Frozen CrockPot Meals and other Family Friendly Go-Tos

New Moms, Busy Moms, People Who Don't Like to Cook, this is for you!

About a year or so ago I learned that you can cook just about anything in a slow cooker, and it doesn't have to taste like Cream of Whatever (although sometimes cream of whatever is nice).  Here are some of our families favorites.  Some are mine, some are collected from others.  I'm going to try to make sure I give credit to the right sites.  Here's the best part, I've learned to combined the slow cooker with my deep freezer!  So here's what you do, put together your grocery list and go shopping, set aside an hour our two for prep and that's the most prep work you'll do until next time. Seriously.

Here are a few tips I learned.

• Write the recipes on your gallon baggies with a marker.  It takes some extra time, but when you are in the kitchen with a bunch of recipes going, you don't want to get anything mixed up.
• Fold the top of the baggie over so the bag stays open.  Then you can line your bags up on your counter to fill.
• Fill all of the bags with their meats first.  You have your bags where they will stay open and a large stack of chicken breasts (or tenders they will cook faster).  Just plop how much chicken you think your family will eat in a meal (more if you want leftovers). Just wash hands in between each different meat product.
• Then fill each bag with the rest of it's recipe contents.
• All of those pictures on blogs that you see they lay their freezer bags out flat, but that wouldn't fit in my crockpot.  I have a deep freezer and I set the baggies up right.  It makes the perfect size for my pot.
• Unless otherwise noted if you are putting in frozen meals I try to cook about 6-7 hours on low or 5-6 on high. I try to remember to turn my pot on about 11ish.  I think cooking this way is pretty forgiving.  By the time you eat the meat is going to be done.  If you need to turn it on before work do it.  If the first meal the meat is too tender and mushy just turn it on warm when you get home until you are ready to eat.  If you forget and need to turn it on at lunch time most of these will be fine.  If you want to make sure, turn it on high and then you can always turn it down.  After using it a few times you'll get the hang of it and be a pro, I promise!

Chicken Teriyaki 

This is probably my family's all time favorite.  I serve with mashed potatoes because one time I was out of rice and they begged me to keep this the side. Make sure you take the chicken out of the slow cooker with a spoon so you get some of the marinade juices.  

Chicken

1/2 bottle Moore's Teriyaki Merinade

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup lime juice 

1/4 cup lemon juice

pepper to taste

Chicken Pesto Ranch Pasta

This is another favorite.  It requires a bit of prep work making the pasta and the sauce. But the chicken is done.

Chicken

Pesto (I use half a bottle of Classico's Pesto Sauce)

1 ranch packet

Chicken stock (I use about half a box)

Pasta Sauce

1 cup milk (half and half if you want it richer)

2 Tbsp butter

a splash of white wine If you have the real stuff use it. Then pour yourself a little glass while you are at it, a little trick I learned from my dear friend Jen Hatmaker. ;)

salt

wisk in 2 Tbsp flour

once sauce thickens add in cheese to taste, I like a good Italian mix but I've used lots of different cheeses, whatever I have on hand, I'm sure I've even used cheddar in a pinch.  My family doesn't care as long as there's a good amount of cheese

Honey Dijon Chicken

Chicken

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

rosemary

salt and pepper

The following are from Fun with Sharps! My kids are lovers of Mexican flavors.  Furthermore, I can put just about anything in a tortilla and they will eat it!  This girl took on the same project and had lots of recipes I knew we would love, I left a few off so check out her link.  I halved all of her meals I think.  We don't do well finishing leftovers.  And since there really isn't any cooking involved I just made meals so we would have no leftovers.

Beef Burritos

1 London Broil or top round roast (about 2 lbs)

1 diced onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons whole peppercorns (I use crushed peppercorns so you don't have to strain the juice)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce – Use just 1 pepper!! (It’s in a can.)

1 ½ teaspoon chili powder (you can adjust this according to your taste)

Once meat is done shred and let cook a little longer (30 mins or so)

Chicken Fajitas

1 1/2 pound chicken breast

2 peppers chopped (your favorite)

1 onion chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth

taco seasoning packet

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

You will also need tortillas, cheese, sour cream, etc.

Shred meat when it's tender and serve warm

Salsa Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 15 oz. can of black beans
1 pound bag frozen corn 
1 can diced tomatoes with chilis (like Rotel) 
1 jar salsa 
1 packet of taco seasoning

Serve with rice or on tortillas along with shredded cheddar and sour cream.  This is a favorite of mine!!

Taco roast

1 (2.5 lb) chuck roast
1 (14 oz) can beef broth
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
May need more salt and pepper once cooked

With any kind of roast I try to turn it on as early as possible in the morning, You can always turn it on warm if it cooks through.

Tomato Basil Soup

So healthy and my kids love it.  I found on The Girl Who Ate Everything

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup finely diced onions

1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano

1/4 cup fresh basil

4 cups chicken broth

½ bay leaf

½ cup flour

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup butter

2 cups half and half, warmed (substitute milk for less calories)

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. (This is the part I freeze I use a ninja processor and I don't remember needing to blend in the next step)
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours (maybe a little longer if you are working with frozen starter), until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft. At this point I added all of the vegetables to a blender and blended until smooth. If you have a hand immersion blender that would work great. If you prefer a chunkier texture you can leave it as is or even blend just some of it. Return blended veggies back to the slow cooker.
3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare the roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add the flour. Stir roux constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve. Serve with warm rolls and a green salad.

You can also make bar-b-que in a slow cooker chicken, pork, I've even made ribs although I haven't perfected that recipe yet, they were good but next time I'm trying a dry rub through the night and then through the day with a sauce


Other easy go to recipes (not frozen)

Red Beans and Rice
Brown cut up Conecuh in the bottom of a deep pot in a thin layer of hot olive oil
Add two boxes of Zaterain's Red Beans and Rice cook according to directions

Cheese Quesadilla or Bean Burrito

Baked spaghetti it's better and less of a mess!  If you don't bake it, at least use a different pasta spaghetti is sooo messy.  If you aren't a tomato fan use Classico's Vodka Sauce, trust me!  And if you are baking make sure you add cream cheese and sprinkle lots of grated cheese on top.

Breakfast!

We are not good veggie eaters in our family.  Alex and I like different ones and cooked different ways.  He loves tomatoes (I don't) and canned green beans (I don't).  I love fresh veggies (he doesn't).  We can agree on roasted veggies for the most part, sprinkled with garlic salt, yum!  But the kids (ahem, Sterling) aren't always into them.  So we have found we love smoothies.  Here's what I do.  

• Pick a green, my go to is Spinach. I food process and freeze in ice cube trays, then put in a freezer bag.  I do the same with carrots, they are a nice sweet vegetable for smoothies.  
• You can buy frozen fruit or freeze fresh fruit.  I try to keep fresh fruit, but before it starts to turn, throw it in the freezer!  
• Buy bananas, let them get really ripe, then peel and freeze.  You need bananas!
• Add a few veggie cubes, some fruit, banana, some vanilla yogurt, and some apple juice, milk, coconut water, just plain water to the blender.  I got a ninja blender thing for Christmas, too.  It's amazing and pulverizes the chunks.  My picky, texture sensitive child doesn't like "chunks"
• Make enough for everyone, because they are going to love it!!

When you are making something like Bean Burritos and feel like you need to up your game a little, whip up a smoothie and you're golden