Fall is prime time for the crock pot! In our house, nothing says cozy comfort food like coming home to a meal prepped in the crock pot whose aromas have been wafting in the air all day as your meal cooks.
First, the quintessential crock pot meal: Chili. I loosely use the 21 Day Fix recipe from the Fixate cookbook. You can find that recipe here on the Beach Body blog. Though, the recipe in the cookbook includes 1 cup cooking wine that I notice is missing from the blog recipe. To do this in the crock pot, I cook my onion and peppers for about 2 minutes in a frying pan, and add the meat (sometimes I substitute beef for turkey just depending on sales or taste preference when I grocery shop) frying until done. Then I add the onion, peppers, and meat to a crock pot with the remaining ingredients on low for 6 hours. And yum! We serve with Frito’s or tortilla strips, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.
Next, what’s more comforting than pasta? We love this super simple Crock Pot Chicken Broccoli Alfredo from funnyisfamily.com. I love how simple this recipe is and how easily it comes together. Basically, you toss your chicken in the crock pot, cover with alfredo sauce, cook on low for 6 hours, add frozen broccoli for another hour, cook pasta, add pasta, top with parmesan cheese and enjoy! Serve it up with garlic bread and a salad if you’re feeling a little extra.
Third, Chicken Fajitas from Cooking Classy is a FAVORITE around here any time of year. In the summer, it’s especially good in the crock pot so that you don’t heat your whole house using the oven, but it’s equally easy and tasty in the oven. BEST yet this one is great to prep ahead and freeze for later. We did this while I was pregnant to have an easy meal ready to go when baby came. I love that you just dump everything together and come back 6 hours later to enjoy with your favorite toppings, like tortillas, shredded cheese, and sour cream.
Next up, BBQ. For this one, I use not one but TWO crock pots. When we are expecting company for supper, this is a go-to in our house. I’m not sure where I got this recipe, but I’ve been doing it so long it’s committed to memory. I checked my Pinterest, but didn’t find it. I buy a half pork tenderloin (or you can substitute chicken breasts), place in the crock pot and cover with one 12oz. can of root beer and one bottle of your preferred BBQ sauce. Cook on low for 6 hours, and shred when ready to eat. Serve on hamburger buns. Why is she using a second crock pot, you ask? I have another crock pot with a divider that I cook my sides in. This is so nice when we’re having company for supper, so supper AND the sides are all ready when company arrives and I’m not stuck in the kitchen unable to visit. I follow THE mac and cheese recipe by thatwhichnourishes.com. Alison does not do her mac and cheese in the crock pot, but once the pasta is cooked and the sauce made, I typically add the pasta, sauce and shredded cheese to one half of the crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. On the other side I add baked beans, and in about 6 hours every thing is ready to ENJOY!
Lastly, Crock Pot Chicken Tater Tot Casserole by The Country Cook is a fall, cozy time staple. The only thing I modify to this recipe is that sometimes I will add ranch seasoning and frozen broccoli. So delicious, it’s definitely one you’ll want to add to the recipe book!
I like variety in my recipes, so here you can find chicken, pork, beef or turkey, casseroles, pasta, soup, as well as sandwiches. While crock pot recipes are staples of fall, they’re also popular this season of my life with littles running around. Often evening hours are chaotic and asking me to cook is like asking me to pull my hair out, so I like having the option of throwing something together during a calmer time of day that can be enjoyed during the thick of things later. I hope you’ll enjoy these recipes like I do. Please comment if you give them a try, and let me know if any were a hit with your family!