It’s hard to deny that cooking in a crock-pot is amazing, but it can leave you feeling like you’re not really getting a home-cooked meal. Typically, so many crock-pot meal ingredients come from a can, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
These 11 recipes will taste like you were in the kitchen marinating, chopping and skilleting for hours when in actuality, you were just pushing the boundaries of what can be made inside of that crock-pot.
You’re about to see your slowcooked dinners in a whole new way.
1. Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin
I bet you didn’t know your crock-pot could produce such a delicious main dish. Marinate your meat in a homemade glaze for the best crock-pot dinner you’ve ever had. Get the recipe.
2. Carne Asada
Marinate a flank steak in your favorite beer (in your slowcooker) for some amazing nachos that don’t involve canned cheese. Get the recipe.
3. Beer and Brown Sugar Pork Sliders
If the only time you have pulled pork is when you go out to eat, that’s all about to change. Find out how to make tender pork in your slowcooker using this recipe. Get the recipe.
4. Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes
If you’re looking for a killer side dish with little to no work on your end, well, I think you just found it. Fluffy garlic ranch goodness awaits. Get the recipe.
5. Caramelized Pork Ramen With Acorn Squash
Forget those microwaved ramen meals because this is just amazing. Get the recipe.
6. Chicken And Wild Rice Soup
Quality ingredients like wild rice and chicken breasts (not canned chicken) go into making this homestyle comfort food. Get the recipe.
7. Honey-Garlic Chicken
There’s nothing better than a delicious chicken dish made from scratch. So, what are you waiting for? Get to marinating some chicken thighs in a homemade sauce, all in your crock-pot. Get the recipe.
8. Barbacoa
Tender and spicy meat that can be served in tacos or over a bed of rice sounds nice, right? Well whip out that crock-pot and make yourself some. Who needs Chipotle when you’ve got the capability of making this in your crock-pot. Get the recipe.
9. Enchilada Orzo
Creamy, cheesy delicious enchilada orzo is just a few hours and a slowcooker away. Get the recipe.
10. Chicken Tikka Masala
Spicy homemade Chicken Tikka Masala doesn’t sound half bad, does it? And with a recipe this easy, you’ve really got no excuse not to make it. Get the recipe.
11. Vegetable Beef Soup
Fresh veggies and meat make this vegetable soup so much better than anything that could have come from a can. Get the recipe.
If slowcooking wasn’t already your favorite method of preparing dinner— it surely will be now. Bon appétit!
[h/t: Huffington Post]