Slow Cooker Chiken Enchilada Casserole

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
I looooove enchiladas! And this sounds yummy! To make it less damaging with the carbs 💛💛💛 I would cut the tortillas in half. Use 5 corn tortillas vs 10, add a little more chicken and maybe some onions, mushrooms and tomatoes for extra veggies 😉

Here's the recipe as is though!

PREP TIME
10 mins
COOK TIME
9 hours
TOTAL TIME
9 hours 10 mins

Serves: Serves about 7

INGREDIENTS
1.5 lbs. boneless skinless raw chicken breasts
1 28 ounce can Red Enchilada Sauce (I use El Pato Brand)
Add these ingredients at the end
10 corn tortillas
3 cups grated cheddar cheese (divided)
1 3.8 ounce can black olives (divided)

INSTRUCTIONS
Put the chicken breasts and the enchilada sauce in your slow cooker.
Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
Shred the chicken with 2 forks right in the slow cooker.
Cut the tortillas into strips, add to chicken and sauce.
Stir.
Add 1 cup of cheese and half the olives into the sauce and chicken mixture.
Stir again.
Flatten the mixture slightly.
Add the rest of the cheese and the olives on top.
Cook on low for about 40 - 60 minutes longer.
Top with sour cream/ Greek yogurt (optional)

Recipe via The Magical Slowcooker 

Crock Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal with Apples and Cinnamon

Who said the slow cooker is just for dinner!? You can make a delish breakfast in it too  Put the ingredients for this oatmeal recipe in a slow cooker when you go to sleep, and it’ll be ready when you wake up in the morning!

Total Time: 7 hrs. 10 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 7 hrs.
Yield: 10 servings, about 1 cup each

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1½ cups water
1½ cups unsweetened almond milk
3 cups steel-cut oats
2 medium apples, chopped
¼ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed

Preparation:
1. Lightly coat inside of slow cooker with spray.
2. Add water, almond milk, oats, apples, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, and flax seed; mix well. Cook for 5 to 7 hours on low (or 2 to 3 hours on high), or until edges are brown but not burned.

Tips: Times can vary. In order to make sure oatmeal doesn’t burn, test it out the first time during the day to see how long it takes the oatmeal to cook in your slow cooker. Leftover oatmeal can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or frozen in individual portions.

Via the Team Beachbody Blog

Crock Pot Mexican Cauliflower Rice

I've recently fallen completely in love with cauliflower and everything you can do with it.  Cauliflower rice is my latest fave cauli dish and the fact that I can make it in the slow cooker AND make it with a Mexican kick is beyond exciting! Give this recipe a shot and let me know what you think! 

What you need:

• One large head of cauliflower, stems removed, cut into small to medium chunks of florets. 
• 1 cup of tomato sauce (or 2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped).
• 1/2 cup of chicken stock (or water).
• 1 heaping tbsp of tomato paste.
• 1 medium white onion, diced.
• 2 bell peppers (preferably red and yellow), diced.
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced large.
• 1 tbsp of garlic powder.
• 2 tsp of chipotle powder/flakes (can substitute cayenne).
• 2 tsp of ground cumin.
• 1 tsp of dried oregano.
• 1 tsp of black or white pepper.
• Salt to taste.

How you make it:

1. Add your chicken stock (or water), tomato sauce (or tomatoes), and tomato paste to your slow cooker, stir. 
2. Add your spices to your slow cooker, stir.
3. Add your onion and peppers to your slow cooker, stir.
4. Add your cauliflower florets to your slow cooker, stir everything to coat florets with as much liquid as possible.
5. This recipe is designed for a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 hours tops. Cook on high for 3 hours tops.
6. If using  a 4-quart cooker, use 2/3 of the ingredient amounts and the same cooking times.
7. After cooking, use a spatula or other blunt-ended object to slightly “mash” the florets so that they break up into a rice-like consistency.
8. Stir well and drain any excess liquid that you do not desire. The cauliflower will absorb more liquid if you store it in the fridge overnight, yet this is a good thing.
9. Enjoy!

