VEGETABLE SOUP WITH GROUND BEEF ATLANTA-STYLE

1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (15-oz) kidney beans, rinsed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup uncooked rice
2 cans (16-oz each) stewed tomatoes
3 1/2 cups water
5 beef bouillon cubes
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp basil
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans

Cook the beef in a skillet with the onion and garlic until beef is browned, stirring to break up the meat.  Drain of the excess fat.  Place the meat into a slow cooker or crock pot.  Add the kidney beans, carrots, celery, rice, tomatoes, water, bouillon, parsley, salt, basil, pepper, and green beans if using fresh. (If using frozen green beans, add during the last hour of cooking.)  Stir mixture to combine well.

Place the lid on the cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

WISCONSIN BEER AND CHEESE SOUP

Note: I have never made this soup but it has been recommended as a good one for those of you who have asked for a beer/cheese soup.

2 to 3 slices pumpernickel or rye bread
1 can (14.5-oz) chicken broth
1 cup light-tasting beer
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp dried thyme
6-oz  American cheese, shredded
4 to 6-oz sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice bread into 1/2-inch cubes and place on a baking sheet.  Bake at 425 degrees for around 10 minutes or until crisp, stirring once. Set your homemade croutons aside.

In a 4 1/2-quart crockpot or slow cooker, combine the broth, beer, onion, garlic, and thyme; cover and cook on low for 4 hours.

Turn cooker to high.  Stir in the cheeses, milk, and paprika.  Cover and cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the soup is hot and the cheeses are melted.  Stir soup well the blend in the cheeses.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with the homemade croutons.

Yield: 4 servings

HEARTY BEEF STEW WITH TAPIOCA

2 lbs stew beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut in chunks
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 large size can tomatoes
1/2 cup quick-cooking tapioca
1 whole clove (or 1/2 teaspoon ground clove)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Trim all the fat from the meat.  Put all ingredients in CROCK-POT.  Mix thoroughly.  Cover and cook on Low 12 hours. (high: 5 to 6 hours.)

This is an old recipe that came from this book I got with my first crockpot in the 1970s.

TIPS FOR COOKING IN A SLOW COOKER OR CROCKPOT

Here are a few tips to make your crockpot or slow cooker meals turn out at their very best:

• If you are cooking meats and vegetables together, place the vegetables in the bottom of the cooker with the meat on top.  This will keep the vegetables from drying out and will allow the meat to absorb more flavors from the vegetables.
• When a recipe calls for cooking 10 to 12 hours on low, you may shorten the cooking time by first cooking on high for an hour then lowering the heat to low.  This can cut a couple hours off the low temp cooking time.
• It is not necessary to brown lean meats before putting in the cooker.  Brown fatty meats first to eleminate some of the fat before placing in the cooker.
• If a recipe calls for cooking pasta before adding to the cooker, be careful not to overcook.  Pasta should only be cooked to just tender, otherwise it will become too limp in the cooker.