Quick And Easy Slow Cooker Meals Your Family Will Love
Can you use some quick and easy slow cooker meals? I love being able to put ingredients in the slow cooker, then set and forget my dinners. I like to call these “dump” meals or dinners, sounds weird, huh? You can make a few meals ahead of time and place them in freezer bags, pull out one bag and place the ingredients inside the pan to cook on low all day. I love slow cookers!
Some of these recipes use frozen rice or pasta so I cook large batches of rice, pasta and freeze them in 2 cup freezer bags. I just grab a bag from the freezer and throw it in the slow cooker. I cook the rice in a rice cooker as directed on the package. I boil the pasta whether it’s bow tie, elbow macaroni, spaghetti or rigatoni shaped pasta al dente. Easy peasy.
Easy Slow Cooker Meals
Slow Cooker Mexican Soup Recipe
Slow Cooker Mexican Soup Recipe
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
8 hrs
Total Time
8 hrs 10 mins
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Mexican
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 2-14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes do not drain
- 2-14.5 ounce cans of chicken broth
- 3 cups water
- 1 peeled and chopped onion or equal amount of freeze-dried onions
- 1 carrot-sliced in bite-size pieces or 1/8 cup of dehydrated chopped carrots
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 cloves garlic-peeled and chopped
- dash of cayenne pepper
- 30-40 pre-cooked 1-1/2 inch meatballs I buy them frozen from Costco
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Instructions:
-
Combine all the ingredients except the meatballs and cook in a slow cooker for about 4 hours on low. You will add the meatballs halfway through the cooking time. Cook on low for another 4 hours, about 8 hours total. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with Cilantro. Enjoy.
Easy Taco Soup
Easy Taco Soup
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Mexican
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 1 Pound hamburger-cooked-crumbled & drained or you can also use freeze dried hamburger-reconstituted and drained to equal one pound
- ¼ cup freeze dried onion-not reconstituted or 1 whole onion peeled and chopped
- 1- 16 ounce can of beans-do not drain you can use white beans, chili beans or kidney beans
- 1- 12 ounce can of corn-do not drain you can also use freeze dried corn-reconstituted
- 2- 14-15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes-do not drain
- 1-2 Tablespoons taco seasoning-depending on how spicy you want it to taste
Instructions
-
Instructions:
-
First, you cook, crumble and drain the hamburger. Place all the ingredients in a large pot on the stove and simmer 20-30 minutes. Or you can cook it in a slow cooker for about six hours on low. Serve with grated cheese, a dollop of sour cream and crushed tortilla chips on the top of the soup.
Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Soup
Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Soup
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
8 hrs
Total Time
8 hrs 10 mins
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
American
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- Place the following ingredients in a slow cooker and stir:
- 3 15 oz. cans white beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups chicken broth I used 4 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon and 4 cups hot water
- 2 teaspoons dehydrated minced garlic
- ¼ cup dehydrated minced onion
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper cayenne
- ¼ – 1 teaspoon air dried jalapeno peppers less or more depending on how hot you like your soup or use 1 - 4 oz. can of green chilies, drained
- ½ cup freeze-dried or dehydrated carrots
- ¼ cup freeze dried or dehydrated celery
- Cut uncooked boneless chicken breasts 2 pounds into one-inch pieces.
- Sprinkle with pepper and Pink Salt or sea salt.
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a pan.
- Add chicken to hot oil and cook until browned and no pink is visible.
- *Please note you can substitute 2- 12.5 oz cans of cooked chicken for the fresh chicken
Instructions
-
Instructions:
-
Place the chicken in the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients and stir. Set to low and cook for 6-8 hours. Just before serving, remove one cup of soup mixture and puree with 2 tablespoons of sour cream. Return to slow cooker and stir. Serve soup with a scoop of sour cream and slice of avocado, if desired. Makes approximately four servings.
My Chicken Noodle Soup
My Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
6 hrs
Total Time
6 hrs 10 mins
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
American
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 2 cans of chicken 12.5-ounces each drained or substitute 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken
- 6 cups water
- ¼ cup Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base or substitute equal amounts of water with chicken broth
- ¾ cup dry dehydrated carrots or 1-1/2 cups diced fresh carrots
- ¾ cup dry freeze dried celery or 1-1/2 cups diced fresh celery
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried sweet basil
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 package Grandma’s frozen egg noodles 11-ounces separated as directed or boil your pasta of choice
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup undiluted optional
Instructions
-
Instructions:
-
Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 20 mins
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 2-6 ounce cans tomato paste with equal amounts of water added
- 4 lbs. freshly ground beef venison, elk, turkey or cooked beans of choice
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup prepared mustard bottled-not dry
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
-
Instructions:
-
I fry the meat of choice with the chopped onion until browned. Add the remaining ingredients in the order shown. Cook on low in a slow cooker for 4-6 hours depending on your slow cooker temperature. Serve on buns or open-faced sandwich.
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
6 hrs
Total Time
6 hrs 10 mins
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 3 cans 15 ounces each of small white beans (not drained)
- 2 cans 12.5 ounces each of canned chicken (drained)
- 1 stick butter or reconstituted powdered butter equal to one cube
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese grated or freeze dried-reconstituted
- ¼ ounce can of chopped green chilies
- ¼ cup freeze dried onions or 1 onion chopped
- 16- ounce jar of salsa
- sour cream to garnish
- Tortilla chips crushed for garnish
Instructions
-
Instructions:
-
Add all the ingredients in order into a slow cooker and cook on low 5-6 hours. Serve with crushed tortilla chips on the soup with a dollop of sour cream. Add a few sprigs of Cilantro, if desired.
Best Slow Cooker Shredded Pork
Best Slow Cooker Shredded Pork
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
8 hrs
Total Time
8 hrs 10 mins
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
American
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 2-3 pounds pork loin
- 2 cups salsa
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- no water-it is very moist on its own
Instructions
-
Instructions:
-
Place the pork loins in the slow cooker and top with your favorite salsa and the brown sugar. Turn your slow cooker to low for 6-8 hours, depending on the temperature of your slow cooker. Use two forks to shred the juicy tender meat right before serving.
What are some of your favorite quick meals you cook in your slow cooker? I love easy and quick meals! This is the slow cooker I use: Crock-Pot SCCPVL610-S Programmable Cook and Carry Oval Slow Cooker
I also use this small one: Cuisinart PSC-350 3-1/2-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
I also use this small one: Cuisinart PSC-350 3-1/2-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
Love reading your site. Just wanted to write and tell you.
Hi, Jo, that means a lot to me, thanks for taking a few minutes to tell me. Linda
Everyone at our house loves Shepherds Pie! 1-2 lbs. browned, drained hamburger, chopped onions, celery and shredded carrots plus whatever other veggies I have, like green beans, sliced yellow squash or sweet potatoes. Cook 4 hr in beef bouillon, add brown gravy mix for the last hour to thicken broth, top with mashed potatoes and shredded cheese 30 mins. before serving.
Hi BDN, oh my gosh I forgot about Shepherds Pie!! I need to post this recipe! Thanks for the reminder! Linda
My Niece told me this recipe and it is so good. In a crock pot place a roast and pour a jar
of pickled pepper rings on top. Put the lid on and cook on low all day. Shred meat with
a fork and put on a bun, enjoy. Note: What I like to do is in the last hour or 2 I place
sliced onions on top. It adds a great flavor.
Hi June, I have got to try this slow cooker recipe!!! Thank you for sharing! Linda