Recipe Sifter

Crock pot sweet and sour chicken in a homemade sauce of brown sugar, vinegar, soy, and pineapple, thickened glossy and loaded with peppers and onion. A from-scratch slow cooker take on takeout.

Southwestern quinoa salad with black beans, corn, tomato, red onion, and toasted cumin in a lemon-cilantro dressing. Vegan, high-protein, and served cold as a side or light meal.

Green tomato relish turns end-of-season unripe tomatoes into a tangy-sweet preserve spiced with allspice, cloves, mustard, and celery seed. Salted overnight to draw water, then simmered with brown sugar, vinegar, and lemon. Cans up beautifully.

Beef stroganoff Russian style sears sirloin strips with mushrooms, onion, and garlic, then finishes in a tangy sour cream sauce thickened with roux and tomato paste. Served over buttered egg noodles.

An award-winning chili recipe that combines pork with beef, sauces and reveals secret spices while cooking using a two-phase process to keep flavors bright and fresh.

Classic French Provencal dish usually cooked in a heavy casserole on the stove top or in the oven; would also work well in slow cooker. Use inexpensive stewing beef or oyster blade; it will not be anywhere near as good if you use more expensive cuts of beef.

Beef chunks are braised in beef stock, red wine and tomato sauce with lots of vegetables. A delicious yet filling stew that's perfect for a winter dinner.

Sautéed chicken nestled on herbed rice with stewed tomatoes, white wine, and Brussels sprouts, slow-cooked until the flavors meld into something truly special. Set it and savor it.

Pasulj: Balkan white bean and kielbasa soup thickened with a paprika-oil roux (zaprška). Slow-simmered with onion, garlic, and smoked sausage. A Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian comfort classic.

Vegetarian stuffed peppers filled with brown rice, red kidney beans, sauteed vegetables, and Italian herbs, topped with diced tomatoes and roasted until tender.

Loaded crock pot chili browns two pounds of lean ground beef, then slow-cooks it for 8 hours with chili beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic, and a punchy blend of chili powder and cumin. Hands-off weeknight comfort.

Tuscan peasant soup with sliced Italian sausage, zucchini, celery, basil, and tomato in a rich beef broth. Slow cooker comfort that perfumes the whole house. Served with garlic-buttered French toast.

Hungarian peasant soup with chicken, turkey legs, and stewing beef simmered with kohlrabi, parsley root, leeks, and whole peppercorns. A two-course meal from one pot.

Orange and spice pot roast braised with orange juice, stewed tomatoes, cinnamon, whole cloves, and bacon drippings. A warmly spiced chuck roast with homemade pan gravy.

Broiled portobello mushrooms sliced over mixed greens tossed with Earl Grey tea vinaigrette and topped with creamy goat cheese and fresh tomatoes for an elegant vegetarian main.

Light penne pasta tossed with microwave-cooked mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, and olives. A 20-minute Weight Watchers dinner with bold Italian flavors.