crock pot recipes

Mediterranean Crockpot Chicken For 2

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

I’m not a seasonal eater. What do I mean by that? I love soups year round. Chili? In July? Why not?! Ice cream in the winter? Of course! B, on the other hand, is very seasonal. We can’t eat soup in the summer. Crockpot? Stash that away from May-Aug (and sometimes September). BUT sometimes I can sneak in a slow cooker recipe in the summer and convince B it’s still seasonal. I didn’t quite do that with this one (there was no sneaking) BUT he did enjoy it. And would eat it again:) At last! A  crock pot meal that even B enjoys in the summer.

Mediterranean Crockpot Chicken

Mediterranean Crockpot Chicken For 2 (with leftover for lunch)

Makes 2 large dinner servings, with a leftover lunch portion

Slightly modified from Family Food on the Table

Ingredients

  • 2 large, skinless chicken breasts (mine weighed a little more than 1/2 lb)
  • 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, mostly drained and chopped a bit
  • 1 14-oz. cans artichoke hearts, drained
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp red curry powder
  • 1 Tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa

Instructions

  1. Combine everything BUT the fresh basil and quinoa in your slow cooker (chicken breasts through dried Italian seasoning).
  2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
  3. Once finished, use two forks to shred the chicken into large chunks.
  4. Serve warm, with fresh basil and over quinoa. NOTE: There will be a decent amount of liquid left – I liked mine almost soupy and used much of it. If you don’t, use a slotted spoon for removing the meal from the crockpot.
Mediterranean Crockpot Chicken

Sittin in the slow cooker …

Mediterranean Crockpot Chicken

Ready to eat!

Alright, your turn. A few questions for you:

  • Any favorite summery slow cooker recipes? Let me know!
  • What’s the best slow cooker meal or snack you’ve ever had?
  • Are you a seasonal eater?

Meatless Monday: Slow Cooker Spinach and Chickpea Coconut Curry

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

As much as I’d love to be, I’m not reallllly a meal planner. I’d love to have each day of the week’s dinners mapped out by Sunday, but it just doesn’t happen that way. And when I do try, something happens to get in the way- an unplanned happy hour turned into dinner, an invite to a basketball/baseball game, working late, etc. So as much as I love my slow cooker, it doesn’t get used NEARLY enough because it involves planning ahead.

So if you are able to plan ahead and are looking for a delicious Meatless Monday dish and enjoy curry, I highly suggest you make this. B liked it so much, he took leftovers for lunch the next day! (confession – he may have had some chicken alongside his …)

Note – I normally am opposed to crockpot meals that require ANY on-the-stove prep. I mean, what’s the point of using the slow cooker if you have to cook something first? That being said, I don’t alway enjoy onions made in the crockpot, which is why I cooked them ahead of time. I find onions in the crockpot sometimes get rubbery or taste funny – if you disagree, I’m sure you could make this without the extra step of sauteeing them first.

Slow Cooker Spinach and Chickpea Coconut Curry - icrashedtheweb

Slow Cooker Spinach and Chickpea Coconut Curry

Here’s what you need:

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1-2 Tablespoons curry powder (add more if you prefer more heat-I did about 1.5 TBS)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 2 serrano chiles, chopped
  • 3 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1 Russet potato, peeled and chopped
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
  • 2 red peppers, diced
  • 1 cup green beans, chopped into 1/2 inch slices
  • 1-14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1-14-ounce can vegetable broth
  • 3 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk

Here’s what you do:

  1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until it starts to become translucent. Add about half of the curry powder and ginger. Cook another minute or so.
  2. Add cooked onion to a slow cooker, along with chopped carrots, chiles, chickpeas, chopped potatoes, red peppers, green beans, diced tomatoes and vegetable broth. Add remaining curry powder and stir.
  3. Cover and cook on high 6 hours or until vegetables are softened and ready to eat.
  4. Just before serving, add in spinach and coconut milk. Stir and cook for about five minutes or until spinach wilts.

I served mine over some quinoa for a perfectly filling meatless meal.

When made as above, we had enough for about 2 pretty large vegetarian main courses and then we had enough leftover for 3 nice sized lunches.

Modification: I made a version without the coconut milk and it was just as good! Not quite as creamy (and I think B prefered it with the coconut) but still delicious and a little spicier.

Slow Cooker Spinach and Chickpea Coconut Curry - icrashedtheweb

Some questions for you:

  • What’s your favorite crockpot meal or go-to slow cooker dish?
  • Are you a meal planner/prepper? Any tips?
  • Do you like curry? What about coconut?

 

Crock Pot Lentils and Kale

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

Some nights for dinner I just want something healthy, easy, filling AND tasty – is that so much to ask for?

Most nights I can get 3 of the 4. Pasta with meatballs – tasty, easy, filling, but not super healthy (especially when served with a chunk of crusty bread and fresh mozzarella .. OMG I can taste that goodness now).  Homemade black bean burgers with sweet potato fries and braised kale – tasty, filling, healthy but not really super easy (well it’s easy .. just takes time to prepare). So last week when I was “cleaning” out my fridge and found some leftover kale from our CSA and an onion – and then of course found lentils and canned tomatoes in our pantry – a light bulb went off. I realized that combining all those ingredients would most definitely satisfy all of the above! Healthy? Obviously! Easy? Yes – I’d be using my crock pot. Filling? Of course – 1 cup of this dish has about 15 g. of protein (and more if you pair it with chicken). Tasty? Um, anything with lentils and kale in my opinion is tasty (I understand if you disagree).

