slow cooker

Beef Stew with Butternut Squash (Instant Pot, Stove Top or Crock Pot)

Tender chuck roast pairs with classic stew veggies and butternut squash in this easy beef stew made even easier in the Instant Pot, Crock Pot, or on the stove top.

Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe

I made this classic Beef Stew with a slew of nutritious veggies in my Instant Pot on the pressure cooking setting, and the whole stew was cooked and ready to eat in just 40 minutes. Compare that to 2 hours or more on the stove top and you’ll know why I’m such a fan.

BUT! If you don’t have an Instant Pot, this beef stew is just as easily prepared on the stove top, or in the slow cooker, with directions for both below.

continue to the recipe… about Beef Stew with Butternut Squash (Instant Pot, Stove Top or Crock Pot)

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

This slow cooker Thai soup is packed with flavor thanks to the combination of curry paste, coconut milk, fresh ginger, and lime.

Slow Cooker Thai Soup Recipe

Here’s the thing about cooking with slow cookers. It’s convenient. But only if you’re creating a recipe where you don’t have to dirty more than the slow cooker. Like this slow cooker Thai chicken soup.

I’m all about time management. I eat breakfast while I do the dishes, I brush my teeth while I tie on my running shoes. In other words, I’m a multi-tasker who isn’t terribly efficient at getting much of any of my laundry list of daily to-dos completed because my mind thinks I have to do more than six things at at time. Why? Oh why?

So these days, unless its a lazy day weekend, my to-do list doesn’t always necessitate spending an hour and a half making dinner. I don’t mean letting it cook, I mean MAKING dinner.

Enter the genius invention that has been on every wedding registry since 1973: The slow cooker. And this slow cooker Thai coconut chicken soup. If I’m going to use a slow cooker, I want to make a recipe where I don’t have to brown this, sauté that, and dirty one single other pan to make my dream dinner come true.

Prepare yourself, you will need to dirty a cutting board and a knife to make this Thai coconut chicken soup. And maybe a whisk or big spoon. But other than that? You can put that fancy dish washing scrubbie away my friend, this is a one stop shop recipe I’m happy to make. Just so long as someone else does the ~~dishes~~ dish.continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup

This simple but flavorful Tuscan white bean soup with sausage doesn’t require any pre-cooking or searing, making it a true slow-cooker meal.

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

“Okay mom, let’s play the smell game.”

I sort of cringed at the idea. Sweaty feet. Burnt toast. The 4th hole at the golf course that sits next to the water treatment plant and man does it reek when the wind blows. Why do I immediately go to the dark side?

“Okay. What’s the smell game?” But of course I already know.

“It’s where we say the things we think smell the best. You go first.”

I thought for a minute. More like seconds. Immediately those gross smells vanished to make way for the good.

The smell of burnt pumpkins after being lit too closely to their lids on Halloween night. Summer rain on black top. The smell of Gardenias and tuberose. Puppy breath. Only to be outdone by the nuzzle spot right below the ear in the crook of the neck of a newborn baby that’s a mixed perfume of milky baby lotion.

And of course, the obvious at our house. Food cooking in the kitchen.

From steaks grilling to cookies baking, food that’s cooking in the kitchen just might possibly be the most universally loved smell of all. It’s one reason I love cooking in the slow cooker. Its perfume lingers on low for eight hours or on high for four.

The other reason I love the slow cooker is for sheer ease. And this Crockpot bean soup recipe is really one of the easiest. And deceptively so.continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Bone-in, skinless chicken thighs cooked in the slow cooker create the luxe flavor in this Italian slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipe for an incredibly easy weeknight or weekend meal.

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

You know how the saying goes. It’s what waiters around the world have used for years to push the daily special.

“This meat is so tender it falls off the bone.”

And then sometimes it is. And sometimes it isn’t.

I’m here to tell you, today, right now, that thanks to this slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipe, the meat LITERALLY falls from the bone.

