Crockpot Korean Beef Tacos with Cucumber Slaw

Ingredients:

For the Korean Beef:

• 5 lb. chuck roast
• 1 10 oz. bottle low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 c packed brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 T ginger, grated (Have you discovered the pre-grated/ground ginger in produce section yet? Love!)
• 6 T rice vinegar
• 2 T sesame oil
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T sriracha

For the Cucumber Slaw:

• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 c rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 c water
• 1 T Thai Garlic Chili Pepper Sauce
• 1 t salt
• 2-3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin
• 1/4 c thinly sliced red onion

For the Tacos:

• 16 small tortillas or spring roll wraps
• Cilantro
• Shredded cabbage/cole slaw mix
• Greek yogurt or sour cream
• Sriracha

Directions:

1. To make the Korean beef for the tacos, spray your slow cooker crock with non-stick cooking spray and add the chuck roast.
2. Whisk soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar with the garlic, ginger, sriracha, and oils.
3. Pour over the roast in the crockpot. 
4. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove roast from crockpot and meat just falls apart.  Use the "shredded" beef for the tacos.
5. For the cucumber slaw:
   1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, water, chili pepper sauce and salt.  Stir, cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
   2. Add cucumbers to onion in an appropriately sized dish that will allow all the cucumber mixture to be covered with the marinade.
   3. Pour vinegar mixture over the vegetables and let marinate for 30 minutes.
   4. Remove cucumbers with a slotted spoon.
6. To assemble, serve the shredded meat on warmed tortillas topped a spoon of cucumber slaw, shredded cabbage, cilantro, sriracha and a dollop of yogurt.

This recipe is absolutely delicious! We actually used the coleslaw and ate it more like an asian salad, but it was absolutely delicious.  We actually used leftover cucumber slaw marinade and put some of the cabbage in there to marinate as well.  Delicious!  Everyone in our family LOVED it! This recipe inspiration (and the photo) came from the Confections of a Food Bride blog.

Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
juice from 2 limes
1/2 cup of cilantro
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 t dried onions
1/2 cup of water
shredded cheese
sour cream
salsa
chopped tomatoes

Directions:
1. Put all ingredients into crock-pot. Cook on low all day, or set crock-pot to high and cook for four(ish) hours. 
2. Shred, stir well.
3. Spoon into soft taco tortillas.
4. Top with cheese, sour cream, salsa, and tomatoes.

BBQ Shredded Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients for BBQ shredded chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 teaspoon grill seasoning
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
14. 5 oz. diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon Worchestshire sauce

For everything else:
8 clean-scrubbed white sweet potatoes
Pam cooking spray
dash of salt per sweet potato
1 cup shredded colby/jack cheese
1 cup non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
dash salt & black pepper
1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro
fresh off cobb or frozen sweet yellow corn

Directions:
1.  Mix together all ingredients for BBQ shredded chicken, except the raw chicken.  Pour BBQ sauce into crock pot, add chicken breasts and slow cook for 6-8 hours on low setting.
2.  Stir together the Greek yogurt, salt & pepper, chopped green onions and chopped cilantro.  Chill.
3.  With about 2 hours to go on the BBQ chicken, scrub and clean sweet potatoes. Coat lightly with cooking spray and dash of salt.  Wrap in foil and place in heated 375 degree oven to bake for 1.5 hours.
4.  When the chicken is finished, remove from crock pot and shred with a fork, and stir back into BBQ sauce.
5.  Once sweet potatoes are baked, slice open in the center, fluff with fork, and stuff with BBQ shredded chicken, Greek yogurt concoction, shredded cheese and sweet corn.

NOTE:  I also gave an option of making this a BBQ shredded chicken sandwich and sweet potato meal by providing whole wheat hoagie rolls, baby greens, and fresh pineapple.

Summer Chili with Turkey

Ingredients:
1.25 lbs. fresh ground turkey
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon grill seasoning blend
1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
1 Tablespoon Worchestire sauce
2 Tablespoons hot sauce
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
2 bell peppers (I used yellow & orange), chopped
14.5 oz. tomato sauce
14.5 oz. beans (black, pinto, and/or small kidney - I used all three)
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (optional, I did NOT use)
1/2 cup fresh off cobb or frozen, thawed yellow sweet corn
1/4 cup diced jalapenos

Toppings:
1/2 cup non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 avocado, sliced

Directions:
1.  Brown ground turkey in skillet, add chopped peppers and onion.  Add chili powder, grill seasoning, and cumin and saute until onions are translucent.
2.  In a large saucepan or crock pot, add and stir together tomato sauce, beans, (optional) BBQ sauce, Worchestire sauce, hot sauce, corn, and jalapenos.
3.  Transfer ground turkey mixture into the crock pot.  Slow cook for 6-8 hours, or quick cook for 4 hours.
4.  Serve chili hot with any/all toppings and enjoy!
5.  Another option for a heartier, but still healthy meal is to steam quinoa and top with cooked summer chili.

