I always get excited when chilly weather starts settling in, because that means it’s time for comforting and delicious chili!

This sweet potato quinoa chili is one of my favorites because it’s packed with protein and nutrients but still feels indulgent. Plus, it’s perfect for serving a big crowd!

This easy vegan chili recipe is made in your slow cooker in just three simple steps. All you need to do is prep your ingredients, dump them into the slow cooker and let it cook for a high-protein and high fiber chili that’s filling and satisfying with minimal effort!

It’s the perfect comfort meal to make on a cold day and makes amazing leftovers.

Even though this chili is simple to make, it is also nutrient-dense. It has a high amount of fiber coming from the beans and quinoa as well as protein. Plus all of the ingredients in this chili are naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan while still being satisfying and filling. 

What you’ll love about this recipe:

• VEGETARIAN AND GLUTEN-FREE – Sweet potato quinoa chili is the perfect warming comfort food for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone following a gluten-free lifestyle.
• SIMPLE INGREDIENTS – All of the ingredients can be found in your local grocery store making it an easy option.
• PREP AHEAD – Prep the ingredients the night before and place them in your slow cooker in the fridge so all you’ll need to do is remove it from the fridge and turn it on in the morning. Just dump and go!

Vegan Sweet Potato Chili Ingredients

• Sweet Potato – Adds beautiful orange color and some natural sweetness to the chili. 
• Yellow Bell Pepper – Gives a fresh garden taste to the chili. Use red, orange, or green peppers if you can’t find yellow. 
• Garlic & Onion – These two aromatic vegetables are classic in flavoring soups and chili recipes. 
• Diced Tomatoes & Tomato Paste – Gives the chili a light tomato base and acidity. 
• Vegetable Broth – A flavorful and nutrient-dense liquid that cooks into the quinoa and sweet potatoes for great flavor. You can substitute with chicken broth if needed. 
• Black Beans – These high-protein beans add a hearty and satisfying addition to the chili.
• Quinoa – This grain bulks up the dish by soaking up all the flavors in the chili. 
• Chili Spices & Seasonings – You’ll need chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne and salt as the flavor base. 
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Cocoa powder boosts the flavor of the chili adding a great depth of flavor. You can omit if desired.

How to Make Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili

Prep your ingredients. Peel and chop your sweet potato and dice your bell pepper and onion. Cut the garlic clove into a fine mince. Add chopped vegetables to the slow cooker. 

Add everything to the slow cooker. Along with the chopped vegetables, add beans, quinoa, broth, tomato along with spices and seasonings. Give everything a stir to combine fully.

Slow cook the chili. Set the slow cooker to HIGH to cook for 4 hours or on LOW to cook for 7 to 8 hours. Chili is finished cooking when all of the liquid is absorbed by the quinoa and sweet potatoes are fork tender.

Serve hot in bowls with your favorite garnishes and sides. 

The Best Chili Toppings and Garnishes

The best way to serve this slow cooker sweet potato quinoa chili is by adding your favorite toppings. Feel free to add any of the following to garnish the final dish:

• Chopped green onions
• Sliced avocado
• Salsa
• Corn chips
• Fresh cilantro
• Sliced jalapeño
• Lime wedges for fresh lime juice
• Tortilla chips
• Pickled jalapeno
• Plant-based sour cream
• Freshly chopped tomatoes
• Sweet corn kernels
• Pico De Gallo

Chili Lover?

Looking for more delicious chili recipes? I have tons!

• Slow Cooker Lentil and Pumpkin Chili
• Smoky and Sweet Turkey Chili
• Vegetarian Instant Pot Chili Mac
• White Chicken Chili
• Three Bean Crockpot Chili
• Beef and Bean Chili

You might also like my Creamy Mushroom + Quinoa Soup or Sweet Potato and Quinoa Patties.

If slow cookers are your jam, be sure to grab a copy of my Healthy Meal Prep Slow Cooker Cookbook!

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Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili

This sweet potato quinoa chili is the perfect healthy comfort food! It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free, so it's great for those with dietary restrictions.

