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.