BEEF STEW WITH BACON (Williams-Sonoma) (Slow Cooker) 4 oz. thick-cut bacon, chopped 3 Tbs. flour 1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste 3 lb. boneless beef chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into chunks 3/4 lb. fresh cremini mushrooms, halved if large 1/2 lb. baby carrots 1/2 lb. frozen pearl onions 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup dry red wine 1 cup beef broth 2 Tbs. tomato paste 1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary In a large fry pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off the drippings into a small heatproof bowl, leaving about 1 Tbs. drippings in the pan. Set the pan, reserved drippings and bacon aside. In a sealable plastic bag, combine the flour, the 1 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper. Add the beef chunks and shake to coat evenly with the flour mixture. Return the fry pan to medium-high heat. When the drippings are hot, add half of the beef chunks and cook, turning once, until well browned, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining beef chunks, adding the reserved drippings if needed. Scatter the mushrooms, carrots, onions and garlic on top. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the wine, broth and tomato paste. Mix well, bring to a boil and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits on the pan bottom. Pour the contents of the pan over the vegetables and beef. Cover and cook on the high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or the low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours. The beef should be very tender. Stir in the reserved bacon and the rosemary. Cook, uncovered, on the high-heat setting for 10 minutes more to thicken the sauce slightly. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Serves 6.

Luckygardner, I'll sure give that recipe a try. I wonder how the sauce would be served with spaghetti squash instead of pasta? I'll try with pasta first. Glenda, anything with taco seasoning gets my attention. Has anyone tried making your own taco seasoning? I need to try it. This recipe sounds like it would be good on a cold winter evening. See what happens when our weather cools off to the high 80's? I think of stews, casseroles and soup :-) BRAISED TARRAGON CHICKEN (Williams Sonoma) (Slow Cooker) 1 Tbs. vegetable oil 1 chicken, about 4 lb., cut into 8 pieces 2 large leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed well and thinly sliced Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 2 tsp. minced garlic 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 1 1/4 cups chicken broth 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths 1/2 cup heavy cream In the stovetop-safe insert of a slow cooker (or a skillet) over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom, until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1 Tbs. of the tarragon, 2 Tbs. of the parsley, the lemon juice, broth, carrots and chicken. Transfer the insert to the slow-cooker base. Cover and cook on high according to the manufacturer�s instructions until the chicken and carrots are tender, about 3 hours; stir in the cream during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. tarragon and 1 Tbs. parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes alongside. Serves 4 to 6.

I shared this once, and gave it to a friend. Can't wait to try this. Mexican French Bread 2 eggs 1/3 cup milk 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 (10-inch) flour tortillas 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar 1. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until well blended. 2. Cut each tortilla into quarters then place in egg mixture. Gently stir to completely coat tortillas. Allow to soak 10 minutes, or until softened. 3. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add 4 tortilla quarters and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden, turning halfway through cooking. Drain on a paper towel-lined platter. Repeat with remaining butter and tortillas. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

Catherine's Spicy Chicken Soup Ingredients 2 quarts water 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons dried parsley 1 tablespoon onion powder 5 cubes chicken bouillon 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa 2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes or sub Rotel tomatoes and chilies 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup 3 tablespoons chili powder 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained or frozen 2 (16 ounce) cans chili beans, undrained or black beans,rinsed and drained 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream Directions In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, sour cream, shredded chicken and 5 cups broth. Simmer 30 minutes. **save the sour cream to add at the table, along with shredded cheddar cheese and corn tortilla chips. Want great tortilla chips? Buy a package of fresh corn tortillas. Spray or brush both sides with olive oil, cut each tortilla in half and then julienne them into 1/4" strips. Spread the strips out on a nonstick cookie sheet. If you like, sprinkle with sea salt, chili powder and/or cumin. Bake 5 minutes at 425 degrees and check; sample and bake longer until the chips achieve your desired crispness. The julienned chips are great because they're easy to pick up with a soup spoon. You'll never go back to store-bought chips! can make in crockpot.freezes well.