Course Soups and Stews, Vegetarian Recipes

Cuisine American

Keyword sweet potato chili, sweet potato quinoa chili, vegan sweet potato chili

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 260kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato peeled and chopped (about 1 pound)
• 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
• 1 red onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
• ½ cup quinoa rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

• Add of the ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
• Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours.
• Spoon into bowls and garnish as desired.

Notes

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1157mg | Potassium: 686mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 6772IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 4mg

These cranberry meatballs are the perfect addition to any party, but they also make a fantastic dinner any night of the year.

Made with just 4 ingredients, this spin on traditional grape jelly meatballs has a great sweet-and-spicy flavor that everyone loves. Since they’re made in a slow cooker, they save on oven space, too — perfect for holiday gatherings!

I love adding my own unique twist to classic holiday recipes. Of course, these Slow Cooker Spicy Cranberry Meatballs are no exception!

I can still remember the first time we had glazed jelly meatballs. It was at an office Christmas party about fifteen years ago and Shawn couldn’t get enough. He kept going back for seconds and thirds and raved about them so much that my boss finally gave me the recipe.

Shawn made them for a Superbowl party later that year and, again, they stole the show. Everyone was obsessed.

Of course, I can never leave well enough alone.

These meatballs are traditionally made with grape jelly and chili sauce but I wondered how they’d come out if I used cranberry sauce and gochujang instead.

Jump To:

1. Ingredients
2. Method
3. FAQs
4. Recipe Card

The answer?

FANTASTIC. We both love this spicy cranberry meatball recipe even better than the original version.

They’re are perfect for holiday parties as tasty bite-sized appetizers, but I also love turning them into a full meal.

There are few things that are cozier on a cold winter day than the smell of cranberry and gochujang wafting through the house. Bursting with flavor, these tasty bites are perfect for enjoying while watching your favorite holiday movie or sitting by the fireplace after a long walk in fresh snow.

They only take minutes to prep and will cook themselves so you can chill while dinner is being made! 

Ingredients

To make these meatballs in cranberry sauce, you’ll need a few simple ingredients:

• Meatballs. I typically make these with frozen turkey meatballs but, if you prefer, you can also use homemade meatballs. Air fryer chicken meatballs make a great addition to this recipe! You could also try venison meatballs.
• Cranberry Sauce. I love using whole berry cranberry sauce for this recipe, but you can also use jellied cranberry sauce if that’s what you prefer. Either way, I like to check the ingredient list and steer clear of sauces that contain high fructose corn syrup. Some of my favorite cleaner brands are Cadia and Woodstock. You can also use homemade cranberry jelly.
• Gochujang. Gochujang is a pungent fermented paste made from chili peppers, glutinous rice, soybeans, sugar and salt. It has a sweet and spicy flavor that varies from tangy to even nutty. It balances out the tart cranberries so well!
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce. A splash of soy sauce adds another level of rich umami flavor to this recipe. Be sure to use low sodium soy sauce to keep the overall flavor balance in check!
• Sesame seeds (optional). I love finishing off these meatballs with a sprinkle of sesame seeds for added color.

How to make sweet and spicy cranberry meatballs in a Crock Pot

These meatballs are so easy to make! Just add everything to your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, or until they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165F.

If you’re short on time, you can also make these on the stove by combining all of the ingredients in a large pot or Dutch oven and heating until the meatballs are cooked through. Then transfer everything to your slow cooker to keep warm.

I like to serve the cooked meatballs directly from my crock pot so they stay warm as people mingle and nibble. Place a plate of toothpicks next to the pots so everyone can have free range when they please!

Pro Tip: To prevent the sweet sauce from burning, layer the meatballs into the slow cooker first, then stir in the remaining ingredients. This will limit the amount of sauce that comes into direct contact with the crock.

What to serve with cranberry meatballs

These spicy cranberry meatballs are great on their own as holiday appetizers.

