Nicole’s Top 10 Favorite Crockpot Recipes

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There’s something about cooler weather that translates into an obsession with my Crockpot. Maybe it’s the hectic evenings filled with homework and activities. Maybe it’s daylight savings (I blame nearly everything in fall on this, don’t you?) Maybe there’s just something about having dinner ready at the end of the day. Whatever it is, my family and I are fans, so I thought I would share some of my tried and true (and super easy!) Crockpot recipes that I have collected over the years with you.

BONUS: A few of these can also be made into freezer meals for more added convenience!

Pulled BBQ Chicken 

1 pound of skinless chicken breast

1 pound of chicken thighs

¼ cup brown sugar

Salt to taste

1 c of your favorite BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)

¼ c Italian dressing

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

  1. Place chicken in crockpot
  2. Mix all other ingredients together, pour over chicken
  3. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours
  4. Once cooked, pull meat out and shred
  5. Return shredded meat to crockpot for 15 minutes

Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

4 boneless pork chops

1 or 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

¾ c milk

1 package of ranch dressing

1/8 c water

  1. Place pork chops in crockpot
  2. Mix remaining ingredients together
  3. Pour mixture over pork chops
  4. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours

Crockpot Lasagna

1 pound ground beef

1.5 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 onion, chopped

1 large jar of spaghetti sauce

8 oz uncooked lasagna noodles

4 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1 ½ c cottage cheese

½ grated parmesan cheese

  1. Brown beef and onion in skillet over medium heat
  2. Add jar of spaghetti sauce to meat, simmer for about 10 minutes
  3. Combine mozzarella, cottage cheese, and parmesan cheese in separate bowl, set aside
  4. Spread a fourth of the meat sauce into the bottom of the crockpot
  5. Arrange a third of the noodles over the sauce, breaking noodles if needed
  6. Spoon a third of the cheese mixture over the noodles
  7. Repeat layers twice
  8. Top with remaining meat sauce and sprinkle with extra mozzarella cheese if desired
  9. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on low, or until noodles are tender

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

2 pounds pork tenderloin

¼ soy sauce

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

2-3 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp diced dried onion

1 ½ tsp garlic salt or powder

  1. Place pork in slow cooker
  2. Mix all ingredients in bowl
  3. Pour mixture over pork
  4. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours

Creamy Crockpot Chicken, Stuffing, and Green Beans

2 pounds chicken breast

1 (6 oz) box stuffing mix

1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup

¾ sour cream

1/3 c water

10 oz bag frozen green beans

Salt and pepper to taste

  1. Spray crockpot with cooking spray
  2. Place chicken in crockpot
  3. Top chicken with stuffing mix
  4. In separate bowl, mix together soup, sour cream, and water
  5. Spread mixture over stuffing
  6. Place green beans on top
  7. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours

Crockpot Pot Roast

5 to 6 pound pot roast

2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup

1 packet onion soup mix

1 ¼ c water (can also use beef broth)

Salt and pepper to taste

  1. Lightly spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray
  2. Place roast in crockpot and season with salt and pepper
  3. In a medium sized bowl, mix soups (cans and packet) and water
  4. Pour mixture over roast
  5. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours

Crockpot Chicken Marsala

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 c flour

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 oz prosciutto or bacon

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1/3 c dry marsala wine or chicken broth

¼ c chopped fresh parsley

  1. Place flour in shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper
  2. Coat the chicken evenly with the flour, shaking off the excess
  3. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat
  4. Brown the chicken on both sides, transfer to crockpot once browned
  5. In the same skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the prosciutto until it becomes crisp.
  6. Remove prosciutto onto paper towels
  7. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until they begin to brown.
  8. Keeping mushrooms in the skillet, stir in wine (or chicken broth), scraping any bits of prosciutto stuck to the pan
  9. Pour the mushroom and wine sauce over the chicken in the crockpot
  10. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours
  11. Top with cooked prosciutto and chopped parsley

Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup

20 oz ground beef (80% lean), browned and drained

2 c beef broth

2 c water

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

1 packet onion soup mix

16 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (green beans, carrots, and corn blend)

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Easy Crockpot Chili

1 lb ground beef, browned

2 (15 oz) cans dark kidney beans, drained

1 (14.5 oz) can of tomato sauce

1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes

1 packet of chili seasoning

2 c water

  1. Place all ingredients in crockpot, stir until well combined
  2. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4 hours

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

1 bag (26 oz) frozen hash browns

12 eggs

1 c milk

1 Tbsp ground mustard

1 (16 oz) roll sausage

Salt and pepper to taste

16 oz  bag shredded cheddar cheese

  1. Cook sausage until brown, drain and set aside
  2. Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray
  3. Evenly spread hash browns in the crockpot
  4. Crack eggs in large bowl and mix well using a whisk
  5. Add the milk
  6. Add ground mustard
  7. Add salt and pepper
  8. Cook sausage until brown, drain
  9. Add sausage on top of hash browns
  10. Add bag of cheese to sausage and hash browns
  11. Mix all ingredients in crockpot well
  12. Pour egg mixture over ingredients in crockpot
  13. Using a spatula, spread ingredients evenly
  14. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours
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Nicole Portell
Nicole is a working mom of two boys, and has been married to her husband, Jim, since 2006. She and her family, along with their two rescue dogs, live in a Metro East suburb about 15 minutes from downtown St. Louis. When not encouraging her boys from the sidelines, Nicole can be found trying new fitness trends or helping others to reach their health and wellness goals. Nicole believes in the healing power of humor and can generally find a reason to laugh. Her hobbies include reading, Netflix binging, and dancing like no one is watching. You can follow Nicole on Instagram @befittinglyfit and in the Facebook group Befittingly Fit for reviews of area fitness classes and musings about life with boys.