4 Fast & Easy Crock-Pot Dinners

Ingredients:

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1 whole pineapple, chopped (or 1 can of pineapple chunks)

- 2 lbs chicken (1 lb if you have a smaller family)

- 1 cup barbecue sauce

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

- 2 tablespoons liquid aminos (or soy sauce)

- 1 teaspoon garlic powder

- 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Start by loosely chopping one whole onion. If you have a whole pineapple, chop it up after removing the core, or use a can of pineapple chunks to save time.

In a bowl, mix 1 cup of barbecue sauce, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of liquid aminos or soy sauce. Add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir the mixture well until everything is combined.

Ingredients:

- 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes

- 2 teaspoons garlic powder

- 2 teaspoons onion powder

- 1 tablespoon dried basil

- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

- 2 teaspoons salt

- 2 tablespoons sugar

- 1 cup heavy cream

- 2 teaspoons baking soda

- 1.5 pounds of chicken breasts or thighs

- Whole wheat spaghetti noodles

- 1 can of green beans

- Olive oil

Instructions:

Start by pouring the two large cans of crushed tomatoes into a large mixing bowl.

Add 2 teaspoons each of garlic powder and onion powder to the tomatoes. Mix in 1 tablespoon of dried basil and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Stir the mixture well to combine all the spices with the tomatoes.

Add 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the sauce. Stir again to make sure everything is well mixed. Pour in 1 cup of heavy cream. This makes the sauce rich and creamy. Be sure to use heavy cream with high-fat content to prevent curdling.

To further reduce the risk of curdling, add 2 teaspoons of baking soda. This helps neutralize the acid in the tomatoes.

Place 1.5 pounds of chicken breasts or thighs into your Crock-Pot. Pour the creamy tomato sauce over the chicken, ensuring the chicken is fully covered by the sauce.

Set the Crock-Pot to cook on high for about 4 hours. During this time, the chicken will cook thoroughly and absorb all the delicious flavors of the sauce.

When the chicken is almost done, cook the whole wheat spaghetti noodles according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles once they are cooked.

Open a can of green beans and drain the liquid. In a saucepan, heat a little bit of olive oil over medium heat.

Add the green beans to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are heated through and the water has mostly evaporated.

Once the chicken is done, take it out of the Crock-Pot and place it on top of the cooked spaghetti noodles. Pour some of the creamy basil marinara sauce over the chicken and noodles. Serve the green beans on the side.

3. Chicken salad

Ingredients:

- 2 chicken breasts

- 1 cup mayonnaise

- 2 teaspoons salt

- 1/2 teaspoon pepper

- 1-1.5 tablespoons sugar

- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

- 1 apple

- 1 cup grapes

- 1/2 cup bread and butter pickles (or dill pickles)

- Croissants (or any bread you prefer)

- Havarti cheese (optional)

Instructions:

I cook my chicken breasts in the Crock-Pot the day before and refrigerate them overnight. This makes them easier to handle and shred the next day.

Once chilled, place the chicken breasts in a large bowl. You can shred the chicken with your hands or a fork.

Add 1 cup of mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1-1.5 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the bowl. If you don't have apple cider vinegar, lemon juice works just as well. Mix everything thoroughly to make sure the dressing is well combined.

Chop one apple into small pieces. For the grapes, I cut them into bite-sized pieces, especially since I’m always cautious about choking hazards. Mix the chopped apples and grapes into the chicken mixture.

Chop 1/2 cup of bread and butter pickles (or dill pickles if you prefer a tangier taste). Add them to the bowl and mix everything together. If you added the apples first, make sure to stir them well to coat them with the dressing so they don't turn brown.

While you can use any bread you like, I prefer croissants. Slice the croissants but leave a small part attached to prevent the salad from falling out. If you like, add some Havarti cheese (or any cheese you prefer) inside the croissant.

Generously fill each croissant with the chicken salad mixture. Serve with a side of sunflower salad or any other salad you like.

Ingredients:

- 2-3 large chicken breasts (cut into smaller pieces if needed)

- 1/2 cup dry milk powder

- 1 tablespoon dill weed

- Salt (to taste)

- 1 block cream cheese (softened)

- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

- Optional: cooked rice, sour cream, broccoli

Instructions:

Place the chicken breasts at the bottom of your Crock-Pot. If the cuts are large, chop them into smaller, serving-sized pieces. This allows you to either serve the chicken as whole pieces or shred it later for different dishes.

Sprinkle some salt and about half a cup of dry milk powder over the chicken. Add a tablespoon of dill weed. Adjust the seasoning to your taste.

Soften a block of cream cheese by microwaving it for about 30 seconds, or just leave it out on the counter to reach room temperature.

Spread the softened cream cheese over the chicken and seasoning mixture in the Crock-Pot.

Set your Crock-Pot to high and cook for 3.5 to 4 hours. The chicken will become tender and infused with the creamy ranch flavors.

Once the chicken is cooked, it may have browned a bit around the edges. That’s perfectly fine. Shred the chicken in the Crock-Pot using two forks. Add about 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and mix well. Allow the cheese to melt into the mixture.

I like to serve this ranch chicken over rice. Scoop the chicken mixture over the rice. For an extra touch, add a dollop of sour cream on top.

For a complete meal, I cooked some broccoli in the oven. Simply toss broccoli florets with a bit of olive oil and salt, then roast at 425°F until tender and slightly crispy.

Crock-Pot dinners

I loved having these fast and easy Crock-Pot dinner recipes handy. They were super simple and enabled me to feed my family hearty meals during a busy week. Let me know which is your favorite quick weeknight meal in the comments!

Next, check out my post on Sticking to a Family Budget: What I Spent on Groceries Last Month.