5 Family Favorites slow cooker meals
Bring your slow cooker to the park and enjoyed a hot meal in nature with the kids!
This time of the year, my slow cooker becomes my #1 kitchen ally. Whether we eat at 4pm or 7pm due to sports, school, work, ect.. we eat together at the dinner table. Of course, it does not always happen, but having slow cooker recipes on my meal rotation can make all the difference when life’s chaos becomes too loud. Below you will find 5 tested and loved slow cooker recipes. I use them on a regular basis, hosting extended family members with them or even birthday parties! I give full credit to the creators of the recipes & will share my suggestions along with the link to direct you to their site. You can find the link under each of the creator’s picture.
These are not presented by level of appreciation; I love them all for different reasons and situations. I hope this helps you in your desire to provide healthy wholesome meals to your family.
#1 Rib Spaghetti Sauce
This is one of my favorites meals to have in the slow cooker. It does require quite a bit of prep & time on the stove before setting your slow cooker. I like to prepare everything the day before. This includes chopping & sauteing my veggies as well as browning my meat. I add all of the cans and spices, I make this recipe entirely and keep it in the refrigerator until cooking time the next day. Then when it’s time to set my slow cooker I add one additional hour to the cooking time since I started with a cold mixture. When it is time to enjoy the sauce, I prepare 1 box of spaghetti & a small side salad. 8-10 minutes of cooking time until the pasta is adente allows the kids to empty their school lunch bags and homework and hop in the shower before we sit down to eat & connect. Send the leftovers in your kid’s lunch bags using one of these Hydropeak lunchbox containers: https://amzn.to/3ZjYBtr. This recipe makes a big batch of sauce, which makes it is perfect to share. Freeze the leftovers for a busy week or bless someone you love by inviting them to your table. I also love to make it for birthdays, I make a big pasta bar, and this sauce is on the line up!
Recipe for pressure cooker Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Sauce | RICARDO (ricardocuisine.com)
Little tip: If you ever find your spaghetti sauce too liquid, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of quick oat. It will thicken your sauce & make it even more nutritious.
#2 Cuban Picadillo
Easy & delicious. This is a rich dish packed with flavors such as cinnamon, cloves & pepper. I make a simple brown rice and love to put a dallop of sour cream and a LOT of cilantro. It is delicious with a crusty bread or naan to dip in the hearty dish. I add more olives on top of my childrens bowl to get them diving in!
#3 Chicken & Wild rice
Simple and delicious meal. We enjoy it with peas and green salad. If you do not have cream of mushroom soup or would rather not include those, replace it with a can of cream of chicken soup, both options are delicious.
#4 Mississippi Roast
This dish NEEDS a place in your meal routine. It is SO EASY & TASTY. In my opinion, no need to put an entire stick of butter though, 2 tbsp does the trick. Ive also made this dish without the pack of ranch seasoning, because I did not have it on hand, and it still turned out great. The pepperoncini are the star of the show. We eat it on a bed of basmati rice or with mashed potatoes. Make this for your Sunday night supper with the grandparents!
Litte tip: Look for sodium content when purchasing your sauce packets and choose low sodium.
#5 Roasted Herb Chicken
I had no idea that you could make a delicious roasted herb chicken in your SLOW COOKER, and come home to a wonderfully smelling kitchen. After the slow cooking time, transfer your chicken to an oven safe dish and roast until golden in the oven (should take 10-15 minutes) the roasting time allows you to make a side. Don’t clean your crockpot yet (see tip to make chicken broth). Put the chicken in the center of your table and allow everyone to dive it. Some of our favorite sides are Caesar salad, glazed carrots, wild rice and mashed potatoes.
Little tip: Don’t ever clean that slow cooker of yours until you took complete advantage of the flavors by making your own CHICKEN BROTH. Return your chicken bones and juices from your platter, add 6 cups of water, garden herbs, garlic, onions, any veggie scrap, salt and pepper & bay leaves. Set your slow cooker on low for 6 hours. Once cooled, drain through a thin mesh stainer and use as a base for your dish. I keep this in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for 6 months.
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