Cheap and Easy Slow Cooker Meals

I wish I could ask for a show of hands to see how many of you got a slow cooker for a wedding present, put it up into your cupboard and forgot about it.  It’s been collecting dust for years and you have been missing out on literally, the best, under utilized appliance in your kitchen! And the best thing about a slow cooker is you can make tons of cheap and easy slow cooker meals that taste amazing!

This kitchen gadget can take the toughest cut of meat and turn it into the most tender, savoriest morsel that you can only imagine, until you try it!  In addition, it’s also worth mentioning that slow cookers use a fraction of the energy that it takes to fire up the oven and it doesn’t heat your kitchen up, at all!

My slow cooker has been my best friend…well, one of my best friends, for years, with good reason!

Many recipes only take minimal ingredients, which helps with your budget and are quick and easy, which helps with your time.  I’m all for simplifying my life. There is nothing better than dumping your ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and having a nice, hot, delicious meal to come home to in the evening.

 

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10 cheap and Easy Slow Cooker Meals

Today, I would like to share with you some recipes for 10 cheap and easy slow cooker meals that I have used for years.  My mom has given me some of the recipes and others I have found in random cookbooks.  Can’t remember which ones.

My family has tested and approved of all of these recipes, so they have stayed in the rotation.

There’s something for everyone here and most of the recipes are fairly healthy, as well.

Crock-Pot 5-Quart Smudgeproof Slow Cooker

(This is the size I have and it’s perfect for 4-6 people.  There’s only 2 of us which means…Leftovers!  Yay!)

Salsa Chicken

4  Frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breast

1  16 oz. jar of salsa

1  can cream of chicken soup (optional)

1  cup sour cream (optional)

Place chicken in a 3-5 qt. slow cooker (crockpot).  Pour salsa over the top.  If you prefer a creamier version, add 1 can of cream of chicken soup.  (It’s delicious both ways.)  Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours or on high 3-4 hours.  Shred chicken by pulling apart with two forks.

If you prefer to use sour cream instead of the soup, add about an hour before it’s done, but don’t use both.

We like to put this on flat, tostada shells and add cheese, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce and sour cream on top.  You can also use the salsa chicken in making enchiladas, tacos or whatever you can think of.  It’s very versatile, easy and inexpensive!

Chicken Tortilla Soup (My Favorite!)

2  boneless, skinless chicken breast

1  19 oz can of diced tomatoes

1  can of corn, drained

1  can of black beans, drained & rinsed

1  small onion, diced

2  cloves of garlic, crushed  (I use 1 tsp. minced garlic, in a jar)

3  cups of chicken broth

1  tsp cumin (or comino)

1  tsp chili powder

1  tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Dump all ingredients into slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 6 hours.

Freezer Meal – Add all ingredients to a freezer bag, in the order listed.  Remove as much air as you can.  Freeze up to 3 months in a refrigerator freezer or 6 months in a deep freeze.                                                       To use, thaw in refrigerator over night.  You may need to add an hour to the above cooking times.

Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, etc.

Salisbury Steak

2 lbs. ground beef

1 envelope of dry onion soup mix

2 Tbsp. ketchup

2 Tbsp. steak sauce

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

2 eggs

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 cups beef stock

In a large bowl, mix ground beef, onion soup mix, breadcrumbs, ketchup, A-1 and eggs and form into patties.  Place patties in bottom of crockpot.  In a bowl, mix the mushroom soup and beef stock and pour over patties.  Then cook on low for 4-6 hours, until beef is well done.

If you want to make this a freezer meal, make patties, place in a freezer bag and freeze.  Then, when you’re ready to cook, thaw slightly and place patties in bottom of slow cooker. Follow the recipe above for soup mixture, then add the mixture over the patties.  Do not freeze soup mixture with patties.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a veggie.

Easy Chicken Bake

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/8 tsp paprika

1/4 cup fresh, chopped parsley (optional)

Place chicken in a greased 4-6 qt. slow cooker.  Mix together soup, milk and seasonings.  Pour mixture over chicken.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley, if desired.

Serve with brown rice and a salad (or veggie of your choice.)

Creamy Italian Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 envelope of dry Italian salad dressing mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

Combine all ingredients in a 3-5 qt slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.   serves 4

Serve with a salad.

Hamburger Soup

2 lbs ground beef

1 lg. onion

1 pkg. fresh carrots, diced or use 1-2 cans of carrots

4-6 potatoes, diced

1 can of peas (drained)

1 can whole or dices tomatoes

3 cans tomatoes sauce

Salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste

Cook ground beef and onion in a skillet.  Then, season, drain and combine all ingredients and simmer for 1 hour or until potatoes and carrots are tender. You can also add 1/2 cup of rice, if desired.

If you’re using a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

Serve with cornbread or crackers.

Ranch Porkchops

1 lb boneless pork chops (I’ve used bone in and it works just as well.)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 pkg Ranch dressing mix

1/2-1 soup can of water.  You determine the consistency.

In a small bowl, combine soup, dressing mix and water and mix well.  Pour some of soup mix in the slow cooker to cover the bottom.  Add the chops.  Cover with the rest of the soup mixture. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.  Pork chops tend to cook a little faster.

If you want to make this a freezer meal, follow the instructions above for making the soup mixture.  Pour the soup mixture into a gallon size freezer bag.  Add the pork chops, seal and squish to mix well.  Freeze flat and when ready to cook, thaw slightly.

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice and a veggie.

Slow Cooker Navy Beans

1 lb package of dried Great Northern or Navy beans

1 ham bone (or 3-4 slices of raw bacon, cut up)

1 small onion, chopped

6 cups of water

Salt & pepper

Rinse and sort beans for any rocks or pebbles.  Put rinsed beans, onion, ham bone/bacon, salt and pepper in slow cooker.  Add the water.  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours.  Beans are done when tender to taste.  Can’t get any easier than that AND they’re super healthy, too!!

Top with shredded cheese, if desired.  Serve with cornbread and a side of sliced avocado.

Lasagna

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained

9 Lasagna noodles (Don’t use the no bake noodles…trust me.)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 28 oz jar of spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup water

1 16 oz carton of cottage cheese (can be low fat)

2-3 cups mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef, drain of excess grease and then mix in spaghetti sauce.  Pour about a 1/3 of the meat mixture in the bottom of slow cooker, just enough to cover the bottom.  Break 3 lasagna noodles to fit and lay on top of meat sauce.  Spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese on top of noodles.  Repeat layers..sauce, noodles and cheeses and then cover and cook on low 4-5 hours until noodles are tender. Do not cook more than 5 hours.

Serve with a salad and garlic toast.  Makes 6-8 servings.

Hawaiian Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 8 oz can of crushed pineapple

1 16 oz bottle of barbecue sauce

4-6 cups of rice (cooked)

Place meat in a greased 3-5 qt. slow cooker.  Combine pineapple and barbecue sauce and pour over meat.  Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours.  Serve over rice.

Serve with broccoli.  Makes 4-6 servings.

There you have it!   10 cheap and easy slow cooker meals that are delicious!!

What are some of your favorite cheap and easy slow cooker meals?  I would love for you to share in the comments below and be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook & Instagram for more money saving tips!

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