When you want a home cooked meal but are short on time or energy, the slow cooker is your very best friend! Toss ingredients into the pot and let it do all the heavy lifting for you. Crock-Pot meals are often a lot healthier than takeout but almost just as easy! No kitchen or home cook should be without this life saving appliance.
Here are 10 slow cooker recipes to help you simplify dinner:
Photo via Some the Wiser
1) Slow Cooker Meatballs
Meatballs are a delicious way to liven up a bowl of pasta, rice, or even a sub sandwich . While traditional meatball recipes have you standing in front of a hot pan frying individual meatballs, the crock pot makes this a dinner that practically cooks itself. You can adapt them to your diet preferences by substituting lean ground turkey for all or part of the hamburger. Best of all, you can freeze any leftovers for later.
Get the recipe here: Slow Cooker Meatballs.
2) Clean Eating Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
This is crock pot cooking at its best! Simply throw all the ingredients in the pot and come back 6 hours later for a healthy, delicious meal. Everybody loves tacos, right?
Get the recipe here: Clean Eating Crock Pot Chicken Tacos.
Photo via Good Life Eats
3) Italian Chicken and Noodles
There’s hardly anything quite as satisfying as coming home after a long day to warm bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. This easy crock pot recipe gives the classic chicken and noodles a more sophisticated twist with Italian flavors that will make your taste buds so happy. You can do the simple preparation in the morning and come home in the evening to a well made dinner.
Get the recipe here: Italian Chicken and Noodles.
4) Irish Beef Stew
With beef broth, red wine, and Irish beer, this stew is bursting with flavor. A crock pot stew like this one is good old fashioned comfort food, without all the effort. It’s easy to prepare but even easier to eat!
Get the recipe here: Irish Beef Stew.
Photo via Some the Wiser
5) Enchilada Cornbread Casserole
Not only is this crock pot casserole a delicious vegetarian entree, it is also a healthy one! Packed with quinoa, black beans, and veggies, this crock pot dish will satisfy your Tex-Mex cravings in the most nutritious way.
Get the recipe here: Enchilada Cornbread Casserole.
6) Barley Risotto with Fennel
Risotto, while delicious, is known for being a time consuming recipe that requires a lot of frequent stirring. This genius crock pot recipe lets you enjoy the best of risotto, the creamy richness, without all the effort. Full of flavor and fiber, this is a crock pot winner!
Get the recipe here: Barley Risotto with Fennel.
Photo via Some the Wiser
7) Slow Cooker Moo Shu Pork
Skip the Chinese takeout and make this crock pot Moo Shu Pork instead! It’s just as tasty as your favorite Chinese restaurant and just as easy because the crock pot does all the heavy lifting.
Get the recipe here: Slow Cooker Moo Shu Pork.
8) Lazy Cabbage Rolls with Brown Rice and Herbs
Enjoy the hearty, comforting flavors of cabbage rolls without actually committing to all the time it takes to roll and stuff those cabbage leaves. This recipe layers roasted cabbage, tangy tomato sauce, rice, and beef, for one of the best crock pot recipes I’ve ever tasted. Don’t skip this one!
Get the recipe here: Lazy Cabbage Rolls with Brown Rice and Herbs.
9) Crock Pot Vegetarian Enchiladas
There’s no meat in this Tex-Mex dish, but you won’t miss it. Stuffed with whole grain Barley, black beans, corn, tomatoes, and green chile, these are just as hearty and delicious as a meatier enchilada. These healthy vegetarian enchiladas make an easy weeknight dinner, a perfect meatless Monday meal.
Get the recipe here: Crock-Pot Vegetarian Enchiladas.
10) Slow Cooker Chili
Chili is often the first thing you think of when you think of crock pot recipes. There’s a good reason for that! Chili in the crock pot, with lot’s of time for flavors to blend, tastes even better than stove top chili. This chili from Sweet Paul, with a dash of sriracha and espresso, is chili at its finest.
Get the recipe here: Slow Cooker Chili.
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