If you are like me you never feel like more of a domestic goddess then when you have something bubbling away in the crockpot, your house smells divine all day, the kids come in raving about how delicious it smells and you can already check dinner off your to do list before you've even had lunch.
It is crockpot season and we've rounded up some of our collective favorites so you don't have to google a new one each and every time. Which one are you cooking up tonight?
Erin's Italian Beef
This Italian Beef recipe is a family favorite that my mother-in-law gave me years ago - we love it! We use it for French Dips and it’s become a staple for us (especially in the fall and winter!) because it’s easy, inexpensive, and delicious. A real crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients:
2-4 pound beef roast (even an inexpensive cut works great), trim the fat
1 Envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix, dry
1 TBSP each of Basil, Oregano, Parsley
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups water
1 small jar pepperoncinis (optional)
Au jus packet
Hoagie Buns
Directions:
Put the roast in the crock pot. Mix all the dry spices and sprinkle over the top. Add two cups of water around the sides of the roast. Cook on HIGH for one hour, then lower the temperature to LOW for another 6-7 hours until the beef can be shredded. (Or if you aren’t available to adjust the temp, simply set it for 8 hours on LOW!). If adding the pepperoncinis, during the final 1-2 hours or cooking pour 1/2-1 cup of the juice into the crock pot liquid, along with the peppers.
When the peppers have softened and the meat is shreddable, lift out the roast to a large cutting board and shred or roughly cut for sandwiches, slicing and mixing in the peppers (if using) with the meat.
Serve on hoagie buns with Au jus on the side. For a little extra deliciousness, add more jalapeños or pepperoncinis and melt provolone over the top in the oven broiler. Enjoy!
Anissa's Zuppa Toscana Crockpot Soup
Our favorite Olive Garden soup, so it holds a lot of memories…also a great way to use up kale that you have in your fridge!!! We love adding bacon to it too!
Ingredients:
1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 large russet potatoes, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 (32 ounce) container chicken broth
2 cups water, or as needed
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 bunch kale, stems removed and discarded, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is tender and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and discard grease.
Place potatoes in a slow cooker; add cooked sausage and onion mixture. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pour in chicken broth and up to 2 cups water to completely cover potatoes. Stir soup gently and cover.
Cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours or High for 3 to 4 hours.
Pour in heavy cream and stir in kale to combine. Cover and cook on High until flavors are incorporated, about 30 minutes more. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.
Erika's Crockpot Balsamic Pot Roast
This roast is EASY!! But it tastes like I spent all day in the kitchen preparing dinner. I also love it because sometimes – especially in the cold winter months – we need a hearty, home-cooked meal and this scratches that itch.
Ingredients:
4-5 lbs beef chuck roast
2 c beef broth
½ c brown sugar
½ c balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, pressed
Zest of ½ orange (or lemon)
Directions:
Place meat in crockpot. Whisk together remaining ingredients and dump on roast. Cook for 6-8 hours on low. Serve on top of mashed potatoes.
Heidy's Creamy Chile Enchilada Crockpot Soup
This soup is the perfect autumn/winter soup. It’s everything I want at this time of year: it’s hearty, brothy, and slightly creamy. The rice adds nice texture and squeezing lime over it gives it a little tangy zip that brings all the flavors together deliciously!!
Ingredients:
4 chicken breast cooked and shredded (though I’ve done it not cooked and shredded and it’s been fine, you just need to shred before you eat)
2 (14.5 oz) cans of chicken broth
2 (15 oz) cans mild green enchilada sauce
2 (4 oz) cans of diced green chiles
2/3 cup water
1.5 TBLS cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp each of onion and garlic powders
2/3 cup frozen or canned corn
2/3 cups instant rice
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed
salt and pepper
shredded cheese
Directions:
Place first 8 ingredients in crock pot on high for 3.5 hours. Then add corn, rice and cubed cream cheese. Stir and cook for half an hour more. Shred chicken if you haven’t already. To serve, place corn chips or tortilla chips (if you have them) in bowl and ladle soup over. Top with shredded cheese and cilantro if desired.
