Favorite Crock pot, make ahead/freeze, super speedy meals?

J&K10910

Now that I'll be working normal people hours, I'm determined to keep us eating homemade, healthy food most of the time,e ven though it will be a lot harder. So I'm planning out some lists of crock pot meals, meals I can make ahead of time or prepare part of ahead of time (Like, I think I'll be cooking and shredding a shiit ton of chicken in the slow cooker and then freezing to use in things like quesadillas and wraps, etc), and speedy but healthy and delicious recipes.

So please share recipes, sites, etc!

laurenclaire1386

I make pulled pork in the crock pot a lot, using this recipe and I LOVE it:
http://www.beantownbaker.com/2009/03/crockpot-pulled-pork.html

It freezes/thaws really well too.

barrelbabe004

I like a mexican salsa chicken thing that I do in the crockpot.
 1 can black beans
 1 can kidney beans
 1 can diced tomatoes
(all drained)
 1 jar salsa
 2-3 chicken breasts

We shred it and then either eat it alone or put it on tortillas for burritos.

pirategal03

Into the crock pot goes:

- chicken sausage, cut into bite size pieces

- 1 bag frozen corn (or can of corn)

- chopped bell pepper

- 1 can black beans

- 1 jar of salsa (any tomato based)

- 1 T chili powder

Heat as long as you need.  

Everything in this is pretty much cooked, so you don't have to worry about that.  Sometimes I start it with frozen sausage, other times not.  I've also just put all of the ingredients in a gallon ziplock and frozen them together before putting the whole thing into the pot together.

J&K10910

n Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_favorite-crock-pot-aheadfreeze-super-speedy-meals?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:c3da49bb-51e8-426b-865b-7a8c9fbf2661Post:1c901535-d1cd-4cb4-918d-ce71e6fc08e1">Re: Favorite Crock pot, make ahead/freeze, super speedy meals?</a>:
[QUOTE]I like a mexican salsa chicken thing that I do in the crockpot.  1 can black beans  1 can kidney beans  1 can diced tomatoes (all drained)  1 jar salsa  2-3 chicken breasts We shred it and then either eat it alone or put it on tortillas for burritos.
Posted by barrelbabe004[/QUOTE]
I've made that before, it's tasty!

Thanks for all the tips so far, I have to run, but keep them coming :)

SereJane

Skinnytaste, duh!

And I have found I really like a lot of those recipes you emailed me.

We like to buy produce from Costco, it's really high quality and keeps longer than most. I put it in our lunches.

We use a lot of boneless skinless chicken breasts. They are so easy to make with rice and veggies, or really whatever.

I make fajitas with peppers, onions, and precooked chicken breast strips from Costco. It is sooo fast and yummy

annakb8

I still haven't gotten used to using my Crock Pot. I bought some oxtail today though, so I'm trying that in the slow cooker this week.

As far as make ahead stuff, I bring a salad to work every day and I do all the prep on Sundays. That usually includes washing the lettuce, grilling two chicken breasts, cooking a slice of bacon per salad I'll make (so usually 10, 5 for me and 5 for H), and peeling and slicing a cucumber. I buy already shredded carrots and cherry tomatoes to make things easier. I also dress it with only lemon and olive oil so I mix that together in the mornings when I assemble the salads.

J&K10910

Sere, I completely forgot about that giant file.  What have you made and liked so far?  I haven't looked at it in awhile, it's kind of overwhelming!

Anna, is oxtail exactly what I think it is?

annakb8

Yes J, it sure is. It looks kind of creepy. But I'm trying to get into more "alternative" cuts and I'm not really ready for kidney or liver or tongue yet. So I'm just going to try some tail first. If it doesn't work out at least it was cheap

NJhousewife22

Meatball sliders/subs are super quick and a hit in my house. We buy huge bags of turkey meatballs at Costco and always have them on hand. Heat the turkey meatballs for a few minutes in the microwave if they are frozen (just enough so you can cut them in half), slice in half, then simmer them for 10 minutes or so on the stove with 1 jar of pasta sauce. Toast up a few hoagie rolls in the oven for a few minutes, ladle on the meatball/pasta sauce, then add a bit of melted cheese on top and pop them back in the oven until the cheese is melty. SO YUM and done in under 30 minutes!

J&K10910

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_favorite-crock-pot-aheadfreeze-super-speedy-meals?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:c3da49bb-51e8-426b-865b-7a8c9fbf2661Post:a58ec389-2c04-40df-a652-ffe1f9d33dd7">Re: Favorite Crock pot, make ahead/freeze, super speedy meals?</a>:
[QUOTE]Yes J, it sure is. It looks kind of creepy. But I'm trying to get into more "alternative" cuts and I'm not really ready for kidney or liver or tongue yet. So I'm just going to try some tail first. If it doesn't work out at least it was cheap :)
Posted by annakb8[/QUOTE]
Very interesting.  Are you going to blog about it when you use it?  I want to hear about it.

chelseamb11

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettycrockerrecipes/5297607456/

http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/2011/09/crock-pot-italian-chicken.html

Both of these are excellent

celticmyss

Skinnytaste has really been my go-to website for healthier, yummy recipes. I haven't found anything on their that wasn't fabulous. 

Some favorites:

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/09/skinny-baked-broccoli-macaroni-and.html Just made this last week and loved it! Really fast for a mac and cheese too.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/03/chicken-and-mushrooms-in-garlic-white.html This is my usual Tuesday meal when FH is out and I go to the gym after work. It is really quick and I usually just roast some asparagus to go with it. I usually substitute the wine for all chicken broth so I am not tempted to drink the rest of the wine!

If you haven't already had it, the crock pot Sante Fe chicken on that website is great. I have a lot more recipes on Pinterest but I havn't tried all of them. 

My father gave me this for Christmas and I can't wait to start using it: http://www.amazon.com/Slow-Cooker-Cookbook-Easy-Make/dp/0811866572

It has recipes that seem a bit more sophisticated than some of your average crock pot fare without being too pricey or difficult. Tomorrow I am making a brown sugar and spice pork loin that looks fabulous. 

cayres5

This has some good chicken crockpot recipes.   http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/preparation/slow-cooker-recipes/slow-cooker-chicken-recipes

I made the Lime Garlic Chicken (w/o the butter) and the Twenty Garlic Chicken and both were good.  I also make brown rice (not the instant kind) in the crockpot that we can eat throughout the week.  Same goes for beans. 

J&K10910

I love Skinny Taste!

Thanks for the recipes guys!  I'm excited to try some of them.

mica178

I love oxtail stew! 

I read this recipe, and it looked interesting:
http://www.thegailspot.com/?q=node/116

J&K10910

That does look interesting, Mica!  Thanks

mica178

My favorite things to make in the crockpot are chili and/or beans.

My black beans recipe:
1 lb dried black beans, rinsed
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 ham hock
6 cups water
2 dried bay leaves

Cook everything in crockpot on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.

In the last hour or two of cooking, add a tsp of vinegar and a tsp of lemon or lime juice.  If you like a thicker "sauce", smash some beans against the side of the pot.  Remove the ham hock and take the meat off the bone.  Add back to beans and stir pot.  Cook for another 30 minutes.

Serve over rice.  Add fresh green onions and hot sauce to taste.

NurseCassie88

marinate 4 pork chops in ground pepper and garlic powder and place in crockpot. then cover pork chops with sauerkraut and 4 pieces of turkey bacon. drizzle entire crockpot with 1/2 cup apple juice and sprinkle more pepper and garlic powder. cook on high for 4-5 hrs and ENJOY,  as an added bonus this meal is very high in protein and low carb.