Crock Pot Recipes

Image from "Biggest Loser Cookbook" by Chef Devin Alexander

At first, using a crock pot seemed daunting. "You can leave it on for how long? And it won't burn?" I didn't trust what my mother told me about it. Now that I've overcome my fear, my crockpot has become a valuable asset.

I never have time to make meals during the week. Well, I do, but cooking is very low on my list of priorities considering I'm usually behind on everything else I have going on. Cooking meals on the weekend is the perfect solution to this. Usually, I like to make something very simple in the crockpot that can be reused during the week. For example, I buy a large piece of meat (kind of pricy, but worth it if you calculate how often you will eat it) and just throw it in the crock pot. I add a few of my favorite sauces, spices, vegetables, and water, and leave it for hours. It is almost impossible to do incorrectly. Afterward, I have a nice stew to eat. This is tastes great as-is, but I get bored of food pretty quickly. Instead of eating the same soup every meal, of every day for the next week (which I have shamelessly done before), I freeze some servings that can easily be reheated. But the best part about having crockpot leftovers is reworking the ingredients into a completely new meal.

I portion the meat out and freeze or refrigerate it depending on what I have planned for the week. The meat is very versatile, and you can add spices/sauces that will completely change the flavor of the meat so it does not seem like you are eating the same meal repeatedly.

For example, I could plan my week around a braised pork stew.

Sunday: Braised pork stew

Monday: Pork fried rice

Tuesday: Pork enchiladas

Wednesday: Breakfast hash

Thursday: Pizza

... and so on. Although the meat tastes different in each meal, I often get tired of eating the same thing. So instead of creating one meal in the crockpot and using the leftovers, I typically create a few meals in a row and freeze the ingredients so there will always be different meats and meals available throughout the week. I try to spend only $50 on groceries every week or so, its important for to buy ingredients that I know I will completely finish. This means reusing leftovers and finding creative uses for common vegetables and ingredients. Some items are so versatile they are worth the splurge.

Although this post is not particularly healthy,  I have used this approach to force myself to eat better. I guess if you're a broke college student and you spend your grocery money on healthy food, you're basically forced to eat it.

Tips

cook enough brown rice for a few days on the weekend.

cook meats in bulk -- salmon, grilled chicken-- and freeze as appropriate

divide these things (including vegetables) into portion sizes

stay away from al processed foods: if it has more than five ingredients in it, it's probably processed.

This way, meals are quick, easy, and you have no excuse why you can't eat it.

Click-through these links for great recipes and ideas:
The Food Network
Food.com