Overnight, Crock Pot, Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2-1/2 to 3 cups chopped)
• 1-1/2 cups fat-free milk (or substitute non-diary alternative like almond milk)
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or substitute maple syrup or other desired sweetener)
• 1-1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into 5-6 pieces (optional)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, additional milk or butter

Directions

1. Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray or butter. 
2. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to slow cooker. 
3. Stir, cover, and cook on low for approx. 7 hours (slow cooker times can vary). 
4. Spoon oatmeal into bowls; add optional toppings, if desired. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Freezes well.

To reheat single servings: Put 1-cup cooked oatmeal in microwave proof bowl. Add 1/3 cup fat-free milk. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Continue cooking for another minute, or until hot.

Recipe can be doubled in 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Increase cooking time 1 hour.

Nutritional Info (per 3/4 cup serving without optional garnishes): 149 calories, 3.6g fat, 27.3g carbs, 3.9g fiber, 4.9g protein; Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 4 pts

I increased the butter to 2 T and went ahead and used the butter to coat the dish and the remainder cut up in the recipe. I topped with a few walnuts, raisins, and poured some non-fat milk over the top.  The sides of the crockpot get a bit crusty (you can see in the pic) with the oats after the long cook time, but honestly, that was probably my favorite part.  I just mixed the little chunks in with the rest.  It definitely wasn't too sweet and although it smelled like a dessert, tasted like a breakfast.  Although it has an extended cook time, the hands on time is nearly nothing. I made this when we had company over and served with a little "toppings" bar.  It was a huge hit! Will repeat FOR SURE! 

Crockpot Spicy Turkey Chili

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 onion, chopped or sliced
1 can diced tomatoes with jalapeños
1 can each of black, kidney and chickpeas, drained and rinsed
14 oz of low-sodium non-fat chicken broth
Salt and cumin to taste
1/8 cup Chalula Sauce
1 jalapeño or Serrano pepper, chopped

Preparation:
1. Heat oil on medium-high. Sauté onion for about five minutos, or until transluscent. Add the turkey and brown.
2. Combine the tomatoes with juice, beans, broth, Chalula, and spices in your crockpot.
3. Simmer on low setting for 6-8 hours.
Serve with shredded colby/jack cheese and Trader Joe's whole kernel cornbread :)

This recipe comes from my super sweet friend, Melissa! She originally found the chili recipe in the Men's Health magazine.

Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 cup chopped white or yellow onion
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. sliced mushrooms (2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
1 cup lower-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
8 oz. non-fat plain Greek yogurt
2 cups whole wheat spiral noodles  

Preparation:
1. Clean and cut chicken breasts into small chunks. Place chicken and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a crockpot, stirring well.
2. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level. Place flour in small bowl, gradually add chicken broth, stir with a whisk until blended. Add broth mixture to crockpot slowly, stir well. Cover with lid, cook on high setting for 1 hour. Reduce to low setting and cook 5 hours. Add whole wheat noodles and cook for 1 more hour on low. Let stroganoff stand 10 minutes and then stir in Greek yogurt.

Another option is to boil the noodles separately and add with the Greek yogurt just before serving.  

From Cooking Light Slow Cooker Tonight

Crockpot Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients 
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts (about 2 pounds) 
Salt and pepper 
1/2 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup honey 
1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce 
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil 
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
4 teaspoons cornstarch

1/3 cup water 
2 packets minute rice, optional 
1/2 tablespoon (or more) sesame seeds

3 scallions, chopped

Directions 
Place chicken in Crock Pot and lightly season both sides with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oil and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or high for 2 hours.

Remove chicken to a cutting board, leaving sauce. Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces; set aside. Prepare rice according to package instructions.

