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By KELLY PREW
Food Editor

Recipes are made to be broken.

Adapting your recipe file for slow cookery is not difficult and rarely impossible. For those who are seeking time-saving solutions without destroying family mealtimes, these tips can help.

In most cases, all ingredients can go into the pot and cook all day. Allow sufficient cooking time on "low" setting.

Remember, liquids don't boil away as in conventional cooking, so when adapting to slow cooking, use about half of what the recipe calls for, unless it contains rice or pasta.

Many steps of a recipe can be deleted, for instance, there is no need to saute or brown vegetables. Milk, sour cream or cream should be added in the last hour of cooking. Condensed soups sometimes can serve as an alternative to milk products.

Instead of soaking beans overnight, cook them overnight on low with water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Browning meat is seldom necessary unless removing excess fat, which will not bake off in the crock pot as in the oven. Pork, lamb and bacon should be browned and drained before adding to the pot.

When crisp toppings or cheese toppings are called for, simply add before serving. If cooked rice is called for, stir uncooked in with other ingredients and add 1 cup extra per cup of raw rice.

Chicken Lickin'

Makes 6 to 8 servings

6 to 8 chicken legs, thighs or breasts

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes

1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained

1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Rinse chicken parts and pat dry. In skillet, melt butter and brown chicken quickly on both sides. Place chicken in slow cooker. Stir together remaining ingredients except cream and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low setting for six to eight hours (high for three to four hours). Just before serving, stir in cream. Serve over hot spaghetti.

Apple Cobbler

Makes 8-10 servings

8 medium apples

Juice and grated rind of one lemon

3/4 cup margarine, melted

1 cup sugar

Dash of cinnamon

1 1/2 cups natural mixed cereal with fruits and nuts.

Rub oil lightly on sides of slow cooker. Core, peel and slice apples into the cooker (3 1/2 quart recommended). Add sugar, lemon juice and rind and cinnamon. Mix cereal and melted butter. Add to the cooker and mix thoroughly.

Cover and cook on low for six to eight hours (high two to three hours). Serve with sour cream or vanilla ice cream.

More slow cooker adaptations are available through the Texas Cooperative AgriLife Extension office, 1517 W. Front St. Suite 116, Tyler, Texas, 75702.