Crock-Pot to the Rescue

When in doubt, throw it all in the pot!

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Next up, we have two comfort slow cooker meals. One chicken, one beef. The great thing about the slow cooker meals is the fact you can prepare your meals and portion them out to freeze. I love the crock-pot because I can dump everything in, go about my day, then have dinner ready when I want it. They are also great because you can make them as fattening as you want them or as healthy as you want! I go in moods, comfort vs. clean eating all the time! What about you?

My chicken dish was everything but the kitchen sink. I really cleared out jars of goodies, remnants of cheese, greens, and whatever else I needed to use up. Turned out delicious and JUST what I was in the mood for.

OK, so this guy had TONS of stuff that I tossed in and crossed my fingers it was going to be delicious, don’t fret…it was beyond delicious. Here is everything (and I mean everything) I added;

Chicken, Broccoli, Sundried Tomatoes, Spinach, Artichoke hearts, Thyme, Oregano, Salt and Pepper, Heavy Cream, Cream Cheese, Parmesan, and Chicken Stock. I cooked these items for 3 hours on high and served it over cheese tortellini. WOW, creamy, rich, tasty, and cleared up so much room in my fridge!

My second crock-pot dish was a chuck roast. They were on special at the grocery store so I bought two. One I cut into portions and used parts for my mini pot roast if you will. I froze the rest to use for whatever I decided down this quarantine road. I didn’t want to get sick of the roast which is why I wanted to make smaller meals and give myself options!

This baby was even more simple than the chicken. All I did was pat dry the roast and coat it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then I browned the roast in a super hot cast iron skillet until it was crusty and delicious all over. I added it to the slow-cooker with a little bit of veggie stock ( I did not have beef stock or red wine, shocking) some potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and onions. I only bothered to peel the potatoes that had those little eyes growing upon them. I placed the slow-cooker on low and cooked the beef and veggies for 8 hours. When it was almost ready to be served, I sauteed up some broccoli rabe and broiled some parmesan cheese on top. Winner, winner, BEEF dinner.