Home / Food Bites & Articles / Janet's Notebook

Wait for It … Slow Cooker Favorites

Caramelized Onions, Beer & Cheese Bisque

With the weather cooling down, it’s the perfect time to create some delectable dishes with your slow cooker. Take this wonderful machine out of your cabinets, make room for it on the counter and get creative.

Nancy Manlove has a creative way she caramelizes the onions for her Caramelized Onions, Beer & Cheese Bisque. She does it in the slow cooker! “I sleep soundly as they cooked perfectly [in my slow cooker] and my home [is] full of savory smells.” This is one tasty and hearty soup. It reminds me of a really GOOD French onion soup. I can’t wait to serve this one at my next dinner party.

I also can’t wait to eat Mindy Sena’s Omg Chili! again. According to Mindy, “my husband [didn’t] want me to post this recipe, but it’s too good not to share!” My taste buds are so happy Mindy shared it with us. The chili has lots of heat and tons of flavor. This would be perfect served in a hearty bread bowl with a big dollop of cream to cap it off. Definite crowd pleaser.

Everyone thinks of soup and chili when cooking with a slow cooker. But, there are so many other great dishes you can make.

Kim Cleaves’ Slow Cooker Breakfast is the perfect recipe when you have a house full of overnight guests. Kim encourages us to “make [this] the night before.” Then, “it’ll be ready when you wake up in the morning.” This dish was really flavorful and such a time-saver in the morning. The addition of peppers and onions to the potatoes made this really good. This is definitely comfort food at its best and a breakfast everyone will remember.

Don’t you just love when you come across a recipe that brings so many fond memories? When I came across Gail Springsteen’s Slow Cooker Pork and Beef Roast it brought me right back to wonderful Sunday dinners long ago. You can really customize this dish to your family’s taste buds. Gail says “you can use any cut of the meats you wish because it’s being slow cooked, you don’t need the most expensive cuts to achieve a juicy, tender result.” I just loved this recipe.

Another recipe that I love is Tonna Canfield’s Cranberry Glazed Meatballs. “Quick, easy and delicious!” is how Tonna describes these wonderful bites. The cranberry glaze is super easy to prepare and has just the right amount of sweetness. I bet you can’t eat just one! I guarantee these are going to be your go-to appetizer recipe.

Nelda Carnley’s recipe for Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches is definitely another recipe you’re going to hold onto. Nelda says this recipe is a “very big hit with the family.” I’m sure it will be with your family and friends too. This sandwich is so good that your no one will never guess how super easy it is. Place this chicken on a nice hoagie roll, maybe add a side of bleu cheese dressing for dipping and you can’t go wrong!

There really is so much you can do with your slow cooker. So, dust off your slow cooker, crank it up, sit back and watch what happens.