Holiday Slow Cooker Cookbook Review

Last Updated on November 15, 2013 by

I just put in my order for a Turkey at Whole Foods and have been slowly stocking up on cranberries and potatoes!  I am looking forward to Thanksgiving full of sweet potato casserole and deliciously moist stuffing!  The holidays are a hectic time of year for cooking and socializing and it is nice to find recipes that take care of themselves in terms of cooking!  The slow cooker is an easy way to prepare an assortment of dishes for holiday entertaining so that you can actually visit with your guests instead of slaving away over a hot stove!  I recently received a copy of the cookbook Holiday Slow Cooker: A Year of Hassle-Free Celebrations and I can’t wait to try out some of the recipes!

Title: Holiday Slow Cooker

Subtitle:  A Year of Hassle-Free Celebrations

Author: Jonnie Downing

Publisher:  Ulysses Press (November 13, 2012)

ISBN:  978-1612431024

Pages/Format:   paperback 128 pages

My Rating: 4

 

From the Publisher:

Preparing a big meal to enjoy with friends and family is one of the best parts of celebrating holidays. But it can often be overwhelming! Now with this book and a trusty slow cooker, it’s a snap to craft perfect holiday dinners with minimal stress. Featuring more than 100 delicious recipes for every festive occasion — including Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Easter, and many more — this book will become an indispensable part of holiday traditions. In addition to sophisticated recipe ideas, the book is stuffed with helpful tips for using a slow cooker to get the most out of any kitchen. Free up space on the stove by cooking buttermilk mashed potatoes or cornbread stuffing in the slow cooker on Thanksgiving Day — they will keep warm and moist while other dishes are being prepared. Or keep a delectable chocolate fondue bubbling in the slow cooker for a romantic Valentine’s dinner when the moment’s right for a sensual dessert. From rich meatball appetizers and cheesy dip for New Year’s Eve to tender brisket and matzo ball soup for Hanukkah, this is the definitive guide to tasty, time-saving recipes for any celebration.

 

My Review:

Ms Downing has put together a wonderful assortment of slow cooker recipes that are divided up into particular holidays and seasons of the year.  The introduction provides a very clear breakdown of where to find each holiday section in the book and then lists all of the recipes for that section right underneath it.  You won’t just find the most popular holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas in it either.  President’s Day and Bastille Day also make an appearance!  The recipes take some of the classic dishes for a specific holiday and turn them into something a little bit unique from your slow cooker.  Bourbon and Bacon Baked Beans for the 4th of July and Creamy Scalloped Potatoes for Christmas were 2 that really grabbed my attention.  There is no way I am waiting until July for those baked beans, however!

The one thing I would have changed (or included) in this cookbook is an index in the back!  If I am flipping through my cookbooks to figure out what to do with the ground beef I thawed out I am not going to easily find the meatball recipe that is listed under New Years Day.  It would be nice to have an index to look up ground beef.

The recipes themselves seem easy to follow with well thought out instructions.  Each chapter (holiday) starts with a small blurb about the day, it’s history and/or  food traditions.  There are a few large, colorful photos scattered throughout the pages which I appreciate.  There are a total of 87 recipes in this cookbook and whether you are a seasoned chef or a total newbie when it comes to slow cooking I think you will enjoy the recipes in this cookbook!

 

Disclaimer:  In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials.”: I receivedone copy of this book  in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. Some of the links in this post may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.