Part 3 – 1 Hour + 1 Mess = 5 Crock Pot Meals

Here is the third installment of my Crock Pot Meals. Now you have 15 meals 20 meals that you can prepare and have in your freezer for those busy nights. This is one of the best way my family saves time and money. I don’t have to spend time in the kitchen preparing dinner each night and the mess in minimal.  It saves me money because I am not tempted to go out to eat when I know we have a busy night. I really can notice a difference in our house when I have these dinners. Our days are a lot less stressful!

In case you missed it check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, and Part 5 of my 1 Hour + 1 Mess = Crock Pot recipes.  If you would like to know when more recipes will be available you can sign up for my email newsletter. You will get an email that you will need to confirm you want the subscription. 

Shopping List
(Printable version of just the ingredients)

• 1 ½ lb ground beef
• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 ½ lb boneless beef round steak
• 1 (2 ½  pound) boneless beef chuck roast
• 3-pound boneless pork shoulder blade roast
• 3 green pepper (1 chopped & 2 ¾ -inch strips)
• 3 medium onion (1 chopped & 2 medium sliced)
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger  (or  1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
• baby carrots*
• chili powder
• salt
• pepper
• dried thyme leaves
• paprika
• dried onion flakes
• brown sugar
• 1 packet of Ranch dressing mix (dry seasoning mix)
• 1 packet brown gravy mix
• cider vinegar (1 cup)
• ketchup (¾  cup)
• Worcestershire sauce
• soy sauce
• 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes or sauce
• chicken bouillon (1 tablespoon )
• beef bouillon (2 tablespoon)
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 12 oz spaghetti or other pasta*
• 2 cups shedded cheese (I use a Mexican mix)*
• 12 rolls*
• Cole Slaw*
• cornstarch*
• Potatoes* (to go with the pot roast)
• Rice*

*Ingredients that are not needed until you prepare the meal

Here’s a printable version of the ingredients and the recipes.

Recipes

Casserole Spaghetti
Serves 6-8

• 1 ½ lb ground beef
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes or sauce
• 2 Tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoon salt (I add more after it’s cooked)
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 12 oz spaghetti or other pasta
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I use a Mexican mix)

Instructions

1. Cook ground beef. Drain and cool completely. (Or you can cook it the morning you prepare the meal and add it to the crock pot.)
2. Add it to the ziploc bag with the  green pepper, onion, celery,  garlic cloves, tomatoes, chili pepper, salt, and pepper.

Write in the bag

1. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours on low.
2. When it’s almost done, cook spaghetti according to package and drain.
3. Add cooked spaghetti and about 1 cup of cheese to the crock pot and mix well.
4. Add more cheese to the top and serve!

We really like to eat this with Hawaiian Sweet Rolls.

Garlic Lime Chicken
serves 6

• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ½  teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients into your ziploc bag.

Write on the bag

1. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours.

Carolina Pork Sandwiches
serves 12

• 3-pound boneless pork shoulder blade roast
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• 1 Tablespoon pepper
• 1 Tablespoon  salt
• 1 Tablespoon  brown sugar
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• ¾  cup ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 12 rolls*
• Cole Slaw*

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients (except the rolls and the cole slaw)  into the ziploc bag.

Write on the bag.

1. Cook on high for 6 to 7 hours or low for about 8-9 hours.
2. Remove pork and shred.
3. Add it back to the juices.

Carolina Pork has a stronger vinegar flavor than regular BBQ. It is also usually served with cole slaw on the sandwich.

Peppered Steak
(serves 4-5)

• 1 ½ lb boneless beef round steak
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger  (or  ¼  teaspoon ground ginger)
• 2 medium green bell peppers, cut into ¾ -inch strips
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tablespoon beef bouillon
• 3 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoon cornstarch (do not put in the bag)
• ¼ cup cold water (do not put in the bag)

Instructions

1. Cut up beef into strips (about 1 ½ inches long).
2. Add beef, onion, garlic, peppers, ginger, water, beef bouillon, and soy sauce to the ziploc bag.

Write on the bag

1. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or 6-7 hours on low.
2. When the beef is almost finished, mix cornstarch and water and mix into beef mixture.
3. Increase heat to high. Cook 10 to 12 minutes or until it’s thickened.
4. Serve over rice.

Note – the peppers do get a little mushy but I don’t mind them this way. If you would like them to still be a little crunchy you can add them about an hour before the dinner is done.

Delicious Pot Roast
(serves 4-5)

• 1 (2 ½  pound) boneless beef chuck roast
• 1 packet of Ranch dressing mix (dry seasoning mix)
• 1 packet brown gravy mix
• 4 Tablespoon dried onion flakes
• 1 cup of water
• baby carrots (do not add to bag)

Instructions

1. Add all the meat, Ranch dressing packet, brown gravy packet, dried onion flakes, and water to a ziploc bag.

Write on the bag

1. Add all the ingredients from the bag into the crock pot. Add a bag of baby carrots.
2. Cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 8-9 hours.
3. Serve with mashed potatoes. (Or you can add potatoes to the crock pot in the morning.)

*Note – I like to have more gravy, so I think next time I will double the ingredients.

Here’s a printable version of the ingredients and the recipes.

Additional notes:

• Crock Pots can cook differently so make sure you have the proper cooking time. I use a 6.5 quart crock pot.
• According to the official Crock Pot website, you can safely cook frozen meat in your crock pot. If you still don’t like the idea, you can put the bag in the fridge the night before and it should be defrosted by the morning.
• If you use chicken breast from the large bag of frozen chicken please not that this type of chicken has a layer of ice which melts and can dilute the flavor of your meal. You will not have this problem with fresh chicken.
• If your slow cooker has a hard to remove layer of gunk on it, try soaking it with a half a sheet of fabric softener. It will wipe right off!
• Never put the plastic bag in the crock pot. Always dump out the contents to prepare your meal.
• When you freeze the bag, make sure the frozen lump (for lack of a better work) will easily fit into your crock pot.
• One reader suggested putting the dinners into crock pot liners and then into the freezer bag.

Has this helped you? My next batch of recipes will have some soup and chili recipes. If you have any recipes you would like me to test, please send them to me at  savingyoudinero@gmail.com. Sorry all the meals don’t have photos. I will update them when I make the recipes again.

You can also check out my Batch Cook Day!

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