Fix-And-Forget Recipe: Slow-Cooked Beef Stew

Today's recipe is yet another hearty dish designed to warm you up on a chilly day. This beef stew is filled with delicious beef and vegetables, and best of all it doesn't take much work to make. Just add the ingredients to a slow cooker before leaving for work, and by the time you get back the stew should be ready to serve the family.

Like any slow cooker recipe, this beef stew is absolutely open to all sorts of additions and adjustments. Play around with different broths, add a cup of red wine, or throw in a few extra spices as you see fit. Keep reading below for our delicious beef stew recipe...

Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe

(makes 6-8 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 large potatoes, cut into 1/2" chunks
• 1 cup fresh green beans cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1lb stew-meat beef chunks
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 3 cups beef stock
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste

Directions

1. Put the ingredients except for the flour and tomato paste into the slow cooker and stir to combine.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or high for 4 to 5 until the beef is tender and potatoes are fork-tender.
3. Stir the stew once or twice as it cooks if possible.
4. 30 minutes before serving, transfer a ladle-ful of broth to a small mixing bowl.
5. Add the flour and tomatoe paste. Whisk until mooth, then stir the mixture back into the stew and cook for the remaining half hour.
6. Serve hot.
7. Enjoy!

Comfort Food Recipe: Slow Cooked Beef Stroganoff

Here's a great recipe for beef stroganoff filled with plenty of that mushroom and onion flavor. It's interesting to note, though, that the earliest versions of the recipe, (dating back to the 1860's) didn't have onions or mushrooms like most of us today would expect. Instead, the dish was traditionally cooked with mustard and bullion.

This recipe, however, is based off that 1950's-style dish that includes beef strips and a mushroom, onion, and sour cream sauce. Serve it over a bed of egg noodles, and garnish the dish with fresh dill to really make the flavors pop. Since this is a slow cooker recipe, you can prepare it the morning of, or even the night before and get home to a perfectly cooked meal. Keep reading below for our beef stroganoff recipe...

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1lb round top steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8oz sliced mushrooms (about 2 cups)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• 8oz sour cream

Directions

1. Place steak, onion, parsley, Dijon mustard, salt, dried dill, black pepper, sliced mushrooms, and garlic into the slow cooker. Stir well
2. In a small bowl combine flour, Worcestershir sauce, and broth, whisking until well blended.
3. Add broth mixture to slow cooker, then stir well.
4. Cover with lid and cook on high heat for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 7 to 8 hours or until steak is tender.
5. Before serving, stir in the cream cheese, and cook covered on high for another 10 minutes.
6. Stir in the sour cream, then serve over rice or egg noodles. Garnish with fresh dill or parsley
7. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Recipe: Teriyaki Chicken

In the mood for something a little sweet and a little bit sour? Teriyaki chicken is a natural choice! How to cook it, though? What if we could get that signature glaze and powerful flavor in a crock pot?

We combined soy sauce and vinegar as the base for this chicken teriyaki, and added some complexity with a bit of molasses, ginger, and garlic. We let the chicken cook right in the mixture, then set the chicken aside and got to work finishing up the sauce. Some chicken stock added a little more richness while cornstarch thickened it up right the right amount. We only needed 2 teaspoons chicken stock, though, so if you don't have an open carton sitting in the fridge, feel free to just use water. Serve this dish with a side of rice and veggies. Keep reading below for this simple favorite recipe...

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

(maks 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons chicken stock

Directions

1. In the slow cooker, mix together soy sauce, molasses, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and pepper.
2. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and turn a few times to coat well in the soy sauce mixture.
3. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, turning the chicken about every hour to ensure even cooking.
4. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the slow cooker, cut up into bite sized pieces, and set aside.
5. Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and chicken stock until combined.
7. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the boiling liquid and reduce to a simmer.
8. Allow the sauce to thicken for 2-3 minutes, then add the chicken to the pan.
9. Toss to coat the chicken with the sauce, and let heat through.
10. Serve over rice with vegetables.
11. Enjoy!

