Slow Cooker Calico Bean Bake

Perfect Pairing:  Thorough rinsing

So it turns out Slow Cooker Calico Bean Bake is not an easy thing to photograph.  It must have something to do with it being all one color, not holding any shape, and let’s face it, it is just not very beautiful.  My cousin took these pictures for me because she is awesome at photography, and I was baffled on how to take a good picture of it.  Fortunately, it tastes about 100x better than it photographs! 

Part of my job requires me to spend long days in production studios.  I assure you, I am not doing anything too exciting in said studios.  My absolute favorite studio is here in Chicago.  They have an amazing facility with multiple stages and sets.  One of those sets is a gorgeous, fully functional, kitchen. 

Next to the gourmet kitchen is a prop room.  An entire room dedicated to kitchen props!  I pretty much lose my mind over that room.  Each time I am at that studio I daydream about how awesome it would be to photograph my recipes there.  The backdrops!  The lighting!  The utensils!  The plates!  The trays!  Nerd alert.

Perhaps I could even make Slow Cooker Calico Bean Bake looks gorg in that environment.  This is definitely a family favorite.  It is so good!  Even my little cousin Callie loved it!  I mean…. She REALLY loved it.  We lost track of how many bowls she polished off. 

Now this dish will forever be known as Callie Bean Bake instead of Calico Bean Bake!  This recipe is so flipping easy.  After browning the meat and cooking the bacon you just throw everything in the slow cooker and let the flavors develop.  It is fantastic served alongside anything you take off of the grill.  I recommend thoroughly draining and rinsing the beans.  This removes a good amount of sodium and can make it easier to digest. 

 

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Southwestern Chicken Slow Cooker Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Toppings!

I am so over winter.  SO over it.  I know, I know, everyone feels the same way if they live in the Midwest or on the East coast.  It has just been brutal this year!   I think it will be May before the foot of solid ice in my yard has a chance to thaw.  I live in constant fear of pipes bursting.  I feel like I am on an obstacle course while driving in Chicago to avoid the thousands of cavernous potholes.

Enough whining.  I really do like to look on the bright side of things!  In winter that means looking forward to warm vacations, cozy nights by the fireplace, binge watching seasons of a new favorite show (Downton Abbey) on Netflix, and warming comfort food.  This Southwestern Slow Cooker Soup totally fits in the last category!

My cousin told me about this recipe and I am so glad she did, it is delicious.  It is also one of the easiest meals I have made in a long time.  You just fill the slow cooker with the ingredients and walk away.  You can even put the chicken in frozen!  I used spicy Ro Tel tomatoes and chipotle chili powder which made my version really spicy.  If you are sensitive to spice you might want to use the mild Ro Tel and cut back on the chili powder.  This makes a big batch so you could cut it in half easily.

This soup just screams for toppings!   I recommend shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack), green onions, cilantro, Fritos (why do they have to be so good?), and sour cream.

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Creamy Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Blue Cheese Puffs

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Slow Cooker Asian Balsamic Beef Roast

Perfect Pairing:  Butternut Squash Risotto

There is something oddly satisfying about using a slow cooker.  It is like I fooled someone into doing my job while I go about my life. 

This recipe is so easy and hands-off.  Oh, it is also really delicious.  Be sure to use the “cheap” balsamic vinegar you buy at the grocery store and not the 20-year-aged stuff you bought as an impulse purchase at the third, er, fourth winery on a Napa winery tour.  The good stuff can’t be appreciated in this dish.  Save that for roasted brussels sprouts with balsamic drizzle.  Yum.   Actually, that could be a good side dish for this recipe.

I found that butternut squash risotto is the perfect accompaniment to this recipe.  They are both just a little sweet and the sauce tastes great with the risotto.  The meat is also great leftover and is awesome as a topper for a baked potato. 