But don’t just take it from me. This is the day you’re going to absolutely want to try it for yourself. And like any good salesperson, I’m going to guarantee you’re going to love it.

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa

Comfort food chili cravings never tasted so healthy, until now. This easy CrockPot chili is protein-packed with lean ground turkey, light and dark kidney beans, plus quinoa for an extra safety-net protein source that will keep you filled and full all day long and into the night.

The BEST Turkey Chili

It’s 5:30 p.m. and the sun has set behind the mountains and the sky has already settled into dark. There’s a chill is in the air and comfort food is what we’re all craving now. Turkey Pot Pie? Mac and Cheese? Sausage Lasagna? All delicious in their own right, but not exactly the lightest of fare.

And now that the fall season is here, the wrangling and jostling for the T.V. remote has begun. The World Series? (go Dodgers!). The Voice? (I’m with J-Hud Productions). More tears and tissues while crying with This Is Us? (I mean, seriously!) Or finally, a new Walking Dead? (My Smudge and I are convinced our Big Daddy should be Negan for Halloween.)

Our television viewing habits are as hotly debated as what sounds best for dinner.

But tonight, there’s one less argument to make because Big Mama (that’s me) thought ahead (for once) and put dinner in the slow cooker. And just like that, a healthy dinner is served.

And surprise, AliSmudge and Big Daddy don’t even complain that it’s oh-so good for them. But why would they? This turkey sweet potato chili is delish! And better yet, it’s so simple to make.continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa

Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup

This crockpot lasagna soup is like a deconstructed lasagna made in an Italian tomato broth full of vegetables with a creamy dollop of a three cheeses mixed in.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup

If you’ve found yourself trolling Pinterest, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve seen the meaty stove-top version of this easy vegetarian lasagna soup floating around. And there’s a perfectly good reason for that.

Because it’s so dang good!

I’m very much into giving my favorite comfort foods a different spin to make them brand new again. And when it comes to lasagna, I have a couple of recipe twists on this classic Italian comfort food up my sleeve, or at least, in my recipe box.

This time around, a healthy change-up to everyone else’s lasagna soup was in the works. To make the soup even simpler to make while coordinating the fam’s busy schedules, I took this vegetarian lasagna soup from the stove to the crockpot for cooking with ease.

Slow cooking makes lasagna soup easy to make any night of the week, and it can be made with the slow cooker function on the Instant Pot too.

continue to the recipe… about Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup

Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Kale

A clean, herb-infused broth makes this slow cooker tortellini soup with Italian sausage a favorite to keep in your weekly meal plans.

This post is in partnership with McCormick.

“Oh babe, this is so good. Hey! Don’t eat all the broth! That’s mine.” My husband. He’s usually really good about sharing. “Oh. This is really good.” Until it comes to soup. He LOVES a good soup. And he wants it all for himself.

I’ve said it here before. My man is a soup aficionado. And if you can spell aficionado without having to hit dictionary.com, you are one swell spelling bee winner, because I can’t. But back to the crockpot tortellini soup…

Not only does the slow cooker create a broth for this tortellini soup that tastes flavorful and ultimately craveable, but the perfumed scent of sausage, onion, celery and garlic that wafts from the kitchen as it cooks will also have you wishing you could give that lid on the slow cooker just a crack to dip a spoon in for juuuuuust a bite for taste testing.

Or better yet, dip in a big old slice of sourdough. Fancy that. We’re a family of dippers.continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Kale

Slow Cooker + Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

You can cook it fast or cook it slow, but either way this corned beef and cabbage creates tender, fall-apart chunks of beef thanks to braising it in the crock pot or Instant Pot with beer and vegetables for an unbelievably easy and delicious one-pot dinner.

When asked whether corned beef is actually good for you, I say it may not be something to eat each and every day of the year, but I feel it’s totally fine when you eat it just like everything else you should—say it with me—in moderation!

But is corned beef actually Irish or not? Sure it’s traditionally served in the U.S. each and every St. Patrick’s Day and while you won’t likely find it served at the local pub in Ireland, it IS Irish-American.