Cajun Recipe: Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Here's a great, hearty, spicy dish that's always a family favorite. It's packed with vegetables, rice, and plenty of meat. Don't forget that great, complex creole flavor from the seasoning that really is the heart of this dish.

Traditionally, Jambalaya is made in a Dutch oven and cooked for a long simmer. We didn't want to take away from the idea of a long simmer, but at the same time we wanted to keep this dish as simple as possible. Using a slow cooker just felt natural. From there, we looked at the right type of sausage to use, and after a few taste tests decided on andouille. If you can't find any, you can substitute for chorizo, or even kielbasa. Keep reading below for this fantastic recipe...

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

(makes about 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1lb chicken breast halves cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1lb andoille sausage, sliced
• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, mix together all ingredients except for the rice and shrimp. 
2. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or 3 to 4 hours on high. Halfway through cooking,  add the rice. 40 minutes before serving, stir in the shrimp. Continue to cook for the remaining 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the shrimp and has turned pink, then before serving remove bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with slices of lime, and add Tabasco sauce if desired. 
3. Enjoy!

Comfort Food Classic: Slow-Cooker Southwest Chili

Nothing beats a good chili on a cold day, especially when it's served with our favorite cornbread. We wanted to create a hearty, hot chili in true Southwest style: plenty of meat, plenty of beans, and of course corn. When crafting this recipe, we wanted to make something that was easy, because who wants to put in a lot of work when it's chilly outside and you just want to curl up by the fire? 

To make easy chili, the slow cooker felt natural. From there, it was finding the right layer of ingredients to really make this chili shine. We used canned beans for the simplicity, but if you would prefer to use dried beans, just quick brine them. Use 1/2lb dried pinto beans, and combine with 3 tablespoons of salt and 4 quarts of water in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. After that, just drain and you're good to go. Ready to make some serious comfort food? Scroll below for our favorite slow-cooker chili recipe...

Slow-Cooker Southwest Chili

(makes 10 servings)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 6 gloves garlic, chopped
• 2 small cans corn kernels no salt added, drained
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 2lbs lean ground beef
• 1lb hot Italian sausage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 bottle lager (Sam Adams work very well)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon light molasses
• 2 15oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 small jalapeno chili peppers, seeded, stemmed, and diced
• 2 arbol peppers, seeded, stemmed, and diced
• 3 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and break apart the ground beef and sausage. Cook until beef is evenly browned, and sausage is cooked (about 8 or so minutes). Drain and discard any excess grease.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low for 10 hours, or high for 4 hours.
3. To serve, garnish with cheese and serve with sour cream.
4. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Recipe: Beef Bourguignon

For a beef stew that's absolutely packed with flavor, look no further than beef bourguignon. It's a wonderfully savory dish with red wine, slow cooked beef, onions, and of course mushrooms. It's the perfect dish to enjoy on a cold, winter day.

When considering how to put this recipe together, we wanted to do something nice and simple. The natural solution, of course, was to use the slow cooker. With that in mind, we cooked the meat first: some bacon, followed by the beef cooked in the bacon fat followed by the vegetables to really help spread the flavor around. We deglazed the pan with some wine to add an extra layer of flavor to the dish before simmering it all in the slow cooker. To finish everything, we stirred in the bacon we cooked with the mushrooms. Keep reading below for this fantastic recipe...

Beef Bourguignon

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

• 6 slices thick cut bacon diced
• 3 lbs lean stew beef cut into 2" cubes
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups red wine
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled
• 20 pearl onions peeled/skinned (or use thawed frozen ones)
• An herb bouquet of (4 parsley sprigs, one bay leaf, and one quarter teaspoon thyme all tied in cheesecloth)
• 1lb fresh white button mushrooms sliced