Via Paleo Pot

Crock Pot Kale, Feta and Veggie Frittata

Love this recipe because I can make it ahead and have breakfast, lunch or dinner ready to go in the fridge. I seriously eat this for any meal of the day, throughout the day! And it's so versatile. If I have other veggies, such as normandy veggies, in the fridge, I toss those in there as well. And if I have some ground turkey, I may add that too (cooked prior to adding). The possibilities are ENDLESS!

Equipment:
I used my Ninja Cooker, which made it easy to saute the kale right in the slow cooker, but if you don't have a Ninja you can use a 5 or 6 quart oval slow cooker.

Ingredients:
1 - 2 tsp olive oil to saute the kale (only 1 teaspoon for the Ninja, but 2 teaspoons to saute on the stove.)
5 oz. baby kale
non-stick spray or oil (to spray the slow cooker if you don't use the Ninja)
6 oz. roasted red pepper (from a jar), diced fairly small
1/4 cup sliced green onion
4-5 oz. crumbled Feta
8 eggs, well beaten
1/2 tsp. Kirkland organic no salt (or other all-purpose seasoning blend)
fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Greek yogurt for topping (optional, but good)

Instructions:
Wash kale if needed, and spin dry or dry with paper towels. Heat the oil, either in the Ninja Cooker on the Stovetop/High setting or in a large frying pan on medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the kale and saute until it's softened into a flat layer, about 3-4 minutes in the Ninja Cooker and slightly less in a pan. If you're using a regular slow cooker, spray it well with non-stick spray or oil and transfer the cooked kale to the slow cooker. If you're using the Ninja Cooker, turn to Slow Cook/Low setting.

Drain red peppers and chop into fairly small pieces. Slice the green onions and crumble the Feta. Add the chopped red pepper and sliced green onion to the slow cooker with the kale. Beat the eggs well, pour over other ingredients in the slow cooker, and stir so all ingredients are well-combined. Season with Spike Seasoning and black pepper, then sprinkle on the Feta.

Cook on low for 2 - 3 hours, or until the frittata is well set and cheese is melted. (I cooked mine for 2 hours and 45 minutes and it was perfect, but I got distracted with a phone call and it may have been done slightly sooner than that. I think the Ninja cooks a little hotter than other slow cookers, so it may take slightly longer if you don't use the Ninja Cooker.) Serve hot, with a dollop of low-fat sour cream if desired.

This will keep well in the fridge for several days and can be reheated in the microwave. (Don't microwave too long or it will get rubbery.) 

(Makes 6 servings; recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from several cookbooks and food blogs where she saw egg dishes cooked in the slow cooker.)

21 Day Fix Breakdown: 1 green (kale & peppers), 1 gray (olive oil), 1 red (eggs), 1 blue (cheese)

Squash Lasagna!

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Because we ALL love lasagna but not the ton of carbs that come with it. So here’s a clean and healthy solution. The carbs and sugars will vary depending on the marinara you choose but an estimate is below

 Prep Time 15 mins
 Cook Time 1 hr 17 mins
 Total Time 1 hr 32 mins
 Servings 4 Servings
 Calories 474

Ingredients
1 small spaghetti squash (approx. 3½ to 4 lbs.)
Nonstick cooking spray
4 cups all-natural marinara sauce
3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil (optional)



Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membrane.
4. Place spaghetti squash, cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until tender.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 350º F.
6. Scrape spaghetti squash flesh into stringy noodles.
7. Lightly coat 4-quart baking dish with spray.
8. Evenly layer half spaghetti squash, half marinara sauce, and half ricotta cheese in baking dish. 9. Repeat with second layer.
10. Evenly top with Parmesan cheese.
11. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.
12. Garnish with basil if desired.

Nutrition Info
Portion Fix Containers
1 Green
2 Purple
1 Red
1 Blue

Via Team Beachbody

Crock Pot Sesame Sriracha Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Super simple, clean, low carb, paleo friendly and healthy! What more could you ask for? I love lettuce wraps and the more variety I can add to the meat (or turkey) portion, the better!  Here's a recipe with a little kick to it! The hubs likes spicy and sriracha is one of his faves so this is one I make often! Enjoy!