I make corned beef and cabbage every single year around St. Patrick’s Day. Because like many of you, it’s a tradition that just can’t be ignored. It’s a ritual. And I’m good with that.

In fact I will cook a whole corned beef just so I can make my favorite Reuben sandwiches loaded with sauerkraut, that delicious sauce and melted cheese piled high on grilled rye bread, because seriously…who can say no to a killer reuben??

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker + Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Crunchy Slaw

If you’re feeding a crowd, there’s not many recipes easier or more beloved than slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches topped with a simple, crunchy, vinegar-dressed slaw.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Whether it’s summer get togethers or a laid back game day gathered ’round the TV, there’s no better option for easy eats like pulled pork sandwiches. They’re simple to make, easily customizable, and it’s rare I don’t hear enthusiastic, “Oh, that sounds so good” from those I’m making them for.

These sandwiches start with my slow cooker pulled pork that seriously tastes even better the longer it sits in the fridge, making it perfect for make-ahead menus and weekly meal planning.

And in the world of recipe making, how many can claim that distinction?!

continue to the recipe… about Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Crunchy Slaw

Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Slow cooker pulled pork is one of the easiest, foolproof recipes to make in the CrockPot. Since it makes plenty of leftovers, it should be a staple for every home cook’s meal prep plans.

Pulled Pork in the CrockPot

Whether serving to a crowd to cheer for on game day, or adding to your weekly meal prep plans, slow cooker pulled pork made in the CrockPot is one of those meals that keeps the masses happy. And since it’s so easy to make, it’s a natural favorite of the cook in the kitchen, too.

Next to classic baked chicken breasts, pulled pork is pretty much the gold standard for batch cooking. It’s plentiful in portions yet still leaves enough for leftovers to be turned into loads of different recipes stemming from just one base.

With just a few basic rules to follow, the method for making CrockPot pulled pork is a cinch to master:

Choose the right cut of meat
Layer your flavor builders
Low and slow is the way to go
And finally, shred it like you mean it

You can also take these same methods and cook this pulled pork recipe in the oven.

Let’s do this.

continue to the recipe… about Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

50 Easy Slow Cooker Dinner Recipe Ideas

This list of 50 slow cooker recipes for chicken, chili, pot roast, and even pizza are the secret to getting easy crockpot dinners on the table fast.

We all know money doesn’t grow on trees, and neither does time. Despite our best laid plans, it always seems to slip through our busy little fingers, and before we know it, we glance up from our watches after a hectic work day, and it’s already 5 o’clock.

On marathon days like these, coming home and having to scramble to figure out what’s for dinner, or diving into a multiple step recipe with a laundry list of ingredients is pretty much the last thing we feel like doing.

However, coming home to a kitchen that smells like Ina Garten’s taken over and has been cooking for Jeffrey all day—that’s just what the doctor ordered. And thanks to a little planning and a little slow cooker magic, it’s perfectly achievable.

Check out this list of FIFTY (!) slow cooker recipes for easy, breezy weeknight dinners that work for weekends too.

continue to the recipe… about 50 Easy Slow Cooker Dinner Recipe Ideas

28 Healthy Slow Cooker Soups & Stews to Make in February

What’s the difference between the a slow cooker and a crock pot? Nothing except for a brand name. That’s why this list of slow cooker and crockpot meals prove they can be healthy and comfort food at the same time.

Cozy in with these easy slow cooker soups and stews you can make any night of the week. Because these 28 recipes will warm your soul and fill your belly on the chilliest of nights.

Bitter cold temps never fail to spur serious cravings for comfort food, be it chicken pot pie, the silkiest carbonara, or a soul-soothing, cure-all soup.

But every winter, we’re not just searching for cozy eats, we’re searching for cozy eats we can feel good about, as part of our resolve to eat healthier in the new year.

That’s because nutritious and comforting don’t have to contradict one another. You can still have that broccoli and cheese soup you love, without falling off the healthy eating bandwagon, or costing yourself a day’s worth of calories.

