The Southern Slow Cooker Bible: 365 Easy and Delicious Down-Home Recipes

by Tammy Algood

Overview

Some days just call for the comforting flavors of the South. And while those days are often the busiest, your slow cooker is ready to do nearly all the work for you!

Food personality and author Tammy Algood serves up 365 recipes in The Southern Slow Cooker Bible, covering a year's worth of dishes that let you effortlessly pair the flavors of the South with the convenience of slow cooking.

Algood covers all the favorites, from whole chapters devoted to Southern mainstays such as grits, macaroni and cheese, stuffed peppers, and pulled pork, you'll find yourself returning to this collection over and over again.

In The Southern Slow Cooker Bible, you’ll find delicious dishes such as:

• Barbecued Roast Beef Sandwiches
• Is It Done Yet Peach Cobbler
• Late Brunch Hash Brown Casserole
• Chicken and Dumplings
• Andouille Sausage Gumbo
• Sorghum Spiced Spoon Cake

Learn what every good Southern cook knows, that the proper cooking technique can yield positively succulent results for just about any cut of meat. This collection shows you how easy it can be to savor the flavors of those classic Southern recipes your whole family has long adored.  

No matter where you start, The Southern Slow Cooker Bible will keep you eager to work your way through the entire mouthwatering collection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781401605018
Publisher:	Harper Celebrate
Publication date:	02/11/2014
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishing
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	395,614
File size:	56 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Tammy Algood is a food personality on Nashville's local ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox affiliates, as well as statewide on PBS. You can hear her food reports and commentary on Nashville radio networks, Clear Channel, and NPR. She conducts cooking schools at various Tennessee wineries and has been published in numerous magazines and newspapers.

Read an Excerpt

THE SOUTHERN SLOW COOKER BIBLE

365 Easy and Delicious Down-Home Recipes

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By Tammy Algood

Thomas Nelson

Copyright © 2014 Tammy Algood Killgore a/k/a Tammy Algood and Bryan Curtis
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4016-0501-8

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CHAPTER 1

APPLES

Orchard Fresh Apple Butter
Cranberry Apple Sauce
Warm Apple Breakfast Cereal
Hot Butterscotch Apple Cider
Pecan-Stuffed Apples
Down-Home Fried Apples
Vanilla Apples
Apple Spiced wine
Butter Pecan Caramel Apple Crisp
Apple Slow-down Brown Betty
Fresh Apple Pork Chops
Apple and Parsnip Cream of Potato Soup
Good Granny Apple raisin Crumble

Orchard Fresh Apple Butter

The best apples for making this recipe are those that fall apart easily rather than those that hold their shape when cooked. So select the apples listed or a combination of these for the best results.

Yield: 6 cups

4 ½ pounds Mcintosh, empire, and/or Cortland
apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
2/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 cups white sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Place the apples, cider, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a lightly greased large slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 hours. Stir occasionally. Uncover and whisk briskly to break up any apple chunks. Check the thickness. If you desire a thicker butter, cover and cook an additional hour. If you want a thinner butter, stir in no more than 2 tablespoons of additional cider. Ladle into hot canning jars and place at least a finger-width apart on a wire rack. Cool to room temperature. When completely cool, refrigerate until ready to use.

Cranberry Apple Sauce

Traditional apple sauce doesn't contain spices. Instead, it is a cooked mixture of slightly sweetened apples and juice. In this case, I couldn't resist throwing in some fresh cranberries that begin hitting the supermarket shelves in abundance in October.

Yield: 4 ½ cups

3 pounds Mcintosh, empire, and/or Cortland apples,
cored, peeled, and cut in large chunks
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 cup fresh cranberries
¼ cup sugar

In a lightly greased medium slow cooker, combine the apples, cider, cranberries, and sugar. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Using a potato masher, crush the mixture to the desired consistency. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: Refrigerate leftovers and use within 1 week.

Warm Apple Breakfast Cereal

Want to get your family up and at it on a weekend morning? Then start this aromatic twist on hot cereal just before you stagger off to bed. No alarm required! These apple varieties were selected because they hold their shape when cooked. If you want the apples to fall apart, select McIntosh.

Yield: 6 servings

8 Granny Smith, Braeburn, and/or Golden Delicious
apples, cored, peeled, and quartered
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons sorghum syrup or honey
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 ½ cups granola cereal
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans
Plain or vanilla nonfat yogurt

Place the apples in a lightly greased medium slow cooker and toss with the lemon juice to evenly coat. Drizzle with the sorghum and sprinkle with the cinnamon. Top with the cereal and drizzle with the butter. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Spoon into warm cereal bowls and top with the pecans and a dollop of yogurt. Serve immediately.

Hot Butterscotch Apple Cider

Head to the supermarket ice-cream topping aisle for the butterscotch sauce, and select apple cider rather than apple juice for the most apple flavor.

Yield: 8 servings

½ gallon apple cider
1/3 cup butterscotch sauce
8 long cinnamon sticks

Place the cider and butterscotch sauce in a small or medium slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Serve warm with cinnamon sticks.

VARIATION: Substitute 2 cups of butterscotch schnapps for the butterscotch sauce.