Directions

1. Warm up a skillet, then add the bacon. Cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is nice and crispy. Remove the pan from the heat, and transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour off all but a tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan, reserving the rest of the grease for cooking.
2. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry and sprinkle with flour, salt, and pepper.  Just before the bacon fat is smoking, add a single layer of beef cubes. Sear the meat in batches, flipping the pieces after 1 to 3 minutes.
3. After each batch, transfer the seared beef to the slow cooker. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of wine, using a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan while the wine simmers. Pour the wine over the seared meat once the pan is cleaned.
4. Add 1 more tablespoon of leftover bacon grease to the pan and repeat the  searing of the meat and deglazing of the pan until all the meat is seared.
5. Add one more tablespoon of the bacon grease to the pan and cook the yellow onions with 1/4 teaspoon of salt until soft and browned (6 to 8 minutes). Add the carrots and cook until softened. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the slow cooker.
6. Wipe the pan clean and warm one more tablespoon of bacon grease (or vegetable oil) over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms with 1/4 teaspoon salt until they release all their liquid and the liquid has evaporated. The mushrooms should end up a nice golden brown (about 8 to 10 minutes). Transfer the mushrooms to a clean bowl and set aside.
7. Stir together the mixture in the slow cooker with an additional 1 teaspoon salt, the thyme, and the crumbled bay leaf. Add the herb bouquet to the mixture and pour in the beef broth and remaining wine over the mixture. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
8. Just before serving, stir in the reserved bacon, pearl onions, and mushrooms, then cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the herb bouquet the serve.
9. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Sandwich: French Dip Roast Beef

If there is one sandwich that is very popular in my house, it is a good roast beef with au jus sauce. Getting a great, authentic au jus sauce is hard. however. Sure, we could use a powdered gravy, but it just doesn't taste the same. I wanted to find a recipe that would provide a great au jus sauce as well as a fantastic roast beef just waiting to be thinly sliced and added to a sandwich.

It turns out, this great roast beef as well as the au jus can be made easily in the crock pot. That beef flavor was important, so of course cooking the roast in the crock pot was necessary. From there, we added a combination of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce to get that classic flavor. To add a little more strength to the au jus, we cooked with whole peppercorns, a bay leaf, and used a little more beef broth in the base. Keep reading below for this fantastic recipe...

French Dip Roast Beef Sandwich

(makes 8 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt to taste
• 3lb boneless beef bottom roast

Directions

1. Slice the onion into 1/4" rings and layer the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Trim the roast of visible fat, then salt both sides of the roast. Place on top of the onions. 
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, pouring the broth and soy sauce over the beef. If the roast isn't covered, add enough water to almost cover the meat in liquid.
4. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low 10-12 hours. Remove the meat from the liquid. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain.
5. Serve the meat in a sandwich with a small cup of the au jus to the side.
6. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Recipe: Simple Chicken Cacciatore

This Italian dish is often referred to as chicken "hunter style," because cacciatore means hunter in Italian. Why the hunting reference? The story goes that a hunter who came back from an expedition with nothing to show for it would have no choice but to go out to the yard and kill a chicken for dinner instead. Thus, the recipe was born: chicken braised in a tomato-based sauce, with a mix of spices and veggies.

We wanted to keep that rustic Italian flavor in the dish: plenty of mushrooms and vegetables, and of course tomato sauce. Above all, however, we wanted to make this recipe as simple as possible. What could be simpler than turning to our slow cooker? Keep reading below for this great recipe...

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

(Makes 4-6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 fryer chicken cut into serving pieces (about 3-4 pounds cut into 8 pieces) or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves.
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 red sweet pepper, chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
• salt and pepper
• a pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Put the flour and chicken pieces in a bag and shake to coat. Add olive oil to a skillet and cook to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown, then add garlic for 30 seconds, or until fragrant, tossing with the olive oil and chicken to coat the chicken well. Transfer chicken pieces and garlic to the slow cooker.
2. Add the onions, peppers, and celery to the crock pot. Add the wine to the pan you cooked the chicken in, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom until the wine has reduced by half. Pour the reduced wine into the crockpot with the tomatoes, oregano, basil, mushrooms, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for four hours.
4. When finished, remove the lid and keep the crock pot on high for one hour to help it thicken.
5. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Recipe: BBQ Pulled Pork

Sometimes we're in the mood for barbecue no matter the season! That mood recently struck us, and nothing short of absolutely divine pulled pork would satisfy that craving! Of course, we're still stuck indoors from the snow, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy all the flavors and textures of a barbecue anyway.

