I am preparing
for the next Great in 8 Weeks challenge, by taking some time to put together
some Great in 8 approved Crockpot/Freezer Recipes. Many of these are taken from New
Leaf Wellness. She has great
recipes, tips, and also shopping lists.
Check it out. Preparation is the
key to success for busy people.
Here are the
ones I am working on for this weekend.
**Vera’s Tip – I prefer to freeze mine standing
up (rather than laying flat), in case I forget to put them in the fridge the
night before, it is easier to get them to fit in the crockpot frozen.
Honey Dijon Chicken
Freezer-to-Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
Crockpot lime Shredded Pork
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
Crockpot Balsamic Beef Roast with Carrots
Slow Cooker Spicy Beef & Bell Pepper
Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki
Slow Cooker Apple Cider Braised Pork
Hamburger Potato Soup
Chicago Style Shredded Beef Sandwiches
Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Honey Dijon Chicken
Yields: 3
servings
INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed • 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or whole grain mustard)
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1/2 cup water* not needed until day of cooking
MATERIALS
• 1 gallon-sized plastic freezer bag (you can use a quart-sized freezer bag, if
you have one)
PREP
1. Label your freezer bag.
2. To your gallon-sized freezer bag, add all ingredients (except water).
3. Remove as much air from the gallon-sized freezer bag as possible, seal, and
lay flat in your freezer.
COOK
1. The night before cooking, move freezer bag to your refrigerator to thaw.
2. The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot and
add water.
3. Cook on low setting for 3-6 hours or until chicken is cooked through and
tender.
Serve with rice
and steamed broccoli or a salad.
Freezer-to-Slow Cooker Chicken
Chili
Ingredients
o
1 medium yellow onion (one cup), chopped
1, 15oz can
black beans, drained and rinsed
1, 15oz can
cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1, 14.5oz
can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (my family likes medium-heat)
1, 14.5oz
can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup frozen
medley of green & red peppers & onion strips
1 2/3 cup
frozen corn
4 cloves
garlic, minced
1 tablespoon
paprika
3 teaspoons
chili powder
2 teaspoons
ground cumin
1 1/2
teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon
crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound
boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Place onion,
2 cans of beans, 2 cans of tomatoes, frozen pepper medley, and corn into a
gallon-sized plastic freezer bag.
Add garlic
and seasonings.
Add chicken.
(It’s important to add the meat last so it’s the first ingredient to go into
your slow cooker.)
Remove as
much air as you can, and lay bag flat in your freezer. (If you have a standard
freezer, the “use by” date will be 3 months from now.)
Cook
Thaw
overnight in your refrigerator.
Add to slow
cooker and cook on low for 10-12 hrs or until chicken is tender.
Crockpot Lime Shredded Pork
From my No
Cook Freezer Recipes Cookbook
http://newleafwellness.biz/product/cookbook-ebook-bundle/
Yields: One
gallon-sized bag of Lime Shredded Pork with 4-6 servings. (I doubled this
recipe and made two bags.)
INGREDIENTS
·
2.5lb
bone-in pork shoulder roast (sometimes labeled as a “Boston butt” or “pork
butt”)
·
The
juice from two limes
·
1
tablespoon honey
·
1/2
teaspoon ground cayenne red pepper
·
1/4
teaspoon salt
1. Label freezer bag.
2. To your freezer bag, add lime
juice, honey, cayenne pepper, salt, and pork shoulder. (Add the pork shoulder
to the bag last, so it’s the first ingredient poured into your slow cooker.)
3. Remove as much air from the
freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer.
COOK
1. The night before cooking,
move freezer bag to your refrigerator to thaw.
2. The morning of cooking,
pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot, and cook on “low” setting for
8-12 hours, or until pork is cooked through and falls off the bone.
3. Remove pork meat from the
bone.
4. Shred and serve with tortillas
or rice, next day make lime pork quesadillas.
