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Using a crockpot/slow-cooker is a great way to simplify your life and help you get dinner on the table no matter how busy you are. Here are 5 of our favourites recipes to make your work week a little easier!

Spend one hour chopping and dicing once a week, then throw the ingredients together in a plastic bag and freeze. The result? Easy, flavorful make-ahead meals that prepare themselves in your slow-cooker. The best part is that you can take the leftovers for lunch the next day!

What You Will Need:

• 3 or 6 quart slow-cooker. For best results, when all the ingredients are added, the slow-cooker should be ¾ full. If not adjust the serving size of the recipe
• Medium and large freezer bags
• A permanent marker or stickers to label each bag
• A cutting board
• A good chopping knife

Honey Dijon Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Vegetables (Makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (0.9kg) of boneless skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard (or whole grain mustard)
• 1 ½ tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes rinsed, peeled and chopped
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 1 bundle fresh asparagus, cleaned and about 1 1/2" cut off the bottoms
• 1 cup water

Materials:

• 1 large sized plastic freezer bag
• 1 medium sized plastic freezer bag

Prep:

• Label your freezer bag
• Mix together honey, mustard, black pepper, salt, and thyme together and add to the medium sized freezer bag with the chicken breasts
• Add all remaining ingredients (except water) to your large freezer bag and place the medium freezer bag inside the large one
• Remove as much air from the large freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer

Cook:

• The night before cooking, move freezer bag to your refrigerator to thaw
• The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot and add water
• Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours or until chicken is cooked through and tender

Per serving: Calories: 352; Fat: 3.9g; Protein: 58.3g; Carbs: 44g; Fiber: 4.6g

https://newleafwellness.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/8-no-cook-freezer-meals.pdf

Mexican Quinoa (Makes 6 servings)

Ingrdients:

• 4 cups sweet potatoes rinsed, peeled, and cubed
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can (15.25 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted or original diced tomatoes (low sodium)
• 1 small jalapeno, diced (optional)
• 2 cans (19 ounces each) mild red enchilada sauce
• 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (see recipe below)
• Taco Seasoning: 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Materials:

• 1 large sized plastic freezer bag

Prep:

• Label your freezer bag
• Add all ingredients (except broth) to your large freezer bag
• Remove as much air from the large freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer

Cook:

• The night before cooking, move freezer bag to your refrigerator to thaw
• The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot and add broth
• Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours or until chicken is cooked through and tender
• Top bowls with optional toppings: for example shredded cheese, fresh lime juice, sour cream, and cilantro

Per Serving: Calories: 298; Fat: 1.86g; Protein: 14.8g; Carbs: 57.2g; Fiber: 11.4g

http://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/slow-cooker-mexican-quinoa/

Chicken Tacos (Makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (0.9 kg) chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (see recipe below)
• 1 cup salsa (see recipe below)
• 1 cup diced canned tomatoes (low sodium)
• 1 cup onions, diced fine
• ½ cup carrots, shredded
• ½ cup of water
• Taco Seasoning: 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Fresh Salsa Recipe:

• 2/3 cup chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons onion diced
• 3 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh jalapeno pepper (including seeds)
• A pinch of ground cumin
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of ground black pepper

Materials:

• 1 large sized plastic freezer bag, and 1 medium sized plastic freezer bag if you prefer to separate the chicken from the vegetables.

Prep:

• Label your large freezer bag
• Coat your chicken in the taco seasoning and place in the medium freezer bag (if you wish to keep them separate)
• Add all ingredients to your large freezer bag (except water)
• Remove as much air from the large freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer

Cook:

• The night before cooking, move freezer bag to your refrigerator to thaw
• The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag (meat first) into your crockpot and add water
• Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours or until chicken is cooked through and tender
• Serve on whole grain taco shells with shredded cheese, and lettuce or on a salad

Per Serving: Calories: 177.5; Fat: 4.1g; Protein: 27.2g; Carbs: 7.3g; Fiber: 2.1g (only accounts for chicken meat not the taco shells or the toppings)

https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=871817

Salmon Fillets and Asian-Style Vegetables on Rice Pilaf (Makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:

• Garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cups long grain brown rice
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth – low sodium
• 2 pounds (0.9 kg) salmon fillets
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• ½ cup zucchini. chopped
• ½ cup onions, diced
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper

Materials:

• 1 large sized plastic freezer bag and 1 medium sized plastic freezer bag

Prep:

• Label your large freezer bag
• Mix together soy sauce, honey, and lemon juice
• Season the salmon with salt and pepper to taste and place in the medium freezer bag with the soy sauce, honey, and lemon juice mixture
• Add all remaining ingredients (except the broth) to your large freezer bag
• Place the medium freezer bag containing the salmon inside the large freezer bag
• Remove as much air from the large freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer

Cook:

• The night before cooking, move freezer bag to your refrigerator to thaw
• The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag (except salmon) into your crockpot and add broth
• Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours or until the rice is almost tender
• Add salmon on top of rice and cook for 35 – 60 minutes until salmon flakes when tested with a fork

Per Serving: Calories: 510; Fat: 13.5g; Protein: 29g; Carbs: 37g; Fiber: 7.5g

Source: http://simple-nourished-living.com/2014/01/crock-pot-salmon-fillets-vegetables/

Ground Turkey Chili (Makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:

• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 2 pounds (0.9kg) ground turkey
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 can chickpeas
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (low-sodium)
• 2 cans tomato paste
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup green pepper chopped
• 3 tablespoon chili seasoning mix (see recipe)
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil (canola oil will also work)
• Chili Seasoning Mix: 2 tablespoons ground cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon white sugar, 2 teaspoons ground pepper, ½ teaspoon ground cayenne

Materials:

• 1 large sized plastic freezer bag and 1 medium sized plastic freezer bag

Prep:

• Label your large freezer bag
• Heat a large frying pan on medium heat than add avocado oil
• Add yellow onions and garlic cooking until they are soft (approximately 5 minutes)
• Add ground turkey and cook until all the pink is gone
• Let frying pan ingredients cool than add to medium freezer bag along with the chili seasoning mix
• Add all remaining ingredients to your large freezer bag
• Place the medium freezer bag containing the ground turkey mix inside the large freezer bag
• Remove as much air from the large freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer

Cook:

• The night before cooking, move freezer bag to your refrigerator to thaw
• The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot
• Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours
• Taste 30 minutes before cook time finishes. If necessary add more chili seasoning to taste

Per Serving: Calories: 315: Fat: 4.5g; Protein: 44g; Carbs: 36g; Fiber: 12g

Source: Ultimate Chili Recipe. Men’s Health Magazine: November 2014.