Holiday Slow Cooking Traditions

posted December 13, 2006
  by Pamela Chester, The Savvy Slow Cooker

I got an e-mail from a good friend today, a Christmas survey in which you fill out all of your favorite Christmas traditions and forward it on to others. The questions included such things as most loved holiday treat, all time favorite gifts, and your most vivid Christmas memory. Normally I don’t really respond to or forward chain e-mails, but this one got me thinking: What is it that is so wonderful about all of those beloved Christmas and holiday traditions? It could be how each person has a slightly different spin on what makes the holidays unique and memorable to them.

In a way, holiday traditions are sort of like cooking. Think of a dish like meatloaf, which can vary in so many ways. Although the basic ingredients are similar –ground meat, breadcrumbs, sauce, egg, and seasonings— no two are exactly alike. So while you are following a basic template, you can bring a touch of personal creativity to your cooking by making various adjustments and suiting it to your personal taste.

Growing up, one of my family’s Christmas traditions was to attend the annual holiday bazaar and potluck supper at our church. The menu never changed, and every year, my mom signed up to make meatloaf, an entrée category that was assigned to about six other people. When it came to time to eat, the buffet table was laden with salads, green bean casseroles and jello molds with suspended fruit, along with all of those meatloaves. And every year I remember being able to pick out exactly which meatloaf was my mother’s amongst all the others. For some reason, no other meatloaf could ever compare (That wasn’t even her best dish, don’t get me started on her meatballs!). But of course, there were probably about a dozen other kids there who felt the same way about their own mother’s meatloaf. Personal taste is just that - personal, and something that is so ingrained in each individual that it is hard to explain.

A lot of really great cooking is more about the idea and the technique rather than a specific recipe. So you can bring new elements into a basic recipe format when it comes to cooking on your own. Think of a recipe the same way an Italian driver might think of a red light— as merely a suggestion. You can then build on almost any recipe, substituting an ingredient here and there, and modifying it to suit your taste. For example, when I make meatloaf, I essentially make it the same way my mom did, but often use ground turkey instead of ground beef. The recipe below serves a crowd, but you can cut it in half (use two eggs) if you like.

Meatloaf baked in the crockpot will help keep it moist while also saving time. With salad and baked potatoes or crusty bread you will have an easy meal—just the thing during this busy holiday season when we are so often out all day shopping, doing errands or visiting. So, this year, remember to take some time to slow down and to put your personal stamp on the holidays, celebrating old traditions and creating new ones.

Turkey Meatloaf Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/


Serves/Makes: 10
Ready in: 2-5 hrs

* 2 yellow onions, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon thyme
* 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
* 3/4 cup chicken stock
* 1 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
* 5 pounds ground turkey
* 1 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
* 3 large eggs, beaten
* 1/2 cup ketchup
* 1/4 barbecue sauce

Fold a 30-inch long piece of foil in half lengthwise. Place in bottom of a slow cooker with both ends hanging over top edge of cooker. A piece of crumpled foil in the bottom will keep the meatloaf out of the fat. The foil strip makes it easier to remove the meatloaf once it's done.

Saute onions in olive oil on medium heat until translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add salt, pepper, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool.

Combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg and onion mixture in a large bowl.

Mix well, shape into a loaf and place in slow cooker.

Blend ketchup and barbecue sauce and spread evenly over top.

Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours, or until juices run clear.

Use ends of foil to lift out meat loaf and transfer to a serving platter.

©2008 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction of this article may be made without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.



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