchy, turning occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the slices to a cutting board, but do not drain the skillet.

2
Add the onion and cook, stirring often, just until barely softened, about 2 minutes. Scrape and pour the bacon fat and onion into the slow cooker; chop the bacon and add it to the cooker.

3
Stir in the potato cubes, scallion, and caraway and celery seeds. Toss well, ensur-ing all the potatoes are coated in the bacon grease.

4
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the potatoes are tender.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
Hash browns don’t brown in the slow cooker. But they do get incredibly creamy. If you’d like some crusty bits, spoon the hash browns out of the cooker and into a skillet, add a generous pour of olive oil, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for up to 10 minutes.

•
If your supermarket doesn’t offer thick-cut bacon, buy a chunk of slab bacon (or smoked pork belly) and cut it into ½-inch slices. Use 2 ounces for a small slow cooker, 3 ounces for a medium model, or 5 ounces for a large one.

Serve It Up!
Since these hash browns are not a main course, you’ll need some scrambled eggs or smoked salmon, cream cheese, and whole-grain toast to go with them.

INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
Don’t use Idaho or other baking potatoes for this recipe. Rather, you want small white new potatoes, like Irish creamers or white fingerlings, sliced into ½-inch-thick disks.

1
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the onions. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the onions begin to soften, stirring often, about 3 minutes.

2
Reduce the heat further, cover, and continue cooking, stirring every once in a while, until the onions are very soft and luxurious, about 10 minutes.

3
Stir in the peppers, chile, and garlic. Raise the heat to medium; cook until the peppers begin to soften, about 2 minutes.

4
Scrape every last bit from the skillet into the slow cooker. Stir in the tomatillos, broth, vinegar, oregano, and cumin. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the tomatillos are tender and the mixture has morphed into a thick sauce.

TESTERS’ NOTES

•
This sauce is based on sofrito, a Spanish favorite sauce that now finds incarnations across the American Southwest, as well as in Portugal, Haiti, the Philippines, Greece, and even some Sephardic communities.

•
Store any leftover sauce in a covered glass or plastic container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer.