When you think slow cooker meals, you probably think chili and soups (which we love, of course!).
RELATED: 5 Healthy Soup Recipes for Warming Winter Meals
But there are so many other amazing things you can do with a Crock-Pot—and there are many reasons to take advantage of its powers.
First of all, it saves clean-up time, since you tend to throw everything in the pot together. Second, once you’ve got a dish going, it basically cooks on its own. There’s no waiting and watching. You can just walk away (and finally finish Stranger Things!) and come back to a perfectly cooked dinner, side dish, or even breakfast bowl.
Convinced? Check out seven brilliant ways smart nutritionists, healthy peeps, and food bloggers are using their slow cookers to make healthy, delicious meals, below.
10 Surprising Slow Cooker Meals
1. Quinoa Black Bean Stuffed Peppers
The make-ahead Meatless Monday recipe you’ll want to make every other day of the week, too, courtesy of Pinch of Yum.
2. Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Brussels are delicious roasted, but you can also throw them in a Crock-Pot, a la Damn Delicious, and they’ll basically cook themselves.
3. Spaghetti and Meatballs
Forget multiple trays, pots, and pans, Make this classic family meal (healthified, of course, with grass-fed beef and whole wheat pasta) in one (slow-cooking) pot.
RELATED: The 5 Healthiest Pastas That Are Also Delicious
4. Homemade Applesauce
You can boil apples and then mash them, or avoid the entire process of fishing them out of the hot water by using this more simple method described by Yummy Healthy Easy.
5. Banana Bread Quinoa
Forget oatmeal. The Realistic Nutritionist shows you how to make breakfast quinoa that tastes exactly like warm, sweet banana bread…and will be ready and waiting for you when you wake up.
6. Honey Garlic Chicken
Spend with Pennies demos a super easy way to turn organic chicken breasts into a flavorful meal you can enjoy over brown rice.
7. Slow Cooker Stuffing
Bookmark this one for the holidays: When oven space is at a major premium as you prep a feast, take Well Plated’s advice and make our stuffing in the Crock-Pot.
(Featured Photo: Foodiesfeed.com)
