Using your slow cooker is a great way to create tasty fall meals. And luckily, for those with a busy schedule, most slow cooker comfort food recipes are easy to make by tossing in a few ingredients.
Check out these three slow cooker comfort food recipes to find one that’s just right for you and your family.
Pot roast with potatoes and carrots
Pot roast is one of the best slow cooker recipes for a traditional hearty meal. Also, between the protein from the meat as well as the various vegetables, it’s a fairly balanced meal.
Put your roast, a quartered onion and your favorite spices in the cooker with half a cup of water. Cover it and set it on high. Wait three to four hours, and then add carrot and potato chunks. Also add any other vegetables you like. And finally, poor some soup or broth on top of everything.
Let everything cook with the roast for about five more hours. The potatoes and vegetables pick up a savory, beefy flavor and the soup ends up with the texture of gravy. In a total of just eight to nine hours, you get a true one-pot meal.
Vegetarian lasagna
Have you ever heard of making pasta in a slow cooker before? Now’s your chance to try it!
Spread a layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of your slow cooker. Put two layers of broken, uncooked lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Add a layer of your favorite vegetable slices, such as zucchini, yellow squash and olives. Spread a thin layer of vegetarian ricotta cheese covered with mozzarella cheese on top of the vegetables. And, if you prefer, you can substitute dairy-based cheeses for the vegetarian blends.
Repeat the layering process until you run out of ingredients or your crockpot is nearly full. Set your slow cooker on low and let the vegetable lasagna cook for four to five hours.
Broccoli cheese soup
Cheese provides good protein and broccoli is a great source of vitamin C that will help give your immune system a boost!
Layer a pound of broccoli florets, a cup of thinly sliced carrot and 2 tablespoons of dried minced onions in your slow cooker. Sprinkle garlic powder on top. Add ¼ cup cream cheese, 4 cups of milk and half a pound of shredded mild cheddar cheese to the cooker.
Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste, and then cook on the high setting for about four hours. If you want the soup to be smooth, you can puree it with a blender or a food processor. Or, you can enjoy it with chunks of broccoli and carrots without pureeing.
These three slow cooker meals will make a pleasant addition to your meal planning this fall.
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