Erika's Honey Garlic Glazed Chicken
I make the Honey Garlic Glazed Chicken at least once a month, if not more. It is, again, EASY! And I generally have all of these ingredients on-hand at any given moment. It cooks in the slow cooker in 3-4 hours…so when I forget to thaw the chicken the night before, I have plenty of time to do that the morning of, and still cook it in the slow cooker. I use my rice cooker for some yummy white rice, throw a salad together (or just a plate of fresh veggies) and TA-DA! Dinner is served. My kids love it too.
Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken thighs or breasts
4 garlic gloves, minced
1/3 c honey
½ c ketchup
½ c soy sauce
½ tsp oregano
2 Tbsp parsley
½ tsp toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
Arrange chicken on bottom of crockpot. In a mixing bowl, combine garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oregano and parsley. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour over chicken. Cook on LOW 6-7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Remove lid and transfer chicken to a service plate. Spoon sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Brooke's EASIEST Crockpot Chicken Tacos
A freaking weeknight dinner dream. This photo below is disgusting looking, but that is because I've made it 10x and never remember to get a photo AFTER it is cooked. Hence- busy weeknight dream meal. Truly- set it and forget it!
Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless (didn't follow that direction above) chicken breasts
1 1/2 C salsa OR 1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies
1 packet of taco seasoning or 2ish Tablespoons
Optional Items to Toss In:
1/2 onion diced
fresh or frozen corn
cream cheese (at the end to make it creamy)
black beans
Directions:
Toss everything in the crockpot (wait on the cream cheese until later) and
Serve it in tortillas, in salads, bowls over rice, on chips for kill nachos, whatever- it just makes really awesome flavored chicken. Of course depending on how you are serving it you may top with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, guac, jalapeños, cilantro, etc. But truly, on a busy week night, just toss it in a tortilla, maybe a little cheese and lettuce and put a fork in dinner because it's done.
Brooke's Crockpot French Onion Soup
My family is oddly obsessed with French Onion Soup. We usually love to order it out, but every once in awhile we get a wild hair and make it home. This is such an easy way to enjoy a rich and special soup.
Ingredients:
4-6 large white onions sliced (if you have a mandolin break that bad boy out)
3 tablespoons butter
64 ounces total chicken broth and beef broth (we do about 3/4 chicken broth and 1/4 beef broth but just wing it a bit.)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic minced
⅓ cup dry sherry
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay Leaf
8 slices French bread * stale or dry is best, or give it a little toast like we did
¾ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
½ cup shredded Emmental cheese (both of these cheeses are awesome, but don't stress about it- even shredded Swiss works great)
6 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
chives
Directions:
In a large non-stick pan, cook onions and butter and a little olive oil if you want over medium-low heat until golden and caramelized. It takes awhile for them to brown so be patient- about 30-45 minutes and you want them really caramelized and brown and you really have to be there stirring them a lot and scraping them off the bottom of the pan.
Once golden, add to the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients except for bread and cheese.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Remove and discard bay leaf and ladle the soup into a dutch oven pan or individual oven safe bowls. Top with dry bread slices, cheeses and chives. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned. As with any time you are broiling something- keep a close eye!
Crockpot Pork Green Chili- Brooke
A friend of mine shared this recipe with me over a decade ago and I still look forward to it every time we make it.
Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbl butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2-2 lbs. pork, cubed
2 (15 oz) cans chicken broth
2 (15 oz) cans chopped tomatoes
1 jar roasted chilis
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
cayenne to taste (optional)
cornstarch
water
Directions:
Saute onion, garlic and pork with butter. Add some cornstarch and water to thicken that mixture once the onions are tender. Cook everything together in the crockpot for 6-8 hours. Salt and pepper to taste.
We like to serve with shredded cheese and sour cream, and eat with a tortilla on the side.
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