Slow Cooker Archives - Page 4 of 8

Slow Cooker Chicken Verde with Peppers

This quick-n-easy Slow Cooker Chicken Verde is by far one of the easiest and tastiest meals your whole family will love! If you haven’t added this classic dish to your meal plan rotation, it’s time to dust off your slow cooker and get this flavorful meal on the table pronto!

My boys literally ask me to add this tasty dish to my meal plans every week. (Seriously!) Personally, I love this recipe because it’s not only delicious and healthy – it’s super easy to make! That’s why, it’s one of my favorite go-to recipes when having guests over for dinner! Plus, it’s economical too! (But, shh! no one will ever guess that, all your friends and family will know is that it tastes great!)

My inspiration for this recipe comes from my dear friend Debra at Worth Cooking. And although Debra’s original recipe is fantastic, I tweaked it a bit by adding sliced bell peppers and some additional savory seasonings to give the chicken a more fajita-like flavor. Yum!

I typically serve this flavorful dish with a side of organic flour tortillas for the guys (since they’re not grain-free) and I enjoy it as lettuce wraps (as shown in the photos) … or even better, over a steaming bed of Seasoned Cauliflower Rice, or roasted Spaghetti Squash Noodles. So good!

P.S. If you’re making this recipe for a dinner party, simple double or triple it. I like to offer both soft Bibb lettuce leaves and also warmed tortillas (for the non-GF crowd). And of course, a complete spread of toppings … lettuce, fresh minced cilantro, diced tomatoes, guacamole, shredded grassfed cheese … these are just a few ideas for topping this tasty dish. (And of course, extra salsa verde.) Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken Verde with Peppers

Yield: 5-6 servings

Ingredients

1 large sweet onion
2.5 to 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I use ButcherBox)
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1 (12oz) jar Salsa Verde (I use Trader Joe's Hatch Salsa)
2 red bell peppers (or use a combination of red and yellow peppers)
Optional: Bibb lettuce leaves to make wraps

Instructions

Cut the ends off of the onion and then slice into five thick slices. Place in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
Place the chicken thighs on top of the onion. In a small bowl, combine the seasonings and evenly distribute the seasoning mix across the top of the chicken.
Then, evenly spoon the jar of salsa verde over the top of the seasoned chicken.
Slice the red bell peppers into thick slices; discard the seeds and stem. You can either - place the sliced pepper over the salsa and cook with the chicken for very soft pepper slices – or add the sliced peppers during the last hour of cook time to enjoy them al dente.
Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 6-7 hours. (Since some slow cookers cook faster than others, be sure to check the chicken at the 4 hour mark; it's done when it shreds easily with a fork.)
When chicken is done, use a slotted spoon to move the peppers to the side and carefully remove just the chicken and place it on a large platter. Use two forks to shred the chicken.
Remove the pepper and onion slices and place on a serving plate.
Serve the chicken & veggies with large Bibb lettuce leaves to make lettuce wraps. Top with your favorite fajita toppings, such as pico de gallo, diced avocado, fresh minced cilantro, etc. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Variation: Create amazingly delicious Chicken Fajita Bowls by using seasoned cauliflower rice (if grain-free) or cilantro rice (if gluten-free) as the base. Then, top it with the chicken, veggies, minced fresh cilantro and other favorite toppings.

https://thenourishinghome.com/2015/01/slow-cooker-chicken-verde/

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Easy Crockpot Black Bean Soup (GF, DF)

By Kelly · 20 Comments

Note from Kelly: I’m so pleased to have my sweet friend Beth joining us today to share her simply delicious recipe for Crockpot Black Bean Soup. Beth is the humorous and talented author of the natural living blog, Red and Honey where she writes about real food recipes, natural living DIYs, alternative health topics, and motherhood. So without further ado, take it away, Beth …

Guest post by Beth at Red and Honey

Black bean soup is the sneakiest meal ever; it’s basically like a ninja. It’s super frugal and ridiculously easy. There’s no main meat feature. There’s not a plethora of fancy ingredients to be deemed gourmet. One might think that it shouldn’t even taste very good with that introduction. But BAM! It’s a party of deliciousness with its warm and smooth black bean taste; notes of bacon, fried onion and peppers; plus sea salt, and my personal favorite – ground cumin! (Pretty much anything Tex-Mex-related is the best, including my family’s all-time favorite Southwest Taco Soup.)

You can top this hearty black bean soup with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chives. Or maybe a little grated sharp cheddar and crumbled organic corn chips? I sometimes serve it over rice, which my kids enjoy. Avocado would be awfully nice, too. Mmmm, now I’m hungry!

