Slow-cooker chicken molé

Chicken breast, bone in, skinless; cut off meat reserving bone	2 pounds
Tomatoes, diced	14 ½ ounces
Beer, lager	¾ cup
Chocolate, semisweet, broken into piece	2 ounces
Cornmeal, yellow	3 tablespoons
Onion, finely chopped	1 small
Garlic, finely chopped	2 cloves
Raisins, chopped	¼ cup
Prunes, pitted, chopped	8
Sesame seeds, toasted	2 tablespoons + ½ tablespoon
Ancho chile, ground	1 tablespoon
Chipotle chile, ground	½ teaspoon
Salt	1 ½ teaspoons
Cinnamon, ground	1 teaspoon + ½ teaspoon
Cloves, ground	Pinch

1. In a 4-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes with their juices, beer, chocolate, cornmeal, onion, garlic, raisins, prunes, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, ground chiles, salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and the clove; stir to mix. 
2. Tuck the bones down into the sauce, place the breasts on top, and spoon some of the sauce over the breasts. 
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through and the sauce is thick. 
4. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, and shredded into bite-sized chunks.
5. Discard the bones in the sauce.
6. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon to the sauce and, using a hand-held immersion blender, puree until smooth. 
7. Return the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat well.
8. Sprinkle with the remaining toasted sesame seeds, and serve with steamed rice and sautéed zucchini. 

Recipe adapted from Slow & Easy by Natalie Haughton

Oatmeal raisin cookies

Flour, all purpose	¾ cup
Baking soda	½ teaspoon
Cinnamon	½ teaspoon
Salt, kosher	¼ teaspoon
Butter, unsalted, softened	½ cup
Sugar, granulated	¾ cup
Sugar, dark brown	¼ cup packed
Egg	1 large
Vanilla extract	½ teaspoon
Oats, quick cook	1 ½ cups
Raisins	½ cup

1. Preheat to 375°F; position racks in the upper and lower thirds.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the egg and vanilla.
5. At low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just incorporated, then beat in the oats and raisins.
6. Form half of the dough into 1-inch balls, and arrange 2 inches apart on two large baking sheets.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned; shift the baking sheets from the top to bottom and from the back to front halfway through baking.
8. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets 2 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, April 2014.

Chicken with dried fruit & mustard sauce

Chicken breast, boneless, skinless	2
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Onion, small, diced	1
Garlic, minced	2 cloves
Bell pepper, red, cored, seeded, thinly sliced	½
Apricots, dried, chopped	¼ cup
Raisins	¼ cup
Mustard, Dijon	2 tablespoons
Apple juice	½ cup

Note: This recipe is part of the Slow Cooker for Two series, which requires at least one 3 ½-quart slow cooker and two slow cooker plastic liners. Pair this recipe with any tagged SCfor2, noting any time difference.

1. Insert the liner into the slow cooker, fully opening the bag and draping the excess over the sides.
   (Or, if this is the second recipe, insert the liner into the remaining space in the slow cooker, fully opening the bag, and draping the excess over the sides.) 
2. Add the chicken to the bottom of the liner, and season with salt and pepper. 
3. Top with the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the apricots and raisins. 
5. In a measuring cup, stir together the apple juice and mustard, stir into the dried fruit mixture, and then pour over the chicken and vegetables. 
6. Fold the top of the bag over to one side, and push the ingredients at the bottom of the liner to create room for the second bag.
   (Or, if this is your second recipe, fold the top of the bag over to the opposite side of the first bag, and nestle the ingredients of both bags so that they are sharing the space evenly.) 
7. Follow directions for your second recipe. 

Completing the recipes:

1. Each closed bag should be draping away from the other, extending over the sides of the slow cooker. 
2. Cover and cook on LOW:
   4 hours:
   -Chicken marsala with mushrooms & sage
   -Chicken with dried fruit & mustard sauce
   7 hours:
   -Mushroom-stuffed skirt steak
   -Red wine skirt steak 
3. Move two shallow serving dishes or bowls next to the slow cooker. 
4. Remove the cover, and using pot holders or oven mitts, carefully open each liner, and remove the solids with a slotted spoon or tongs to its own bowl. 
5. Still using the pot holders, gather the top of the first liner, carefully lift the bag from the slow cooker, and move it over its serving bowl. 
6. Cut off a corner of the bag, large enough to allow the remaining contents of the bag to be released into the bowl; discard the liner. 
7. Repeat with the second liner. 
8. Allow the dish not being served to cool, and package in a resealable plastic freezer bag or freezer container. 
9. Label, and freeze up to 3 months. Before serving, taste, and season again with salt and pepper. 

Recipe from Slow Cooker, Double Dinners for Two, Cook Once, Eat Twice! by Cynthia Graubart