Add the onion and sauté until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook for 3 additional minutes.
gradually add the milk and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly. Add the dill, salt, and pepper. Pour the sauce over the ingredients in the slow-cooker insert, stirring to coat the ingredients.
cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Remove the cover, sprinkle the crackers over the casserole, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6–8
----
salmon savvy
Although canned salmon may seem convenient, it is not an option for me; it has a strong flavor and will overwhelm the other ingredients in this casserole.
artichoke savvy
If you cannot find frozen artichoke hearts, use two 14- to 15-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained, and quartered.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Tortellini Casserole
This casserole is a terrific meatless entrée or side dish. It’s beautifully colored, with spinach tortellini peeking through the creamy pink sun-dried tomato sauce. Since this is a rich dish, I lightened up the sauce by using chicken broth and milk instead of milk and heavy cream.
1½ cups sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
2 cups packed basil leaves
2½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
6 garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup raw pine nuts
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons flour
1½ cups chicken broth
1½ cups milk
1½ pounds fresh spinach and cheese or other tortellini
coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
put the tomatoes, basil, 1½ cups of the Parmigiano, the garlic, pine nuts, pepper, and balsamic vinegar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off to break up the tomatoes, garlic, and pine nuts. Add the butter and flour, and pulse on and off until the mixture is incorporated, about 30 seconds.
transfer the mixture to a large skillet over high heat. Add the broth and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking until thickened. Add the milk and bring the sauce back to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
spread half the tortellini in the slow cooker. Top with half the sauce and half the remaining 1 cup cheese.
top with layers of the remaining tortellini, sauce, and cheese. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the pasta is tender and the casserole is bubbling. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6
Old-Fashioned Mac and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. In a slow cooker, chunks of cheese can be laced between the layers of noodles, allowing the cheese to melt slowly during the cooking process, giving you more of its cheesy, oozy goodness. The template for macaroni and cheese is simple: a creamy white sauce, plenty of cheese, and any small pasta, such as shells or tiny rigatoni, if you don’t have elbow macaroni on hand. Variations happen when you substitute cheese and add other ingredients that your family enjoys—so have fun with this one. If your children absolutely won’t eat a mac and cheese that doesn’t have that Day-Glo orange color, the King Arthur Flour Web site sells powdered cheese for just that effect! The entire casserole can be assembled in a slow-cooker liner and then refrigerated or frozen for later use. Before cooking, defrost the frozen casserole overnight in the refrigerator, bringing it up to room temperature for 45 minutes, and you will be on your way to slow-cooked comfort.
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 small onion or shallot, finely chopped (about ¼ cup, see savvy)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken broth
1½ cups milk
4 drops Tabasco sauce
5 cups finely shredded mild yellow and sharp white Cheddar cheese, plus extra to top
6 cups elbow macaroni,
gradually add the milk and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly. Add the dill, salt, and pepper. Pour the sauce over the ingredients in the slow-cooker insert, stirring to coat the ingredients.
cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Remove the cover, sprinkle the crackers over the casserole, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6–8
----
salmon savvy
Although canned salmon may seem convenient, it is not an option for me; it has a strong flavor and will overwhelm the other ingredients in this casserole.
artichoke savvy
If you cannot find frozen artichoke hearts, use two 14- to 15-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained, and quartered.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Tortellini Casserole
This casserole is a terrific meatless entrée or side dish. It’s beautifully colored, with spinach tortellini peeking through the creamy pink sun-dried tomato sauce. Since this is a rich dish, I lightened up the sauce by using chicken broth and milk instead of milk and heavy cream.
1½ cups sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
2 cups packed basil leaves
2½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
6 garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup raw pine nuts
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons flour
1½ cups chicken broth
1½ cups milk
1½ pounds fresh spinach and cheese or other tortellini
coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
put the tomatoes, basil, 1½ cups of the Parmigiano, the garlic, pine nuts, pepper, and balsamic vinegar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off to break up the tomatoes, garlic, and pine nuts. Add the butter and flour, and pulse on and off until the mixture is incorporated, about 30 seconds.
transfer the mixture to a large skillet over high heat. Add the broth and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking until thickened. Add the milk and bring the sauce back to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
spread half the tortellini in the slow cooker. Top with half the sauce and half the remaining 1 cup cheese.
top with layers of the remaining tortellini, sauce, and cheese. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the pasta is tender and the casserole is bubbling. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6
Old-Fashioned Mac and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. In a slow cooker, chunks of cheese can be laced between the layers of noodles, allowing the cheese to melt slowly during the cooking process, giving you more of its cheesy, oozy goodness. The template for macaroni and cheese is simple: a creamy white sauce, plenty of cheese, and any small pasta, such as shells or tiny rigatoni, if you don’t have elbow macaroni on hand. Variations happen when you substitute cheese and add other ingredients that your family enjoys—so have fun with this one. If your children absolutely won’t eat a mac and cheese that doesn’t have that Day-Glo orange color, the King Arthur Flour Web site sells powdered cheese for just that effect! The entire casserole can be assembled in a slow-cooker liner and then refrigerated or frozen for later use. Before cooking, defrost the frozen casserole overnight in the refrigerator, bringing it up to room temperature for 45 minutes, and you will be on your way to slow-cooked comfort.
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 small onion or shallot, finely chopped (about ¼ cup, see savvy)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken broth
1½ cups milk
4 drops Tabasco sauce
5 cups finely shredded mild yellow and sharp white Cheddar cheese, plus extra to top
6 cups elbow macaroni,
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