Case in point? Last year’s 31 Days of Healthy Comfort Food Recipes to Make in January, and of course this month’s series edition, which is all about healthy weeknight-friendly soups and stews you can make in the slow cooker, because who doesn’t love a nutritious, filling meal that practically makes itself?

And so here are 28 healthy, easy soup and stew recipes you can make in the slow cooker and hunker down with all February-long!

continue to the recipe… about 28 Healthy Slow Cooker Soups & Stews to Make in February

20 Healthy Dinners to Make In the Instant Pot

The Instant Pot is the hot, do-it-all appliance on every foodie’s radar right now. It makes cooking fast or slow, but always easy. Today we’re sharing more weekly meal prep inspiration, with this list of healthy dinners you can make in an instant.

Happy New Year, friends! Did Santa baby bring you everything you wanted, including a shiny new Instant Pot? These puppies have been selling in droves, especially over the holidays. And since IP recipes have been flooding the Internet lately, we couldn’t help but wrangle up some of our favorite looking dishes at the moment.continue to the recipe… about 20 Healthy Dinners to Make In the Instant Pot

31 Instant Pot & Slow Cooker Holiday Recipes to Make in December

These 31 Instant Pot and slow cooker holiday dishes are perfect for easy meals when company calls, hearty breakfasts when extended family crashes, and fun treats for all of your holiday mingling this month.

Happy December!

Are you scurrying around like little elves, trying to get your holiday shopping done? Is the Instant Pot on your wish list? If not, it should be! It was the most sold item on Amazon last year, and it’s expected to do the same this year. That’s because this appliance is a beast. It functions as a slow cooker or a pressure cooker, slashing most cooking times in half, and leaving you with minimal cleanup.

Isn’t that magic to the ears, especially during the holidays?

That’s why our latest and last installment of the 31 day what to cook series is all about holiday dishes you can whip up effortlessly in your Instant Pot or or slow cooker. From crowd favorite appetizers and hearty breakfasts to soul-warming soups and beverages, we’ve got you covered this holiday season.

continue to the recipe… about 31 Instant Pot & Slow Cooker Holiday Recipes to Make in December

How to Make the Best Chicken Stock

This post has everything you-didn’t-even-know-that-you-need-to-know to make homemade chicken stock or broth on the stove, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. Follow the same guidelines and steps for making turkey stock, too.

Just about every cook knows to keep at least one can or carton of chicken stock on hand. It’s a reliable pantry staple that many of us use on a weekly basis in everything from soups to gravies and stir-frys too.

While store-bought chicken stock work just fine in recipes that don’t call for much of it (or bouillon cubes when you’re in a real pinch), no one can deny there’s nothing like homemade chicken stock for adding the ultimate flavor.

It’s pure liquid gold.

Homemade chicken stocks and broths (and turkey too) lend a richness and complexity to dishes—particularly risottos, soups, stews—that the store-bought stuff simply can’t match. So if you find yourself with some leftover chicken bones from last night’s dinner and a little hands-off cooking time on your side, make a vat of rich, savory stock to stick in the fridge or freeze for later. Pinky swear, you won’t regret it.

Never made chicken stock before? Fret not, it’s actually incredibly easy. In fact, it’s really hard to mess up.

continue to the recipe… about How to Make the Best Chicken Stock

31 Instant Pot Dinner Recipes to Make in October

These 31 recipe ideas for the Instant Pot are perfect for whipping up homemade dinners on the fly this month!

Happy October!

For our tenth installment of our 31 Days Series, we’re simplifying with the all-in-one magical unicorn workhorse Instant Pot. If you’re a little late to the party, the Instant Pot is the newfangled version of the pressure cooker, and if you don’t have one yet, you likely have major appliance envy, because this baby is the Beyoncé of kitchen appliances.

