The cooler weather means more cozy days indoors, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you should spend all that time in the kitchen. Make some hearty meals your entire family will enjoy without spending hours meal prepping by employing your slow cooker!
Check out our two fall favorites:
Fall Slow Cooker Chili
This warm, filling bowl of goodness is the perfect meal to try this season. Plus, it’s so easy to make as you let it all cook down in a slow cooker instead of continually stirring over a flame. Easy and yummy!
Ingredients:
2 lbs lean beef
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
3 cans tomato sauce
½ cup beef broth
2 tbsp chili powder
2 ½ tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp granulated sugar
½ tsp ground coriander
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cans of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Shredded cheese, to serve
Instructions:
Sauté onion in a large skillet for 3 minutes then add garlic. Put the onion in the slow cooker.
Return to the skillet on medium-high heat and cook the beef until browned.
Drain some of the fat from the meat and add it to the slow cooker.
Add all the remaining ingredients to the pot, except the beans, and cook for 5-6 hours on low heat.
Add the kidney beans, and let it cook for 5 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Roasted Garlic and Squash Soup
This super creamy and flavorful soup is delicious, healthy, and comforting. Top it off with croutons and serve warm. It’s only 100 calories per bowl!
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash peeled and diced (medium-sized)
1 onion, diced
6 cloves of roasted garlic
2 stalks of celery, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ tsp of ground nutmeg
6 cups of chicken broth
½ cup half-and-half cream
2 tbsp fresh thyme
Instructions
In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients, except the cream. Cook for 5 hours on low heat, or on high heat for 3 hours, until squash is very soft.
Puree the mixture into a soup, add cream and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Cook for an additional 30 minutes then serve warm.