Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diane Phillips

Chowder
    Plump shrimp, spicy Old Bay seasoning, and smoky bacon give this chowder lots of personality and pizzazz. Serve this in hollowed-out sourdough bread bowls for a great casual meal.
    8 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
    1 large onion, finely chopped
    4 stalks celery, finely chopped
    1 teaspoon dried thyme
    2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
    3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    3 cups chicken broth
    Two 8-ounce bottles clam juice
    5 medium red or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch chunks
    1 bay leaf
    1½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
    1½ cups heavy cream
    ¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnishing
    ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives for garnishing
    cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and remove it to paper towels to drain. Remove all but ¼ cup of the bacon drippings from the skillet.
    add the onion, celery, thyme, and seasoning and sauté until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking the roux constantly. Gradually stir in the broth and clam juice and bring to a boil.
    transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Stir in the potatoes and bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 2½ to 3 hours, until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the bacon, shrimp, and cream.
    cover and cook for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the shrimp is cooked through.
    remove the bay leaf and serve garnished with parsley and chives.
    serves 8

Mixed Shellfish Chowder
    This velvety chowder filled with lobster, crab, and scallops is a whole meal in a bowl. Make sure to use lobster stock for this chowder because it gives the soup the necessary richness it needs alongside the luxurious seafood.
    4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
    1 medium onion, finely chopped
    3 stalks celery, finely chopped
    1 teaspoon sweet paprika
    ½ teaspoon dried thyme
    3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    6 cups lobster stock
    2 tablespoons brandy
    ½ pound cooked lobster meat, picked over for shells and cartilage
    ½ pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
    ¼ pound bay or sea scallops, cut into quarters
    1 cup heavy cream
    ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives for garnishing
    melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, paprika, and thyme and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking the roux constantly. Stir in the stock and brandy and bring to a boil.
    transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook for 4 hours on low. Add the lobster, crab, scallops, and cream and cook on low for an additional 1 hour.
    serve the soup garnished with chives.
    serves 8

Cajun Corn and Crab Soup
    This delicious soup begins with a roux, which flavors the soup with Creole seasoning and gives it a spicy quality that balances well with the sweet corn and crabmeat. You can certainly substitute shrimp for the crab, or for those allergic to shellfish, many of my students love this soup with leftover chicken or turkey. Anyway you make it, it’s a winner when served with some crusty bread.
    ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
    2 medium sweet onions, such as Vidalia, finely chopped
    4 stalks celery, finely chopped
    ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
    ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1 / 8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    ½ teaspoon dried thyme
    3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    5 cups seafood stock (see savvy)
    One 16-ounce package frozen white corn, defrosted
    1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for cartilage and shells
    1 cup cream
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    ½ cup finely chopped fresh chives
    melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
    add the onions, celery, paprika, black and cayenne peppers, and thyme and sauté until the vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking the roux constantly. Stir in the stock