It's that time of year! Time to break out the slow cooker and get those soups and stews simmering away. There's nothing more warming and comforting that a nice bowl of soup or stew when the weather gets chilly and the leaves are falling. Reynolds was kind enough to send me a few products to try out, and their slow cooker liners are pure genius! Using the liners combined with the ease of making dinner in the slow cooker makes for a total effortless meal! There really is no excuse for not having dinner on the table!
The first recipe I tried out was Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo with Shrimp. Not only was it delicious, it was super easy. I made a couple changes: the first was to add in some sliced smoked sausage (I used Butterball Hot & Spicy Red Pepper Turkey Sausage). The smokiness of the sausage really came through the final flavor. Yum! I also found the consistency to be very thin, so I made a dark roux (with oil and flour) and stirred that in towards the end before adding in the shrimp. My taste-testers loved it, and this is something I'll definitely make again.
The second recipe I tried was Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Stew. Another winner in my book! This one takes sliiiiiiiiiiightly more time to prep because you need to brown the meat separately in a pan first. You can chop the veggies while the meat is browning, then toss everything in to the slow cooker and off to work you go! The house smells amazing after a long day at work, just when you were thinking you didn't feel like cooking. I made the recipe exactly as written. Next time I make it I'll add some spice, possibly some cayenne pepper or some smoked chipotle powder. This would also be quite delish with a diced fresh jalapeño.
Both recipes will be made again, and I'l be sure to use the slow cooker liners to make cleanup a breeze. Give them a try if you haven't already! Thanks, Reynolds!
The second recipe I tried was Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Stew. Another winner in my book! This one takes sliiiiiiiiiiightly more time to prep because you need to brown the meat separately in a pan first. You can chop the veggies while the meat is browning, then toss everything in to the slow cooker and off to work you go! The house smells amazing after a long day at work, just when you were thinking you didn't feel like cooking. I made the recipe exactly as written. Next time I make it I'll add some spice, possibly some cayenne pepper or some smoked chipotle powder. This would also be quite delish with a diced fresh jalapeño.
Both recipes will be made again, and I'l be sure to use the slow cooker liners to make cleanup a breeze. Give them a try if you haven't already! Thanks, Reynolds!
