Is It Slow Cooker Season Yet? You Bet!

Given how busy the library work has made me just in the last few weeks, I think our slow cookers will most likely be getting a workout this year.

I have no desire to spend the whole year eating overly processed, super salty and fat laden take-out food if we can help it.  But when you get home after working for several hours in a really hot room?  The last thing you want is to stand in a kitchen in front of a similarly warm stove for another hour mincing, chopping, sauteing and stirring.

Say it with me:  the crockpot is my friend.

As I have said previously, at our house the crockpot already gets a lot of use.  I've got a number of cookbooks that I love (several of which are reviewed here) with great recipes in them.  But I'm always on the lookout for healthier recipes that we can all enjoy -- having a picky 8 year old in the house can be somewhat limiting, although we have been working very hard -- and somewhat successfully -- to expand her culinary horizons over the last couple of years, so there is hope.

Some folks only seem to pull out their slow cookers when the weather turns cold and blustery.  Not at our house.  Ours are used pretty much year round.

I love the fact that it can cook for hours for me and not heat up my kitchen.  They are also much more energy efficient, using only a fraction of what our large oven would for the same dish -- and that makes me really happy.

Since I've spent a little time this weekend perusing potential healthy slow cooker recipes to try, I thought I'd share some of my finds with all of you.  The busy folks out there can thank me later when they have a little free time (ha!  I know, I kid...).  Some of these recipes sound seriously yummy, so take a look:


-- Chicken Thighs with Olive-Tomato Sauce
-- Beer-Braised Beef
-- Provencal Beef Stew
-- Black Bean Soup
-- White Bean and Chicken Chili
-- Red Beans and Rice
-- Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork
-- Walnut-Stuffed Slow-Cooked Apples
-- Brazilian Feijoada
-- Provencal Beef Daube
-- Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
-- Curried Beef Short Ribs
-- Curried Squash and Apple Soup
-- Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip
-- Overnight Apple Butter
-- Peasant Stew
-- Thai-Style Pork Stew
-- Spicy Red-and-Black Bean Soup
-- Aegean Lamb With Orzo
-- Hearty Potato Soup
-- Butternut Squash Parsnip Soup
-- Smoked Turkey-Lentil Soup
-- Spicy Shredded Beef
-- Chicken Tortilla Soup
-- Greek Chicken and Veggie Ragout
-- Hungarian Beef Goulash
-- Wine and Tomato Braised Chicken
-- Chinese Pork and Veggie Hot Pot
-- Slow Cooker Beans
-- Yankee Bean Pot
-- Squash, Chickpea and Red Lentil Stew
-- Apple Confit
-- Southwestern Three-Bean and Barley Soup
-- Slow Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves Garlic
-- Char Siu Pork Roast

Prior posts with recipes and links on slow cookers include:

-- My yummy slow cooker quickie-ish pasta sauce recipe
-- Superbowl recipe ideas
-- New Orleans Recipe Round-Up (try the red beans and rice -- seriously tasty!)
-- Chicken thigh recipe ideas
-- My crockpot recipe for really rich, tasty stock -- save this one for holiday cooking!
-- Crockpot beef roast
-- Tailgating and potluck recipes
-- My first crockpot-recipe-o-rama post

(Photo via asouthernfairytale.  The recipe for rosemary citrus garlic chicken sounds lie heaven.  Must try this one!)