4 Healthy Slow Cooker Meals

If your life is as hectic as most of us, then you’re all about quick and easy meals, especially during the week. Although some of you may think of a slow cooker as some kind of ’70s-era small appliance that is WAY past its prime, we think of it is a life saver (we mean, what other appliance do you have that will literally make meals for you while you are at work?). Are we changing your mind yet?

Read on to see what our team tosses into their crock pots in the morning. What’s in it for you? A healthy and hearty meal that is waiting for you when you arrive home at night.

4 Healthy Slow Cooker Meals:

Balsamic Chicken

Balsamic vinegar is one of our favourite ingredients. But did you know that it pairs really well with tomatoes? This recipe takes the best of Italian cuisine and puts them all together.

Simply drizzle four to six chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in your slow cooker and then cover with one large onion sliced in rings. Sprinkle with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Add one can of diced tomatoes (with juice) and about half a cup of balsamic vinegar. Toss in a sprig of rosemary, but first bash it with the hilt of a knife to release the juices.

Set your slow cooker for four hours on high or as long as 8 hours on low. Serve with steamed veggies or slice the chicken and mix it into the sauce and serve over egg noodles or even baby spinach leaves.

Tip: To add a tang and sweetness you can add a tablespoon or two of brown sugar along with the balsamic vinegar.

Chili:

Everyone loves chili and you can lower the fat content by using lean ground turkey for this recipe. If you prefer you can sauté a whole chopped onion or add it directly into the slow cooker. Add turkey and break it up with a fork. Then dump in a can of drained kidney beans and black beans and a can of diced tomatoes with the juice. Season with chili powder to taste. It will probably take as much as six tablespoons but you can do as few as two.

Make sure you are using chili powder which is a combination of spices including cumin and not just ground chili peppers or it will taste terrible and scorch your tongue with spice. Feel free to get creative and use other veggies such as chopped peppers of your choice and even mushrooms (which should be added at the last minute, if using).

Cook for 4 to 6 hours and enjoy with whole grain tortilla chips or bread.

Love chili? You should try this recipe for Pumpkin Chili in a Bread Bowl!

Beef Stew

Of course slow cookers are made for stews. Some of us are staunch supporters of the slow cooker stew, whereas others believe part of the stewing process is getting a good caramelization on your meat prior to cooking. So, in order to make everyone happy we have combined the two methods.

Toss cubed stewing beef in flour with salt and pepper and your choice of dry herbs (think paprika, cumin, and onion powder). Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown beef all over. Toss in a quarter teaspoon of thyme here or a sprig of fresh rosemary if you like. Deglaze the pan with a cup of wine and cook off the alcohol for five to seven minutes.

Transfer the meat to your crock pot and pour more wine over top to cover. Add 1 cup of low sodium beef broth, 1 tbsp of tomato paste or a quarter cup of tomato sauce, and 2 bay leaves. Set the slow cooker timer for 3 to 4 hours and then, for the last hour, toss in your choice of veggies (we like diced potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and frozen peas). If the sauce is not thickening, stir in a paste made with 1 tbsp water and 1 tbsp flour or cornstarch and continue to cook until sauce is thickened and veggies are tender. Serve over noodles or steamed basmati rice, or with crusty bread with butter.

Garden Chicken and Veggies

As above, we suggest combining two methods to get the best results for this chicken and veggies dish.

Coat boneless (or bone-in if you prefer) chicken pieces in flour along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and brown chicken pieces all over. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 1 diced onion and 1 tsp freshly chopped thyme leaves. Deglaze the pan with a cup of white wine. Cook off the wine and then make sure you have scraped up all of the caramelized goodness from the pan.

Transfer chicken to the crock pot and pour the wine mixture over top. Add a cup of low sodium chicken broth, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 bay leaf, and 1 tsp each sea salt and pepper. Set slow cooker for three to four hours. When there is 1 hour left, toss in some diced potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and carrots. Whisk together 1 tbsp water with 1 tbsp flour or cornstarch and whisk in to help thicken the sauce. Continue to cook for an hour until sauce is thick and veggies are tender.

Serve with steamed rice or over pasta.