Pecan-Stuffed Apples

This fall combination can hardly be beat, and the small scoops of vanilla ice cream added at serving time are a delicious complement to the apples.

Yield: 6 servings

1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 teaspoons apple brandy or additional apple cider
6 rome Beauty, Jonagold, and/or Golden Delicious
apples
½ cup toasted chopped pecans
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Vanilla ice cream

Place the cider and brandy in a lightly greased large slow cooker and set aside. Core the apples from the top to halfway down the apple. Using a melon baller, scoop out some of the inside to allow plenty of room for the stuffing. Dice the scooped-out apple pulp and add to a medium bowl, along with the pecans, brown sugar, raisins, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well and carefully spoon into the apples. Transfer to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or on high for 1 ½ hours.

To serve, place each apple on a serving dish and spoon some of the cooking liquid on top. Serve each with one scoop of ice cream. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Save any leftover sauce for topping ice cream later. Just refrigerate and use within 1 week.

Down-Home Fried Apples

Serve this down-home delight as a side dish with turkey or pork, or over waffles, pancakes, pound cake, or ice cream. An apple corer and slicer make preparing this dish easy.

Yield: 8 servings

½ cup apple cider or apple juice
5 Gala, rome Beauty, or Golden Delicious apples,
cored, peeled, and sliced
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Place the cider and apples in a lightly greased medium slow cooker. In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon juice, nutmeg, and allspice. Sprinkle evenly over the apples. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or on high for 1 ½ hours. Serve warm.

Vanilla Apples

Poaching cored apples allows all the goodness inside to intensify. The fragrant touch of vanilla will charm you! These apple varieties hold their shape well when cooked.

Yield: 6 servings

6 rome Beauty, Stayman, or Jonathan apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups hot water
1 ½ cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Freshly whipped cream for garnish

Core the apples, leaving the fruit intact, and drizzle the inside of the apples with the lemon juice. Set aside.

Place the water, sugar, vanilla bean, and vanilla in a lightly greased large slow cooker. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Place the apples with the cut end down in the water.

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until the apples are easily pierced with a knife. Remove and discard the vanilla bean. Serve warm with drizzles of the cooking liquid and a garnish of freshly whipped cream.

Apple Spiced Wine

This warm party drink is made for fall and winter gatherings. In addition to being perfect with nibbles, I like it after dinner when sitting around the outdoor fireplace.

Yield: 10 servings

2 (750 milliliter) bottles dry red wine
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
½ cup apple brandy
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
2 whole cloves

Stir together the wine, apples, brandy, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium slow cooker.

Tie the cinnamon sticks and cloves in a piece of cheesecloth or in a spice bag. Add to the wine mixture, cover, and cook on low for 2 hours. Remove and discard the spice bag and serve warm.

NOTE: You can remove the apples before serving or serve them separately if desired.

Butter Pecan Caramel Apple Crisp

With very little fuss, this dessert begins to bubble away in the slow cooker to make the end of your meal dramatic. Use store-bought shortbread cookies or homemade leftovers. Ginger snaps would be yummy too.

Yield: 4 servings

¼ cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples, cored,
peeled, and sliced
½ cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
1/3 cup caramel sauce
4 shortbread cookies, crushed
4 toasted pecan halves

In a small bowl whisk together the cider and cornstarch until smooth. Transfer to a lightly greased medium slow cooker. Add the apples, pecans, brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to combine, cover, and cook on low for 3 hours or on high for 1 ½ hours.

To serve, scoop the warm apple mixture into serving bowls and drizzle evenly with the caramel sauce. Top each serving with a crushed cookie and pecan half.

Apple Slow-Down Brown Betty

A Brown Betty is usually an apple dessert that is baked with buttered bread crumbs. I have substituted peaches before, but always go back to apples, which seem to work best. Traditionally, it is served with whipped cream, but I like it with vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 6 servings

6 large Braeburn or Granny Smith apples, cored,
peeled, and sliced
3 cups very coarse bread crumbs or small bread
cubes, toasted
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup white sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
Vanilla ice cream

Place the apples in a lightly greased medium slow cooker. In a large bowl gently toss together the bread crumbs, butter, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Evenly spread over the apple slices. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Uncover and let stand for 15 minutes before serving warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Fresh Apple Pork Chops

Every fall we purchase really thick-cut pork chops that are packaged and frozen for later use. But before those hit the freezer, a pack is thawed and goes into the slow cooker for this feast. I like serving it with green beans and homemade rolls.

Yield: 4 servings

1 (16-ounce) bag baby carrots
4 (1-inch thick) pork chops
1 ½ cups apple juice
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 large apples, cored and cut in wedges

Place the carrots in a lightly greased medium slow cooker. Top with the pork chops. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the apple juice, vinegar, mustard, paprika, garlic salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Shake to emulsify and pour over the pork chops. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Add the apples, cover, and continue cooking another 2 hours. Serve warm.

Save the cooking liquid as stock for soups and stews later on. Just cool, transfer to a freezer container, label, and freeze. Use within 2 months.