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger root

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 Tbsp sriracha sauce (plus more for serving)

3/4 tsp kosher salt

Green onion, optional

Lettuce leaves, for serving

1.  Place turkey, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, sriracha and salt in the slow cooker.  Use a large spoon to break up the meat as much as possible.

2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-4 hours.  Break up the meat with a spoon and give a good stir.

3.  Serve meat wrapped up in lettuce and top with extra sriracha, sesame seeds and green onions, if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-4 quart

Cooking time: 2-4 hours on HIGH or 4-6 hours on LOW

21 Day Fix:  1 red (turkey) 1 green (lettuce) 1 orange (seeds)

Recipe via Karen at 365 Days of Crockpot!

Crock Pot Vegetable Lasagana

I'm a huge fan of Italian food and especially a good lasagna. The problem is, I don't make it very often because it's time consuming and it's not a very easy recipe to make.  I found this one though and it is DELISH!  Easy to make and you can make it while you're at work so it's ready when you get home and the house smells amazing! You can use any veggies you'd like. Zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant....they're all great options. Kale is what is included in this recipe (1) because it's very healthy and (2) because it's something I always have in the fridge. So, enjoy and let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS

• (2) 24 ounce jars or cans of Italian tomato sauce (or make your own)
• 9 thick lasagna noodles with wavy edges (mine were called bronze cut)
• 24 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese OR cottage cheese
  
  
• 3-4 cups chopped vegetables of choice (I used kale)
• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella or Provolone cheese
• Parmesan cheese for topping
• fresh parsley for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

Spray the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Spread ½ cup tomato sauce to the bottom so the noodles don't stick.

Break noodles so that they fit and mostly cover the bottom. They will probably be awkward looking - not a big deal. Cover with about one third of the ricotta, veggies, sauce, cheese, and end with noodles. Repeat layers two more times for a total of three complete layers. End with a layer of noodles on top, covered with a thin layer of sauce and a little bit more shredded cheese.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Turn the crockpot off completely and let the lasagna sit for at least one hour. This allows all the moisture to get soaked into the lasagna, and if you don't do this it will probably be more like lasagna soup - still good, but not pretty. Depending on how long you let it sit, you can either scoop pieces out or just cut with a knife like normal lasagna.

• NOTES

  You don't have to use all of the sauce in both jars - I probably used a total of 36 ounces (about one and a half jars), and it was really saucy.

21 Day Fix:  2 yellows (noodles) 1/2 purple (sugars in sauce) 1/2 red (cottage or ricotta cheese) 1 blue shredded cheese) 1 green (veggies)

Via Pinch of Yum!

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

1 pound (454 grams) ground turkey breast (raw)
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1/4 cup natural ketchup
1 8 oz can no-salt added tomato sauce
1 Tbsp BBQ sauce
1-2 packets Stevia (optional, if you want to make it on the sweeter side)

Directions

Mist a skillet with oil and brown raw turkey, onions and green pepper over medium heat. (You could skip this step, but you will get a better flavor.)

Place turkey meat, onions & green pepper in the slow cooker. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.

Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours. If you don't brown the meat first, then cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Serve with a whole grain bun, toasted. Pictured is an Ezekiel hamburger bun. For gluten free, my favorite is Udi's gluten free whole grain hamburger buns.

21 Day Fix = 1 red, 1 yellow, 1/2 green 1 purple 

Via Skinny Ms

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Breasts

This is one of my favorite recipes next to my Crockpot salsa chicken which is very similar, minus the veggies and tomatoes.

All you need for this are a few ingredients, a crock pot and 6 hours! I make a LOT of chicken because I meal prep this for the week so adjust the quantity accordingly.

PREP: 10 MIN COOK: 6 HOURS ON HIGH

INGREDIENTS:

--4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced thin

--1/2 container of your favorite salsa

--1 can chopped Italian tomatoes

--2 small sliced onions

--2 sliced tomatoes

--Fresh squeezed lemon juice

--Seasoning of choice. I use coconut lime seasoning from Sam's club or No salt seasoning from Costco. Both are delish!

(optional: fresh lime wedges for serving)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Place a layer of chicken breasts in a slow cooker and sprinkle seasoning on top. Then squeeze a lemon and layer tomatoes, onions, salsa and italian canned tomatoes on top.

