Lightened Up Slow-Cooker Recipes

Recipe: Sausage and Squash Lasagna

Recipe: Barbacoa Brisket

Slow cooking tougher cuts of meat, such as beef brisket, gives you a meltingly tender texture. For tacos, serve the saucy barbacoa in tortillas with green and red onion, cilantro leaves, jalapeño slices, and fresh lime wedges.

Recipe: Chicken Thighs with Olives and Tomato Sauce

You can add capers along with the olives, parsley, and seasoning for a more briny flavor in chicken thighs with olives and tomato sauce. The parsley goes in last to keep its flavor and color intense. Serve with a salad of mixed greens and a simple vinaigrette.

Recipe: Ramen Bowls

Any ramen lover will tell you—it's all about the broth. We build layers of rich flavor with the help of mushroom stems, fresh ginger, kombu (a type of edible kelp), sesame oil, and, of course, low and slow heat.

Recipe: Plum Pork Tenderloin

Serve with jasmine rice to help soak up some of the sauce. Snow peas make a great side dish for rounding out your meal.

Recipe: Thai Red Curry Beef

Recipe: Chicken Tamales with Ranchero Sauce

Forming the tamales is part of the fun. Make it a family activity with an assembly line—one person filling, another folding, and a third tying. This recipe uses lard, which has less saturated fat than butter.

 

Recipe: Fresh Corn and Potato Soup with Sautéed Shrimp

After tasting the delicious results of "milking" a fresh corn cob, you'll never shuck and chuck again. We fully tap the flavor of in-season corn with this kernel-to-cob cooking method, infusing our soup with rich, sweet flavor.

Recipe: Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

White meat can dry out after a long haul in the slow cooker, so we opt for bone-in thighs to guarantee optimal flavor and succulence. Make prep easier with pre-peeled garlic. Pretty up the platter with lemon slices and thyme sprigs.

Recipe: Spicy Chicken Cacciatore

Serve this saucy dish over polenta or pasta. Transform leftovers into soup: Shred the chicken, and place in a pot with sauce. Add unsalted chicken stock, diced zucchini, and diced carrots; simmer until veggies are tender.
 

Recipe: Beef Pot Roast with Turnip Greens

Cipollini onions are small, flat Italian onions. If you can't find them, substitute pearl onions. Other large, full-flavored greens like mustard greens or kale will work as well.

Recipe: Classic Beef Stew

A nutty dark beer adds richness and depth to the stew. Be careful not to choose a beer that's super hoppy; it will taste too bitter. To get 2 pounds of trimmed meat, you'll need to purchase a 2 ½-pound roast.

Recipe: Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots 

Recipe: Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya 

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice
 

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili

Recipe: Soulful Chicken Soup

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