Healthy Crock Pot Recipes

I'll share some of our favorite healthy crock pot recipes here and then please join in and share your own favorites! Of course, since this site is all about healthy recipes for kids (and the whole family), we're especially interested in healthy crockpot recipes that kids are likely to enjoy.

Crock pots are perfect for a busy Mom (or Dad)! Why? Because you don't have to cook dinner during the most hectice time of day. Whether you work outside the home or in it, 5pm or 6pm at night is the generally the worst possible time to try to cook a meal. In our house, that's just about the time everyone needs help with homework, someone needs to be driven to soccer practice, our guitar teacher is here, and/or some neighborhood kids are ringing our doorbell for someone to come out and play... and that's not even mentioning how hectic things were when the kids were smaller! Don't babies always get colicky during dinnertime?!

So, I LOVE cooking crock pot recipes because I can throw all of the ingredients in when the house is relatively calm (or sometimes even empty - since I work from home while the kids are at school). There's also generally a little leeway in the timing on crockpot recipes... you can cook most from 4-6 hours or 6-8 hours, so you can work the meal into YOUR schedule.

Here are some of our family's favorite crock pot recipes. Hope you enjoy!

Since chicken is such a popular ingredient in crock pot recipes, we've split it out to its own page. Click here to see our chicken crock pot recipes.

Pesto Beef with Grape Tomatoes Crock Pot Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin if possible)
  • 1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons minced onion (dried or fresh)
  • 2 lbs round steak (or other lean steak cuts)
  • 2 pints grape tomatoes (4-5 cups)
  • 1/2-1 lb mozzarella, shredded or thinly slized


Steps:

  1. Set mozzarella out to bring to room temperature by mealtime (It's easiest to shred or slick while still cold).
  2. Grease the crock pot with olive oil and leave excess in the crock.
  3. Add pesto, pepper, and onion to the crockpot and stir into the remaining olive oil.
  4. Add steak and turn to coat with the pesto sauce mixture.
  5. Add tomatoes.
  6. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
  7. Serve steak and tomato pieces with mozzarella on top.

Serves 6

Notes: Kids tend to prefer NOT to have the extra juices from the crock pot spooned on top, at least until they get used to this new recipe. Try this fun serving tip for kids: On a plate or pasta bowl, use 2 grape tomatoes for eyes, a piece of steak for a large mouth (you can even cut it in a curved shape!), and mozzarella for the hair. Once they've tried all of the pieces separately, they're more likely to try a bowl-full of the mixture for "seconds".

Mediterranean Hake

Ingredients:

  • 1 28-ounce can (or 2 14.5-ounce cans) diced tomatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon dried basil (or 10-20 fresh leaves, chopped)
  • 16 small green pimento-stuffed olives
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil (we prefer extra virgin)
  • 2 lbs hake fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • shredded or shaved parmesan cheese (optional)


Steps:

  1. Add all ingredients, except fish, to the crock pot and stir to mix.
  2. Add the hake pieces on top of the mixture.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
  4. Stir well and serve in bowls with parmesan on top.

Serves 4

Notes: If your family doesn't love fish, you may substitute chicken in this dish. Hake is a great fish to try though as it has a very mild flavor.


Click here to see and share crock pot recipes for chicken.

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Chicken Crock Pot Recipes.





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