You have a few extremely busy days ahead of you with not much time to even think about dinner. Never fear! If you have a slow-cooker with a timer, here are 3 crockpot recipe must-haves that will make dinner on hectic days a little easier.
If you don’t have a slow-cooker, they are worth the investment and highly recommended. They come in assorted sizes and some are more advanced than others. For a busy adult who has long days, I would suggest a cooker with a timer. That way, if you are out of the house for longer than eight hours, your food won’t overcook.
- Chicken Tacos- Serves 4-6, costs under $10 and the prep is only 10 minutes!
What you need:
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed
- 1 chopped white onion
- 1 can of corn (drained)
- 1 can of black beans (drained)
- 1 can of tomatoes and green chilis (drained)
- 1 pack of taco seasoning
- Hard or soft taco shells OR lettuce leaves for a carb-free taco
- Sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa and whatever you want as a topping
Instructions:
Add chicken, onion, corn, beans, tomatoes w/ green chilis and taco seasoning to the slow-cooker. Stir well and set on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. You can crush up taco shells and serve as a taco salad, have regular tacos on shells or leaves of lettuce. Top with fat-free sour cream, cheese and anything else you want. Add a little salsa on the side and voila.
- Pork Roast Dinner- Serves 6-8, costs under $20 and the prep is 15 minutes!
What you need:
- 3 lb pork loin roast
- 1 bag of baby carrots
- 1lb bag of red potatoes (cut into fourths)
- 1 small white onion (cut into slices)
- 1 stalk of celery (cut into chunks)
- 2 cups of beef flavored broth
- ½ teaspoon of thyme
- 1 teaspoon of dried sage
Instructions:
Place the roast in the center of the slow-cooker and the veggies around the roast. Pour broth in and add the thyme and sage. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.
- Cream Cheese Chicken Chili– Heads up that this is a high calorie one because of the cream cheese, so not an all-the-timer. It serves 4-6, costs under $15 (without the cost for seasonings. However, you can find some at Aldi for a dollar or so each) and the prep is less than 5 minutes!
What you need:
- 2 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can of Rotel tomatoes
- 1 can of corn (undrained)
- 1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 package of Ranch dressing powder mix
- 1 tablespoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 8ounce package of cream cheese
Instructions:
Put the chicken in the crockpot. Top with the tomatoes, undrained corn, the drained and rinsed beans, ranch dressing powder mix, cumin, onion and chili powders. Stir to combine the ingredients and top with the cream cheese. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Eat as a chili, serve over rice or in shells, or have with tortilla chips as a dip!
These can be tailored to your liking. Also, to save on your prep time, feel free to try chicken that is already cubed for the tacos, a roast “kit” that contains the roast and veggies if you see one at your grocer, or 4 cans of chicken for the chili. Crock pot recipes are time savers so be sure to check out places like Pinterest to add to your crockpot collection. Enjoy!