I’m telling you now…there isn’t a single appliance I’ve loved more since I got my Instant Pot last year than this and my friends and family can all vouch for this because I think they’re sick of hearing me talk about its virtues. And if you don’t believe me, believe Amazon, where it was the #3 best-selling product on 2017’s Amazon Prime Day.

But really, it does it all. The thing I love about it most is you can actually sear meats, chicken, vegetables in it before using the slow cooker or pressure cooker function so you get all that good flavor and don’t have to dirty any extra pots! It’s the true one and done.

It’s user-friendly, often cuts our average cooking duration in half, makes perfectly peelable hard boiled eggs!!!!, and it is a powerful force when it comes to weekly meal planning. What’s not to be totally smitten with? Things are getting pretty serious and all of our other appliances are getting jealous, but we #cantstopwontstop now.

If you don’t have yours yet, here’s an affiliate link, but seriously…this isn’t a sponsored post, I just love this machine and I don’t know anyone else who’s bought it who doesn’t love it too.

**UPDATED: I JUST received an e-mail that tomorrow, Oct. 2, 2017, you can get the Instant Pot for $30 off — that’s just $69!!!! — at the one day sale on Amazon!

Click here to buy the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, 6 Quart (limit of 5 for the sale price on Oct. 2, 2017)

Instant Pot, we love you. Thank you for making our lives eternally easier and our kitchen sink considerably emptier.

continue to the recipe… about 31 Instant Pot Dinner Recipes to Make in October

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bowls

When weeknight dinner making seems like almost too much to add to your already full plate, prep the ingredients for these slow cooker teriyaki chicken and vegetable rice bowls over the weekend and then toss together for a quick and easy answer to your weeknight dinner question.

These days everyone’s talking about meal prep. There’s a reason for that. Because it works.

All it takes are a couple of base recipes and a little extra time over the weekend to partially cook ahead and then whip out a healthy weeknight dinner. Even if you get just one meal prepped ahead and ready to roll, you’ll find yourself feeling surprisingly proud and a little enamored with your forethought and meal-planning ways.

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bowls

Slow Cooker Sriracha Meatballs

Flavorful, tender pork meatballs are baked in the oven then cooked in an irresistible Sriracha-flavored sauce for an easy slow cooker appetizer everyone will love.

This post is in partnership with Kroger

What is it about meatballs at a party that makes everyone lose all self control?

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been at a buffet table where I’ve never not heard exclamations of delight at the mere sighting of a crockpot loaded with the little orbs of meaty bites. “Oh, those look good. I think I’ll have just one more.”

And one more.

And another.

So when Kroger asked me to create a recipe worthy of celebrating the New Year, I envisioned myself nibbling on noshes, and then I asked myself, “What is one more splurge I’m going to enjoy before the new year resolutions kick in?”

Little flavor bombs of meatballs it is.continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Sriracha Meatballs

Beef and Butternut Squash Enchiladas

These enchiladas are the best, and they’re such an easy meal to prep ahead, with slow cooked beef and roasted butternut squash, they’re delicious and ready to serve in no time.

This post is in partnership with Kroger

For the past few months, I’ve been focusing on creating meals that take a little more planning, and doing a lot more batch cooking when I use my weekly meal planner. It’s led to our whole family eating dinners that are far less stressful, a little healthier, and far more budget friendly.

I was shocked at how much we’ve saved from not going out to eat as much now that there’s quick meals in the refrigerator that are ready to roll.

So when Kroger asked me to create a holiday recipe I immediately went into time- and money-saving mode.

We all have so much going on during the holidays that having a quick and easy meal on hand means holiday cheers-ing is a whole lot easier to enjoy. This Beef and Butternut Squash Enchiladas recipe checks all the boxes on my Christmas wish list.

And even better, you’ll want to keep it around all year long.continue to the recipe… about Beef and Butternut Squash Enchiladas

Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Egg Casserole

This hearty, filling slow cooker egg casserole recipe with Mediterranean flavors, goat cheese, and prosciutto is simple to put together and can be assembled the night before so it’ll cook while you sleep!

