Slow Cooker Healthy Recipes

achickwwit

Looking for Crockpot inspiration and am having tough time. Any suggestions on where to find healthy recipe ideas and calorie counts? Sites or a fabulous cookbook both work. Thank you.

colleentuttle85

SkinnyTaste Fast and Slow

NovusDies

Crock pots/slow cooking methods are generally only good for a small variety of things. I only use mine for beans for instance. Really tough cuts of meat respond well to low and slow but only because they need tenderizing which is more important than overcooking them.

There is no fixing dry overcooked meat which is a likely outcome of other lean proteins like chicken if you put it in the crock pot. Some people manage to eat it and not notice. I am not sure how.

onematch

Today I put frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot, with salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and a little salt. Will cook on low for 8 hours, then shred the chicken with two forks. Eat it alone with a little shredded cheese and extra salsa, or over rice, or wrapped in a tortilla. So delish!!

I also use frozen chicken breasts and cover with bbq sauce, cook on low for 8 and shred. Voila! Instant chicken bbq.

kshama2001

NovusDies wrote: »

Crock pots/slow cooking methods are generally only good for a small variety of things. I only use mine for beans for instance. Really tough cuts of meat respond well to low and slow but only because they need tenderizing which is more important than overcooking them.

There is no fixing dry overcooked meat which is a likely outcome of other lean proteins like chicken if you put it in the crock pot. Some people manage to eat it and not notice. I am not sure how.

I agree that chicken breast can be tricky but I've never had a problem with overcooking chicken thighs.

OP - lots of slow cooker recipes on https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/253/everyday-cooking/slow-cooker/
I always read the reviews and look for trends in the comments.

amgreenwell

allrecipes.com and search slow cooker

NovusDies

kshama2001 wrote: »

NovusDies wrote: »

Crock pots/slow cooking methods are generally only good for a small variety of things. I only use mine for beans for instance. Really tough cuts of meat respond well to low and slow but only because they need tenderizing which is more important than overcooking them.

There is no fixing dry overcooked meat which is a likely outcome of other lean proteins like chicken if you put it in the crock pot. Some people manage to eat it and not notice. I am not sure how.

I agree that chicken breast can be tricky but I've never had a problem with overcooking chicken thighs.

OP - lots of slow cooker recipes on https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/253/everyday-cooking/slow-cooker/
I always read the reviews and look for trends in the comments.

Chicken thighs do not get as dry as chicken breasts but they can get rubbery and they should also not be cooked past 165/75. They don't take that long to cook using conventional means and there is no flavor or tenderizing advantage to cooking low and slow. Even on a lower temperature chicken thighs do not need to be cooked several hours and unless you are making a soup or stew it is better to cook them using a dry method.

Everything a crock pot can do can be done with a oven safe pot or dish. The only advantage to using one is the energy savings when cooking a roast for 8+ hours and I do find it handy for beans. I personally hate pot roast and I tolerate the occasional pork roast cooked in one.

fitoverfortymom

budgetbytes.com has some good slow cooker recipes. I make the black bean soup regularly.