Slow-Cooked Comfort

Welcome to slow cooker season! Make even the fancy meals easier. Just prep, plug, simmer and yell, “Dinner’s ready!”

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Spice-Braised Pot Roast

PREP: 15 min. • COOK: 7 hours MAKES: 8 servings

I’ve been serving this gingery roast for years and it’s a treat every time. It has a lot of ingredients, but all you have to do is toss them in the pot! —Loren Martin, Big Cabin, OK

1 boneless beef chuck roast (2¹₂ lbs.)

1 can (14¹₂ oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 medium onion, chopped ¹₄ cup white vinegar

3 Tbsp. tomato puree

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

1 bay leaf

2¹₄ tsp. sugar

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

¹₂ tsp. each salt, ground ginger, lemon juice and dried rosemary, crushed

¹₄ tsp. each ground cumin, turmeric and crushed red pepper flakes

¹₈ tsp. ground cloves Hot cooked egg noodles

Place the roast in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Mix all remaining ingredients except noodles; add to roast. Cook, covered, on low until tender, 7-9 hours. Discard bay leaf. Skim fat; thicken juices. Serve roast with noodles and gravy.

PER SERVING 276 cal., 14g fat (5g sat. fat), 92mg chol., 305mg sod., 7g carb. (4g sugars, 2g fiber), 29g pro.

DIABETIC EXCHANGES 4 lean meat, ¹₂ starch.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy

PREP: 25 min. • COOK: 5 hours + standing MAKES: 12 servings

This quick-prep recipe lets you feast on turkey at any time of the year. We save the rich broth for gravy and soup.

—Joyce Hough, Annapolis, MD

2 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

¹₂ tsp. each paprika and pepper

2 medium onions, chopped

3 medium carrots, cut into ¹₂-in. slices

3 celery ribs, coarsely chopped