In My Money previous articles, I’ve shared advice on how a slow cooker can save your family hundreds of dollars and provided slow cooker recipes for chilly fall evenings and more easy and cheap slow cooker recipes for wintry evenings. Today, I’m continuing that tradition and bringing you three more recipes that are wonderful to come home to on an evening with a bit of chill in the air.
In my house, the slow cooker is a device that rarely leaves the kitchen table, especially in the fall and winter when the best meals are perfect for the slow cooker — stews, soups and casseroles. We’ve tried hundreds of slow cooker recipes over the years, and quite a few of them have made it into our family’s regular meal rotation. Here are three of those delicious meals that you can prepare in the morning and then come home to find a piping hot home-cooked meal ready for you in the evening.
“Super Tasty” Beef Stew
This recipe was named by our oldest son when he was 3 years old, as he pronounced this stew to be “super tasty” when we served it on a chilly fall evening a few years ago.
You’ll need …
2 pounds beef chuck, cubed into ½-inch pieces (this is sometimes sold as “stew meat” and already cubed)
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ cup flour
¾ pound potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
¼ cup tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the vegetables (carrots and potatoes) in the slow cooker. Put the olive oil in a pan and heat it, then add the beef chuck and cook it until it’s browned on all sides. Add the beef to the slow cooker, then put the diced onion in the skillet and cook that until it’s translucent, then add the onion to the slow cooker. Add the wine, beef broth, tomato paste, salt, pepper and flour to the hot skillet. Stir until it’s thick and dark, then add that mixture on top of everything else. Cook on low for eight hours, then serve piping hot.
Chicken Pie
This is a delicious chicken pie recipe that my grandmother used to make regularly in her kitchen. Since this was a “cook it low and slow” recipe, it actually worked perfectly in a slow cooker. You’ll notice a few similarities to the beef stew recipe.
You’ll need …
1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (I prefer thighs)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
½ pound potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes
2 ½ cups flour
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the carrots, potatoes and celery into a slow cooker. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then add the chicken and cook on one side for two minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for two minutes. Add the chicken to the slow cooker. Then, add the onion to the skillet and cook until translucent, and add the onion to the slow cooker. After that, add the white wine, the chicken broth, and ½ cup flour to the skillet and cook until thickened, and add that to the slow cooker. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining flour, butter, milk, salt and baking powder until thoroughly mixed, and put it in the fridge. Turn the slow cooker on low for eight hours. About 45 minutes before eating, pull the dough out of the fridge, form it into small balls, and place them on top of the cooking chicken and vegetables. Cover again and let it cook for 45 minutes on low or until the biscuits are satisfactorily done.
Cheesy Butternut Squash Stew
My wife got this recipe from a co-worker one year when we had an abundance of butternut squash. This one quickly entered our regular meal rotation as a savory stew.
You’ll need …
1 small onion, diced
3 cups butternut squash, cubed
3 carrots, chopped
2 ½ cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups whole milk
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 bag frozen or fresh tortellini or ravioli (cheese or mushroom stuffed)
2 cups shredded cheese, your choice (I use half cheddar and half fontina)
Add everything to the slow cooker except the tortellini and cheese, and cook it on low for six to eight hours. Add the soup to a blender and puree it, then put it back in the slow cooker. Add the tortellini or ravioli and the cheese and stir, then cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes until the tortellini tastes done. This is a good one to serve with breadsticks, which can cook while the pasta is in the slow cooker.
Try one of these recipes, and you’ll have a wonderful meal on your countertop when you come home on a crisp fall evening.
More from U.S. News
How a Slow Cooker Can Save Your Family Hundreds of Dollars
10 Meals to Make When You’re Trying to Save
3 Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes for Autumn originally appeared on usnews.com
