Slow Cooker Recipe Roundup

Slow cooker means convenient, set-it-and-forget-it meals.

Hot comfort food for the dead of winter.

Stick to your ribs...and coat your stomach.
Easy on the wallet when it comes to the ingredients.

But the slow cooker can be so much more...
so let me share with you some of my most recent slow cooker meals.

MEAT

A bunch of fridge and pantry staples can come together with meat in a slow cooker.

What comes out is an amazing meal!

The best part of slow cooking with meat is that the cuts that really benefit low and slow style cooking are generally on sale or are very resonablly priced.

Chicken thighs or legs.

Pork shoulders or ribs.

I have really broaded my tastes this year with slow cooked meat.

Check it out!

Honey Garlic Chicken and Rice

Sweetened with local wildflower honey, this dish was a hit with everyone...even Owen!

Super simple...like 4 ingredients...everybody wins.

Plus, you'll be immune to colds...and vampires.

Cashew Chicken and Rice

This dish rocks...with or without the cashews (you add them in at the end anyway).

We made this dish once and were so hungry, we forgot to add them!

Totally tasty both ways.

Hawaiian Chicken

Not just for thick winter meals!

Try plugging your slow cooker outside (not in direct sun).

I cooked this delicious meal on our deck!

It was a bright, tropical flavoured chicken dish...perfect!

Not only that, but it didn't heat up our kitchen.

BONUS!

Sticky Ribs  (from The Joy Of Cooking Cookbook)

Wash and pat down the ribs. 

Cut them up into manageable pieces. 

Toss into the slow cooker along with the following ingredients: 

10 oz beef broth, 

1/2 cup water, 

2 tbsp maple syrup (we used out own), 

2 tbsp local honey, 

3 tbsp soy sauce, 

2 tbsp bbq sauce or ketchup, 

1/2 tsp dry mustard. 

Cook on high for 6-8 hrs. 

I'm not even joking...the meat will fall off the bones!!! 

Served with yellow potato wedges, baked and a green salad with cubed Wilton Mozzarella cheese.

Pulled Pork Sliders

Made from the Slow Cooker cookbook I got at Christmas!

Wait for my post all about the other recipes I've made from this book.

Truly a keeper for the cookbook shelf!

Spicy Pork Carnitas

Not a real flavourful meat dish...but adding sweet chili sauce and avocados helped.

We also didn't have any flatbread...so I just whipped some up in the breadmaker.

Just as tasty!

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SOUPS

The slow cooker is still my go-to for soups...
So here are this years soup concoctions!

Green Lentil Bacon Soup

As seen in Shape Magazine's slow cooker roundup.

I used regular bacon from a local butcher rather than Canadian (peameal) bacon.

Harvest Veggie Chili with Quinoa

I made the veggie chili before and froze it.

Quick Veggie Chili

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 onion from the garden, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 green pepper, diced

1 cup corn from the garden

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed

cayenne pepper and chili powder to taste.

add ingredients to slow cooker and cook on low or 6-8 hrs.

When I reheated the chili, I added buttercup squash, cumin and turmeric.

Adding leftover pre-cooked quinoa added a hint of smokey or nutty flavour.

It also upped the protein of this vegetarian delight.

The spices are so warming...the veggies are totally fall.

Red Lentil and Veggie Soup

Another great vegetarian soup.

I made this soup so much that I memorized it.

It originated from a cookbook of recipes from developing countries.

From this cookbook, I got a hilarious story about "zom".

(if you ever get the chance, ask my mom or sister about it)

The other thing I got from the cookbook was this amazingly simple soup.

Red Lentil and Veggie Soup

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

4 cups vegetable broth

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 onion from the garden, diced

1-2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cumin

I adapted this recipe from pot to slow cooker.

Add ingredients to slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hrs.

Great on a cold winter night!

Chicken Tomato Soup

A slow cooker marvel! 

Adapted from this recipe here.

2 cans of diced tomatoes (or we used our frozen ones from the garden)

1 tsp Italian seasoning (homemade mixture)

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 cup home made chicken stock

2 chicken breasts

 Set on low for 6-8 hrs

Just before serving, take 2 forks and shred the chicken breasts. 

AMAZINGLY EASY! 

Served with mozzarella grilled cheese sammies

I just couldn't resist...

What are your favorite slow cooker recipes?