Tuesday evenings. The curse that many home cooks live with. Between job, school, extracurricular activities, and simply trying to keep the house from falling apart, finding the time and energy to make a great and healthy dinner can seem unattainable. Still, tired kitchen fighters should not begin to panic. The slow cooker is a culinary super hero right out on your countertop.
Popular brand name Crock-pot, slow cooker is a magic tool letting you toss in ingredients, set it, and forget it. You will be met with the mouthwatering scent of a well cooked, flavorful dinner hours later. The perfect busy evening solution is releasing you from the tyranny of the cooker and oven and enabling you to focus on what truly matters – spending time with family, relaxing or, let’s be honest, finally catching up on that show everyone’s been talking about.
Perfect for those busy week evenings, this blog post will have ten really simple and great slow cooker ideas. There is something here for everyone from savory chicken dinners to filling stews and even a shockingly good dessert. So clean your slow cooker, compile your ingredients, and get ready to have your weekly evenings back.
Why Dinner Made in a Slow Cooker Made Tonight Saved Save Tonight from Weekends
Let us quickly review why slow cookers are so revolutionary for working couples before we delve into the recipes.
Convenience: Clearly the main benefit is convenience. Just throw the stuff in, set the timer, then leave. Not necessary is constant observation or agitation.
Decided upon, Hands-Off Cooking is set! As your dinner cooks itself, you can run errands, head to work, or just lounge around.
By letting flavors meld and deepen over time, slow cooking creates truly rich and amazing food. Vegetables soften beautifully; tough cuts of meat become tender and aromatic.
** dinners friendlier** Many slow cooker recipes can be prepared ahead of time, so simplifying evening dinners. Over weekends, you will be able to easily toss your ingredients into the slow cooker first thing in morning.
Using less expensive cuts of meat is ideal for slow cookers since the cooking process tenderizes them exquisitely.
Great for evenings when everyone eats at different times, your meal stays warm in the slow cooker until you’re ready to eat.
Basic housekeeping Usually one pot needs to be cleaned. On a hectic weeknight, that’s a major victory.
10 Savvy Slow Cooker Recipes for Busy Weeknight Dinners
Alright, first let’s start with the worthy stuff! These ten timeless slow cooker dishes promise to become weekly mainstays:
Pulled pork from a slow cooker.
Pulled pork is always a crowd-pleaser and rather flexible, classic for a reason. Over rice or even in tacos, present it on buns topped with your preferred barbecue sauce.
Tools:
One big onion, chopped; two minced cloves garlic; one cup barbecue sauce (your preferred brand); half cup apple cider vinegar; brown sugar; Worcestershire sauce; one tsp smoked paprika; one tsp salt; one half teaspoon black pepper; olive oil. Boston butt pork shoulder is what I make.
** referencing:**
In a big skillet set on medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Sear the pork shoulder browning all around.
- Slide the chopped onion bottom-first in the slow cooker.
Top the onions with the seared pork shoulder.
In a bowl toss brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, barbecues sauce, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Drizzle over the shoulder of pork.
Cook low for eight to ten hours or on high for four to five hours, or until the pork is easily shredded with a fork.
Cut the pork shoulder from the slow cooker shred with two forks. After tossing shredded pork with sauce, back it into the slow cooker.
Usually found in tacos, over rice, or on buns.
2. Slower Cookers Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken, beans, corn and all your favorite Tex-Mex toppings abound in this filling and aromatic soup. That would be a whole dinner in a bowl!
Materials: Active
One (15 ounces) black bean; one (10 ounces) corn, drained; one (10 ounces) chopped tomato and green chillie; four cups chicken broth; one packet tacos seasoning; one tsp cumin; Taste cries for pepper and salt. Topings are shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips, cilantro.
** directions:**
In the slow cooker toss chicken breasts, onion, garlic, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes and green chillies, chicken broth, taco seasoning and cumin.
- Taste-test seasonings using salt and pepper.
Cover and low for six to eight hours or high for three to four hours till the chicken is cooked through.
After pulling the chicken breasts from the slow cooker, shred with two forks. Reheat the shredded chicken in the slow cooker. - Whirl to blend. Beside your selected accompaniments.
3. Slower Cooker Made Beef Stew
One good comfort meal is a beef stew. Not everything else quite suits. Plenty of tender beef, vegetables, and a rich, savory broth abound from this slow cooker variation.
Ingredients
Two pounds beef stew meat, cut into one-inch cubes; two tablespoons olive oil; one large onion, chopped; two cloves garlic, minced; two pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed; one pound carrots, peeled and cubed; one cup celery, chopped; one (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes, undrained; four cups Beef broth; two tomato paste; one teaspoon dried thyme; one Bay Leaf Taste salinity and pepper.
Guideline
Warm olive oil in a wide skillet set over medium-high heat. Sear the beef stew meat batchwise browning on all sides.
Line the slow cooker’s bottom with the chopped onion and garlic.
To the slow cooker toss the seared beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf.
Taste-test season with salt and pepper.
Cook covered low for eight to ten hours or high for four to five hours, or until the beef comes tender.
Remove the bay leaf prior to the presentation.
4. Slower Cooking Method Chicken with Honey Garlic Notes
Among family favorites is this savory and sweet chicken dinner. The honey garlic sauce has absolute addictive quality!
Ingredients: ${}
One half cup honey; one fourth cup soy sauce; two tablespoons ketchup; one teaspoon rice vinegar; one teaspoon sesame oil; one half teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional); sesame seeds and chopped green onion garnish. Two lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
** guidance:**
Stuff the chicken thighs into the slow cooker.
Whisk in a bowl honey, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes—if using.