This post is in partnership with KraftRecipes.com. As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.

We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief because the finish line is close. The end of 2016 is drawing near and holiday reverie is slowly slipping from our candy cane-grubbed-grasp.

There’s just one downside to the holidays. Okay, make that two.

The first one is that the holidays eventually come to an end. I’m a Christmas girl so holiday time for me is honestly the most wonderful time of the year.

The second—and the one we need to watch out for the most—is the supreme pressure we put on ourselves to make the holiday perfect. We overcommit, over-extend and over-do. This year I say we cut ourselves a little slack and take an easier way out—especially when it comes to cooking. How? By taking a few shortcuts to create a homemade holiday from the heart.continue to the recipe… about Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Egg Casserole

Slow Cooker Mexican Pot Roast

Mexican spices add to the flavor of this easy crock pot roasted beef recipe that comes out tender, moist and delicious every time.

This post is part of my year long partnership with Reynolds and I’m telling you now…this slow cooker Mexican beef pot roast recipe could set the record for fastest and easiest clean-up of a dinner recipe ever.

My husband and I spent this past weekend with a group of our best friends to celebrate one of my bestest-friends-of-too-many-years birthdays. It was one of those milestone birthdays we all get a little apprehensive about, but once it finally arrives and then quickly drifts by, you wonder what all the hype—and hypertension—was about.

As we will do, we ate, we drank, we got merry, and we compared notes on all of the above. continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Mexican Pot Roast

25 Healthy and Comforting Slow Cooker Soups & Stews

It’s the most soup-inspiring time of the year!

It’s the season for crackling fires in the fireplace, fuzzy socks and slippers, and warm-you-to-the-bone comfort food. When frigid cold weather rolls in, we love nothing more than hunkering down in our coziest attire (hello loungewear!) over a piping bowl of soul-warming soup. And don’t forget the dipping bread!

It’s even better if that soup is made in a crock pot or slow cooker, because what’s more reassuring than coming home after a long day to a house full of the wonderful aroma of dinner that’s already made?

Slow cookers and crock pots have made amazing improvements over the years. They come in various sizes, they’re programmable, and this one is even made to brown veggies and meats directly on the stove for a true one pot meal.

In fact, I’m adding to my slow cooker collection and gearing up to purchase an Insta Pot for the multi-cooker experience of having a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, sauté/browning, yogurt maker, steamer & warmer all-in-one. It looks awesome!

We gladly employ these cookers all year-round, but they definitely get more of a workout during the cooler months. So without further ado, here are 25 healthy and comforting soups and stews you can make in the slow cooker…on your mark…set…grab your spoon!

continue to the recipe… about 25 Healthy and Comforting Slow Cooker Soups & Stews

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Chili

This chicken fajita inspired recipe is full of Mexican spices, beans and sweet bell peppers making for an easy and filling crock pot chili you will love.

You can call it crock pot. I often call it slow cooker. Tomato, tah-mah-toes, either way, slow cooking/rocking the crock is what’s for dinner.

Chicken chili in the crock pot makes for the perfectly easy dinner for weekend eats and is just one more truly, honestly, I promise it’s easy reason to get into the kitchen, rather than escaping it like Alcatraz.

I mean, isn’t it easier to cook at home on the weekends? Sure! But sometimes I’m left sporting a blank stare at my refrigerator shelves wondering what is going to magically appear after the day’s multitude of events and projects that have totally escaped my reach.

This recipe though? A little planning ahead, a few pantry staples, some pre-cooked chicken and a rainbow of bell peppers that never seem to grow old in the crisper is all you really need for a spiced up flavorful weekend comfort food dinner.

Dude. You’ve got this.

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Chili

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

Cooking a whole chicken in the slow cooker or crock pot is an incredibly simple way to cook chicken for a week of easy lunches or dinners.

I love making sexy recipes.

You know the kind. The ones that are ooozing with cheese. Or that are slathered in a decadent sauce. Even those healthy recipes made with totally fresh, vibrant seasonal colors can be totally seductive. The kind that when you set them on the table, people exclaim, “Ahhhh…That looks sooooooo good.”

