Easy Crock Pot Meals for Busy Moms

Personally, I'm always happy to hear about meals that are quick and easy.  Two to four ingredients easy.  Recipes I can remember without having to write it down while chasing my children around easy.  Food prep and cooking I can do quickly since my hands are usually busy taking out art supplies, cleaning mud off shoes, or applying band-aids. If I can prepare it in the morning and it's ready to eat at dinnertime, it's all good.  Prepping and cooking  anytime after 4:00 does not work for me. That's where crock pot meals come into play.  If you have not tried a crock pot meal yet, I highly suggest buying yourself one of these sanity saving appliances or digging yours out of the cupboard.  Crock pot cooking is AWESOME.

Here's a peek into what's going on in a thread with our members right now regarding what I consider genius.  Thought it'd be fun to share with all parents with or without multiples.  Feel free to add your own to the comments.  (Thanks for starting this conversation, Robyn!)

For those of your that are searching for crock pot meals that are EASY, I thought we could start a thread. I will start...

Frozen Chicken Breasts (I usually do 3)
Pour over a can/jar/bunch of salsa
Let sit on low all day

If your group is NOT picky, you can put in some beans, cheese, and sour cream for the last hour to marinate. We serve everything on the side in our house. This is great for burritos or tacos. I have made this several times (and with 3 chicken breasts, it makes a LOT), and every time am amazed at how easy it is.

Cooking Light has some slow cooker recipes in their latest issue. I bought it but haven't had a chance to read it.

There's a new slow cooker recipe book out by America's Test Kitchen. I've put a hold on it through the library since I forced myself to quit buying cook books until I've tried them.

My favorite slow cooker recipe is a modified pressure cooker recipe from epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tuscan-Lamb-Shanks-with-White-Beans-350883 There are great notes in the reviews for modifying it for slow cooker.

This is another good one: http://www.suburbanbliss.net/suburbanbliss/2011/02/did-they-eat-it-slow-cooker-pulled-pork.html

I just got a new toy for the kitchen: 5-1 eletrical pressure cooker! http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Electric-Generation-Technology-Stainless/dp/B00479OWFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1300401806&sr=8-1

I love to cook but between a full time job and kids, I don't have much time to cook for elongated time. Slow cooker scares me a little to cook things for a long time when I am not home. I have a regular pressure cooker but I am not fond of the constant steam it lets out during cooking process.

This new cooker works great! It is also rice cooker which produces rice as delicious as my fancy but slow Japanese rice cooker. I am able to steam at the same time.

Plus, you can delay cooking time, as well as keeping warm. I am experimenting with this cooker. The lamb shank recipe on Robin's post looks yummy. I will try it tomorrow!

I have a variation on the first crock pot recipe above. A friend made it for me at my house soon after I had the twins--one of the best meals we were brought ever, since not only did we get a delicious meal, it's become a staple in our family!

Mexican soup
Dump in a crock pot
--frozen or thawed chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (i usually use 3)
--two cans black beans, rinsed
--two cans diced tomatoes
--one small can tomato sauce
--one jar salsa

Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Serve with tortilla chips crumbled over the top and cheese, sour cream, cilantro, etc. on the side.

We also like Italian sausages in the crockpot. Very easy.

-Italian sausages (left whole)
-2 cans tomato paste
1 small can tomato sauce
-basil, oregano (plus any other herbs desired)

cook on low all day. Serve on buns with mozerella cheese and peppercini (or no peppers). Great with salad on the side.

Just have to say I love this thread!!

Below is my favorite recipe for Butternut Squash soup. DELICIOUS!

--1 butternut squash
--2 T olive oil
--2 small medium onions, or 2 T onion flakes
--4 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
--2 small apples, peeled and cubed
--1 1/2 tsp salt
--1/4 tsp black pepper
--1/4 tsp nutmeg
--1/4 tsp cloves
--1/4 tsp coriander
--1/4 tsp cinnamon

If using a fresh butternut squash, cut in half, brush with olive oil and roast it first in the oven at 400 degrees (15mins). Or you can just add already cut up/cubed butternut squash (ie from Costco) straight to the crockpot to omit the oven portion.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for about 4. Blend in small batches with a stand blender, or carefully blend with an immersible wand.

