THANKSGIVING: SLOW COOKER SIDES
Take the work out of cooking Thanksgiving dinner with these delicious, easy recipes for the slow cooker

By Rowann Gilman

Everyone loves Thanksgiving. But no one actually wants to cook up the traditional dinner, especially if this year’s will be the 15th, 18th, or 20th time the task has come to rest with you. With your allowances for extras minced and shredded, though, more people are staying home to celebrate what’s left of the good life—family, loved ones, “orphan” neighbors, friends. Thanksgiving is not the time to go it alone, and little else brings Pilgrims and people together like good food.

The good news is that you can effortlessly prepare a classic Thanksgiving feast without having to settle for cousin Judy’s soggy squash side dish or nutty uncle Ned’s Chili-Pumpkin pie. Pot luck doesn’t have to mean less-than-luscious contributions from your assorted guests.

Your good luck literally rests in the pot. Your slow-cooker pot. Dig it out, clean it up and let it work its magic just in time for a hassle-free Thanksgiving fest.

Our recipes celebrate the season’s harvest and are richly flavored. Just a glance and you can see that they’re probably the easiest-to-make dishes yet, so you can have plenty of time to relax, admire autumn’s beautiful light, and set a gorgeous table.

Carrot-Parsnip Soup combines bright flavors and a bit of body from tiny pasta shapes and crunchy croutons on top. If you’d like a more puréed soup, use an immersion blender to smooth it out before adding the pasta. As a side dish, butternut squash laced with maple syrup far surpasses that marshmallow thing, and it almost makes itself. If you like, dot the casserole with butter and run it under the broiler for a few minutes.

And just so you don’t leave out the all-important pumpkin dessert, pie isn’t your only option. Try this coffee liqueur-drenched bread pudding with lots of whipped cream passed around for topping off.

You can make the soup a day ahead, without the croutons; cover and refrigerate it, then reheat it in the microwave when ready to serve. The casserole can also be made ahead and reheated. Let the bread pudding cook from morning until dinner, and it’ll be ready in time for dessert and coffee.

The rest? If you don’t feel like wrestling with a whole bird, turn on your oven and prepare an easy-to-make turkey breast on a bed of stuffing. Add a colorful salad to the table. Let the wine breathe awhile. Take a bubble bath. Enjoy visiting with your guests. Dinner is already done.

RECIPES:

Parsnip-Carrot Soup

Serves 8

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium leeks, rinsed, dried well, thinly sliced
8 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
8 medium carrots, peeled and diced
8 cups nonfat chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup small pasta, such as orzo or small shells,
cooked al dente and drained
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 cups low-fat croutons

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet; when hot, sauté the leeks until golden. Drain and place in the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients, except pasta, to slow cooker and cook on Low for 6 to 9 hours, or on High from 2 to 4 hours. The vegetables should be very tender. (If you prefer a smoother soup, blend the cooked vegetables using an immersion blender.) Add the pasta during the last hour of cooking. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with a bit of parsley and some croutons.

Kahlua-Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Serves 6 to 8

3 eggs, beaten
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
¾ cup Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup milk
1 cup light cream
3 cups firm white bread, cut into ¾-inch cubes
½ cup chopped walnuts
Whipped cream, optional

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, spices, liqueur, sugar, milk, and cream. When the mixture is smooth, gently fold in the bread cubes and walnuts. Place the mixture in a well-greased slow cooker and cook on High for 3 to 3¼ hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Pass the whipped cream separately.

Autumn Squash Casserole

Serves 8

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
1 medium onion, chopped
5 pounds (about 2 or 3 medium) butternut
squash, peeled, cut into ½-inch pieces
1½ cups orange juice
½ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Place butter, onion, squash, and orange juice in the slow cooker. Cook on Low for 6 to 10 hours, or on High for 3 to 4 hours. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Using a potato masher, mash the ingredients until smooth; serve warm.

ALL RECIPES COURTESY OF www.crock-pot.com