You can also serve these cocktail meatballs with other ingredients to make a complete meal. Here are some options to consider:

• Serve them over egg noodles, spaghetti, or other pasta of your choice. There should be more than enough sauce in the slow cooker to add to your pasta as well. with a complementary sauce or use the sauce from the slow cooker.
• Serve them over mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower (this is one of my favorite dinners!)
• Create a turkey cranberry meatball sub
• Bake a Spicy Cranberry Meatball casserole for a family-sized meal;
• If you’re looking for a lighter meal, pair your meatballs with a light green salad.

More Irresistible Meatball Recipes To Try

• Spicy Pork Meatballs With Parmesan Risotto
• Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Meatball Subs
• Slow Cooker Meatballs In Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce
• North African Meatballs with California Prunes and Pine Nuts
• Thanksgiving Meatballs
• Tandoori Chicken Meatballs
• Meatballs in Homemade Enchilada Sauce

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Slow Cooker Gochujang Cranberry Meatballs

Course slow cooker recipes

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 263kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Equipment

•  Gochujang (Korean Spicy Red Chile Paste)
• Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 12 ounces frozen turkey meatballs
• 1 can 14 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce
• ¼ cup gochujang korean red pepper paste
• 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional

Instructions

• Add the meatballs to your slow cooker. Pour in the cranberry sauce, gouchoujang, and soy sauce. Give everything a stir. 
• Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, or until the meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 165°F.

Notes

You can also make these with my air fryer chicken meatballs.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 recipe | Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 1441mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g

This meatloaf, slathered with sweet and spicy Thai-inspired barbecue sauce, is comfort food at it’s best. It’s the kind of thing I crave all fall and winter.

And ever better? You can cook it right in your slow cooker!

I know that seems totally crazy, but when you think about it, a slow cooker is similar to a tiny oven. You can use it to cook all sorts of things, from the soups and stews you might be familiar with, to things like crock pot granola and this meatloaf.

I came up with this recipe when I was writing my Healthy Meal Prep Slow Cooker Cookbook, and now I make it all the time.

Crock pot meatloaf comes out so juicy and the barbecue sauce leaves me drooling every time I think about it.

I cook potatoes right in the same pot for a built-in side dish. You can eat them as is with a little salt and pepper, or use them to make mashed potatoes. Either way is great, and I do both depending on my mood and how much effort I feel like putting into my meal.

Ingredients for crock pot meatloaf

To make this delicious meatloaf, you’ll only need 10 ingredients! It doesn’t get much better than than.

For the meatloaf itself, you’ll need:

• Ground Beef. I usually use 93% lean ground beef for this recipe. I usually wouldn’t recommend going with such a lean cut for an oven-baked meatloaf, but meatloaf cooked in the slow cooker retains more moisture, so it won’t dry out. You can also use ground turkey or even meatloaf mix if you prefer.
• Eggs. Eggs help the meatloaf bind together and add moisture, so the it’s nice and tender.
• Breadcrumbs. You want to use traditional ground breadcrumbs for this recipe, not crunchy panko breadcrumbs. You can use plain or seasoned breadcrumbs with success — I go with whatever I happen to have in the kitchen. At first, I was nervous that the seasoned breadcrumbs might be too strong and compete with the Asian flavors, but they were totally fine.

For the tangy Thai barbecue sauce, you’ll need:

• Sugar Free Ketchup.
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• Sesame Oil
• Chili Paste (Here’s a recipe to make your own)

You’ll also need fingerling potatoes or other small/baby potatoes. I like the ones from the Little Potato Company since they tend to be consistently sized.

I also like to add some slices of fresh chile or jalapeno pepper to the top of the meatloaf for an added pop of color and flavor.

If you have leftovers, they reheat really well. It also makes an AWESOME meatloaf sandwich the next day.

How to make meatloaf in your slow cooker

To make crock pot meatloaf, start by mixing together the ground beef, eggs, and breadcrumbs. Use your (clean) hands to mix just until everything is incorporated and the breadcrumbs are fully moistened.

