Health Cooking Tips: 8 Easy, Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes to undertake Tonight

Health Cooking Tips: 8 Easy, Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes to undertake Tonight

Winter is peak slow cooker season. The low-and-slow cooking method is right for therefore many comforting, cold-weather favorites, including soups, stews, chili, and roasted meats. And if you select healthy proteins like beans or chicken and add in many veggies, your slow cooker can assist you to whomp up nutritious, home-cooked meals while keeping dinnertime stress to a minimum. just in case you're short on ideas, here are eight easy recipes loaded with good-for-you ingredients to assist you to create the foremost of your slow cooker.

1. Barbecue Pulled Chicken Dinner doesn't get much easier than this 2-ingredient "recipe." Simply combine 5 or 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with 1 1/2 cups of your favorite sauce (I like Stubb's because it's low in sugar and features a nice vinegary tang). Add some sliced onions, too, if you wish. Cook the chicken on low for six to eight hours, then shred the chicken right within the pot with a pair of forks. Serve the pulled meat over toasted whole-grain buns, and pair with an easy coleslaw made up of bagged shredded cabbage mix, low-fat Greek yogurt, a squirt of mayo, and a couple of dashes of vinegar.

2. Split Pea Soup This lovely, stick-to-your-ribs soup is tailored from a 5-star Cooking Light recipe. you'll add all the ingredients to the cooker at once: a 1-pound bag of dried split green peas, 1 leg (omit for a vegetarian version), 1 diced medium onion, 3 diced carrots, 2 diced ribs of celery, 2 diced and peeled Yukon gold potatoes, 1 tablespoon dried thyme (just eyeball it), 2 bay leaves, and 6 cups of water. Cook the soup on low for 8 hours, then season to taste with salt and pepper. you'll shred the meat on the leg and stir it into the soup, or discard it if you favor to use it only as a flavoring agent.

3. Minestrone Soup you'll adapt this basic recipe to use any fresh or frozen vegetables you happen to possess available — no got to make an additional trip to the shop for carrots or zucchini. within the slow cooker, mix together 6 cups low-sodium broth, 2 cups water, a 28-ounce (oz) can of diced tomatoes, a couple of sliced carrots and celery stalks, 1 medium diced onion, 2 (15-oz) cans of beans (such as cannellini or kidney, rinsed and drained), 1 herb, and an important sprinkling of dried basil and oregano. Cook on low for six to eight hours. a few half-hours before you're able to eat, stir in one diced zucchini, 3/4 cup whole-wheat elbow pasta, and a couple of handfuls of roughly chopped baby spinach leaves, and cook until the pasta is hard. Top each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese.

4. White Chicken Chili This super easy, 5-ingredient recipe from the blog Gimme Some Oven may be a dinnertime godsend. Just fill the pot with 6 cups water (or low-sodium chicken broth), 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2 cups (typically 1 jar) salsa verde, 2 cans of low-sodium white beans (rinsed and drained), and about 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, and cook on low for six to eight hours. you'll add during a chopped onion for extra flavor or cayenne for a kick. Shred the chicken before serving, and serve this mildly spicy chili with scallions, cilantro, avocado, or low-fat plain Greek yogurt as toppers.

5. Turkey Meatballs in Sauce to save lots of time, don't bother browning your meatballs first — just plop them right within the sauce and allow them to simmer to a T. If you are looking for a foolproof recipe, inspect this one from the blog Skinnytaste. The ingredients list is brief and sweet, and therefore the meatballs are cooked during a simple homemade marinara sauce made with canned crushed tomatoes. i like to recommend adding a bag of roughly chopped baby spinach to the sauce about 20 minutes before you're able to eat for an additional dose of veggies.

6. Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice I make mean vegetarian red beans and rice that gets its deep, smoky flavor from chipotle peppers, smoked paprika, and cumin instead of fatty sausage (you can get the recipe here). Though my version does require a good little bit of chopping, you'll prep the peppers and onions beforehand or use a frozen blend to save lots of a step. The beans, which don't require pre-soaking, cook on high for 7 to eight hours. Make a fast pot of rice once you get a range in the evening and you will have dinner on the table during a jiffy.

7. Chicken Fajita Soup Here's another slow cooker soup recipe you'll throw together during a flash: Combine 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock, 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained), 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, 1 bag of frozen peppers and onions, and a few cup of frozen corn kernels, and season with cumin, flavorer, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne (optional), salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low for six to eight hours. Shred the meat into the soup with a pair of forks and top with a touch grated cheddar for a cheesy finish.

8. Overnight Slow Cooker Oatmeal Take 2 minutes to line this up the night before and you will have hot, creamy oatmeal expecting you subsequent morning (and you'll stash the extras within the fridge for quick, microwavable breakfasts during the week). Just add 1 cup steel-cut oats and 4 cups water to your slow cooker, alongside optional fresh or edible fruit like chopped apple, raisins, cranberries, or cherries. Cook on low for 8 hours and top with nuts or seeds and a drizzle of honey or syrup, if you wish. Make this once you have guests staying over — everyone can help themselves as they awaken and personalize their bowl with their favorite toppings.




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