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Slow Cooker Lemon and Garlic Chicken

Perfect Pairing:  Extra chicken broth for the gravy

Awhile back I wrote about making Coq Au Vin in the slow cooker.  Well, it was only sort of made in the slow cooker.  Yes, the crock pot was involved, but it was not your typical “throw it in and forget about it” kind of recipe.    Don’t get me wrong, it was totally worth the extra steps and time. 

This Slow Cooker Lemon and Garlic Chicken recipe is simple and delicious.  I will definitely make it again.  It can be hard to have anything made in the slow cooker taste fresh and light, but this recipe fits the bill.  Also, it was nice to find a slow cooker chicken recipe that did not call for cans of soup. 

I pretty much stuck to the recipe provided on TheKitchn.com.  They said it was one of their all-time most popular recipes, so who was I to argue with that?  One thing I would recommend is thinning out the gravy with extra chicken broth because the lemon can be a little bitter.  You may also want to use Better than Bouillon if bouillon cubes freak you out.

There is a small amount of prep before everything goes in the slow cooker, but it can be accomplished in under 10 minutes.  It smells so good while it is cooking.  Hi birdie.

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Slow Cooker Coq au Vin

Perfect Pairing:  Elegant dinner party

Right after my parents moved into their new home I made a quick trip to help them get settled and unpack.  I mentioned in this cupcake post that I was really not much help to them because I was completely distracted by the kitchen and wanted to cook the entire time. 

 

I truly did have good intentions to help, and when I was thinking about what to make for the weekend I thought chicken in the slow cooker would be a great idea.  I could prepare it in the morning and forget about it all day while we unpacked.  Then I got the brilliant idea to make Coq au Vin in the slow cooker.  Well I am so glad I did because it was absolutely delicious, but it was not your standard “throw it in and forget about it” slow cooker recipe.  Not even a little bit.  Admittedly, there are multiple steps in this recipe and a lot of ingredients, but it is totally worth it.  It makes a delicious dish that is rich and comforting.  Trust me, it was scrumptious.

The benefit of using a slow cooker in this recipe is not convenience, but rather it makes the chicken fall off the bone tender.  Letting the wine simmer for hours with the vegetables and herbs gives the sauce a lot of depth.  It may seem strange to throw away the carrots, celery, etc., after it cooks but they are in the recipe purely to add flavor to the sauce.  Of course, Coq au Vin is best served with homemade mashed potatoes so you can fully enjoy the fantastic sauce.

The Perfect Pairing for this recipe is an elegant dinner party.  I made this dish for myself and my parents but we all remarked that it would be great at a nice dinner party.  Ok, so maybe my dad did not say this, but I am sure he agreed with us.  I am hoping to make this for my family on Christmas.  It makes the entire house smells rich and fabulous.  Don’t be dissuaded by the steps and ingredients.  You will feel like Julia Child when you put this on the table.

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Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs

Perfect Pairing:  Celery Root and Apple Puree

I am a little intimidated by certain kinds of meat.  I am not likely to take on a big rack of ribs because I know there are experts out there that would say I am doing it all wrong.  Ribs are religion to some people.  I will leave them to the professionals, at least for now.  I think short ribs are much more approachable.  It seems like they are becoming extremely popular these days along with pork belly.  Has anyone else noticed that? 

I had never done anything with short ribs before but decided to give them a try in my slow cooker.  Ohmygoodness.  They were so extremely good and easy!  Since they are so fattening I will not be making them on a regular basis, but they are great for a special dinner.  The slow cooker does all the work for you so that when you are ready to serve them the meat has fallen off the bone.  You can barely get them out in one piece because they are so tender. 

There are quite a few ingredients in this recipe because I was using what I had on hand.  It is definitely not a science, and I think you could leave out a couple of items if you don’t have them on hand, or don’t want to buy them.  I don’t think it would compromise the flavor.

The Perfect Pairing for this short rib dish is the celery root and apple puree I featured here.  You are definitely going to want something to soak up the sauce on these ribs.  You could also serve them with mashed potatoes but I really liked the flavor of the celery root puree because it was lighter than your standard mashed potatoes.  Enjoy!

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