A group of freezer ready meals I made before our second baby arrived. 

A group of freezer ready meals I made before our second baby arrived. 

We are HUGE crockpot fans! It's one of the most used appliances in our kitchen and in this busy/fun season of life (managing a family of four, running a household and work), the crockpot saves us SO much time. We've been asked by a few close friends to share the 'knowledge' so here are our Top 10 Crockpot Meals (that are healthy and hearty) for Busy Families: 

Side Note: I prep all crockpot meals the night before (after the kids go to bed) and place in the pot and store in the fridge. In the morning, I just have to drop the pot into the crockpot heater, turn on and walk away. Another trick of the crockpot trade: use crockpot liners (found in the paper plate/plastic baggie section) to save yourself time washing dishes after dinner. Magic! I'm also a fan of making a group of these all at once on a Sunday afternoon, freezing and storing for later use for those times I just didn't have time to make it to the grocery store. Pictured above is the lot I made before the arrival of our second baby. We used the frozen meals to supplement days when friends and family weren't treating us to meals. 

All recipes below make 4 servings. For us, it's enough for both Jeff and I for dinner, a bit for Natalie and then either 1-2 leftover servings that I take for lunch the next day. 

1. BEEF STEW

Ingredients: 

  • 1 lb lean beef stew meat (cut into pieces)
  • 1 bag of frozen mixed veggies (corn, peas, beans, broccoli, etc.)
  • 1/2 small onion (chopped)
  • 1 (1 oz) package of onion soup mix
  • 1 can fat free cream of celery soup
  • 1/4 C Sirracha Sauce (or hot sauce of your choice; if you don't like hot food, sub w/ ketchup)
  • 1/4 C ketchup 
  • 1/4 t paprika 

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

2. TACO CHICKEN

Ingredients: 

  • 2 chicken breasts (we toss in frozen ones)
  • 1 C black beans
  • 1 C corn 
  • 1 packet Mrs. Dash taco seasoning 
  • 1 jar of hot salsa 
  • For tacos: shells, tortillas, lettuce, cheese, etc. 
  • For taco salads: lettuce and all the fixings
  • For rice bowls: rice and all the fixings 

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

3. TURKEY CHILI

Ingredients: 

  • 1 lb lean ground turkey, pre cooked (we do this the night before)
  • 2 cans kidney beans, drained 
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 1 can tomatoes 
  • 1 packet Mrs. Dash chili seasoning 
  • 2 C water OR chicken/beef broth
  • For the toppings: greek yogurt/sour cream, cheese, chives, tortilla chips, etc. 

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

4. SWEET & SPICY SLOPPY JOES

Ingredients: 

  • 1 lb lean ground turkey, pre cooked
  • 1 small sweet onion, diced 
  • 1 T minced garlic 
  • 1 T chili powder 
  • 1 t cumin 
  • 1/2 t onion powder 
  • 1/4 t cayenne pepper 
  • 1 (14 oz) tomato sauce 
  • 2 T ketchup
  • 1/2 t mustard
  • 1 t soy sauce 
  • For sandwiches: buns, cheese, etc. 
  • For baked potatoes: potatoes of your choice (we use sweet)
  • For something different: corn bread waffles! We also eat over top lettuce for salads

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

5. CREOLE CHICKEN, SAUSAGE & SHRIMP

Ingredients: 

  • 2 chicken breasts (we use frozen)
  • 2 C shrimp (frozen)
  • 2 large sausage links, cut into chunks 
  • 1 C corn (frozen) 
  • 1/2 sweet onion, chopped 
  • 1 t minced garlic 
  • 1/2 C chicken broth (or water) 
  • 1 can tomato sauce 
  • 1/4 t cayenne 
  • 1 t creole seasoning 
  • For serving: cooked brown rice

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

6. HAM & VEGGIE SOUP

Ingredients:

  • Cubed ham (as much or as little as you'd prefer) 
  • 2 C frozen corn 
  • 2 C celery, chopped 
  • 1 sweet onion, chopped 
  • 2 C carrots, chopped 
  • 1 can fat free cream of chicken soup 
  • 1 C chicken broth
  • 1/4 C flour (if gluten free, use ground oat/almond flour) 
  • 1 C almond milk 
  • salt & pepper to taste 

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

7. CREAMY CHICKEN & RICE

Ingredients: 

  • 3 frozen chicken breasts 
  • 1 packet Italian seasoning mix 
  • 8 oz. greek yogurt 
  • 1 can fat free cream of chicken soup 
  • 2 C chicken broth
  • 3/4 C rice or quinoa (uncooked) 
  • salt & pepper to taste 

Cook on low for 4 hours. 

8. CHICKEN POT PIE

Ingredients: 

  • 2 frozen chicken breasts
  • 1 potato, chopped (sub sweet potato per preference) 
  • 2 C frozen mixed veggies (corn, peas, carrots, etc.) 
  • 1 sweet onion, chopped 
  • 3/4 C flour (sub ground oats/almond flour for gluten free) 
  • 1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
  • 1/4 t parsley 
  • 1 t onion powder 
  • 2 chicken bullion cubes 
  • salt & pepper to taste 
  • For serving: baked biscuits

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

9. CHICKEN (or beef) STROGANOFF

Ingredients: 

  • 3 frozen chicken breasts (sub beef if preferred) 
  • 1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup
  • 16 oz. greek yogurt 
  • 1 package onion soup mix 
  • For serving: cooked egg noodles

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

10. CHICKEN FAJITAS

Ingredients: 

  • 3 frozen chicken breasts
  • 1 sweet onion, cut into strips 
  • 2 red/orange/yellow peppers, cut into strips
  • 1 can Rotel (tomatoes & green chilies) 
  • 1 packet taco seasoning 
  • For serving: tortillas, Ortega Taco Sauce (our fav), cheese, etc.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

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