Slow cooker a big help during holidays

At Thanksgiving a slow cooker can be your best friend. When the turkey’s in the oven and the stovetop is busy boiling potatoes, a slow cooker can be calmly and quietly producing a side dish.

This faithful appliance can be trusted with your stuffing, scalloped potatoes, cranberry sauce, even a cheesecake for dessert.

I’m actually a big fan of slow cookers at all times, and I’m on constant alert for new ideas — in other words, beyond soups and stews. It was handy that Phyllis Good’s “Stock the Crock” (Oxmoor House, $21.99) arrived just as my holiday planning began.

Good is the author of the “Fix-It and Forget-It” books that take Crock-Pot cooking in all directions. Her new book makes allowances for special diets (Paleo, vegan, gluten- free, even simply “picky eaters”). What I like best is it has many recipes that treat the slow cooker as an oven, to bake and roast.

For Thanksgiving I picked two — a corn casserole and a whole turkey breast — one for the holiday buffet, the other for those who are feeding smaller families and don’t want to deal with a whole bird.

The casserole is an oh-so-easy side dish that could be varied with a few add-ins. I’d try canned chilies and/or shredded cheese to start. Stir in some leftover shredded turkey meat and you’ve got a one-dish meal, a great idea for the day after the holiday.

But it was the turkey that was a revelation: moist and very flavorful. It even emerged browned, thanks to all the spices, not the usual pale tinge of Crock-Pot meats. I’d make this dish year-round.

Look for “Stock the Crock” at bookstores or online booksellers.

TURKEY BREAST, PLAIN AND SIMPLE

Adapted from “Stock the Crock” by Phyllis Good

• 1 cup turkey, chicken or beef broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon EACH dried mustard, ground turmeric and dried tarragon
• 5- to 6-pound bone-in turkey breast (see note)

Grease the interior of a 7-quart oval slow cooker with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Place all ingredients except turkey into crock; stir. Settle turkey breast into liquid, then turn it, or use a spoon to make sure all sides are coated. Cover; cook on high 1 hour.

Reduce heat to low and continue cooking about 3 hours, or to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Remove turkey to a platter and tent with foil. Let sit a few minutes before carving. Serves 6.

The liquid left in the crock may be saved for stock or used to make gravy.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 5-pound breast): 570 calories, 25 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 225 mg cholesterol, 750 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, no fiber or sugar, 75 g protein

>> Note: I wasn’t able to find a bone-in breast, so I used a 3-pound boneless breast found at Safeway (it was the Jennie-O “oven-ready” brand, which did not require defrosting). I halved the recipe and it cooked in the same amount of time. The amount is perfect for serving two, with leftovers. You could also follow this recipe as written using two of the smaller, boneless breasts.

BAKED CORN

• 1 quart (4 cups) fresh or thawed frozen corn or 2 (14.75-ounce) cans cream-style corn
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature or melted
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Grease the interior of a 3-quart slow cooker with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in prepared crock. Stir well. Cover and cook on low 4 hours, or until set in center.

Approximate nutritional information, per 1/2 cup serving: 180 calories, 6 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 13 g sugar, 5 g protein

>> Note: If your slow cooker is bigger than 3 quarts, find a baking dish that will fit inside your crock (perhaps a casserole dish or loaf pan). Place all the ingredients in that dish and put the dish inside the crock.

No nutrition information avaialble.

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