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
Prep Time 10 minutes Yield 6 servings Cook Time 8 hours, 5
minutes
Total Time 8 hours, 15 minutes
**One of my FAVORITES - A rich and meaty
spaghetti sauce easily made in the crockpot - it makes enough to feed an army
and you can freeze the leftovers! I combined all the ingredients with cook
ground beef in a freezer bag.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add
ground beef, sausage, onion and garlic. Cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes,
making sure to crumble the beef and sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat. Place
ground beef mixture into a slow cooker. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce,
bay leaves, oregano, basil, salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook on low
heat for 8 hours.
Stir well and serve immediately.
Adapted from The Cooking
Photographer http://damndelicious.net/2013/11/08/slow-cooker-spaghetti-sauce
Crockpot Balsamic Beef Roast with
Carrots
Modified from
The Chic Site http://thechicsite.com/2013/07/16/slow-cooker-balsamic-pot-roast/
Yields: One
gallon-sized bag of Balsamic Beef Roast with 4-6 servings. (I doubled this
recipe and made two bags.)
INGREDIENTS
·
2
pound boneless beef chuck shoulder roast
·
2
pounds carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
·
1/2
cup honey
·
1/4
cup balsamic vinegar
·
1
tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
·
1
teaspoon salt
·
1/4
teaspoon red pepper flakes
·
3
cloves of garlic, minced
·
Zest
of 1/2 an orange
·
2
cups of beef broth – NOT NEEDED UNTIL DAY OF COOKING
PREP
1. Label your freezer bag.
2. To your freezer bag, add
all ingredients except beef broth. Add beef roast to the freezer bag last so
it’s the first ingredient poured into your crockpot.
3. Remove as much air from
the gallon-sized freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer.
COOK
1.
The
night before cooking, move freezer bag to your refrigerator to thaw.
2.
The
morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot and add beef
broth.
3.
Cook
on “low” setting for 8-12 hours, or until beef shreds easily and carrots are
soft.
4.
Shred
beef and serve.
SLOW COOKER SPICY BEEF & BELL PEPPER
2 lbs beef chuck, thinly sliced
2 cups chopped to 1 inch squares bell pepper
1/2 medium onion, peeled, cut in half, sliced
1 cup broth or 1 cup water + 3 bullion cube
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 tsp freeze dried garlic
1/3 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp – 1 Tbsp Sriracha sauce
1.
Place the meat on the bottom of the slow cooker. Top
with sliced onion. For even better flavor, sauté onion in skillet until golden
brown, then add it to the slow cooker.Top with cut up bell pepper. Sprinkle
with salt, pepper and garlic.
2.
Mix the broth with Sriracha, or water, bullion cubes and
Sriracha. Pour over the peppers and beef.(if using bullion cubes, add only 1
tsp salt).
3.
Set on high heat for 3.5-4 hours.
4.
Mix ½ cup water and 2 tablespoons corn starch. Add 1 cup
of liquid from the meat & pepper mixture and cook on medium heat until
boiling, then cook 2 minutes past boil to remove the cornstarch flavor. Add
this mixture back to the meat and bell peppers. Sprinkle with chopped parsley,
stir and serve.
5.
Serve hot over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes.
Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki
Modified from
The Taylor House http://www.thetaylor-house.com/slow-cooker-chicken-teriyaki/2/
Yields: One
gallon-sized bag of chicken teriyaki with 3 servings. (I doubled this recipe
and made two bags.)
INGREDIENTS
·
One
pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
·
1/2
cup honey
·
1/2
cup low sodium soy sauce
·
1/4
cup rice wine vinegar (I subbed red wine vinegar)
·
1
small onion, diced
·
1
large clove garlic, minced
·
1-inch
ginger root, peeled and minced or ½ tsp
minced ginger
·
1/4
teaspoon black pepper
·
One
bag frozen stir fry veggies (Mine was 14.4 oz)
1. Label your freezer bag.
2. To your freezer bag, add
all ingredients. Add chicken to the freezer bag last so it’s the first
ingredient poured into your crockpot.
3. Remove as much air from the
freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer.