In a small bowl, dissolve 4 teaspoons cornstarch in 1/3 cup water; add to crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Cover and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Add cooked rice to 4 plates, top with chicken and spoon sauce over top. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Recipe and photo from thecomfortofcooking.com 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

source

Adapted from Real Simple

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons (or more) garam masala or Tikka Masala (Indian spice blend paste)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4)
• 1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1 cup basmati or some other long-grain white rice
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, cayenne pepper, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours (this will shorten total recipe time).
2. In a small bowl, toss the cucumber and cilantro with the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
3. About an hour before eating, cook the rice according to your rice steamer's directions.
4. Just before serving, stir the coconut milk into the chicken tikka masala. Serve over the rice with the cucumber relish.

Naked Chicken Burrito Bowls

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs. chicken (3-4 large breasts)
• 16 oz. of your favorite salsa
• 8 oz. frozen corn
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 T chile powder
• 2 t minced garlic
• 2 t cumin
• 1/2 t dried oregano
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t cracked pepper
• 1/4 c water
• 2 cups dry rice, cooked

 Optional garnish:

• 8 oz. shredded cheese
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• Raw spinach leaves
• 1 large or 2 small avocados, sliced for garnish
• Sour cream or plain yogurt

Directions: 

1. Place all ingredients in crock pot except for rice and garnish options. Stir well and make sure chicken is covered.
2. Place on low setting for 8 hours.
3. Chicken will just fall apart, so you can shred it easily right in the crock pot with a couple of forks. Mix well.
4. Serve bowl of rice topped with chicken mixture.  Add desired garnish.  Serves 6-8.

My family really enjoyed this.  I was cooking for dinner club as well as a few other meals so I actually quadrupled it by doubling the batch and making it twice.  We ate it tonight and my family really enjoyed it.  Although the total cook time is long, the hands on time is very minimal. In a pinch, you could likely substitute the spices for a packet of taco seasoning. Very easy and makes great leftovers.  Two thumbs up! This recipe was inspired by one I saw on Budget Bytes.

Crock Pot Applesauce

Ingredients:

• 12 organic apples peeled, sliced, and cored
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Add apples, water, and cinnamon to crock pot and cover with lid.
2. Cook on high 4-5 hours.
3. Whisk to mix (or blend for smoother texture).
4. Let applesauce cool to room temperature before serving or refrigerating.  Also freezes really well!

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients:

• 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds) *you can also use breasts
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• Hot cooked long grain rice

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a 4 qt. slow cooker.  
2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper.  Pour over chicken.  
3. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender.  
4. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.  Skim any fat from cooking liquid.  
5. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  
6. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth.  Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickened.  
7. ***Shortcut: I removed chicken, combined cornstarch and water and poured them directly into the sauce which I left in the crock pot (turned on high).  I whisked until thickened. Chicken just fell apart when I removed it, and then I just added it back into the crock pot with the thickened sauce.
8. Serve with chicken and rice.
9. Serves about 8 people.

This is a recipe I slightly modified from the Lake Luke Cottage Kitchen blog.  I was very happy with the end result and will definitely make this again.  We served it with fresh steamed broccoli.  Fresh pineapple slices would also be delicious mixed in or as a side.  Big hit with the family, very kid-friendly!  I read a comment that you can half this recipe, but you'd likely want to cut down a bit on the cook time.

Cream Cheese Chili

Ingredients
1 can black beans
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package light cream cheese
2 frozen chicken breasts

Directions
Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), rotel, and black beans. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

Source: www.plainchicken.com 

Baked Southwestern Eggrolls

The recipe idea for this meal came from Robyn Louis' FB page.  I adapted it to suit my style of cooking and my clubmates' tastes!  The recipe that follows fed eight people.

Ingredients:
4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts
48 oz. low-fat/low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup lime juice
3 teaspoons garlic, minced
3 teaspoons organic honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large + 1 small can of green chilies, diced
3-10 oz. cans of organic black beans
1 cup of spinach, fresh, de-stemmed & chopped 
10 green onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Mexican chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, ground
4 cups of colby/jack cheese, shredded
40 egg roll wrappers
non-fat cooking spray

Directions:
Combine first seven (7) ingredients in a crock pot and cook for 4-6 hours at 250 degrees. 
After all of the prep-work has been done to the next four ingredients, combine all remaining ingredients from the green chilies through the shredded cheese in a large mixing bowl. 
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. 
When the chicken is fall-apart tender, remove it from the crock pot to cool about 15 minutes.  Once cooled enough, shred the chicken with a fork and add it to the mixing bowl, combining thoroughly. 
Rolling the egg rolls is a little tricky, but once you establish a routine...it'll go along quite smoothly.  Coat a baking sheet with non-fat cooking spray.  Then coat a dinner sized plate with non-fat cooking spray.  Lay out one egg roll wrapper so that one of the four corners is facing you.  Spoon about 1/4 cup of chicken/bean mixture onto the egg roll wrapper about 1/3 of the way from your corner to the adjacent corner.  Tightly roll the wrapper, ends tucked in or out (your preference), and make sure all corners are securely against the egg roll when finished rolling.  Repeat this procedure, including the spray on the dinner plate, 39 more times ;-)
Place egg rolls on your baking sheet just so they are not touching each other.  Bake a full pan for 16-20 minutes, turning over at the half-way time if you prefer.

