Hi all. Does anyone have any good slow cooker dinner ideas? Im only 5 weeks out and ive been able to try new things and some ill do fine with and some.. not so much. Things I think will go down fine, dont and things I dont think will are fine.

Today I put a roast in the slow cooker with some onions and potatos, I cant really eat it but my family loves it. The recipe doesnt really have to be for me, because im still early out, but I still love to cook everyday for my family and im trying to cook a little healthier. So of course I have found recipes online but I was wondering if anyone had any Bari-friendly recipes for me to try that still taste yummy. Thanks!

There are two things I love to make in the slow cooker.

1.  Chicken with mushrroms
Just put a package of boneless chicken thighs, a package of precut mushrooms, Two campbell's condensed mushroom fat free soup, some salt and pepper as desired. Can't remember the cooking time, but I think I put in on low for 5-6hours.

2. Corned Beef
Get one of those prepackaged corned beef, rinse it (don't remove the excess fat until it's done cooking to prevent from drying out), put two large onions cut in half on top of corned beef, fill until onions are completley covered with a mixture of water and if you like low sodium beef broth. You can add potatoes or carrots if desired and maybe a little bit of salt. I personally add the prepackaged seasoning mix, but alot of people like making their own(don't get the low sodium corn beef, that just taste funky) I let it cook on low for 14-15 hours. It will be the most tender and moist piece of beef you will have ever had. I know a few people add cabbage 1 hour before it's done so they can have cabbage and cornbeef. gl!!

I am all for simple and I love my crock pot so much. I have a chicken fajita recipe that everyone here just loves. It is really simple and full of protein too. I have the shells for the family but I just like it on a plate for myself.

                            Chicken Fajita's

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can fat free refried beans
1 jar salsa
1 envelope taco seasoning
onion, chopped
shredded cheese (I use the finely shredded Mexican mix)

Put the chicken breast in the crock pot and sprinkle with the taco seasoning. Sprinkle the onion on top and then spread the refried beans on top. Pour the jar of salsa on top and cook on low for 8 hours. You can cook it on high for about 5 hours if you want to. Just before it done sprinkle the cheese on top and resume cooking until melted. When it is done take 2 forks and shred the chicken and this will mix it a bit too.

When you serve this you can top with regular toppings if you want. I always add cheese on the top to mine on my plate and then pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to melt it a bit.

Everyone who has ever ate this just raves about it. I hope you and your family like it if you decide to try it.

Basic crock-pot variations

Start by putting chicken (or pork loin, chops, roast) in bottom of crackpot.  Add a 1-cup water and a can of cream of.... (Your choice:  mushroom, celery, chicken).  Top with your choice:  small can salsa Verde or 1/2 fresh or jarred salsa, or packet taco seasoning or strogenoff or stew seasoning or mild curry or Greek seasoning or packet BBQ seasoning, etc.    You can add or leave out (again your choice and what you have on hand: chopped onion, mushrooms, frozen veggies). Put on lid--cook 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low, until chicken/pork is tender.

Put Fish on sheet you of foil, sprinkle with lemon juice or season salt or any seasoning you like, add 1/2 tsp olive oil or butter, pinch foil together into a tight packet.  Layer any chopped veggies that you like or have on hand(carrots, onions, celery, broccoli, maybe potatoes) in bottom of crock pot and add ½ cup liquid (water, broth, V8, etc).  Put fish packet on top.  On low, cook 4 hours, on high 1-2 hours.  The fish will steam in its own packet and the veggies will be cooked but not be mushy. The amount of time may need to be adjusted according to the thickness of the fish and/or how big you cut the veggies.   Beef stew made easy: in crock pot put 1 can beer, 1 packet of stew meat, 1 can of stewed tomatoes, 1 chopped onion, chopped carrots and celery if you have them and 4 or 5 small potatoes that you washed and quartered (keep skin on for extra vitamins). Cook 6-8 hours on low or 4 on low. Salt and pepper to taste before serving. Broth will be thin. Toss you beef chunks in flour before you add them to the pot if you want more of a gravy broth.  This is always better the second day.

Hope that gves you some ideas.  Just experiment and enjoy.  There are lots of different seasoning mixes and combination of spices in the market that make a large difference in taste so you can use the basic recipe and still have entirely different dishes.  Enjoy.  Helga

One of my favorites...wrap potatoes in aluminum foil or leave out potatoes and just roll foil up into balls...season a whole chicken as desired...cook on low all day...no need to add liquid or anything...makes a yummy roasted chicken!!!

I'm not sure what to do with the foil wrapped potatoes or the foil balls?---do you stuff them in the chicken?

I would use the foil balls to lift the chicken so it can roast in hot air instead of stewing in the liquids in the pot.  It could also be use to keep the chicken opened to the hot air it you place it in the abdominal cavity.

Do you brown the chicken before you put it in?