COOK
1. The night before cooking,
move frozen bag to your refrigerator to thaw.
2. The morning of cooking, pour
contents of freezer bag into your crockpot.
3. Cook on “low” setting for
4-8hours, or until chicken is cooked through.
**Vegetables
come out quite mushy, for firmer veggies microwave until tender and add the
last hour.
More info can be
found on http://www.NewLeafWellness.biz
Chicago Style Shredded Beef Sandwiches
Prep time: less than 30
minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, minced or 3 tsp
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 (4 lb.) beef roast
1 tbsp. instant beef bouillon granules
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
1/4 c. water
green pepper slices (cooked)(optional)
sauteed onions (optional)
Whole Wheat rolls
8 slices provolone cheese
Assembly:
If Roast is not frozen – braise first and then
freeze. Or Cook as directed and divide
up meat into portions and freeze, for a quick dinner.
**Tip-The secret to tender meat is to brown it
first on all sides in a little olive oil before putting it in the slow cooker.
Combine garlic, salt and pepper, bouillon
granules, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper and water in slow cooker.
Place braised roast in slow cooker and flip to coat both sides with sauce. Cook
on low 8-10 hours until meat is easily shredded with fork. When meat is
ready, cut buns open and spread with butter - toast in oven. Put meat on whole
wheat roll. Add cooked green peppers and/or onions if desired. Place cheese on
top. Place in oven on 350 until cheese is melted. Serve and Enjoy!!
Hamburger
Potato Soup
Yields: 6 servings
Ingredients
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1.5
cups or 4 large carrots)
• 2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch
chunks (about 8oz or 1.5 cups)
• 1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
• 28oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
• 4 cups of fat-free lower-sodium beef broth*
(not needed until day of cooking)
Materials
• 1 gallon-sized plastic freezer bag
Prep
1. Label your freezer bag.
2. Add all ingredients to your freezer bag (except
broth). To keep potatoes from browning, chop them last and add them to the top
of your freezer bag.
3. Remove as much air from the freezer bag as
possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer for up to three months.
Cook
1. The night before cooking, move frozen bag to
your refrigerator to thaw.
2. The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer
bag into your crockpot and add beef broth.
3. Cook on “low” setting for 8 hours or until
beef is cooked through and carrots are soft.
4. Break apart beef, stir, and serve.
Serve with rolls.
Slow Cooker Apple
Cider Braised Pork
INGREDIENTS:
1 (4 pound) boneless pork
shoulder roast
salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 shallots, sliced
1 rib celery, chopped
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups apple cider or apple juice
|
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more
to taste
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into
small pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs
(Italian parsley, sage, or thyme)
|
DIRECTIONS:
1.
|
Season pork with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a large
skillet over high heat. Sear pork on all sides in the hot oil until browned,
about 3 minutes per side. (At this point add all ingredients to Freezer Bag –
and Freeze.)
(Remove from freezer and put into slow cooker.) Transfer pork
to the slow cooker.
|
2.
|
Reduce stovetop temperature to medium; cook and stir shallots
and celery in the skillet until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in
apple cider vinegar and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until liquid is
nearly evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes.
|
3.
|
Pour shallot mixture over pork shoulder in the slow cooker.
Add apple cider, garlic cloves, and bay leaf. Cover, set slow cooker to Low,
and cook until fork-tender but not falling apart, about 6 hours (or 8-10 if
frozen). Turn pork over every 1 to 2 hours if possible. Remove pork roast to
a plate and cover loosely with foil.
|
4.
|
Pour remaining liquid from the slow cooker through a fine mesh
strainer into a large saucepan; place over high heat. Discard bay leaf.
Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
http://newleafwellness.biz/2015/04/08/slow-cooker-stuffed-peppers-freezer-friendly/
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
• 1lb ground turkey
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 small green bell peppers, tops cut off and cleaned
• 24oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce (reserve 2T)
• 1/2 cup water
Materials
• 1 gallon-sized plastic freezer bag
• 1 quart-sized plastic freezer bag
Prep
1. Label your freezer bag.
2. In large bowl, mix ground meat, onion, garlic, and 2
tablespoons of pasta
sauce.