Enjoy the following “recipe.” I literally just threw everything in my crock pot, googled “lentil crock pot cooking times” and hoped for the best. And it worked! Serve as is, or with chicken, which B had. He actually looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if he wanted anything with the lentils for dinner. “You mean, do I just want lentils and kale for dinner? Am I a rabbit?” – may or may not be exactly what he said. I also sprinkled Penzeys vindaloo seasoning on my leftovers which made for an awesome Indian-type dish. 

crock pot lentils and kale - i crashed the web

Crock Pot Lentils and Kale

Here’s what you need:

  • 2 cups lentils, rinsed
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups chopped kale (don’t forget to remove the stems)
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1-2 tablespoons cumin
  • 2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken, if you don’t mind if it’s not vegetarian)
  • 1 cup water
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Here’s what you do:

  1. Rinse lentils. Add to crock pot with onion, garlic, canned tomatoes and kale.
  2. Add spices — ginger, onion powder, garlic powder and cumin. Mix all ingredients within crock pot. Pour broth and water over mixture.
  3. Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours.
  4. Enjoy! Serve alone, or as a side dish with chicken if your husband gasps at the thought of just eating lentils and kale alone.

Enjoy! As you can see, it’s not the prettiest dish, but it’s healthy, filling and SUPER EASY.

slow cooker lentils and kale - i crashed the web

PS – Here are some more of my favorite crock pot dishes. You MUST try the jambalaya!

A Recipe Remake – Crock Pot (Slow Cooker) Jambalaya!

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

It’s been a while since I last made my crock pot jambalaya, one of the most popular recipes on this blog for some reason. Last time it was good – but it wasn’t perfect. The shrimp wasn’t cooked right, and it was too soup-like for me. Well, this time, it was perfect! Seriously. I loved this recipe, as did B. So maybe it’s not real jambalaya like you’d get down south, but I’ve never been south so I’ll settle for this recipe. I served it over lentils for a quick, easy and healthy dinner (one heaping bowl is 300ish calories with nearly 40 g of protein!). Enjoy!

slow cooker - crock pot - jambalaya ~ I crashed the web

Healthyish Crock Pot Jambalaya

Serving: 3 heaping bowls – about 6 cups (but I didn’t really measure)

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 package of smoked chicken sausage, sliced (I used the whole package of Bilinski Cajun Andouille Sausage (5 links in the package)
  • 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ½ large onion, chopped
  • 1 large red pepper, chopped
  • 5 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 c. chicken broth (I use a low-sodium version)
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp cayenne powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ lb. pre-cooked shrimp

Here’s what you do:

  1. In your crockpot, combine the chicken sausage, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped garlic, chopped vegetables (pepper, celery and onion), and broth. Add seasonings – oregano, parsley, onion powder, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, basil and cayenne pepper. Do NOT add the shrimp yet!
  2. Cover, and cook in your slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Add the shrimp during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
  3. Enjoy! I served mine with some lentils  – but feel free to serve over rice if that’s your thing.
slow cooker - crock pot - jambalaya ~ I crashed the web

Put everything but the shrimp in the crock pot .. and wait!

serve over rice ... or lentils if you're like me!

serve over rice … or lentils if you’re like me!

Crock Pot Veggie Casserole

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

I love my crock pot, and I’m always looking for new recipes other than stews, soups and heavy beef/chicken dishes. Well – I definitely found one, and it’s a keeper! When perusing the Internet a few months ago, I came across this recipe for a Vegetable Casserole in the slow cooker. Since B has what he likes to call a “meat tooth,” I hardly ever make vegetarian recipes and had put it aside. So, this week when I was home in NY, when my mom told me she had never used her crock pot and was looking for a recipe to try, I knew exactly what to suggest!

We made this recipe. It was delicious and filling – and my whole family (mom, dad and brother) really enjoyed it. Although my dad did end up grilling some chicken to eat with it, but it’d definitely be filling enough (in my opinion) on its own.

slow cooker vegetarian casserole
Crock Pot Veggie Casserole
(slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
Here’s what you need:
  • 2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans
  • 2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas
  • 1/4
    c basil pesto (I used homemade, but you can certainly buy it at the store)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4
    cloves garlic, diced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1
    16-ounce package refrigerated cooked plain polenta cut in 1/2-inch-thick slices – we used this Sundried Tomato Garlic Polenta and only used 2 cloves of garlic, above
  • 1 l
    arge tomato, thinly sliced
  • 1
    8-ounce package finely shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 cups)
  • 2
    cups fresh spinach
  • 1
    cup torn radicchio

Here’s what you do:

  1. Rinse and drain chickpeas and beans. In large bowl combine beans, 2 tablespoons of the pesto, diced onion, garlic, oregano and basil.
  2. In your large crock pot, layer half of bean mixture, half of the sliced polenta, and half of cheese. Add remaining beans and polenta.
  3. Cover; cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or on high heat setting 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
  4. Add tomato, remaining cheese, spinach, and radicchio. Combine remaining pesto with 1 tablespoon water. Drizzle pesto mixture on casserole.
  5. Enjoy! Serve alone, or as a side dish to a meat item (such as grilled chicken) if you prefer.

vegetarian crockpot casserole

labeled 2 bean mixture

labeled 3 first layer

vegetarian crock pot casserole

labeled 5 final layer
slow cooker veggie casserole