This is a good recipe. Great even. But it certainly isn’t sexy.

This is a totally utilitarian recipe. One that you keep in your back pocket. The one you pull out when life’s busy schedule is dealing you a mix of 2’s and 3’s but you’re ready to ante up to a full house.

Its true. You can be a winner in the kitchen.

And this is how it’s done.

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

Slow Cooker Baked Oatmeal with Bananas and Nuts

Layered like a strata in the slow cooker, this irresistible oatmeal is loaded up with bananas, pecans, raisins, applesauce, and brown sugar, but it can also be baked in the oven if you prefer.

Why is it that every year come January there’s an avalanche of healthy recipes just knocking at our door? Why in the dregs of winter does one feel so compelled to say, “Yes! This is the day I’m going to eat healthier, read more, kick those bad habits to the curb, clean out my closets and be a better person.

I mean, why can’t we all just do it every day, all year?

I’m blaming the weather for making us all cuckoo in the head.

So today, I’m sort of joining the fray and sharing a recipe that’s overall really pretty healthy, if you consider that it’s chock full of whole grains and healthy fat. And it’s packed with fruit if you count almost ready to expire bananas on my countertop mixed with raisins and applesauce. The only devil in the details might be brown sugar and a whizzle of maple syrup.

But since we’ve been working so hard to stay in front of that January health kick avalanche, I’d say a little sweetness should balance us out just right in my book.

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Baked Oatmeal with Bananas and Nuts

Skinny Slow Cooker Kale and Turkey Meatball Soup

This healthy spin on classic Italian Wedding Soup is made lighter with turkey meatballs, white beans, and plenty of kale, all in a light and comforting broth.

We’re all feeling it, aren’t we? It wouldn’t be the New Year without focusing on cleaning up, clearing out and and cleansing from tip to toe.

Keeping with my new year tradition every single year, I’m taking advantage of my healthy resolve and I’m eating clean. This week. And maybe next. With just a side of butter and maybe a bite or six of cheese. And please, don’t hold it against me if there’s a nibble of chocolate here and there.

Balance, it’s the new black.

In thinking about eating strategies and menu planning, I still have cravings that need to be filled. Savory but simple. Filling and fortifying.

And can we make it in the slow cooker please?

continue to the recipe… about Skinny Slow Cooker Kale and Turkey Meatball Soup

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken

When I received an S.O.S. comment on Facebook from one of my favorite readers, Maribel, I put on my thinking cap and went straight into action.

With Christmas Eve approaching in just a wink of an eye, Maribel commented that she was in need of a recipe that had enough style to impress at the holiday dinner table.

But there was one condition. The main dish had to be cooked in a slow cooker.

See Maribel doesn’t have an oven. No, I don’t know why—I’m fantasizing it’s because she’s either in the midst of an amazing kitchen remodel or lives in a teepee fashioned with an es long extension chord to a chugging generator or possibly just doesn’t believe in the clutter an oven adds to her kitchen?

continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken

Crockpot Pork Posole Stew Recipe

This dish is kind of like Disneyland for both the OCD list makers who obsessively plan meals weeks ahead of time, and for those of us (eh-hem, I’m using the collective “us” so I don’t feel so alone) who somehow make their way to the grocery store before 1 p.m. to find a fresh, juicy Boston Butt ready to roast. By the way, who came up with the name Boston Butt? I feel a little like Beavis whenever I say, “Boston Butt, hee-hee, hee-hee.” Smudge loves saying it. That’s weird. She’s eight years old. Maybe the pork-parts-namers were marketing to adults who act like 8 year old juveniles?

But I digress. This recipe is all about the low and slow and there’s not many better ways to cook it low and slow than a slllllllow cooker. Ahh, another Beavis moment, but I’ll let that one go.continue to the recipe… about Crockpot Pork Posole Stew Recipe

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