Over the chicken thighs, spoon the sauce.
Cover low for six to eight hours or high for three to four hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Shred the chicken two-fork style; toss with the sauce.
Above rice, scatter chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
5. Cooked gradually slow chilli
Any slow cooker collection has to have a traditional chilli recipe as a must-have. This is a great, mouthwatering, easily customisable to your taste variety.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef * 1 large onion, chopped * 2 cloves garlic, minced * 1 green bell pepper, chopped * 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained * 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained * 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes * 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained * 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste * 2 tbsp chilli powder * 1 tsp cumin * 1/2 tsp oregano * Salt and pepper to taste * Topings sliced cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, avocado, tortilla chips.
** Direction:**
In a large skillet set set over medium-high heat brown the ground beef. Sort whatever extra greasy products you have.
In the slow cooker toss the browned ground beef, onion, garlic, green bell pepper, kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, chilli powder, cumin, and oregano.
Season taste-test with pepper and salt.
Cook covered low six to eight hours, or high three to four hours.
- Accompany preferred garnishes.
6. Mac and cheese slow cooker
You can slow cooker mac and cheese quite easily. This is rather simple, creamy, and cheesy recipe.
Components: **
Four shredded cheddar cheese cups, one Monterey Jack cheese cup; four cups milk; four tablespoons butter; one teaspoon salt; one half teaspoon black pepper. One pound elbow macaroons.
** directions:**
In the slow cooker toss the macaroni, milk, butter, salt, and pepper.
Cook covered on low two to three hours, or until the macaroni is tender; stirring now helps to prevent sticking.
Stir the cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack till melted and smooth.
- Right now current.
7. Made in a Slow Cooker, Fajitas
Eat great fajitas free of all the stove sizzling. An evening meal laid back would be ideal for this.
component parts:
One big onion, sliced; two bell peppers, any color; one packet fajita seasoning; half cup chicken broth; tortillas and your desired fajita toppings (salsa, sour cream, guacamole). One and half pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Direction: Output:
Line the bell peppers and onion at the slow cooker’s bottom once you cut them.
- Arange the chicken breasts among the vegetables.
- Space the fajita season over the chicken breasts.
- Sort the chicken broth-based components top-notch
Cover and low for six to eight hours or high for three to four hours, until the chicken is cooked through.
Shred the chicken with two forks; toss with the sauces and vegetables.
Present on tortillas topped with fajita garnishes of your taste.
8. Pot Roast Slower Cooker
Usually a pot roast is a winner. Beef made in a slow cooker comes rather tender and delicious.
Ingredients: **
Three to four pound beef chuck roast; one tablespoon olive oil; one chopped large onion; two minced garlic cloves; one pound potatoes, quartered; one pound carrots, chopped; one cup celery, chopped; two cups beef broth; two tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; one tsp dried thyme; one bay leaf. Pepper’s taste salinity.
Guide:
In large skillet set over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Sear both sides the beef chuck roast brown-through.
Line the slow cooker’s bottom with the minced onion and garlic.
Sear chuck roast to top onion and garlic.
For the slow cooker call for potatoes, carrots, celery, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaf.
Taste tests for seasonings using salt and pepper.
Cover and cook low for eight to ten hours or high for four to five hours, or until the beef is quite tender.
Remove the bay leaf before presenting.
9. Lentil soup made in a slow cooker
Taste and nutrient-wise, this lentil soup is fantastic. For hectic week evenings, this is a fantastic vegetarian dinner.
Ingredients:**
Two carrots; chopped; two celery stalks; two cloves garlic; eight cups vegetable broth; one (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes, undrained; one tsp dried thyme; one/2 tsp cumin; Salt and pepper to taste. One cup brown or green lentils; rinsed.
Direction:
In the slow cooker toss the lentils, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, vegetable broth, chopped tomatoes, thyme, and cumin.
- Using pepper and salt, taste-test season.
Cover and low for six to eight hours, then turn high for three to four hours until the lentils are tender.
Accompany crusty bread.
10. Apple Crisp Made on Low Cooker
Who claims it is impossible to make slow cooker desserts? Made quite basic, this apple crisp is cosy and warm.
constituents:**
Peel, cored, and sliced six to eight apples; half cup brown sugar; one fourth cup all-purpose flour; one fourth rolled oats; one fourth butter, melted; one tsp cinnamon; one fourth tsp nutmeg.
Reference:
Load the sliced apples into the slow cooker.
In a bowl, toss brown sugar, flour, oats, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg.
Over the apples, strew the mixture.
Cover and low for three to four hours, or high for two to three hours until the apples are soft and the topping is golden brown.
- Accompany vanilla ice cream—warm.
Handbook for Excellent Slow Cooking
Consider these suggestions to guarantee that your slow cooker dishes are of first quality:
One can prevent even cooking with overfilling. Just two-thirds full the slow cooker should be loaded.
Every time the lid opens, heat is released and cooking time is extended. Stuck against the urge to check Try not to glance except very rarely.
Cooking times will depend on your slow cooker and the contents. Change as needed under direction from the recommended cooking times.
While browning meat before adding it to the slow cooker adds taste richness, it is not always necessary.
Later on, add dairy and delicate ingredients. Added too early, dairy products and delicate ingredients like fresh herbs can curdle or turn overly cooked. Add them last hour of cooking.
Use a slow cooker liner if you want even more basic cleanup.
Get Your Weeknights Right Again!
These ten great slow cooker ideas will help you to conquer those hectic evening meals and enjoy great, home-cooked food without spending hours in the kitchen. So start cooking and get back into evenings! Your family and taste receptors would be much valued.