2. Repeat this step until you use all of the chicken. If you have anything left over (tomatoes, onions or a little extra salsa, just pour it on top)

3. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours (or low for 8 hours), or until the chicken comes apart easily with a fork.

4. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. This chicken also freezes well so freeze whatever you don't use

5. Serve with vegetables, as tacos with tortillas, over quinoa or rice, with pasta, over a salad or by itself. It is delish either way. And you can add any veggies you'd like such as mushrooms, bell peppers, etc.

*To make it the cleanest way possible, use no salt seasoning, low sodium canned tomatoes and organic salsa.

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

This mild kid-friendly crockpot chili, courtesy of our friends at SkinnyTaste, is made with lean ground turkey, corn, bell pepper, tomatoes and spices. Top with with crunch baked tortilla chips and watch your little ones gobble it up. This chili can also be made in large batches for freezing and reheating.

Ingredients

• 1.3 pounds 99% Lean Ground Turkey
• 1 teaspoon Oil
• 1 medium Onion, minced
• 1 medium red Bell Pepper, diced fine
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 cups frozen Corn kernels
• 10 oz can Mild Diced Tomatoes
• 8 oz small can plain Tomato Sauce
• 1/4 cup low sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher Salt

Optional Garnishes

• Diced Avocado
• 2% Greek Yogurt
• Shredded Cheese
• Baked Tortilla Chips

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the turkey, season with salt and cook, breaking up with a spoon until turkey browns and is no longer pink; place into the slow cooker.

Add the oil to the skillet and sauté the onion, garlic and bell pepper over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes. Spoon over turkey into the slow cooker and stir in corn and tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, paprika and salt, mix until well blended. Pour chicken broth into the crock pot and add the bay leaf. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours or LOW 6 hours. Serve with desired toppings.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 5 |  Serving Size: 1 cup

Per serving: Calories: 222; Total Fat: 3g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 74mg; Sodium: 719mg; Total Carbohydrates: 20g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugars: 7g; Protein: 32g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 446mg; Vitamin A: 12%; Vitamin C: 59%; Calcium: 6%; Iron: 17%
21 Day Fix: 1 red, 1 green, 1/2 yellow per serving.  Adding toppings such as cheese (blue), avocado (blue), Greek yogurt (red) or tortilla strips (yellow) would add to the calorie and container count.

Lentil Chicken Stew

Went to the valley to visit my mom & mother in law and I was surprised by this yummy dinner! Of course, I had to get the recipe to share with you all!! 

You can either throw everything in the crock pot and cook it all together or follow the directions below! 

INGREDIENTS

Chicken breast
Lentils
Spinach 
Asparagus
Cilantro
Green onion

DIRECTIONS
1. Boil the chicken breast in water with seasoning & onions for flavor only. Save the water that you cooked the chicken in and separate it into two.

2. Then in the water left over from cooking the chicken, add the lentils. 

3.Cook the lentils for about 40 minutes (or buy the ready to eat & skip thisy step). 

4. Chop cilantro, green onion & tomato & garlic and saute in olive or coconut oil. 

5. Then, in the water left over from the chicken that you didn't use for the lentils, add the raw spinach & raw, thin, chopper asparagus. 

6. Cook them until soft then remove from any left over liquid. Blend all together & serve! You can eat it in lettuce wraps, with some brown rice or all by itself.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

CROCk POT SALSA CHICKEN

All you need are 2 simple ingredients to make this slow cooker shredded chicken -- good salsa and chicken!

PREP: 1 MIN COOK: 4 HOURS TOTAL: 4 HOURS 1 MIN

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
• 2 cups favorite salsa
• salt and pepper
• (optional: fresh lime wedges for serving)

DIRECTIONS:

Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cover with salsa. Toss until the chicken is covered.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 6-8 hours), or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. Shred the chicken in the slow cooker and toss with the remaining salsa and juices until well-mixed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. (This chicken also freezes well.)

*You can really use just about any cut of chicken for this recipe. For easy shredding though (so that you don't have to mess with bones), I recommend boneless chicken breasts or thighs.

Recipe courtesy of Gimmesomeoven.com