Ah, autumn! Time for crunchy leaves, snuggly sweaters and pumpkin everything! Also, time for me to bust out my crock pot and start cooking everything in it! Since we just spent the last three weeks talking about how to save you time through meal prep and planning, why not try some tasty meals that cook WITHOUT YOU DOING ANYTHING TO HELP THEM!
Slow-cookers are literally the busy cook’s best friend, and as derby skaters, you can bet that we’re busy a lot of the time. Here are some boss (paleo) crockpot recipes that you can set, forget, then dig into hours later!
First up, soup course!
Nothing says fall more than Butternut Squash Soup (except pumpkin spice lattes, of course, but you can’t make those in the slow cooker). Here’s an easy recipe that’ll get your house smelling amazing.
Ingredients: 1 chopped butternut squash (approx 6C), 2 chopped apples, 2 chopped carrots, 1 small chopped onion, 1 clove garlic, 2C chicken or veggie stock, 1C almond milk
Spices: For traditional butternut squash soup: 1/2tsp sage, 1 1/2tsp thyme, salt and pepper, For Spicy Curry: curry powder and red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
Optional toppings: Crumbled bacon, chopped chives, parsley
Put all your chopped veggies and spices in the slow cooker along with your stock. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add the almond milk, stir, then transfer to blender or use immersion blender to smooth out the soup. Top with additional salt, pepper, spices or toppings if desired.
Next, Pick Your Main
I love rustic food in the fall, and Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore (6 servings), totally fits the bill.
Ingredients: 6 bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, 2 tbsp butter or oil, 1 minced onion, 1/4C tomato paste, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2C chicken stock, 2-3 cloves minced garlic, 2-3C chopped mushrooms, oregano, chili flakes, salt and pepper, 1/2C red wine (optional)
What’s that? You just want a roast chicken? No problem!
Not into chicken? Here’s the beef!
To me, cranberries mean the holidays are coming. This Beef Stew with Cranberries (4-5 servings) is tasty, easy, and full of fall goodness.
Ingredients: 2lbs stewing beef cut small, 2C beef, chicken or veggie stock (or bone broth if you’re ambitious), 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, 2-3 minced garlic cloves, 3-5 cubed potatoes, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, rosemary, basil, oregano, 1-2 bay leaves, salt and pepper, 1/3C frozen cranberries
Put the meat into the slow cooker, add all of the liquids and spices, then all the veggies (save the cranberries for later). Cook on low for 8 hours. In the last half hour, add the frozen cranberries and give it a stir. Cook for another 30 mins (until the berries are warm), then serve!
And no meal would be complete without a yummy (simple and reasonably healthy) dessert!
Not only is the name of this dessert the best thing ever, the taste is too: Cinnamon Honey Buns!
Dough ingredients: 1/3C coconut flour, 3 eggs, 5 tbsp coconut oil/butter, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tbsp honey, dash salt
Topping ingredients: 1C honey, 4 tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp cinnamon
Oil the inside of your crockpot. Mix the dough ingredients together until they have a dough-like consistency, then form them into 6-8 dough balls. Melt your topping butter and mix it with honey and cinnamon. Dip each dough ball into the topping mixture, and put it into the crockpot (for a bigger crockpot, double the recipe). Pour the unused topping over the dough balls once they’re all in the crockpot. Cook on low for 1-1 1/2 hours.