One issue we've had with many recipes is the fact that they come out far too moist, almost mushy and water logged. Others were dry, and just begging for more moisture. Perhaps even worse, some barbecue sauces were almost candy-sweet, and that just wouldn't do. We wanted something nice and smoky that's tender, but not soggy. To achieve this, we used a boneless butt cut of the pig. During the brining process, we added some liquid smoke to the brine to add in some flavor it would be missing from the barbecue deep into the meat. We also created a dry and a wet rub for the pork to really drive the flavor home. From there, it was a matter of creating the perfect sauce to add to the slow cooker and really allow the meat to cook. Keep reading below for this heavenly recipe...

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

(makes 10-15 servings)

Ingredients

PORK

• 1 cup plus 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1 boneless pork butt (about 4-5 lbs) cut in half horizontally
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

BARBECUE SAUCE

• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup light molasses
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Dissolve 1 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons liquid smoke in 4 quarts of cold water in a large container. Submerge the pork in the brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. While the pork brines, combine the mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons liquid smoke in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine the black pepper, paprika, cayenne, the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and the remaining 2 teaspoons salt in a second small bowl. Set aside.
3. Remove the pork from the brine and dry thoroughly with a paper towel. rub the mustard mixture over the entirety of the pork. Sprinkle the surface of each piece of pork with the spice mixture. 
4. Place the pork in the slow cooker and cook for 10 hours on low. Once the pork is done cooking, transfer from the slow cooker to a roasting pan and pull apart with forks. Carefully pour off any liquid from the bottom of the roasting pan and the bottom of the slow cooker into a heatproof pitcher or large fat separator. Skim off the fat. Place the pork back into the slow cooker.
5. Place 3/4 cup of the defatted liquid into a medium bowl. Whisk in the sauce ingredients. Stir the sauce into the pork and cook for 2 hours.
6. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the slow cooker. Serve on a serving platter or on individual buns with any remaining sauce alongside.
7. Enjoy!

Southern Slow Cooker Recipe: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

If there is one dish that just screams southern cooking, it has to be a great gumbo. This Louisiana based dish is full of meat, vegetables, and of course a great stock. We wanted to go ahead an make a fantastic chicken and sausage gumbo, keeping to the spirit of the dish while making it nice and simple at the same time.

While perhaps similar in many ingredients, gumbo is very distinct from a jambalaya. While the rice in Jambalaya is cooked in the dish, they should be kept separate until serving for a gumbo. Further, a gumbo makes use of a flavorful roux for thickening and flavor. Also, any good gumbo should include okra. While most slow cooker recipes would have you throw all the ingredients in at once, we found these distinctions required just a little extra work and prep to really keep to the spirit of the gumbo. Keep reading below for this great gumbo recipe...

Chicken and Gumbo Sausage Recipe

(makes 4-8 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 1/2" pieces
• 3/4lb andouille sausage
• 1/2lb okra, cut crosswise into thick slices
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon Tobasco sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• steamed white rice for serving

Directions

1. In a large skillet, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides (about 8 minutes). Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker then add the sausage. Scatter the okra, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and onion on top.
2. Return the skillet to medium heat and warm up the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle the flour in the pan and cook, stirring constantly until golden brown (about 4 minutes). Stir in the broth and the tomatoes with juice. Increase the heat to medium-high, stirring constantly. When the mixture comes to a boil, remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt, cayenne, Tobasco, and Worcestershire sauce, then pour into the slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours. Taste, then season with salt and cayenne to taste. Ladle the gumbo over the steamed rice and serve immediately.
4. Enjoy!

Starter Recipe: Slow-Cooked Cheesy Potato Soup

Here's a hearty soup that's perfect when you have little time or energy to devote to the kitchen! This recipe involves a simple combination of potatoes, bacon and cheese, thrown together in the crock pot to create a savory starter.

The trick to this recipe is to let the potato and onion cook, then for the final steps just mash them together and add in the milk and cheese about 20 to 30 minutes before serving. This will give you the right consistency without sacrificing any of the flavor. If you want to make the soup a little more chunky, pull some of the potato bits out before mashing, and add them back in with the milk and cheese. Keep reading below for our favorite recipe...