Cook's note:  Greg and I loved this meal!  I also served saffron/cayenne flavored yellow rice and guacamole dip with the egg rolls.  Warning: this meal is very time-intensive.  From the time I started preparing the different vegetables, and then shredding the chicken...and eventually rolling the egg rolls, I had been working for 4 hours.  With cook time, this meal (for eight people) took almost 5 hours.  We thought it was well worth it though! 

Maple Mustard Chicken

Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup stone-ground mustard
• 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca (I used corn starch)
  
• Hot cooked brown rice

Directions

• Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker.
• In a small bowl, combine the syrup, mustard and tapioca; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Serve with rice. Yield: 6 servings.

Now that it's cold outside, I'll be turning to my friend, the crock pot, quite often. I loved how moist this chicken was! Although it seems like an odd flavor pairing, it was delicious!

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

1  pound  skinless, boneless chicken breast tenderloins

1  teaspoon  dried oregano
1/2  teaspoon  dried basil

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1/4  cup  dry red wine
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

1 - 32 oz can tomato sauce

Non-fat cooking spray

2 cloves of garlic, minced
2  cups  sliced cremini mushrooms
3/4  cup  chopped orange bell pepper

3/4 cup chopped white onion
16 oz. organic, whole grain Cappelini pasta (or linguine or any pasta you like)

1 T - EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 cup  (about 4 ounces) shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Heat slow-cooker (crock pot) to 300-350 degrees.  Add in first 8 ingredients, through tomato sauce to slow cooker and simmer while preparing the remaining ingredients.

 

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add garlic, mushrooms, bell pepper and onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. When all are lightly browned, remove from heat and add to the slow cooker.  Cover and continue to simmer 30 minutes.

 

Boil water in a large saucepan, add EVOO, and prepare pasta according to package instructions.  When the pasta is al dente, remove from pan and rinse with warm water in colander.  Turn off heat on slow cooker.  On dinner plate, serve 1/2 cup pasta topped with 1/2 cup chicken cacciatore.  Sprinkle with cheese, and fresh basil if desired.  I also served steamed broccoli and whole grain French bread with this dish!

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sliders

Ingredients:

32 oz. Old South bar-be-que sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1-1.5 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6-8 slider mini buns
6-8 slices pineapple
8 oz. fresh, raw spinach leaves


Preparation:

Combine bar-be-que sauce, ketchup and pineapple juice in crock pot.  Add the chicken and slow cook at 250-300 degrees for 7-9 hours.  

When bar-be-que chicken is done, turn off crock pot.  Remove chicken from the crock pot and shred it on a cutting board.  Place the chicken back into the bar-be-que sauce until ready to eat.

Prepare mini buns by slicing in half and toasting.  Spoon 1/4 cup of pulled chicken on bottom mini bun.  Layer fresh spinach and pineapple on top of chicken, place other mini bun on top.  Gobble!

Disclaimer:  I got the idea for these sliders from my Cooking Light magazine.  The recipe in the magazine called for a quick-cooking stove top method with a homemade bbq sauce.  I wanted to use the slow cooker and my favorite bbq sauce, Old South - but my husband accidentally bought the "spicy" version. Knowing I was cooking for my two pregnant friends,  I added some ketchup and pineapple juice, hoping to tone down the spice factor.  However, these little sliders packed a punch!  I loved them, but if you don't like spicy food - purchase your favorite milder bbq sauce or make one.  As you can tell from the picture, I made a side dish of chipotle black beans and organic tortilla chips.  Check out the chipotle black bean recipe too.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
2 frozen chicken breasts
2 cans black beans with liquid
2 cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
1/4 cup sliced green chilies
shredded Mexican cheese blend
tortilla chips

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in crock pot.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and shred them with a fork. They will literally fall apart. Place back in soup.
4. Sprinkle with cheese and serve with tortilla chips.

Doesn't get much easier than this! I also LOVE that I don't even have to defrost meat to make this meal!