Anita Weekes | Fuquay-Varina Independent
An ordinary chuck roast cooks up tender, juicy and delicious in the slow cooker.

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Leading a busy life and having a family who loves to eat does not always have to present the question, “will I have time?” What to plan for dinner each night can become a chore. From a savory pot roast, to kid friendly Sloppy Joes, to even having a dessert ready just in time, we’ve got some slow cooker recipe ideas for you to try.

Whether you’re working outside the home all day, or working inside the home, you still can have your family and friends enjoy a wonderful meal without spending hours in the kitchen. Aside from the prep work, let your slow cooker do the rest.

Beef Pot Roast

4-5 lb. beef chuck roast

1 garlic clove, cut in half

S and pepper, to taste

1 carrot, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 small onion, sliced

¾ c. sour cream

3 T. flour

½ c. dry white wine

Rub roast with garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker, adding carrots, celery and onion.

Combine sour cream, flour and wine. Pour into slow cooker. Cover; cook on low 6-7 hours.

Nancy Wagner Graves

Slow Cooker Almost Lasagna

1 box rotini or ziti, cooked

2 T. olive oil

2-28 oz. jars pasta sauce or homemade

2 cups tomato juice

½ lb. ground beef

½ lb. bulk sausage, crumbled, or links cut into ¼” slices

1 c. Parmesan cheese

½ c. Italian bread crumbs

1 egg

2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 ½ t. parsley flakes

¾ t. salt

¼ t. pepper

In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with olive oil. Add pasta sauce and tomato juice and mix well. Brown beef and sausage together in skillet. Drain. Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, 1 egg and 1 cup mozzarella cheese to meat.

In separate bowl, beat together ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.

Pour half of pasta sauce mixture into slow cooker. Spread entire ricotta mixture over pasta. Cover with remaining pasta sauce mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover. Cook on low 4-6 hours.

Jeannette Oberholtzer

Turkey Sloppy Joes

1 red onion, chopped

1 sweet pepper, chopped

1 ½ lbs. boneless turkey, finely chopped

1 cup chili sauce or ketchup

¼ t. salt

1 garlic clove, minced

1 t. Dijon-style mustard

1/8 t. pepper

Thickly sliced homemade bread or 6 sandwich rolls

Place onion, sweet pepper and turkey in slow cooker. Combine chili sauce, salt, garlic, mustard and pepper. Pour over turkey mixture and mix well.

Cover. Cook on low 4 ½-6 hours. Serve on bread or rolls.

Marla Folkerts

Applescotch Crisp

4 c. cooking apples, peeled and sliced

2/3 c. brown sugar (1/4 c. for less sweet)

½ c. flour

½ c. quick cooking oats

3 ½ oz. pkg. cook-n-serve butterscotch pudding mix

1 t. ground cinnamon

½ c. cold butter or margarine

Place apples in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over apples.

Cover. Cook on low 5-6 hours. Serve with ice cream.

Mary Jane Musser