Crockpot Southern Collards

Collard greens cooked low and slow to perfection!

I adore collard greens and I was delighted to find a recipe for the crockpot. My next mission is to find an Instant Pot recipe. I really cannot get enough of them. The low and slow method is the way to go and the flavors were fantastic.

Smothered Baked Chicken Burritos

Burritos got that much better smothered in a cheesy green chile sauce and loaded with toppings.

Occasionally, I like to make something that is maybe a little more involved and this recipe is that. The shredded chicken for the burritos, I'm sure, could be made ahead before the day you make the actual burritos. But they are also fine for the day of. The chicken is in the crockpot - so set it and forget it. Then you assemble the burritos for baking and prepare the cheese sauce while they bake. It's a lot of ingredients, but not as much work as much as prep.

Crockpot Fiesta Ranch Cream Cheese Chicken

A great and versatile recipe for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, etc.

This is another one of those recipes that just does not photograph well, but it tastes amazing. It's super versatile and you can use it in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc. We did tacos/burritos and used tomato, lettuce, cheese, and I did avocado ranch dressing too. It makes a good amount so it's great for a crowd or for meal prepping.

Slow Cooker Honey Teriyaki Chicken

This meal is made with homemade teriyaki sauce that comes together so quickly and then really shines after some time in the slow cooker.

I don't think I have many Asian-style recipes that I make in the crockpot because most are ones that are stir fry or ramen in nature and come together very quickly. What I love about this one is that it does have that element of quickness with making a homemade teriyaki sauce and then the prep time altogether for the crockpot part of the meal is about done. Just a little bit in the slow cooker and you have this wonderful meal!

Slow Cooker Corn and Jalapeno Dip

This appetizer is quick to throw into the slow cooker and ready in a few hours and it is soooo good!

I don't think I have ever had corn dip before but growing up surrounded by cornfields, I adore sweet corn and love pretty much anything with corn. I thought this recipe would be great because it's kind of a mix of jalapeno popper with corn. Honestly, what's not to love about that? I've actually made this recipe a couple times now but can never get a good picture. So this is as good as it's going to get. Excuse the pictures and just take my word for it, you won't be able to stop eating this dip!

Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo Sandwiches

Rich chicken alfredo flavors served up with sundried tomatoes, parmesan, and spinach on a hamburger bun.

I really liked this recipe but I did modify it slightly because I feel like the storebought alfredo sauce got watered down with the slow cooking. I drained off the little excess liquid and tossed the cooked chicken with more alfredo sauce. You can do sundried tomatoes or roasted grape tomatoes. I think I'd prefer adding parmesan to the actual end product rather than serving it on top. All-in-all, a really good recipe that you can adjust to your liking.

Slow Cooker Creamy Beef Stroganoff

Slow cooked beef stroganoff is the best stroganoff, especially this creamy version.

I absolutely hate when I cannot get a good picture of a recipe. This is actually the second attempt for this one and I give up. It is not an appetizing picture, but it's a really great recipe. I remember seeing the picture and thinking the pasta cooked with the beef, that isn't the case though. The beef and sauce part cook on its own first and then you stir in the pasta later. You can do mushrooms in this, as per the normal way to make it, but we don't really do mushrooms.

Slow Cooker Melt in Your Mouth BBQ Chicken

This chicken is slow cooked in homemade bbq sauce that is sweet and smokey with a little bite of vinegar!

I'm down for bbq sandwiches any time and I like to try out different recipes because there are so many styles of barbecue sauce out there. I believe this is closer to a Kansas City style bbq with its sweetness. But I do love the smokey flavor added by the molasses. I personally want coleslaw on any bbq sandwich, so I just whipped up some with prepared coleslaw dressing and premade cabbage mix.

Crockpot Mississippi Chicken

"The Pot Roast" got turned into one of the best crockpot chicken recipes ever!

So we have had Mississippi Pot Roast more times than I can count. It's everyone's favorite pot roast - there are never leftovers - and it's literally called "The Pot Roast". I was excited to try this chicken version with me needing to eat less red meat. I will say that I had the expectations that this is going to be as good as pot roast because what is better than pot roast?! However, this is a great alternative AND it's a little easier on the wallet and cholesterol. It's slightly different with au jus instead of dry onion soup mix, but still tasty!

Spicy Touchdown Chili

A three meat chili with beans, tomatoes, and a good kick of jalapeno and cayenne will warm you right up!

I thought I would put this spicy chili on the meal plan in hopes it would be spicy because I have some spicelords in the house who have very high spice tolerances and sometimes when things claim to be "spicy", they aren't spicy enough. I will say that this was the perfect amount of heat. You have hot Italian sausage, Rotel, jalapeno, and cayenne in it. My family likes beans in our chili, although I've heard there are people who don't like it. This is such a hearty recipe and it makes a good amount - I want to say we ended up freezing some of ours.

Slow Cooker Creamy Vegetable Soup

A little bit of prep work and into the slow cooker and you'll have a great meatless meal on a chilly night!

As a child, I pretty much hated vegetable soup. Not because of the vegetables, but because we ate canned soup and the vegetable soup is tomato-based. It seems a bit odd given how much I love anything tomato-based, but it was just too tomato-ey. If you know, you know. I thought I'd try this recipe because it's pretty similar to potato soup but just loaded up with some extra stuff. It turned out really well and was super delicious. Highly recommend.

