Slow Cooker Archives - The Nourishing Home

From Freezer to Table: Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Chicken

This easy and flavorful Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Chicken is a healthier and tastier alternative to take out, and even better – it’s no fuss!

Finding ways to save time, money and stress while eating healthier is definitely a passion I love sharing! That’s why I’m excited to share an updated version of one of my favorite slow cooker meals, which just so happens to be featured in the new cookbook, From Freezer to Table, by my dear friends Polly and Rachel at Thriving Home.

My new-and-improved Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Chicken is a definite family favorite. The all-natural sweetness of apricot jam combined with a flavorful array of seasonings results in a sweet-n-spicy sauce perfect with slow-cooked chicken and veggies. Simply serve over a bed of basmati rice or cauli-rice for a quick and healthy meal!

It’s not only a healthier option to typical take-out – it’s also no-fuss! Simply prep the ingredients ahead of time and place them in the freezer. Then, when you know you’re going to have one of those days where there’s just no time to cook, you can simply toss this tasty freezer meal right into your slow cooker and enjoy a super-easy home-cooked meal! (See note in recipe below for details.)

As a busy mom like you, I know it can be a real challenge to get a healthy meal on the table, which is why I’m so excited that my talented friends Polly and Rachel decided to combine all of their freezer meal expertise into a helpful new cookbook, From Freezer to Table. Their beautiful book contains 75+ delicious whole food recipes and how-to-strategies for creating easy, family-friendly meals that can go from the freezer to the table in a snap!

P.S. If you’re gluten-free like me, you’ll be happy to hear that 20+ of the recipes are gluten-free (including my recipe featured in the book, which I’m sharing below). A few of my favorite gluten-free/grain-free freezer meals from the book include: Lemon-Garlic Chicken (p. 88); Flank Steak with Chimichurri (p. 101); Totally Tasty Taco Kit (p. 108), Zesty Marinated Shrimp (p. 137); Chili-Rubbed Beef Brisket (p. 195) and there’s so many more!

Of course, many of the grain-based recipes in the book can easily be adapted to be gluten-free and grain-free meals by simply substituting with zucchini noodles or cauli-rice instead. Burgers and sandwiches calling for a bun can easily be wrapped in lettuce instead, or served on a sweet potato bun.

And last but not least, I love that Polly and Rachel share step-by-step freezer cooking basics, and their awesome how-to tips for planning Freezer Cooking Parties with friends and family. They have so many helpful, practical ideas for stocking your freezer with lots of simple, healthy meals to make it easier and more enjoyable to gather around the table with those you love, even on the busiest days!

Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Chicken (GF, DF)

Ingredients

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced
3 cups broccoli florets

For the sweet & spicy sauce:

2 cups all-fruit apricot jam
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp coconut aminos
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp dried minced onion
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (use more for a spicier sauce)
2 Tbsp arrowroot powder (for thickening sauce)

Instructions

Cut chicken thighs into bite-size chunks and place into a 6-quart slow cooker.
Cut the veggies as noted above. Place in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use, as noted below.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the apricot jam, garlic, soy sauce or coconut aminos, mustard, onion, salt, ginger, and red-pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Check chicken at the 4-hour mark, if it's not cooked through, continue cooking. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the sliced bell peppers and broccoli florets. Then, continue cooking on low until veggies are al dente (about 30-45 minutes).
Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken and veggies from slow cooker and place in a serving dish. Whisk in the arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce, if desired.
To serve, ladle the sauce over the chicken and veggies. Serve over basmati rice or cauli-rice.
To Freeze: Place the veggies into a freezer-safe container and freeze. Add the diced chicken to a separate freezer-safe container, top with the sweet-n-spicy sauce, and freeze.
To Prepare: Thaw the chicken mixture and veggies in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to cook, follow the instructions above beginning in Step 4. Easy and delicious!

https://thenourishinghome.com/2017/10/slow-cooker-sweet-spicy-chicken/

You Might Also Like:

Slow Cooker Asian Style Chicken Wraps

Meatloaf Muffins … Fun for the Whole Family! (DF, GF)

Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Salsa {30 Minute Clean Eats on a Budget}

3 Meals with 1 Main Dish: Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Recipes

By Kelly · Leave a Comment

Welcome to Part Three of 3 Meals with 1 Main Dish! Since one of the biggest challenges to maintaining a healthy whole food lifestyle is time, I’m sharing this helpful series featuring one of the easiest “Cook Once, Eat Twice or More!” strategies for saving time in the kitchen – batch cooking!

Batch cooking is simply making a large quantity of a particular food and using it to make multiple meals. Incase you missed it, we launched Part One of the series last month and discovered how to use slow cooker rotisserie chicken to make three delicious and healthy soups. In Part Two of the series, we learned how to brown ground turkey to make three easy and tasty meals.

This week, we’re putting this awesome time-saving strategy to work again using this easy and tasty Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork to create three simple healthy recipes the whole family will love!

