Fall is finally here! That means it’s time to crank up the crockpot. Whether you’re slow cooking a large cut of meat, whipping up your Five Alarm Chili, or putting the special touches on a holiday favorite, your crockpot can save you more money than you realize. These creative slow cooker ideas will have both your wallet and your taste buds singing.
The Simplest of Soups
The two best recipes I fix in my slow cooker are indeed soup recipes. But the best part about them is that they require so little prep work and so few ingredients, it feels like a cakewalk to put them together in the morning. One is my Simple Turkey Black Bean Chili. The other I lovingly refer to as a “Can Of” soup. You simply add a jar of salsa (~16 oz), a can of rinsed black beans, a can of chicken breast drained, a cup of frozen corn, and water. If you feel like getting fancy then break out the cumin and the onion. However, in my book, the easier, the better. You can find three of my favorite soup recipes on the $50 Crockpot ALDI Meal Plan I created. Believe it or not, the meal plan will provide six hearty dinners for less than $50.
Baby Food
We made almost all of the Princess Youngest’s baby food by using our $4 crockpot and a $4 food processor. There are a wide array of recipes on the internet; however, we primarily stuck to single fruits or veggies slow cooked all day long until they got mushy. Then, if necessary, we’d run them through the food processor to further puree. Believe it or not, this is how we discovered we LOVE a warm pear sauce. We made the original baby food recipe a little more grown up adding honey and cinnamon. Check out the Honey Cinnamon Pear Sauce Recipe!
Rice Cooker
It’s easy to over complicate your life and fill your kitchen from floor to ceiling with utensils and countertop devices that actually serve the same function. Believe it or not, your crockpot can easily double as a rice cooker. Simply coat the inside of your crockpot with a tablespoon of butter or coconut oil, leaving any remaining portion in the crock. Then, add 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 and in no time flat, you’ll have fluffy, warm rice. For more specific instructions, check out Fixing Rice in Your Crockpot.
Breakfast
Everybody loves a hot breakfast and having a warm, yummy dish already prepared before your feet hit the floor is a glorious way to save time and money. I’ve tried more than one of these breakfast slow cooker ideas from Recipes that Crock. From French toast to egg casseroles to oatmeal, you’d be surprised at what you can pull off while you sleep.
How to Care for Your Crockpot
If you want to make your crockpot last longer, you need to take good care of it. And cleaning your crockpot can be a snap if you take a few simple steps first.
- Clean It Out As Soon As Possible: There is nothing worse than a sticky, crusty slow cooker. So the sooner you can clean your appliance, the better.
- Use a Non-stick Spray or Butter: For some recipes, you’ll want to consider greasing your crock just like you would a dish you’d place in an oven. Depending on your flavor and cooking preferences, you might consider a non-stick spray, butter, or even a light oil.
- Use a Liner: You may want to consider purchasing crockpot liners to make clean up easier. Look for products like Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners or PanSaver EZ Clean Multi-Use Cooking Bags.
- Baking Soda and Vinegar: If you’ve really made a mess of things, you can fill it to the mess line with warm water. Then add 2 T baking soda, 1/4 cup of white vinegar, a squeeze of dish soap to the slow cooker slowly. Turn it on low for an hour and then come back to scrub.
Just can’t get enough of your crockpot read these posts I’ve written:
- Crockpot Tips: When to Buy, What to Buy, How Much to Spend, & More!
- Think Outside the Crock: Creative Crockpot Recipes
- Shocking Ways to Save Money With Your Crockpot
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out The Debt Free Devotional
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