I like to have a nice warm meal at the end of my day when I get back from school, but more often than not I’m too lazy to make anything other than a PB&J. To be honest, a PB&J at the end of grueling day leaves much to be desired.
One day when I knew that I would have a particularly hard chem exam I decided to pull out my old Crock-Pot and make a nice homemade chili to be enjoyed for later. Before that day, I thought that Crock-Pot meals were a thing of the past, but after walking through the door after my chem exam and smelling the sweet aroma of a home cooked meal, I was hooked! Now Crock-Pot meals are my go-to because all you have to do is dump a whole bunch of ingredients in a pot and you have one amazing dinner that you can eat all week.
If you’re new to world of slow cookers, try one of these make ahead Crock-Pot meals the next time you’re crunched for time.
1. Country-Style BBQ Brisket
If you’re in the mood for some good ribs, but don’t feel like firing up the grill, give this amazing beef brisket a shot. They come out nice and tender every time thanks to the steam action happening inside the Crock-Pot.
2. Cheesy Enchilada Quinoa
Just because this dish is vegetarian doesn’t mean you won’t get full. This quinoa is packed full of protein thanks to the base of quinoa and black beans.
3. Broccoli Beef
This is one of the best broccoli beef recipes ever. It has the same taste as a broccoli beef dishes from a Chinese restaurant, without going overboard on the salt. You can make the portions as big or small as you want and add any veggies you want to the dish.
4. Black Bean Soup
This black bean soup only has seven ingredients and a whole lot of flavor. The good news is that you probably already have a bunch of these ingredients in your pantry, and this dish is very low cost so you can enjoy it again and again.
5. Vegetarian Red Lentil Curry
Here’s another vegetarian Crock-Pot dish that’s absolutely delicious. You can add whatever extra veggies to the dish you want. The best thing about this lentil dish is that you can leave it on low in the Crock-Pot for up to eight hours.
6. Veggie Omelette
If you’re feeling more in the mood for a breakfast dinner, this dish will be perfect for you. You can choose what you want in your omelet and then turn on the Crock-Pot for two hours and dig in.
7. Tuscan Tortellini Soup
The prep for this recipe only takes 15 minutes, and then all you have to do is relax and wait for this amazing tortellini soup to be ready.
8. Chicken Fajitas
Even if you have zero cooking experience you’ll be able to enjoy these delicious fajitas. This recipe can be made either vegan or vegetarian depending on if you want to add cheese and meat.
9. Spaghetti
Usually making a huge pot of spaghetti is a big effort, but with this recipe it doesn’t have to be. Just add ground meat, noodles, ricotta cheese, spinach, shredded mozzarella, and pasta sauce into your slow cooker. Let it cook on high for 3-4 hours, and you’ve got yourself an Italian feast.
10. Jambalaya
Crock-Pot jambalaya is a spicy, flavorful recipe and an instant comfort food you’ll want to fix again and again. This recipe is way too easy and delicious to make only once.
11. Mediterranean Chicken
Instead of paying a delivery fee and getting Mediterranean takeout, why not make your own in the Crock-Pot?
12. Mac and Cheese
Homemade mac and cheese is so much better than the boxed stuff (sorry, Kraft). And when you make it in a Crock-Pot, it’s basically just as easy as using the boxed mac and cheese.
13. Thai Chicken Soup
You won’t miss out on any flavor with this Thai chicken soup. The fish sauce, red curry, coconut milk, peanut butter, and ginger give this Asian-inspired soup an amazing flavor. Plus there’s nothing to sauté for this Crock-Pot dish.
14. Ramen
Homemade ramen is infinitely better than takeout. This ramen dish is super versatile, just add your favorite proteins and veggies
15. Honey Garlic Chicken
This dish can be made and then frozen in advance, so whenever you feel like having some honey garlic chicken you can have it with minimal effort thanks to your Crock-Pot.
Hopefully, these make ahead Crock-Pot meals save you from being in the kitchen all the time so that you can spend more time doing other things (like watching Netflix). And what’s better than enjoying a nice meal and watching Netflix? With these recipes, you’ll feel like you have a personal chef cooking delicious meals for you when you get home.