Book: Slow Cookin’ Companion: Yummy Recipes from Family, Friends and Our Crockin’ Community; 376 pages, $32.95, by Nicole Sparks and Jenn Marwitz. Published by Crockin’ Girls LLC.

About the authors: Jenna Marwitz and Nicole Sparks are friends who started out posting recipes for friends and family on Facebook. Interest in their recipes exploded and at this point they have almost 630,000 fans on their page. They also have more than 100,000 members Crockin’ Club members through their website, crockingirls.com.

In their own words: “Inside these pages are 165 family-friendly recipes that we hope you’ll enjoy preparing and eating as much as we do. While many come straight from our home kitchens to yours, a bunch were lovingly contributed by our sweet families as well as precious members of our Crockin’ Community.”

What you get: The book is divided in chapters that cover breakfast, snacks, soups, side dishes, main dishes, Italian cuisine and desserts. A beautiful color image accompanies each recipe.

What we made:

Frito Pie (P. 123)

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef or turkey

½ sweet onion, chopped

1 can stewed tomatoes

2 cans pork and beans

1 package mild chili seasoning

Fritos

Toppings

Colby Jack shredded cheese

Sour cream

Black olives

Directions:

Brown the ground beer or turkey with the onion. Place meat and onion mixture into the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, pork and beans, and the chili seasoning. Cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours. After finished cooking, place the Fritos in the bottom of the bowl, cover with chili and add toppings.

Our assessment: Touchdown! All our tasters loved this dish, which would be great for a Super Bowl party. What makes it so good? Our theory is the pork and beans, which add a little sweetness. Most tasters thought the seasoning was perfect while a few suggested offering chipotle or another hot sauce on the side for those who want it a little more peppy. Extra point: the ingredients for this dish are under $20 and will likely feed 10-12 people.