Apple and Parsnip Cream of Potato Soup

This is yet another one of those "keep an open mind" soups that is nothing less than fantastic. Creamy white sweet parsnips pair with tart apples in a soup that is fresh and equally good served either hot or cold.

Yield: 6 servings

1 pound (4 medium) Braeburn, Crispin, and/or
Mutsu apples, cored, peeled, and diced
1 pound parsnips, peeled and sliced
2 baking potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups apple juice
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
½ teaspoon onion salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup half-and-half, room temperature
Fresh minced thyme

Place the apples, parsnips, potatoes, apple juice, stock, vinegar, onion salt, onion powder, and pepper in a lightly greased large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the half-and-half, cover, and cook for 30 minutes longer. Serve with a sprinkling of fresh thyme.

Good Granny Apple Raisin Crumble

Tart Granny Smith apples get cozy with brown sugar and spices while golden raisins plump up and soften. Get the whipped cream ready!

Yield: 8 servings

4 large (2 pounds) Granny Smith apples, cored and
cut in wedges
½ cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons baking mix, divided
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup rolled or old-fashioned oats
½ cup chopped pecans
whipped cream for garnish

Place the apples and raisins in a lightly greased medium slow cooker. Sprinkle with the vanilla and dot with 2 tablespoons of the butter. In a medium bowl stir together 2/3 cup of the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of the baking mix, and the cinnamon. Sprinkle over the apple mixture and toss gently to evenly coat.

In the same bowl combine the remaining 1/3 cup of brown sugar and 1 cup of baking mix with the oats. With a pastry blender or two forks, cut in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over the apple mixture and top with the pecans. Fold a clean kitchen tea towel in half and lay over the top of the slow cooker, allowing the excess to hang over the outside. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Uncover and let stand for 15 minutes before serving warm with a garnish of whipped cream.

BEAN

Black Bean and Pork Stew
As Southern as It Gets Pinto Bean Soup
Stock Market Baked Beans
Easiest Baked Beans Ever
Garlic-Infused white kidney Beans
Five Beans Meet in a Slow Cooker
Beans and Bacon
Holiday Green Bean Casserole
Almond Green Bean Casserole
Lima Bean Buttermilk Soup
No Meat but Still Messy Sloppy Joes
Black Bean Tomato Soup
kentucky Bourbon Baked Beans
Garbanzo Bean and Spinach Soup
Chow down Corn and Bean Chowder

Black Bean and Pork Stew

For the best results, use a dark, hearty beer for this recipe. You will love the intensity it adds to this easy cold-weather dish.

Yield: 6 servings

1 (16-ounce) package dry black beans
1 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder butt roast
2 (12-ounce) bottles dark beer or 3 cups low-sodium
beef stock
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 ½ teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup sour cream
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Place the beans in the bottom of a lightly greased large slow cooker. Place the pork on top of the beans and add the beer, red peppers, jalapeños, garlic salt, cumin, and black pepper. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Using two forks, pull apart the pork. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of the tomatoes, and a garnish of fresh cilantro on each serving.

VARIATIONS: Add one peeled and chopped sweet onion when you add the other ingredients, if desired. Or you can substitute shredded Monterey Jack cheese for the sour cream.

As Southern as It Gets Pinto Bean Soup

Pinto beans have been a constant on Southern lunch and dinner tables for decades. This one is a twist on the usual cooked beans, but still should be served with wedges of hot buttered cornbread.

Yield: 6 servings

2 cups dry pinto beans
5 ½ cups water, divided
2 (14.5-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese for garnish
Sliced green onion tops for garnish

Place the beans and 5 cups of the water in a Dutch oven over high heat. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce the heat to medium-low.

Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes and remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans, then transfer to a lightly greased medium slow cooker.

Add the remaining ½ cup of water, stock, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 ½ hours or until the beans are tender. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, cover, and cook for 30 minutes longer. Serve warm with a garnish of cheese and green onions.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from THE SOUTHERN SLOW COOKER BIBLE by Tammy Algood. Copyright © 2014 Tammy Algood Killgore a/k/a Tammy Algood and Bryan Curtis. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Introduction, vii,
Recipe Conversion, viii,
Slow Cooker Tips, ix,
Apples, 1,
Beans, 11,
Beef, 21,
Berries, 33,
Broccoli and Cauliflower, 41,
Cabbage, 47,
Cajun/Creole, 53,
Cake, 61,
Carrots, 69,
Cheese, 75,
Cherries, 81,
Chicken, 87,
Chili, 101,
Chocolate, 111,
Corn, 117,
Cornbread, 123,
Eggplant, 131,
Eggs, 137,
Greens, 143,
Grits, 151,
Ham, 157,
Lamb, 163,
Macaroni and Cheese, 169,
Miscellaneous, 177,
Peaches and Nectarines, 183,
Pears, 191,
Peas, 197,
Peppers, 205,
Pork, 211,
Potatoes, 221,
Pumpkin, 229,
Sausage, 235,
Seafood, 241,
Squash, 249,
Sweet Potatoes, 255,
Tomatoes, 261,
Turkey, 269,
Vegetables, 277,
Acknowledgments, 284,
Index, 285,