The slow cooker is a magical piece of kitchen equipment. Having the luxury of placing all your ingredients in one pot and letting the cooker do the rest is a B-E-A-UTIFUL thing. Slow cookers also come in a variety of sizes making it easy to cook large portions for your meal prepping needs.  We wanted to share three recipes that can make your life a whole lot easier when it comes to meal prepping, or cooking in general. There is a chicken option, beef option and a vegetarian option. Let us know what you think! If you have any questions, feel free to leave us a comment. Enjoy!

Orange Chicken

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1-1.5 pounds of chicken (chicken thighs taste the best but chicken breasts work also)

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1 cup BBQ sauce

1 cup orange marmalade

1/4 cup soy sauce

Toasted sesame seeds (optional garnish)

Green onion (optional garnish)

Directions

  1. Heat medium pan to medium-high heat
  2. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper
  3. Sear both sides of chicken until golden brown
  4. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces
  5. Prepare orange sauce by mixing BBQ sauce, orange marmalade and soy sauce in a bowl
  6. Place chicken into crock pot, pour in sauce and stir so that chicken is coated evenly
  7. Cook on high for 2 hours
  8. Serve over rice and garnish with green onion and sesame seeds

Beef & Broccoli

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1.5 lbs sirloin steak or boneless beef chuck, sliced thin

1 cup beef broth

2/3 cup soy sauce (low sodium preferred)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp chili flakes (optional heat)

1 tbsp sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp cornstarch

4 tbsp water

4 cups broccoli florets or 1 frozen bag

Directions

  1. Spray inside of cooker with non-stick spray
  2. Add steak, beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic and chili flakes.
  3. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low 4-5 hours
  4. 30 minutes prior to serving, place cornstarch and water into a bowl and whisk together until fully dissolved. Add to slow cooker, cover and let cook for another 25 minutes.
  5. Steam broccoli, drain and add to slow cooker just before serving
  6. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Black Bean Lentil Quinoa Chili

Servings: 4

Ingredients (buy pre-chopped veggies to decrease prep time)

1/2 large red onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, sliced

2 cups tomatoes, chopped

1 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup lentils, dry

1/4 cup quinoa, uncooked

3 cups vegetable broth

1 tbsp cilantro

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp oregano

2 tbsp complete seasoning

3 tbsp chili powder (optional)

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp olive oil

Toppings: lemon/lime juice, diced avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips, plain Greek yogurt

Directions

  1. In a large pan or pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sautee onion, garlic, red bell pepper, carrots, cilantro and cumin for 3-5 minutes.
  2. Stir in tomato paste, chopped tomatoes and oregano. Cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add cooked mixture into crock pot
  4. Dump in remaining ingredients and stir together.
  5. Cover and cook on high for 4.5 hours or low for 8 hours

Bon appetit!!!