Now that autumn is here and the cooler weather has returned, so have the schedules! Dance, homework and work deadlines, classes and routine, it all comes rushing back. So, I thought what better time to share 5 of my all time favourite, go to slow cooker meals!

Of course that implies that I put away my slow cooker for the warmer months and that simply is not true. Because in the heat of summer, the slow cooker is a brilliant solution – put it together in the cooler morning and slowly allow it to do it’s thing during the heat of the day, and then have a cooked meal come dinner time without turning on the stove or heating up the kitchen!

Clearly I use my slow cooker for more than just these 5 recipes. But these are our top 5 tried and true meals! They are our go-to favourites and that often make the rotation around here.

I have written any of my personal preferences, changes or notes on the original recipes in bold.

 

Top 5 Slow Cooker Recipes 

 

1. Pulled Pork. Always is and always will be my first and foremost favourite!!!

It’s great for pulled pork sandwiches, which tends to be our first choice. The pulled pork is also fabulous in burritos. Further than that, it’s great with rice, in quesadillas, topping nachos and really any other way you could think of. It also uses frozen pork tenderloin – a favourite cut of meat around here.

 

2.  Fiesta Chicken. It’s a fun name for this ‘party’ of a Tex Mex dish that has been a family favourite around here for many years!

We like it served over rice best. But we have also enjoyed it burrito style, in wraps and on top of salad as well.

I always use frozen chicken breasts, because that is how I tend to have them on hand. It also means I can allow it to cook on low for more like 6-8 hours. As for the salsa, I add about a 1 – 2 cups depending on how spicy we want it. This recipe can also be doubled easily for a crowd, however I don’t double everything. I use 6 chicken breasts, 2 cans of drained and rinsed black beans and 2 cans drained corn, but still only use 1 – (8 ounce full fat) cream cheese. It is a very forgiving recipe and proportions don’t have to be precise. 

Terrific to prep the night before in the slow cooker (minus the cream cheese) and place in the fridge overnight. This is a recipe I almost always have the ingredients on hand for. And yes it can be made minus the cream cheese for a spicier, dairy-free option. We like it in tacos or topping a taco salad this way!

 

3. Beef Stroganoff. I have always adored beef stroganoff since I was young.

This is an easy, simple, no fail recipe. It uses fresh or frozen stewing beef and dried spices. For years this was our eldest’s favourite meal. And is another go-to come winter months. It makes a comforting and  warm meal.

I use stewing beef (frozen or fresh) and quarter the mushrooms. Then I add a generous 2 -3 teaspoons of dried dill sprinkled with the salt and pepper on top of ingredients once in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

We enjoy it best over rice. A habit we got into with little mouths and hands who struggled with slippery egg noodles. The rice really soaks up the sauce wonderfully. Though with our carb loving ways, I have been known to serve it with either the option of egg noodles or rice!

I have also been known to prep this the night before and leave in the fridge over night and then just plug it in the morning.

 

4. Beef Fajitas. I love this recipe, because it uses a frozen, inexpensive roast (not a great deal of recipes, besides a pot roast do that).

We love roast beef, but sometimes the hubster brings home several roasts at a time and so I freeze the extras. But my strong suit is not defrosting the meat the day before. So when I found a recipe that uses a frozen roast and results in delish burritos/fajitas I was pretty hyped!

I use ground coriander in lieu of cumin (because that’s how I roll) and cook it for 8 hours on low, because I use a frozen roast.

This is a fairly saucy recipe, so we include rice in the fajitas, to soak up some of that liquid. Sometimes I make my own flour tortillas, in which case they are smaller and we forgo the rice. Alternately you could drain some of liquid off. It is also lovely served alone on top of rice or mashed potatoes. Leftovers have also found themselves in a faux shepherds pie. Like any good recipe, it’s fairly versatile. 

 

5. Soy Ginger Chicken. This is a wonderfully flavourful dish, that can be completely assembled and frozen ahead of time. Then dumped in the slow cooker when need be.

I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. Personally I find the bones, and especially the skin, add too much liquid and fat for my liking. I also prefer the b/s thighs to legs and drumsticks or chicken breasts (frozen or fresh) as they are better suited to the slow cooker and the strong flavours in this recipe, in general in my opinion. 

We also omit the garlic in the recipe (I am sure it’s great – I just can’t do garlic) and increase the green onions or add a small finely chopped onion instead. I also grate my ginger (that I keep stashed in the freezer) on a rasp as that is my preference.

We serve this dish over rice and if there are any leftovers, they are great the next day too.

Having this prepped and ready in the freezer has saved me many a time on a hectic day when I can just plunk it in the slow cooker and plug it in! Just remember to freeze the freezer bag initially placed in a bowl so it can fit inside the slow cooker and not need to be defrosted first.

Here’s hoping these 5 favourites might just become your new favourites too! Especially as the weather gets crisper and schedules fuller!!