Bacon Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes have never been better with this slow cooked version with lots of cheese and bacon!

I have found more and more that I am beginning to be okay with Velveeta cheese as long as it's not pure Velveeta. In this recipe, it goes in with garlic and beef and bacon into a slow cooker. I admit I still usually add a couple dabs of hot sauce to cut through that artificial flavor a bit. I loved sloppy joes as a child, so I really appreciate this recipe because it's a sloppy joe, but it tastes like a bacon cheeseburger. It's like an adult sloppy joe if that was a thing!? :)

Chicken Pot Pie Stew

This yummy crockpot stew has all the goodness of a pot pie without all the hassle of the crust.

It's soup and stew and chili season even if it's a million degrees outside. September is fall. You cannot change my mind. I really like pot pie filling but I don't like pot pie because of the crust. I love when I get the things I like without the things I don't, so, of course, I loved this stew! I was a little unsure of the Greek yogurt part, but it added a really nice, slightly sour creaminess to the stew.

Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Beef

This beef is rubbed in an amazing spice mix and slow cooked for 8 hours before being cooked in a skillet with barbecue sauce!

I'll admit that as a family, we don't eat a whole lot of barbecue. I think it's really just Cami and I that like barbecue. But neither of us is really like super into barbecue, so it's not something I make a lot. I do get a craving occasionally and that's when I make pulled pork or beef for sandwiches. It's probably my favorite way to have anything barbecue! This recipe in particular has a really great dry spice rub that goes on the meat before it goes in the crockpot and WOW! It really makes the dish something special. Highly recommend!

Slow Cooker Roast Beef Philly Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

These sandwiches are worth every bit of trouble - making them and saying the name of the recipe!

I haven't made a new Philly cheesesteak recipe in so long and this one was definitely a little labor intensive. However, I was ready for it because Philly cheesesteaks made with a pot roast - what could be better? What really sold this recipe was that it also had an element of French dip sandwiches as well. Basically, this is a total dream recipe for Nick who loves all three of those things. I honestly can't think of a time I ate a French dip sandwich and I cautiously tried dipping this. It was quite good and I think that's due to the fact that the bread is crunchy and not soft, so it doesn't get soggy when dipped. I really really want to make the pot roast on its own because it was one of the best pot roasts I've had.

Slow Cooker Beef Tips & Gravy

Tender beef slow cooked in gravy and can be served over pasta, rice, or potatoes - your choice!

I have been branching out over the past couple of years and trying more recipes that have "gravy" mentioned anywhere in it. I used to shy away from it even if it wasn't a traditional gravy in the recipe. This recipe has gravy, but it's cooked down to where it isn't really the same as traditional gravy and I probably would have enjoyed it years ago. That's okay though. I have finally stepped out of my gravy-hating comfort zone and have found so many great recipes because of it. We served our beef tips over pasta but you can do rice or potatoes. I know it would be fantastic over a bed of mashed potatoes!

Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

This slow cooked Cuban-style braised beef will make your house smell insanely good!

Ropa vieja is Cuban braised beef - I'm not sure why all of a sudden I put so many Cuban foods (hopefully authentic) on my meal plan, but I really enjoyed trying a new cuisine.  This beef was so tender and packed full of flavor. It was served up as recommended with white rice and black beans - definitely suited to pair with the braised beef. The house smelled insanely good while this slow cooked in the crockpot!

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, this crockpot recipe is a complete winner!

I have never had homemade corned beef before - just the dried stuff, which honestly is one of my favorite things. It's so good. I found this recipe and wanted to try it because I did not know that corned beef was a beef brisket and that it could be made so easily. It sounded like something that took days and a lot of patience to make. I've only had beef brisket one other time, so I was ready to try it again. This recipe ended up being awesome and I loved it so much. It was really easy to make and it was so tender. And with leftovers, corned beef hash, of course!

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers

Stuff them and slow cook them and then enjoy these super easy stuffed peppers for dinner!

I adore stuffed peppers and try and make them as much as I can. I was intrigued by this slow cooker version, especially since you don't cook the meat beforehand, which is just strange when you're used to cooking everything first before putting it into the pepper. I love recipes where you get a full pepper to yourself instead of half a pepper. Honestly, it's easier to eat a half pepper, but it's easier to stuff a full pepper. As I near the time where I will begin working after 13 years as a stay at home mom, I'm definitely leaning on finding the best slow cooker recipes so I can have them in my arsenal!

Mutti's Sauerbraten

This German-style red wine and clove marinated beef roast is absolute perfection with gravy on top!

When we were introduced to German food, my family fell in love. I've been trying to find authentic German recipes online and I believe this pot roast is pretty authentic. Sauerbraten is a marinated roast and I have to say that it turned out so tender and the spice mix was incredible. I will also say that as a child, I really didn't eat gravy and I still really don't care for it. However, for some reason, the recipes I've been making lately with gravy that goes on the meat have really won me over. This one in particular was rich but really brought out the flavors of the marinade - which by the way has red wine in it. So it's really the best. You can serve this up with sauerkraut or red cabbage or potato dumplings. We did buttered gnocchi, which is Italian, but that's what I wanted with it. :)