It’s the healthy cook’s secret weapon. Your slow cooker has always made meals easier. They do all the work while you’re dealing with the demands of a busy day.
Unfortunately, not all slow cooker recipes are made with ingredients that are as good for the body as they are for the taste buds. Kelley Martin (of In The Kitchen With Kelley) has saved you the time and effort of searching for nutritious slow cooker options that don’t sacrifice taste.
These 28 easy, healthy slow cooker recipes make healthy eating a snap.
Snacks
Slow cooker sweet and spicy nuts
One snack that’s particularly popular with the teenage brood at my house is Slow Cooker Sweet And Spicy Nuts. It’s really simple to make, too. I like it because it’s healthy. Every single ingredient is good for your heart.
Slow cooker boiled peanuts
Having grown up in Georgia, I am a huge fan of peanuts — especially boiled peanuts. Until recently, I had not tried to make them myself. But when I found out you could make them in a slow cooker, I decided I had to fix a batch.
Slow cooker applesauce
The day my kids started asking for squeezable applesauce was the day I decided I would never buy prepared applesauce again. It takes minimal effort to prepare the apples, toss the ingredients together in the slow cooker and make your own applesauce.
Slow cooker apple cider
My daughter discovered a recipe for apple cider on Pinterest — and we both discovered that preparing it in the slow cooker makes the house smell good all day. She and my younger son love to drink it. We all love to smell it.
Slow cooker honey bacon compote
One of the ingredients in this recipe is apple cider vinegar. Often touted as a health tonic, apple cider vinegar is reported to lower blood sugar, aid in digestion and reduce cardiovascular disease risks, among other health benefits. Some even refer to it as one of nature’s miracle drugs.
Soups
Slow cooker split pea soup
If you ask me, there’s just nothing better than heading home at the end of a long workday, knowing that dinner will be ready when you walk in the door and you don’t have to do a thing except dish it up. Of all my slow cooker recipes, this just might be my favorite.
Slow cooker hambone soup with beans
Easter is just around the corner. And because it’s our family tradition, I will cook a ham for Easter dinner. And I’ll use the hambone the next day to make hambone soup with beans in the slow cooker.
Slow cooker beef bone broth
I have an aversion to waste, so I freeze leftovers for later use. But it never occurred to me to save beef bones until I read about the health benefits of bone broth. Once I found out that beef bone broth can be fixed in the slow cooker, I was sold on it.
Slow cooker chicken broth
There’s just nothing quite like homemade chicken broth. It’s tastier and healthier than the canned stuff, and this slow cooker recipe adapted from Allrecipes is super simple.
Slow cooker lima bean soup
This recipe has something for everyone at my house: bacon for my boys, lima beans for my daughter and me. And we all like potatoes, celery, onions and carrots, so this is a family favorite.
Slow cooker chicken soup with white beans and spinach
These days when I get sick, I turn to my slow cooker instead of a nearby restaurant. It’s much less expensive and actually easier — especially since I tend to keep the necessary ingredients on hand in my pantry or freezer.
Slow cooker white chicken chili
Believe it or not, it gets cold in the South. We don’t get a lot of snow or ice, but we have some bone-chilling weather nonetheless. And on those nights, there’s nothing more satisfying than a warm bowl of your favorite soup or chili. This is one of mine.
Slow cooker vegetable broth
When my children were very young, I decided I’d better learn to stretch a dollar just as far as it would go. You see, one area in everybody’s budget that’s flexible is spending on food. And one way to save money on food costs is to use scraps. So here’s what I do to make a good vegetable broth.
Sides
Slow cooker caramelized onions
Caramelized onions are simply delicious, but who has time to fix them — especially on a busy weeknight? Here’s a solution: Cook them in your slow cooker.
Slow cooker steamed artichokes
I have always been intrigued by the idea of steaming artichokes and eating the meat off the leaves, but I was too intimidated to cook them myself. That is, until I found out you can cook them in the slow cooker.
Slow cooker black-eyed peas
Recently, I cooked black-eyed peas in the slow cooker. My plan was to take them for lunch. Black-eyed peas, which are actually beans, are a good source of fiber, potassium, protein and iron. They’re also low in fat and calories.
Slow cooker butternut squash and chickpea curry
I decided to branch out this year and try foods I’ve never eaten before. Butternut squash was in that category. Since I really like Indian food, I thought I might enjoy it in a curry. And when I discovered slow cooker recipes for butternut squash curry that included some of my favorite veggies, I was sold.
Slow cooker baked potatoes
If you want to cook something that’s inexpensive, filling, warm, comforting, tasty and good for you, look no further than the lowly potato. On a cold night, a piping hot baked potato will warm you up from the inside out.
Slow cooker creole okra and corn
Mardi Gras is just around the corner. Why not celebrate with Creole fare? Here’s a recipe that features a Southern favorite: okra. This dish is hearty, healthy and easy to prepare.
Entrées
Slow cooker rosemary-garlic chicken leg quarters
Have you ever noticed that grocery stores often feature 10-pound bags of chicken leg quarters in their loss-leader sales? I found a recipe from Southern Living and tweaked it a bit.
Slow cooker sirloin tips with red wine and mushroom sauce
Any Southerner can tell you that beef tips over rice is pure Southern comfort food. But as is typical of Southern foods, it isn’t typically healthy fare. This particular recipe, however, is made with a leaner cut of meat than is often used, so you can feel a little less guilty.
Slow cooker shredded chicken
School started back this week. Already, my family’s schedule is full. That’s why I rely heavily on my slow cooker and my freezer during this time of the year.
Slow cooker buffalo chicken lettuce wraps
I really like spicy food, and I’ve been a fan of Buffalo chicken wings since I was in college. So I allow myself to splurge on them occasionally, but only occasionally. In the meanwhile, I treat myself to this dish, adapted from SkinnyTaste.com.
Slow cooker greek chicken
Greek food makes me happy. I never had Greek food growing up in a small town in Georgia, but I have been a true devotee ever since I discovered it upon moving to a big city some 20 years ago.
Slow cooker chicken with salsa
I am a huge fan of quick, easy, delicious and inexpensive recipes, which is why this is one of my go-to favorites. A plus is that it cooks in the slow cooker, so it’s ready to eat when we walk in the door at the end of the day.
Slow cooker oatmeal with bananas and nuts
Beginning exactly two weeks before school starts back, I enforce school-year bedtimes and wake times with my kids to make the transition from summer vacation to school days much easier. I’ve decided to make mornings sweeter during this year’s transition period by preparing sweet and nutty oatmeal overnight in my slow cooker.
Slow cooker chicken curry
Curry is not only tasty, but is also reported to have medicinal properties. Used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine, it contains curcumin, a compound derived from turmeric (a root) known as a potent anti-inflammatory agent.
Slow cooker pork tenderloin
Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite meats to cook. It’s tender, delicious and not at all difficult to prepare. This particular dish is simple, yet elegant. I serve it with a salad and over mashed potatoes.