As we’ve discovered throughout this series, taking a couple of extra minutes to cook double or triple of a main ingredient means less cooking {and less dishes} to do later! It only takes a few minutes more to make extra meat and freeze the rest for future quick-n-easy dinners like these simple healthy meals below. Now that’s a win-win!

Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork is simple and delicious! So, one of the easiest uses for pulled pork is to simply serve it as a main dish with your favorite sides like creamy mashed sweet potatoes and homemade coleslaw.

Rustic Veggie Soup with Pulled Pork

Rustic Veggie Soup with Pulled Pork – Add leftover slow cooker pulled pork to this Rustic Veggie Soup for a flavorful way to enjoy your veggies. This healthy soup comes together in just 30 minutes and tastes absolutely amazing!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders

BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders – No recipe needed! Simply combine leftover slow cooker pulled pork with your favorite barbecue sauce and you’ve got a delicious sandwich filling ready to go in minutes. Personally, I love sandwiching this savory pulled pork between Roasted Sweet Potato Buns.

Three cheers for three meals made with one main! Be sure to check out part one and part two of this helpful batch cooking series for even more delicious time-saving meals. Yum!

You Might Also Like:

Sautéed Greens with Bacon {Whole30}

Roasted Lemon Spatchcock Chicken {How to Butterfly a Chicken}

3 Meals with 1 Main Dish: Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders {Whole30, GF, DF}

By Kelly · 10 Comments

As football season comes to a close, it culminates with a finger food frenzy that brings friends and family together whether or not you’re into the Big Game!

That’s why I affectionately refer to this annual celebration as “Supper” Bowl Sunday! Because let’s face it – most of us are gathering together for the food!

Thankfully, for those of us doing the Whole30 (or living a whole food GF lifestyle), there’s no need to miss out on popular Game Day fare!

These Buffalo Chicken Sliders are AMAZING! We start with moist, slow-cooked chicken smothered in a slightly spicy, flavorful sauce and pile it onto tasty Roasted Sweet Potato Buns. Then, top it off with a crunchy celery slaw with creamy ranch dressing. Game over! These sliders are the winner!

Extra point! … These sliders are super easy to make! Just follow the recipe below to create a simple veggie base and add the chicken. Season with my special blend of seasonings and top with your favorite Whole30-compliant hot sauce (we like Frank’s Original Hot Sauce). Then, shred the chicken, add my special sauce mixture and you’re ready to party whole food style!

As you can see, it takes just minutes to pop the ingredients into your slow cooker and let it do all of the work while you prep the rest of your Supper Bowl Party fare.

Speaking of which, I definitely suggest serving these tasty sliders with a side of my Secret Ingredient Guacamole and crunchy plantain chips! It’s the perfect finger food fare for sitting around the tube, cheering on your favorite team!

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders {GF, Whole30}

Yield: 20 three-inch sliders

Ingredients

For the sliders

1 medium sweet onion
2 medium carrots
2 stalks celery
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup hot sauce, divided (I use Frank’s Original)
2 Tbsp ghee, melted
Sweet potato buns

For the slaw

2 cups shredded cabbage
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
1/4 cup mayo
2 Tbsp almond milk
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and sea salt
Pinch of dill and thyme

Instructions

For the sliders: Peel and slice the onion. Cut the carrots and celery into 2-inch pieces. Evenly distribute veggies along bottom of slow cooker.
Place the chicken thighs on top of the veggie base. In a small bowl, combine onion powder, garlic powder, celery salt, parsley and sea salt. Sprinkle evenly over top of chicken.
Spoon 1/2 cup of hot sauce over the chicken. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours, until chicken shreds easily with a fork.
Transfer cooked chicken to a large cutting board and shred using two forks. Pour liquids through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl; discard solids.
Add melted ghee and remaining 1/2 cup of hot sauce to the cooking liquids. Whisk well to combine.
Place shredded chicken back into the slow cooker. Pour hot sauce mixture over chicken and stir well to combine.
Cover and set heat to warm. Allow chicken to heat for 30 minutes more; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on sweet potato buns for a tasty grain-free, Whole30 meal, or your favorite rolls.
For the slaw: In a large bowl, add the shredded cabbage and sliced celery. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, milk, vinegar and seasonings. Pour the ranch dressing mixture over the slaw and toss well to combine. Serve as a side dish, or use to create a delicious crunchy filling for the sliders. Yum!

Notes

Recipe Variation: If you're not doing the Whole30 or living dairy-free, toss 1/2 cup of crumbled blue cheese into the celery slaw for an authentic Buffalo Chicken and blue cheese experience!

https://thenourishinghome.com/2017/01/slow-cooker-buffalo-chicken-sliders-whole30/

You Might Also Like:

A Simply Delicious Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Day Menu

Baked Chicken Parmesan with Zoodles (GF)

Jumpstart Your Health with Whole30