Crock Pot Rotisserie Core Chicken

1 whole chicken
Pam olive oil spray
Lawry's seasoned salt - no substitutes
Aluminum foil

Clean chicken inside and out. Spray with Pam olive oil. Sprinkle a heavy amount of Lawry's seasoned salt over all of the chicken. Spray inside of the crockpot with Pam. Do not put any water in the crockpot. Roll 3 or 4 wads of aluminum foil into 2" to 3" balls and put them in the bottom of the crockpot. The chicken is going to lie on these. Put chicken breast side down in crockpot on top of aluminum balls. Cook on high (will not come out the same on low), 4-6 hours. A 3 pound chicken takes 4 hours.

You have to use the aluminum to get the deli taste. This chicken taste very close to the one you buy, precooked, in the deli section of your supermarket.

**NOTE** Wrap a potato in the foil and place them in the bottom of the crockpot to make the foil balls. Then you have both chicken and potatoes cooked to perfection!

Barbecue-Style Chicken

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4 to 5 servings Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 10 to 12 hours (low), 5 to 6 hours (high)

Ingredients
2  medium unpeeled potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1  large green sweet pepper, cut into strips
1  medium onion, sliced
1  tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca
2  pounds chicken thighs or drumsticks, skinned and fat removed
1  8-ounce can tomato sauce
2  tablespoons packed brown sugar
1  tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1  tablespoon yellow mustard
1  clove garlic, minced
1/4  teaspoon salt

 

Directions
1. In a 3-1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker place the potatoes, sweet pepper, and onion. Sprinkle tapioca over potato mixture. Place chicken on top of the vegetables. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, and salt. Pour sauce over chicken.

2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.

3. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a large serving bowl. Skim fat from sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken and vegetables. Makes 4 to 5 servings

Beef Brisket with Barbecue Sauce

 

Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: Low 10 to 12 hours, High 5 to 6 hours; plus 10 minutes

 

View Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

·                                 3/4  cup water

·                                 1/4  cup Worcestershire sauce

·                                 1  tablespoon cider vinegar

·                                 1  teaspoon instant beef bouillon granules

·                                 1/2  teaspoon dry mustard

·                                 1/2  teaspoon chili powder

·                                 1/4  teaspoon cayenne pepper

·                                 2  cloves garlic, minced

·                                 1  2-1/2-pound fresh beef brisket

·                                 1/2  cup ketchup

·                                 2  tablespoons packed brown sugar

·                                 2  tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions

1. For cooking liquid, in a bowl combine water, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, bouillon granules, mustard, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Reserve 1/2 cup liquid for sauce; set aside in refrigerator. Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut brisket to fit into a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker.* Place meat in cooker. Pour remaining liquid over brisket.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.

3. For sauce, in a small saucepan combine the 1/2 cup reserved liquid, ketchup, brown sugar, and butter. Heat through. Pass sauce with meat. Makes 8 servings.

4. *If you only have a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker, double the cooking liquid ingredients; reserve 1/2. Leave all other ingredients the same. Prepare as abov

 

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition facts per serving:

·                            Calories 194

·                            Total Fat (g) 9

·                            Saturated Fat (g) 4

·                            Monounsaturated Fat (g) 4

·                            Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 0

·                            Cholesterol (mg) 56

·                            Sodium (mg) 482

·                            Carbohydrate (g) 7

·                            Total Sugar (g) 3

·                            Fiber (g) 0

·                            Protein (g) 21

·                            Vitamin C (DV%) 5

·                            Calcium (DV%) 2

·                            Iron (DV%) 15

Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken

 

Ingredients

 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 cup salsa 1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning 1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup (condensed) 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

 

Directions

Add chicken to slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken. Pour salsa and soup over chicken. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve with rice. NOTES: You may use half the packet of taco seasoning (I have started doing this to reduce sodium content myself) Some slow cookers cook faster than others. Mine is a true slow cooker (have had it over 10 years.) The newer ones cook a bit faster and you may have to adjust your cooking time based on that! Number of Servings: 6 Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHELLESHOCKED. Number of Servings: 6

 

*** Some people use cream of chicken soup instead of mushroom soup

***Can add black beans and corn

***Legs or thighs would be less dry

***Good served over rice

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 157.2

• Total Fat: 3.3 g
• Cholesterol: 63.4 mg
• Sodium: 654.2 mg
• Total Carbs: 6.7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g

Protein: 24




 

Crockpot Sloppy Joes

 

 

 

Ingredients

3 lbs. ground beef
1 cup onions diced
1 cup celery diced
1 cup green pepper diced
1 1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoon vinegar
3 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper

Directions

Brown ground beef in a skillet and break up into small pieces. Add to crockpot. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Turn on low and cook for 8 hours. Serve on hamburger buns.

Serves 8-10

 

 

I tried the chicken fajitas recipe and OMG this recipe is a keeper. My teenage sons loved it and it was enough for 2 big meals. Stretches my grocery $$$$ plus it was soooooo goooood.

- Iris