And sorry to make this so long, but I have to credit the website that I found this recipe on because you all might find it invaluable as well.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

This woman made a new year's resolution to use her crockpot every day in 2008 and created a blog for it. Now her blog is super popular and has a TON of recipes (most are healthy and gluten free) and you can find a way to make anything in the crockpot!

She posts a picture showing all the ingredients and in the comments are great ideas from other people who've made it and they offer suggestions or other things to add in. It's been a bookmarked favorite of mine for awhile now and most of the recipes have been easy and tasty!

Can't wait to see the recipes keep coming on this thread!!

Easy Crockpot Chicken (SUPER yummy. Thanks to Jamie for bringing me this recipe when she brought me a meal from FHM).

1 can cream of chicken
1 can chicken broth
4-6 chicken breasts
1pkg. dry Italian Pressing Mix (where you buy dry ranch dip mix etc.)
1 8oz package cream cheese

Cook all but cheese in pot for 4-6 hrs. Add cream cheese for last hour. Shred up chick and serve over rice or noodles.

I use this recipe whenever I need to bring a meal to someone. It is impressive, yet easy!

Thanks Samantha for that link!!! It is saved in my favorites now. Cooked some chicken last night, the boys actually ate it! And I'm cooking a sausage dish tonight. Love my crockpot again! And it works so much better since I never know exactly when my husband will be home from work.

Thanks Robyn for starting this thread!

Love this thread! I'm a 2-3 ingredients kind of cook. A crock pot recipe I enjoy which is just a variation on the chicken & salsa:

Pork tenderloin
Peach & Mango (or one or the other) salsa

Serve over rice or on the side. It's kinda on the sweet side.

I'm writing these down and trying them. Thanks, All!

My absolute favorite right now is Pulled Pork...it is soooo easy!

You need:

2-3 lb. pork shoulder
(I found a 12-15 pound hunk of pork shoulder at Costco...I buy it and cut it into 5 or 6 portions and freeze it...I will mention that I usually buy my meat from New Seasons, but I found this deal and figure it won't kill us and it's a really great cheap meal at 1.99 per pound!)

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1-2 cloves garlic (to make it quicker I use the frozen garlic cubes from Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup Apple Cider vinegar
1/2 cup water

-Cut off all of the excess fat from your pork shoulder (this is the most time consuming part of the whole recipe)
-Mix sugar, chili powder, and garlic together
-Rub the mixture all over the pork shoulder and place it in the crockpot
-Pour vinegar and water on the sides of the pork in the crock pot
-Put on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 4-6 hours

When it is done put the pork into a bowl and dispose of the liquid. Using two forks pull the pork apart. Mix in your favorite bbq sauce (We LOVE Organicville simple bbq sauce) or make your own. Put it back into the crockpot to warm it up with the sauce.

Serve with coleslaw and fresh rolls....to make it true Southern style you can actually have the coleslaw on top of the pork on your roll...DELICIOUS!

My BBQ Pulled Pork is a little different, so I will throw that out here as well! I use the tenderloins from Costco, which are fairly lean...

~ Put the pork in the crock pot and cover with root beer (yes, I said root beer)
~ Let sit on low all day
~ Take out and Shred the pork (the most time consuming)
~ Empty the root beer and put the shredded pork back in the crock pot
~ Pour sauce over the pork (we use Sweet Baby Ray's) and let sit for an hour or so
~ Enjoy! 

Beef tips in red wine mushroom sauce. I just love calling stew meat beef tips, it sounds fancy. I came up with this trying to copy a frozen diet dinner my Mom had that was surprisingly delicious.

Stew meat (maybe a pound or more), 1/2 bottle of red wine, one packet of Lipton french onion soup mix, 1 to 2 cups or so of water, 1/2 of a chopped onion, 1 bag frozen pearl onions from Trader Joe's, pepper. Put all of those ingredients in the crock pot for maybe 4 or 5 hours. Then in the last hour add 2 to 3 Tablespoons butter, one package of button mushrooms sliced. Remove about 1/2 of hot liquid and mix with a heaping Tablespoon of flour and return to port to thicken sauce. Serve over whole wheat pasta, cooked Yukon potatoes or rice.  You can add baby carrots, too.