3. Separate mixture into four equal parts and firmly stuff
into peppers.
4. Add remaining pasta sauce to quart-sized bag. Add water to
empty jar and
shake it around to get all of the sauce and add to quart-sized
bag. Seal.
5. Add bag of sauce to gallon-sized bag and add stuffed
peppers. Remove as
much air from the freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat
in your freezer for up to three months.
Cook
1. The night before cooking, move frozen bag to your
refrigerator to thaw.
2. The morning of cooking, add stuffed peppers to bottom of
slow cooker.
3. Cover with sauce.
4. Cook on “low” setting for 6-8 hours or until meat is cooked
through and
peppers are soft.
Serve with rice.
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Yields: 6 servings Ingredients
• 2 pounds of ground chicken
• 1 medium-sized red bell pepper, diced
• 2 large carrots, grated (1 cup)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon honey
Materials
• 1 gallon-sized plastic freezer bag
Prep
Cook
1. Label your freezer bag.
2. Add all ingredients to bag.
3. Seal and freeze for up to three months.
1. Thaw.
2. Cook in slow cooker for 4-6 hours on “low” setting.
3. Break apart chicken and spoon onto lettuce.
Serve on big pieces of iceberg or Boston bibb lettuce.
Crockpot Italian Chicken
http://newleafwellness.biz/2015/03/30/organic-crockpot-freezer-meals-from-costco-10-meals-in-60-
minutes/
Yields: three servings INGREDIENTS

• 1 small onion, diced
• 4oz fresh baby spinach (about 2 handfuls)
• 2 cans of tomato sauce (15oz each)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
MATERIALS
• 1 gallon-sized plastic freezer bag
PREP
COOK
1. Label your freezer bag.
2. To your freezer bag, add all ingredients.
3. Remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible, seal,
and lay flat in your freezer.
1. The night before cooking, move frozen bag to your
refrigerator to thaw.
2. The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag into
your crockpot.
3. Cook on “low” setting for 4-6 hours, or until chicken is
cooked through.
Serve with spaghetti and a salad.
Shopping List for all meals
MEATS
7 pound of
boneless skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
3.5 lb bone-in
pork shoulder roast
6 pound ground beef
or turkey
5 pound boneless beef chuck shoulder roast
FRUITS & VEGETABLES
1 - 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies,
undrained
6 - 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup frozen medley of green & red peppers & onion
strips
1 2/3 cup frozen corn
6 medium yellow onion
4 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 limes
3 lbs carrots
1 orange
5 green bell pepper
1 - 14.4 oz bag frozen stir fry veggies
2 small potatoes
1 rib celery, chopped
24oz jar of pasta sauce
1 medium-sized red bell pepper
4oz fresh baby spinach (about 2 handfuls)
16 ounces baby
red potatoes, quartered
¼ cup pineapple
BEANS
1, 15oz can black beans
1, 15oz can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
SEASONINGS
black pepper
salt
ground thyme
ground cayenne
red pepper
red pepper flakes
24 cloves of
garlic, minced
1 tablespoon paprika
chili powder
ground cumin
oregano
3 bay leaves
dried basil
Kosher salt
corn starch
chopped parsley
ginger root,
peeled and minced or ½ tsp minced ginger
dried Italian seasoning
dried oregano leaves
chopped fresh herbs
· (Italian
parsley, sage, or thyme)
1 pkg Ranch
Seasoning and Salad Dressing Mix
sesame seeds for garnish
CONDIMENTS
2 cup honey
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or whole grain mustard)
7
tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic
vinegar
1 cup low sodium
soy sauce
7 cups of beef
broth – NOT NEEDED UNTIL DAY OF COOKING
Sriracha sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups apple cider or apple juice
1/4 cup rice
wine vinegar (I subbed red wine vinegar)
4 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons natural maple syrup
MISC
8 slices provolone cheese
Whole Wheat rolls
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