I love meals where meat is not the main player because they’re easy on the budget, but to be honest – I’ve tried a lot of frugal recipes that have disappointed me in the taste department. I may be on a tight budget, but I like GOOD FOOD! I don’t believe that you have to sacrifice taste when you’re on a budget. In fact, I believe that plain and simple meals can be amazing. You just have to find the magical combo of ingredients (and maybe add a little bacon) …

Easy Crockpot Black Bean Soup (GF, DF)

6 servings

Ingredients

8 slices nitrate-free bacon
1 cup diced bell pepper (yellow, red, or orange)
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
5-6 cans of black beans, drained (or 8-10 cups soaked and cooked black beans)
4 cups homemade chicken broth
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

Fry bacon in a pan (I love my cast-iron!) Remove cooked bacon and set aside.
Using the bacon grease in the pan, sauté peppers, onions, and garlic until mostly translucent.
Add cumin and salt to the pepper mixture, and stir to combine for about a minute.
Add the pepper mixture and all remaining ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker set on low heat.
Crumble up the bacon, and add to crockpot as well.
Cook for 6 hours on low (or 4 hours or high).
Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup, according to your preference. I like mine just shy of all the way blended, but you blend to whatever consistency you prefer.
Serve with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

Notes

Note from Kelly: We love Beth's delicious black bean soup topped with a huge scoop of my fresh mango-pineapple salsa and a side of grilled shrimp kebobs! It's a real Caribbean delight!

https://thenourishinghome.com/2014/08/easy-crockpot-black-bean-soup-gf-df/

Beth is the creator and editor at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee. You can follow Beth at her blog Red and Honey, as well as join the Red and Honey Facebook Community.

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Slow Cooker Asian Style Chicken Wraps

By Kelly · 5 Comments

Guest post by Debra Worth, Worth Cooking

I am so excited to be here today sharing a simple, and healthy, chicken recipe. So, thank you, Kelly, for having me over!

In keeping with this month’s slow cooker series, I’m sharing one of my family’s personal favorites! This Asian-style Chicken Wraps recipe is super simple. (Since I have a 5, 3, and 1 year old, easy meals are my friend!) So this recipe takes just five minutes to assemble for cooking in the slow cooker. Then, right before serving it, you’re looking at about another 10 minutes to prep the sauce and shred the chicken.

I use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this dish vs. the more common chicken breast for several reasons. The two main reasons are – it keeps the dish moist and it shreds quicker.

An easy tip for shredding chicken … Simply squeeze the cooked chicken thighs with tongs and it breaks into perfect shreds. This method takes just a few seconds to do the entire batch. (No battles with two forks and dry chicken breasts.)

It’s important to note that the seasoned chicken by itself is not the most flavorful. The reason I kept the seasoning simple is because sometimes chicken thighs release a lot of juices, and therefore, most of my attempts at flavoring the chicken ended up in the liquids rather than on the chicken.

So be sure to not skimp on the sauce! That’s where the delicious savory-sweet flavor comes in. With coconut aminos (a soy sauce substitute), toasted sesame seed oil, spices, ginger, garlic, and maple syrup – this flavorful sauce really is what makes the dish come alive!

Layering everything in a boston lettuce cup makes for a tasty texture, and healthy dish. I do recommend serving with an Asian-themed vegetable dish (such as this Sesame Broccoli Salad) to up the vegetable content as well as the bulk of the meal.

Note from Kelly: A special thank you to my sweet friend Debra for sharing this delicious and healthy gluten-free dinner recipe with us. I highly recommend putting this incredibly flavorful dish on your next meal plan! And I also recommend popping over to check out Debra’s site at Worth Cooking. She’s a wonderfully talented home chef with a wealth of family-friendly whole food recipes that are as tasty as they are healthy!

Slow Cooker Asian-Style Chicken Lettuce Wraps (GF)

Yield: Serves 4 (4 lettuce cups per person)

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

1 1/2 lb boneless/skinless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon 5-spice seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt

For the Sauce:

Zest of two oranges (save the oranges for serving)
1/4 cup coconut aminos (I use this instead of soy sauce)
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon + a pinch real salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon 5-spice seasoning
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon starch (arrowroot or tapioca) mixed with 2 teaspoons water

For Serving:

16 leaves of Boston lettuce (from about two heads)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Orange wedges (use the oranges zested for the sauce)
Optional: Sesame seeds, chopped chives and cilantro

Instructions

For the Chicken:

Mix the seasonings together. Sprinkle on the chicken. Put in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours.
If there is a lot of liquid in the slow cooker when the chicken is done, remove the chicken to a bowl and shred (discard juices, or save the juices for another use). If there is just a little juice, shred right in the slow cooker. The easiest way I've found to shred chicken is to squeeze it using kitchen tongs.

Making the Sauce:

In a medium bowl, mix together the orange zest, coconut aminos, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, starch and salt. Set aside.
In a small skillet, add the garlic powder, ginger powder, five spice seasoning and red pepper flakes. Turn heat to medium. Stir and toast until the spices increase in fragrance and smell toasted (approx. 3 minutes).
Add the orange-maple liquid mixture. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a gentle boil. Boil the sauce for 3 minutes, occasionally stirring. Turn off the heat.
Add the starch-water mixture and whisk well. Remove sauce from heat.

For Serving:

Put a small amount of chicken in the lettuce cup, pour sauce on, and then top red pepper, other desired toppings, and a little squeeze of orange juice.

https://thenourishinghome.com/2014/08/slow-cooker-asian-chicken-wraps/

Debra Worth is first and foremost a daughter of the King of kings. She resides in central Missouri with her husband of 6 years and three young kids. She is passionate about serving her family nutritious and delicious foods, especially after needing to cut out many foods due her family’s food intolerances. In March, she started the blog Worth Cooking where she shares her healthy, delicious, and allergy-friendly recipes.

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