ASK PAT: Use the slow cooker for a nice warm dish

The current cold weather has me thinking of using my slow cooker to have a nice warm dish ready to eat when I get home from work. One recipe is for an easy Beef Vegetable Soup with some very standard ingredients you may already have on hand and the other is a variation on mac and cheese that can easily be made into the main dish. A few extra minutes spent in the kitchen in the morning will pay off big time come dinner time.

Beef Vegetable Soup
(slow cooker)

1 lb. ground beef
1 can (46 oz.) tomato juice
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 envelope onion soup mix

In a large skillet, cook the beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Or cook in microwave oven in a plastic colander placed inside a large plastic bowl, which will drain the fat as it cooks. Transfer meat to a five quart slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until heated through.

Serves: 10
Source: 2005 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes

Cheddar Spirals
(slow cooker)

1 pkg. (16 oz.) spiral pasta
2 cups half-and-half
1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 cups (16 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to pkg. Directions; drain. In a five quart slow cooker, combine the half-and-half, soup and butter until smooth; stir in the cheese and pasta. Cover and cook on low for two and a half hours or until cheese is melted. To make this a main course add cocktail sausages, Polish sausages chunks or cubed ham.

Serves: 12-15
Source: 2005 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes