It’s one of those crazy, busy weeks that you know cooking a meal everyday won’t be possible. Even if your week isn’t busy, sometimes you just need a break from the stove and just want to have something cooked and ready for you to eat. This is where your crockpot comes in. I love my crockpot! I probably use mine at least once a week and have leftovers for the next day or two depending on what I’m cooking. It couldn’t get any better! I’ve got a couple of simple crockpot recipes that you can plan into your week or even have your husband or significant other mix in the ingredients to set and forget until it’s dinnertime.
BBQ Coca-Cola Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 chicken fryer
- 12 oz can Coca-Cola
- 1 lemon
- 1 onion
- 1 bottle BBQ Sauce (any kind)
Directions
- Peel the onion and cut it into quarters. Cut the lemon also and cut into quarters.
- Put the fryer in the crock pot and toss in the lemons and onions.
- Pour the entire can of Coke and the entire bottle of BBQ sauce over the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for about 8-10 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
The cold air is definitely setting in and the best thing to keep you warm is a bowl full of chili. Better yet, if there are football fans in the house, then this definitely would a great recipe to make. If you end up with leftovers and don’t want to eat it the next night, it is great to freeze and cook anytime you like.
Simple Three Bean Chili
Ingredients
- 15 oz. can spicy chili beans, undrained or 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
- 15 oz. can black beans, drained
- 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained
- 14 oz. can spicy diced tomatoes, undrained
- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder or salsa seasoning herb mix
- 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 onion, chopped, if desired
Directions
- Combine all the ingredients into a 4-5 quart crockpot.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 until the mixture is blended and thickened
- Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.
(You can use your favorite combination of beans for this recipe. If you need a little meat in your chili, you can use 2 lbs of cooked ground beef and mix it in at the last 30 minutes of cooking time before your chili is complete.)
How often do you use your crockpot?
photo credits: Thinkstock