When ringing in the New Year, I decided to make my New Year’s resolution to ditch my traditional dinner recipes and attempt to try new things. The crockpot has quickly become my favorite tool in the kitchen. Coming home after a Monday of classes and having my dinner simmering and smelling amazing is definitely the best-case scenario.
Most of these recipes make about 6 servings, but instead of halving the recipe I make all 6 servings so I have meals for the rest of the week. I have tried to switch up my recipes every week so that when I meal prep I don’t just make chicken and broccoli … that can become really boring, really fast.
So, here are my 4 favorite recipes that I have made in the crockpot:
Chicken Fajitas
This recipe may have been my favorite of all of them. The chicken pulled apart perfectly after the allotted time and it was delicious. I paired this one with wraps and made a traditional Fajita but you could also put it over a bed of rice or quinoa to make it an easy lunch!
I cut all of the peppers and had the seasoning prepared the night before so in the morning all I had to do was put everything in the pot!
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with green chillies
- 1 red, orange and green bell pepper, julienned
- 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp honey
- For serving:
- Flour tortillas, sour cream, cilantro, salsa, guacamole, Monterrey jack or cheddar cheese
Instructions:
1.Pour half of the canned tomatoes into the bottom of a slow cooker and spread into an even layer. Top with half of the peppers and half of the onions. Sprinkle garlic in. Top with chicken breasts.
2.In a bowl whisk together chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, salt and pepper. Evenly sprinkle half of the seasoning over chicken breasts then flip chicken and sprinkle in remainder. Top with remaining half of the tomatoes, then layer in remaining peppers and onions.
3.Cover and cook on HIGH heat 3 – 4 hours or low heat 6 – 8 hours, until chicken has cooked through and veggies are tender (note that if you want to be able to cut chicken into strips cook more near lesser time on HIGH or LOW, otherwise it will probably just shred, which is also fine).
4.Remove chicken, and cut into strips, or shred. Ladle out 1 cup of the broth in slow cooker (mostly tomato liquid) and discard. In a small bowl whisk together lime juice and honey and add to slow cooker along with chicken and season with additional salt to taste if desired. Gently toss. Sere warm in warmed tortillas with sour cream and optional guacamole, cheese and salsa.
Source: Cooking Classy
Stuffed Peppers
I have to admit, I was very hesitant to make this one. Peppers are definitely not my favorite food but with that said, they have so much flavor that I was willing to try anyway! The peppers became so soft that the flavors blended together so well that it made for an amazing dinner as well as a perfect week of meals!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound lean ground beef (I replaced this with ground chicken for a slightly healthier alternative)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
- 1 cup salsa, homemade or store-bought
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
- 6 bell peppers, tops cut, stemmed and seeded
Be sure to cook the chicken and rice before stuffing the peppers!
Instructions:
1.Lightly coat the inside of a 6-qt slow cooker with nonstick spray.
2.In a large bowl, combine beef, rice, 1 cup cheese, black beans, corn, salsa, cilantro, cumin and chili powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon the filling into each bell pepper cavity.
3.Place peppers into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours or high for 2-3 hours, or until the peppers are tender and the beef is cooked through.
4.Uncover and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover and cook on low heat for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Source: Damn Delicious
Chili
The most basic recipe for the crockpot! This was the first thing I tried when I cracked open my crockpot and I was not disappointed. This recipe was amazing.
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 pound extra lean ground turkey or chicken (99%)
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 (15 oz) cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, rinsed and drained
Instructions:
- Place oil in crockpot. Brown onion, garlic and red pepper; saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Next, add in ground turkey and break up the meat; cooking until no longer pink. Add to crock pot, then add in chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and salt; stir for about 20 seconds. (I skipped adding salt to this recipe)
- Next add in tomatoes, chicken broth, kidney beans and corn. Stir all ingredients together and cook on High for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
* Makes 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each.
Source: Ambitious Kitchen
Pork chops
This recipe was perfect. It gave the pork chops the perfect amount of flavour and they were cooked to perfection. I paired this with rice and green beans!
Ingredients:
- 4 center cut pork chops
- ¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ cups chicken or beef broth
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions:
In a large bowl, melt butter and whisk together the broth, poultry seasoning and salt. Pour mixture into slow cooker. Place onions and garlic in slow cooker and place the pork chops on top of them. If desired, place a slice of butter on top and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours, or until chops are tender and onions are done. When done, serve with your favorite vegetables and sprinkle fresh or dry parsley on top.
Source: Key Ingredients