Part 5 – 1 Hour + 1 Mess = 5 Crock Pot Dinners

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Here’s the next set of Slow Cooker Freezer Recipes. In case you missed it check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 6 and Part 7  of my 1 Hour + 1 Mess = Crock Pot recipes. There are now 35 recipes!

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This set of recipes includes: Crock Pot Ribs, Simple Beef Stew, Comfort Chicken, Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches, and Crock Pot Chicken RanchTacos.

What I love about these meals is that so many of the ingredients are items I already have in my pantry.

Shopping List
Printable Shopping List and Recipes

Meat

• About 2 lbs of ribs
• 2 lbs cubed stew meat
• 3 1/2  lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 pounds pork shoulder roast

Produce

• 4-6 large potatoes
• 2 Bags of baby carrots
• 2 Large white onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• lettuce
• tomatoes

Grocery

• brown sugar
• garlic powder
• ¾ cup Coke (I saved a 2 liter with flat soda to use)
• honey
• BBQ sauce
• Better Than Bouillon (Like beef bouillon but it has a richer flavor.)
• Chicken bouillon
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• apple cider vinegar
• chicken broth (or you could just make your own with chicken bouillon)
• chili powder
• yellow mustard
• Worcestershire sauce
• 8 hamburger buns
• 1 Packet taco seasoning
• 1 Packet Ranch Dressing powder
• Ranch dressing
• taco shells (soft or hard)
• shredded cheese
• salsa
• sour cream
• salt
• pepper

 

First take 5 large freezer bags. Grab a Sharpie and label each bag. You should also write the instructions on the bag.

Go through and add all the meats to the bags. Then go back and add the rest of the ingredients. (You can fill them up in any order, this was just my preference.) Freeze the food and make sure the food will fit in your crock pot when it’s frozen. Take them out in the morning and cook according to the instructions.

Click here for the printable version of the recipes.

Crock Pot Chicken Ranch Tacos (Pictured Above)

• 1 -1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Packet taco seasoning
• 1 Packet Ranch Dressing powder
• 1/4 cup Ranch dressing (do not add to freezer bag)

Write on the bag:

Dump in the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours. When the meat is cooked, shred and add back to the crock pot with 1/4 cup ranch dressing until heated.

Instructions:

Dump all the ingredients except for the Ranch dressing into the freezer bag. On the day you serve the meal you will need the additional items:

• taco shells (soft or hard)
• lettuce
• cheese
• tomatoes
• salsa
• sour cream

Crock Pot Ribs

• About 2 lbs of ribs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• ¾ cup Coke (I saved a 2 liter with flat soda to use)
• 1 Tablespoons honey
• Extra BBQ sauce, optional

Write on the bag:

Cook on high for 4-5 hours or  on low 8-9 hours. Cooking time varies according to the size of your crock pot.

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to the freezer bag.

After you have prepared them, you may want to drizzle about a ½ cup of BBQ sauce about 15 minutes before serving. Although my husband said they were perfect without the extra sauce. I did not use the juice that was inside the crock pot because it had a lot of grease. There was plenty of flavor on the ribs.

Simple Beef Stew

• 2 pounds cubed stew meat
• 1/2  white onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 3 cups water
• 3 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon (Like beef bouillon but it has a richer flavor.)
• Bag of baby carrots*
• 2-3 large potatoes, cut into large chunks*
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Write on the bag:

Add Potatoes and carrots to the crock pot.  Cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 7-8 hours.

Instructions:

Add the beef, onion, garlic, water, and bouillon to a plastic freezer bag. *Don’t add the potatoes nor carrots to the freezer bag.

Comfort Chicken

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2  onion, sliced
• 2 cups water
• 3 teaspoons chicken bouillon (or 1 cube)
• Bag of baby carrots*
• 1 can cream of chicken soup*
• 2-3 potatoes, chopped*

*Do not add these items to the freezer bag.

Write on the bag:

Add 1 bag of baby carrots, 2-3 chopped potatoes, and cream of mushroom soup. Cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Also include a note to remove chicken and veggies from broth. In a saucepan pour the chicken juices. Mix 2 heaping tablespoons of flour and about 1/4 cup of water. Add to the chicken juices to make a gravy. Let it boil a little to thicken. (The gravy in the slow cooker is good, so you don’t need to thicken it up when you prepare it.)

Instructions:

In a plastic freezer bag add chicken, onion, water, and chicken bouillon. (You will need to add the additional items the day you prepare the meal.) You can peel and cut the potatoes the night before to make prep time faster the next morning.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

• 1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast
• 1 cup barbeque sauce
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 8 hamburger buns (When you prepare the meal)

Write on the bag

Dump all the ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 6-7 hours. When the meat is done, shred the meat with 2 forks and add back to the crock pot for a few minutes to absorb the juices.

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients (except for the buns) in a freezer bag.

 

I have made all these dinner and I can’t believe how easy it has made my life. I have a seven year old, four year old and 2 year old – so it’s hard to find time to make a good dinner. I put the stuff in my slow cooker when my  2 year old naps and when it’s dinner time I just have to think about side items. This really reduce the mess in the kitchen.

Additional notes:

• My slow cooker cooks at a high temperature, so please check your food to make sure you have the proper cooking time.
• The fuller the crock pot, the longer it will take to cook your food.
• 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.
• I use chicken breast from the large bag of frozen chicken. 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.
• 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.

 

You can also check out my Batch Cook Day!