Recipes by Arlene

Note: This recipe comes from “The Psota Collection,” a compilation of recipes from the Psota family in Ravenna, Nebraska. The Psota and Kostal families were closely aligned. My aunt, Albie Kostal Psota, married into the Psota family as did her older sister, Emma Kostal Psota.

• 1 lb. hamburger
• ½ lb. bacon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can each of pork & beans, kidney beans and baby butter beans
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup catsup

Brown hamburger, bacon and onion. Drain fat and combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook for approximately 3 to 4 hours.

• 2 lb. ground beef
• 3 to 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup catsup
• ⅛ tsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• ½ cup medium cheddar cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 can stewed tomatoes, chopped fine (optional)
• ½ cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded (optional)

Sauté the celery, onion and garlic until tender, not brown. In a separate skillet, brown the ground beef until done. Put in crock pot/slow cooker or large kettle and pour the celery/onion mixture over the meat. Add the soups, mushroom, minced garlic clove, catsup, seasonings, cheeses and tomatoes. Mix well and let simmer all day in the crock pot or simmer on the stove or in oven for 3 to 4 hours. Serve over noodles or spaghetti.

• 1 medium-size onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• 4 center-cut pork chops (1¾ to 2 lbs. total), edges trimmed of fat
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup dry red wine (or beef broth if desired)
• ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• Salt

In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine onion, garlic and 3 tbsp. of the parsley. Sprinkle pork chops with pepper, dust with flour and arrange over onion mixture, overlapping slightly if necessary. Pour in wine (or broth). Cover and cook on low setting until pork is very tender when pierced (7½ to 8½ hours).

Shortly before pork is done, spread walnuts in a shallow baking pan and bake in a 350° oven until toasted (8 to 10 minutes). Set aside.

Lift pork chops to a warm platter and keep warm. Skim and discard fat from onion mixture, if necessary; then season to taste with salt. Spoon onion mixture over chops; sprinkle with walnuts and remaining parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

• 1 can beer
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 can French Onion soup
• 2 lbs. lean beef roast

Combine all ingredients and simmer in a crock pot all day on low setting, turning roast over once. Remove from crock pot and place on cutting board. Cut into thin slices and put back in crock pot until ready to serve. Serve with hoagie rolls and use juice to dip sandwiches.

• 3 – 3¼ pounds banana or hubbard squash, rind removed, cut into 1- to 1½-inch cubes
• 1 8-ounce can unsweetened crush pineapple
• 1 to 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces

Place the squash in a 3½- or 4-quart slow cooker. IN a small bowl, mix together the pineapple with its liquid, cinnamon, brown sugar and butter. Spoon over the squash and mix well. Cover and cook on the low heat setting 6½ to 7 hours, or until squash is tender. Stir gently to mix. Serve immediately.

• 1 10-ounce package frozen copped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup chopped scallions
• ½ tsp. garlic pepper
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• ⅓ cup chopped drained water chestnuts
• Crackers and/or cut-up assorted fresh vegetables, for serving

In a 1-quart mini slow cooker, mix together the spinach and cream cheese. Stir in the scallions and garlic pepper. Cover and cook 1 hour and 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until very hot. Reserve 2 tbsp. cheese for the top. Stir in remaining cheese and water chestnuts. Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top. Pass crackers and/or vegetables for dipping.

Note: Great for St. Patrick’s Day. The slow cooker is the perfect way to go for this traditional dish since it must bubble away untended for hours. Be sure to serve with crusty bread and Dijon mustard and horseradish on the side.

• 4 cups hot water
• 2 tbsp. cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, cut into wedges
• 1 (3-pound) corned beef round or brisket packaged with spices
• 8 small white or yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
• 1 head of green cabbage (about 1½ pounds), cored and cut into 10 wedges

In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, pepper and onions, mixing well. Place the corned beef on the mixture. Scatter the potatoes over the top and along the sides.

Cover and cook on the high heat setting for 4 hours. Remove the lid and scatter the cabbage wedges over the top. Cover and continue cooking on high 3 to 4 hours longer, or until beef is tender. To serve, carve the beef into slices and serve with the cabbage and potatoes, with some of the cooking liquid spooned on top of the beef to keep it moist.

• 1 cut-up frying chicken (or 10 favorite pieces)
• 2 –3 large Spanish onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup orange juice
• salt
• white pepper
• paprika
• hot cooked rice OR mashed potatoes

Before noon, salt and pepper chicken pieces to taste and generously cover each piece with paprika. In crock pot, layer chicken pieces, onions and garlic. Spread mushroom soup over each layer. Rinse soup cans with orange juice and pour over chicken. Cover crock pot and cook at low setting for 6 – 8 hours.

Serve with white rice or mashed potatoes. Gravy is plentiful. Serves 5.

• 1 boneless chuck roast
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 envelope Italian dressing mix
• ½ cup water

In a crock pot, place the beef broth, water and dressing mix and blend thoroughly.  Add the beef roast. Cover and cook on high for the first hour only. Then turn down to low heat for 6-8 hours until meat is very tender. Slice meat very thin and serve on rolls.

• 6 – 8 country style pork ribs
• 16 oz. catsup
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup dark corn syrup
• 2 tbls peanut oil
• 1 tsp dry mustard

Slightly brown ribs under broiler, turning once. Combine all other ingredients to make sauce in small saucepan. Heat 3 minutes on med. Heat, stirring constantly. Put sauce and ribs in crock pot and cook on low for about 8 hours (can also be in a 275 degree oven).