Easy Caramelized Onions

6 large onions
2 tablespoons olive oil

Peel the onions and cut them into 1/4-inch slices. Place the onions in a crockpot, and drizzle the oil over the slices.

Place the lid on the crockpot and turn heat on HIGH. Cook 8 to 10 hours, until the onions caramelize. They will have a deep-brown color.

Leftover onions may be refrigerated, covered, up to three days. They may be frozen up to one month.

Makes 3 cups.

Nutritional information per 1/4-cup serving: 48 calories (42% from fat), 2 grams fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 1 gram protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber, 2 milligrams sodium

Bean and Vegetable Burritos

Posted by warden2three at recipegoldmine.com April 28, 2001

I’m not a vegetarian, but I LOVE my veggies. This has a lot of ingredients, but is easy to prepare. May be a little spicy for little kids, so I would recommend leaving out the jalape?o.

2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 large sweet or regular potato, peeled and diced
1 can black beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 jalape?o pepper, seeded and minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed and drained
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon cilantro
3/4 cup shredded cheese, your choice (I love Monterey Jack)
Flour tortillas

Combine chili powder, oregano, and cumin in small bowl. Set aside.

Layer potato, beans, half of chili powder mix, garlic, onion, jalape?o pepper, green pepper, remaining half of chili powder mix, and corn in crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours, or until potato is tender.

Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spoon a little cheese into the center of each tortilla. Top with 1 cup of filling from crockpot. Fold all 4 sides to enclose filling. Place burritos seam side down on baking sheet. Cover with foil and bake 20-30 minutes.

Serve topped with sour cream.

Baked Pineapple Stuffing

1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup packaged cornbread stuffing crumbs
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
3 eggs, beaten

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 3 1/2-quart crockpot (you may use a baking dish that fits in a larger crockpot). Combine all ingredients; pour into the crockpot. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

This is good with baked ham.

Serves 4 to 6.

Pizza Beans

1 pound pinto beans, dried
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes or Ro-Tel
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water
1/4 cup parmesan or Romano cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and pick through the beans. Soak overnight.

Discard soaking water and place beans in crockpot, covering with 6 cups water.

Cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours or until the beans are al dente). Save 2 cups of the water in which the beans were cooked.

Combine all ingredients (except for the cheese) and cook in crockpot for 10 to 12 hours on LOW or for 5 to 6 hours on HIGH or until beans are soft.

Add cheeses and remove cover; cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir a few times.

Serve with a hearty, crusty bread.

Easy Red Beans and Rice

1 pound spicy smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 (15 ounce) cans red beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 (10 ounce) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chiles
3/4 cup chopped red onion
2 cups cooked rice

Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 1/2 to 6 hours.

Serve over hot, cooked rice.

Sweet Carrot Strips

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long strips
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup apricot/pineapple preserves
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup shredded coconut, optional

Place carrot strips, sugar, preserves, butter and pineapple juice into crockpot and cook on LOW for 4 hours.

Serve as a side dish with pork, beef or chicken If using the coconut, use it as garnish after the carrots are cooked.

Serves 4.

Apple Stuffing

1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 onions, chopped
1 (14 ounce) package cubed herbed seasoned stuffing mix
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1 1/2 cups water

In large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and cook walnuts over medium heat until walnuts are toasted, stirring frequently. Remove nuts from skillet and place in small dish. Set aside.

Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in the same skillet. Add onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until almost tender, stirring frequently.

Spray a 4- to 6-quart crockpot with nonstick cooking spray and place stuffing cubes in prepared crockpot. Add cooked onion with butter and mix gently. Add applesauce and water and mix lightly. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours.

Sprinkle with toasted walnuts before serving.

Yields: 10 (3/4 cup) servings