3 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes That Make Cooking Dinner a Breeze

Crock pot Chicken

It seems that no matter who you are, what you do, where you work, etc., you’re always running out of time. And, when you’re strapped for time, this can make simple things– like cooking a meal–a real challenge.

If you’re tired of constantly reheating leftover pizza or cooking easy mac on your stovetop, you’re not alone.

We at The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction desire to come home to hot, nutritious, home-cooked meals after a day at work. And, we’ve found a solution that will let us prepare meals ahead of time in order to achieve that goal.

The solution: Using a slow cooker to cook premade dinners while we work.

If you’re someone who works long hours, is always on the run, or who simply doesn’t want to have to think about cooking dinner every night, we hope you’ll give some of our favorite slower cooker recipes a try.

Enjoy…

Honey Dijon Chicken Recipe

Honey Dijon Chicken

The following recipe creates a family-sized portion of tender, juicy honey Dijon chicken.

We recommend that you cook up a side of rice or a vegetable, or grab some dinner rolls to turn this chicken dish into a complete meal.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb. chicken breasts (4-6 depending on size)
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • dash red pepper flakes
  • 1 gallon-sized freezer bag

Directions:

  1. Throw all ingredients into a freezer bag.
  2. Freeze for up to 3 months.
  3. When ready to use, thaw bag of ingredients overnight. Then, place in crockpot and cook for 8 hours on low.

Recipe Source: http://www.plainchicken.com/2014/08/freezer-meal-honey-dijon-chicken.html#dxRXwFhdo1ysjF8r.99

Honey Soy Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Honey Soy Pork Tenderloin

This mouthwatering honey soy pork recipe will feed up to 6 people.

If you’re cooking for 3 or less people, we recommend cutting the tenderloin in half and using the marinade ingredients to create two freezer bags’ worth of this meal.  

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup chicken stock or broth
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup honey
  • 3 tbs. Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • 2 cloves minced garlic or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • pinch ground ginger
  • pinch red pepper flakes (optional for heat)
  • 1 (2½ – 3 pound) pork tenderloin

Directions:

  1. Mix all ingredients together and throw everything into a freezer bag.
  2. Freeze meal. You can freeze this meal for up to 3 months.
  3. When you’re ready to use the freezer meal, spray your slow cooker insert with nonstick cooking spray.
  4. Set slow cooker for 6 hours on low setting.

Recipe Source: https://addapinch.com/honey-soy-pork-tenderloin-recipe/

Chicken Soup Recipe

Chicken Soup Recipe

You simply can’t go wrong with having hearty, warm, and delicious chicken soup freezer meals on hand for the days you’re chilly or not feeling well.

Grab a loaf of fresh bread on the day you plan to cook your soup, and you’ll have a hearty, wholesome meal that took little to no time and energy to prepare!  

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
  • 3 tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

  1. Throw all ingredients, except egg noodles, into a bag.
  2. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.
  3. When you’re ready to cook, dump ingredients, except egg noodles, into your crock pot and cook for 7 hours on low.  
  4. 10 minutes before you’re ready to eat, add in your egg noodles.

Recipe Source: https://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2014/10/best-crockpot-chicken-noodle-soup.html

What is your favorite slow cooker recipe? Let us know in the comments below!