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Warm Up Your Winter by Dusting Off Your Crockpot

Posted by Marla Richards, MS, RD, LD on December 10, 2015
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Warm Up Your Winter by Dusting Off Your CrockpotDid you know that crock pots save lives? (Okay, maybe not lives, but they can save dinners!) There have been many times I had to rely on my crockpot for dinner meals. Not only are they convenient, but they require very little effort to produce a delicious meal.

There is something about the way the Crockpot merges all the food together, where all the sauces and seasonings collide to produce an amazing flavor and aroma.

You really don’t need a guide on how to prepare crockpot meals, just as long as you can adjust the setting to set the temperature and time for your meal. The secret to crockpot cooking really comes down to one thing — time.

Story Time: When My Crockpot Saved Me

I can remember one night in particular that my crockpot came in handy. It was a cold and wet Sunday evening in December, and I let my food inventory reach an extreme low. Needless to say, I had little desire to go to the grocery store in 30 degree weather, much less walk outside to my car to make the drive there. (Lazy much…?) But it was Sunday, it was cold, it was raining, and I was thoroughly enjoying my couch and Christmas movie.

The household would soon grow hungry and our food options were limited. As I set on my comfy couch a thought came to mind: I never use my crockpot! I ran to the kitchen and pulled all my sources together. I had absolutely no liquid base with the exception of water. I had a few baked chicken breasts from the night before that were leftover, 2 carrots, and 1 potato. I instantly thought of soup, and how I could probably manage to make a decent tasting soup with all the ingredients I had, even if it wasn’t much.

I chopped the carrots and potato and threw them in the crockpot. I shredded the leftover chicken to add to the pile then put in 3 cups of water to cover the food. I knew I would need some added flavoring, so I scurried through my seasoning section of my pantry where I found chicken bouillon cubes (I can’t lie, that felt like a win)! I threw in two cubes along with some parsley, garlic powder, sea salt ,and pepper.

Given it was early afternoon I knew I didn’t have all day to cook the soup. So, I set the temperature on high at 4 hours to allow for a shorter cook. The soup didn’t need much time to cook considering the chicken was already baked, but I wanted the veggies to soften and the seasonings to have time to simmer together.

I couldn’t believe it when the final product was complete. The soup was delicious and proof that I didn’t have to go out and spend money.

This was also a great money saving method: Many people will buy food when it’s not necessary. My advice would be to take a tour through your kitchen next time you’re in a pickle for dinner and you may be surprised at what you find!

Dust Off Your Crockpot

Maybe you’ve had a crockpot for a long time, but never get it out because the hassle of knowing what to cook is too much. Just know it’s really an easy route to take for a meal, you just need the basics.

You don’t have to have a special liquid — water works perfect. You don’t have to have a specific meat, whether it is ground beef, chicken, or pork, any meat will do.

There is no vegetable that won’t work for a crockpot meal. All you have to do is throw your food, water, and seasonings in your crockpot and set the temperature. In the case that your meal turns out a bit bland, there’s nothing a little sea salt and pepper can’t fix!

What is your favorite Crockpot meal? Let us know in the comments below!

Photo credit: Janine via Flickr [CC BY 2.0]
Marla Richards, MS, RD, LD

About The Author

Marla Richards, MS, RD, LD

Marla has a longstanding passion in wellness and healthy living. After graduating from the University of Central Arkansas and completing the dietetic internship in 2011, she embarked on her professional career in wellness, working for an integrated health and wellness facility in Northwest Arkansas.

Post Topics Healthy Eating