Slow Cooked Cheesy Potato Soup

(makes 8 servings)

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 medium stalk celery, diced
• 3 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4" chunks
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Chives, sour cream, bacon, and/or cheese for garnish

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove from pan, keeping 3 teaspoons of drippings behind. Crumble bacon and store in fridge.
2. Add onion and celery to the pan, and saute until tender.
3. Place potato, onion, and celery in a slow cooker coated with cooking spray, then add water, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.
4. Cook covered on low for 8 hours, or until the potatoes are tender.
5. Mash the potatoes in the crock pot.
6. Combine flour and milk, then stir into the potato mixture with 3/4 cup cheese.
7. Increase the heat to high, and cook covered for another 30 minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly.
8. Serve the soup into bowls and top with crumbled bacon, remaining cheese, and any other garnish (such as sour cream and chives) you wish.
9. Enjoy!

Soup Recipe: Slow-Cooked Minestrone

We wanted to go ahead and create a good, hearty soup packed with plenty of vegetables, and most of all, we wanted to make this as simple as possible. So naturally, we looked once more to our slow cooker.

For a wonderfully hearty soup, we opted for minestrone. It's already filled with plenty of vegetables and spices, and if you use vegetable broth it makes for an easy vegetarian (or vegan if you don't use the cheese) dish. Feel free to use chicken broth, however, if that's more your speed. We loaded this slow cooking soup with beans, pasta, tomatoes, and of course plenty of spices. Keep reading below for this fantastic recipe...

Slow Cooked Minestrone

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1oz Parmesan cheese rind
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 2 cups cooked ditalini pasta
• Extra Parmesan cheese for topping.

1. In a slow cooker, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan cheese rind, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
2. Forty minutes before the soup is done, add the zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes.
3. Add the cooked pasta, cook for another 10 minutes. remove the bay leaves, rosemary sprig, Parmesan rind, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
4. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Recipe: Slow Cooker Bean and Barley Soup

Nothing feels quite as good as coming inside to a nice bowl of hearty soup. We were searching for a filling and flavorful vegetarian soup that we could create in the slow cooker, and that's when we discovered this one: bean and barley soup. 

This hearty, vegetarian soup is packed with plenty of great flavors, and as the name implies, plenty of barley to fill you up. The recipe calls for Parmesan cheese, but vegans can opt our of that to enjoy this as well--  try replacing it with a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar. We also prefer to use kidney beans for this recipe, however cannellini or white beans work just as well.

Slow Cooker Bean and Barley Soup

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried kidney beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• kosher salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• black pepper to taste
• 14oz can of whole tomatoes, with juice
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions

1. Put 4 cups vegetable broth, 2 cups water, the beans, barley, garlic, carrots, celery, onions, zucchini, bay leaves, salt, and spices in the slow cooker.
2. Squeeze the tomatoes through your hands over the pot to break them down, then add to the slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on high until the beans are tender and the soup is thick (about 8 hours).
4. Before serving, add the spinach and cheese, and stir until the spinach wilts (about 5 minutes).
5. Remove the bay leaves, and add additional salt and pepper to taste.
6. Optionally drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil before serving.
7. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Recipe: Slow Cooker Squash Stew

Squash is packed with vitamins, a super food if there ever were one-- and it's delicious, to boot. We love throwing it in with some other simple ingredients to create a hearty stew. 

This is an absolutely vegetarian dish that combines the savory notes of a good broth with some sweetness from the tomato paste and the squash. It all ends with a little kick from some red pepper flakes to really make this a light dish that's perfect on the palate. Keep reading below for this recipe...

