Slow-Cooker Recipe Round-Up

When you’re short on time but still want a home cooked meal at the end (or start!) of the day, call upon your slow cooker to help — slow cooking doesn't need a lot of babysitting; it practically does all the work for you! How wonderful is that?

We recently asked some of our blogger friends to share their favorite slow-cooker recipes with us. As you’ll see from the variety of recipes below, your slow-cooker can whip up such diverse dishes —from hearty meatballs to whole grain granola. We hope you enjoy the recipes.

Crockpot Meatballs from Lindsay Livingston of The Lean Green Bean

Packed with protein, these meatballs are perfect for serving over spaghetti but can also be eaten as a post-workout snack or turned into a meatball sub! 

Pulled Pork Primavera from No Whine with Dinner and Meal Makeover Moms

This recipe takes minutes to prepare, and then the slow cooker does the rest of the work for you. Use a lean cut of pork for this dish — the loin — and then add three vegetables: bell pepper, carrot, and onion. The all-natural barbecue sauce adds big flavor and helps to tenderize the meat. Serve on a whole grain burger bun with coleslaw on the side for a family pleasing, nutrient-rich dinner everyone will love.

Homemade Crock-pot Granola from Jen Haugen of Down-to-Earth Dietitian

Reasons to love this recipe: you can put it together in 5 minutes.  It stays a little softer in texture, yet still has a crunch. It’s sweet but not too sweet. And it’s hard to burn in the slow cooker (a major plus!).

Chicken Tortilla Soup from Kylie Mitchell of Immaeatthat

This may be the easiest Chicken Tortilla Soup ever!  In the morning, just open some cans, add in a couple chicken breasts and let everything cook nice and slow in your crock-pot throughout the day.  When you get home, dinner is ready to go!

Smoky Lentil Chili from Sharon Palmer of The Plant-Powered Dietitian Blog

Here’s a perfect easy dish for your next Meatless Monday! You can throw all of these ingredients into a slow cooker and a savory, fragrant meal will great you when you come home at the end of the day.  Serve it with a handful of fresh cilantro and green onions.  Or, let your guests sprinkle with cheese (plant-based or dairy, depending on your preference) and tortilla strips for a hearty dish.

Maple Apple Oatmeal from Lisa & McKenzie of Nourish RDs

Simply throw all the ingredients in your slow-cooker before going to bed, and you'll wake up to a hot, balanced breakfast! You can experiment with different combinations of ingredients to make the oatmeal your own.  Swap the apples for figs or dried plums, substitute honey or brown sugar for the maple syrup…the options are endless.

Sweet Potato & Bean Chili from Lisa & McKenzie of Nourish RDs

This chili is one of my all-time favorite recipes. It takes a spin on a traditional chili by using one of our favorite veggies, sweet potatoes. Top your bowl with a dollop of reduced-fat plain Greek yogurt, sliced avocado, or green onions. 

What’s your favorite slow cooker dish? We loved to know! Share a link or brief description of the recipe in the comments section below.

Recipe ReDux: Slow Cooker Maple Apple Oatmeal

We hear it all the time:  I don’t have time to make breakfast.  Since we firmly believe breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day, we’re always looking for new and creative ways to make breakfast easy, as well as healthy and delicious.  That’s why we were excited when we saw this month’s theme for Recipe ReDux— The No-Casserole Crock Pot, challenging us to come up with a new use for the slow cooker.  How about breakfast?!

The slow cooker may not be new, but using it for breakfast puts it to a new use.  Growing up, our slow cooker was relegated to savory dinner dishes, like pork roasts and beef and bean chili.  But the slow cooker is a great time-saver for any food that takes well to long, slow cooking and doesn't need a lot of babysitting—like oatmeal.  Just put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker before you go to bed, and you wake up to a hot, nourishing breakfast.

You can experiment with different combinations of ingredients, to make the oatmeal your own.  My husband doesn't like milk in his oatmeal, so I make mine with just water.  Add more or less water, depending on how thin or thick you like your oatmeal.  You can certainly use half water and half milk, or a milk substitute.  Swap the apples for figs or dried plums, substitute honey or brown sugar for the maple syrup…the options are endless. 

We’d love to hear from you! How do you make breakfast easy, healthy and delicious?

Maple Apple Overnight Oatmeal    

Makes 4 servings

1 cup steel cut oats, or whole oat groats*

¼ cup ground flaxseed

3 1/2 - 4 cups of water, depending on how thick or thin you like your oatmeal
¼ teaspoon salt

2 apples, diced
½ cup dried currants

2 tablespoons maple syrup

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup toasted walnuts

Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker.  Set it to low heat. Cover and let cook for 8 to 9 hours.  When done, remove to serving bowls and top with toasted walnuts.      

Enjoy, preferably with someone you love!

*You can usually find whole oat groats in the bulk bins of your grocery store.

A Spin on Oatmeal

This past week, my hometown, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada experienced quite the snow storm.

Trevor Boller of Boller Media Productions: www.trevorboller.com 

And I’m having a hard time adjusting to the fall temperatures in California.

Taken in Malibu last week after a day of hiking

 

I know, it's a little bit embarrassing.

But, there is something about the cooler temperatures I really love.

Warming, comfort foods are one of them; and these types of foods aren’t just limited to dinner. Having a warm breakfast this time of year is the perfect way to start your day.

Take a peek at our recipe for Hazelnut Pancakes

While I’m guessing you’ve probably heard it before, Lisa and I can’t emphasize it enough – breakfast really is an important way to start your day. A laundry list of evidence based research has shown that those who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy body weight and are more likely to make healthier choices the rest of the day.

 

Not only is breakfast essential to refuel your body and to literally "break the fast" after a night of sleeping, it also:

·         Gives you energy

·         Makes you less likely to overeat later in the day

·         Improves your mood

·         Gives you better quality workouts if you exercise first thing in the morning

 

Oatmeal makes a great go-to, warming breakfast this time of year.

 

 

It’s inexpensive to buy and can be made a variety of delicious, healthy ways. Adding extra spices, nuts, or fruit to plain oatmeal not only tastes great, it’s an easy way to add some additional nutrients.

 

Try experimenting with one of these varieties.

 

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

 

It’s no surprise how much I love pumpkins

 To your cooked oats, stir in:

¼ cup canned pumpkin, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, & 1- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds. Top it off with some coconut flakes or a little maple syrup for added flavor.

 

Fruit & Nut Oatmeal

To your cooked oats, stir in:

1- 2 tablespoons dried cherries or raisins & 1- 2 tablespoons of your favorite chopped nuts

 

 

Fresh Berry Oatmeal:

 

 

To your cooked oats, stir in:

½ - 1 cup frozen or fresh berries and 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds.

 

Banana Orange Oatmeal

For this recipe, try cooking your oatmeal with a little bit of orange juice instead of water or milk.

Add half a sliced banana and 1- 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts.

 

Peanut Butter Yogurt Oatmeal

To your cooked oats, stir in:

1 tablespoon peanut butter & a heaping scoop of plain yogurt.

 

*** You can substitute the oats for other whole grains like teff, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and amaranth.

 

Enjoy, preferably with those you love.