Slow Cooker Squash Stew

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into large pieces
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated and roughly chopped
• 4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft and golden brown (about 4 to 5 minutes). Stir in the tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and chili powder, and cook for 1 minute.
2. Stir in 1/2 cup vegetable stock, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet, then transfer the contents of the skillet to a slow cooker.
3. Add the chickpeas, squash, chard stems (but not the leaves), bay leaf, 2 teaspoons salt, remaining vegetable stock, lemon juice, and 3 cups of water. Stir, then cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
4. Just before serving, lift and stir in the chard leaves. Cook for 10 more minutes. Remove the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, then stir to slightly break up the squash. Ladle the stew into bowls, top with grated parmesan if desired, and serve with bread.
5. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Recipe: Baked Beans

A favorite in both the US and the UK, baked beans are a great side dish for many meals. They are sweet, tangy, and loaded with plenty of protein. They work great as a side to a burger, or a topping for other dishes like sweet potatoes. Today, most of us are probably familiar with canned baked beans, but traditionally they were slow cooked in a ceramic or cast-iron beanpot. Since most of us probably don't have a beanpot laying around, we were wondering if there was a way to make this great side using a slow cooker.

The trick to getting this dish perfect was not only to nail the consistency, but to get that deep, tangy yet sweet flavor. For the consistency, the trick was right in the ingredients. If you were to take the beans and slow cook them unseasoned for a long time, they would end up mushy. What stops this recipe from turning into a big puddle of mush? It turns out it's the sugar and molasses. The calcium from the molasses as well as the sugar both harden the beans, allowing you to cook them for a long time without risking them turning mushy. to get the flavor right, we also added some garlic, onions, mustard, and of course bacon to perfect the baked beans recipe. Keep reading below to read how we made this fantastic side!

Slow Cooker Baked Beans

(makes about 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 1lb dry white beans
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2lb salt pork cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with 2" of water. Soak overnight and drain.
2. Mix the molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and cloves with the tomato paste, chicken broth, and hot water.
3. Line the bottom of the slow cooker with half the salt pork (choose the fattiest pieces). Layer over it with half of the dried beans. Add all of the onions and garlic in a layer, then top with the remaining beans and remaining salt pork. Pour the water/tomato sauce mixture over the beans.
4. Cover and cook in the slow cooker on low for 8-12 hours, or until the beans are tender. Check the water level a few hours in. If the beans need more water, add some. Add salt to taste if needed.
5. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Recipe: Slow Cooker Lentil Vegetable Soup

If you're looking for a simple, healthy soup, why not try a lentil soup made right in your crock pot? We wanted to keep the soup as simple as possible while also fitting easily into as many diets as possible. This recipe is gluten free and vegetarian. We loaded this with plenty of delicious vegetables and spices to make a bold, complex flavor. Keep reading below for this simple recipe...

Slow Cooker Lentil Vegetable Soup

(makes 8 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh or frozen whole kernel corn
• 1 large red potato, cut into 1" cubes
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup diced sweet onion
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper sliced thinly
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• kosher or sea salt to taste
• 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup dried lentils

Directions

1. Add all of the above ingredients except the lentils to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Add the lentils during the last hour of cooking time. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
2. Enjoy!

Easy Slow Cooker Dish: Cheesy Grits & Butter Garlic Shrimp

Grits is a delicious Southern breakfast dish that is the American alternative to polenta. It’s creamy and (hopefully) salty and buttery goodness. Some people make it on the stovetop, but that can take anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour of active cooking; with this recipe, all you have to do is put the grits in the slow cooker overnight or before you leave for work in the morning!

We decided to take slightly unconventional route with these grits by pairing them with shrimp and making a lunch or dinner, instead of breakfast—if you’d like to stick with your grits in the A.M., sounds good to us. If not, try them with these yummy shrimp!

Cheesy Grits and Shrimp

Serves 6-8

 Ingredients

Grits:

• 2 cups uncooked stone-ground grits
• 6 cups water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

Shrimp:

• 24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 1/4 sticks butter, sliced into pats
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Combine grits and water in slow cooker and let grits settle to the bottom. Skim any solids off the top of the water. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or overnight.
2. Stir and add in cream, cheeses, salt, pepper and butter.
3. Preheat oven to 350º F.
4. Toss shrimp in olive oil and minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Spread out on a baking tray.
5. Place in oven and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until shrimp is pink, opaque and cooked through.
6. Add butter directly to baking tray and toss shrimp in it.
7. Spoon grits into bowls and add shrimp and butter on top.
8. Serve warm.