Shape the mixture into a loaf and place it into the center of your slow cooker. For easy cleanup, you can use a slow cooker liner, but it isn’t necessary.

Next, mix together the ingredients for the sauce. It should be smooth, glossy and fairly thick (and smell REALLY good!)

Pour the sauce over the meatloaf, then use a spoon to spread it around a little so the whole top is covered. If you’re adding chile peppers, arrange them on top of the sauce now.

Finally, arrange the potatoes around the meatloaf.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

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Slow Cooker Thai BBQ Meatloaf

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 490kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Equipment

• Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners
• Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds lean ground beef
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ½ cup sugar-free ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon chili paste
• 1 chile pepper thinly sliced (optional)
• 2 pounds fingerling potatoes

Instructions

• Combine the beef, eggs, and breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Shape into a loaf and transfer to your slow cooker insert. 
• In a second bowl, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili paste. Pour over the top of the meatloaf. Sprinkle with chile pepper slices, if desired. 
• Arrange the potatoes around the outside of the meatloaf. 
• Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. 
• For meal prep: Portion into individual airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 recipe | Calories: 490kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g

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We went to Italy last fall. It was probably the best week of my life. The weather was perfect, I all but ignored social media, we walked at least 8 miles a day, and the food was AMAZING.

Of course, not everything about it was perfect.

Jet lag was no joke. Thank God for espresso.

Also, the traffic. Oof. If you think renting a car in Italy is a good idea, it’s not.

Take the train.

Or hire a driver.

We drove circles around Florence for at least 3 hours trying to figure out how to get to our hotel. Apparently they close half of the streets to traffic at night. Which is GREAT for sidewalk cafes, but not ideal when you’re trying to get to a parking garage.

Thankfully we finally figured it out, got ourselves checked in, and found a restaurant with open tables that was serving up some of the most beautiful steaks and pastas I’ve ever seen.

After a plate of bolognese (and a few glasses of wine) the traffic was all but forgotten.

Now, a dish of rich, meaty pasta bolognese instantly transports me back to that night. Sometimes it’s a traditional sauce made with beef and pork, but other times this vegetarian version of mushroom and lentil bolognese does this trick.

It had the same hearty, complex notes as that traditional recipes do, but it’s full of healthy fiber and lower on fat.

As written this recipe is vegetarian, but you can replace the Parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast for an entirely plant-based option.

What goes into bolognese sauce?

Traditional bolognese is a thick, meat sauce made from onion, celery and carrot simmered with minced or ground beef and pork and a tiny bit of tomato.

Outside of Italy, bolognese tends to be heavier on tomatoes. Honestly, I prefer the more tomatoey version. Since I already scrapped tradition with this vegetarian bolognese recipe, I added more tomatoes than normal.

Despite being heavier on tomatoes, it still has that bolognese vibe from sweet carrots and cream. This isn’t just a regular meat sauce.

For this recipe, I swapped lentils and mushrooms in for the traditional ground meats. You can make it with all lentils, but mushrooms add more umami flavor and lighten up the texture of the sauce.

Can you use canned lentils?

I love cooking with dry lentils, since they’re so affordable.

If you’re looking for a shortcut – or if dried lentils are hard to find – canned lentils definitely work.

You’ll want to use two 15 ounce cans (about 2 1/2 cups total) in place of every cup of dried lentils.

Be sure to rinse them well and skip ahead to step 2 of the recipe — you don’t need to simmer them in stock.

Does this recipe freeze well?

This lentil bolognese recipe freezes really well, so it’s perfect for meal prep!

I like to freeze it in individual portions so I can pull out whatever amount I need. Freezing it in smaller portions also helps it defrost faster!

Frozen sauce is best if eaten within about 3 months.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Absolutely!

To make this vegetarian bolognese in a slow cooker, omit the oil and decrease the vegetable stock to 1 cup.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the lentils are tender.

How should I use the rest of this bag of lentils?

A one pound bag of dried lentils goes a long way!

If you need another lentil recipe or two to help use it up, I suggest Mujadarra, a really great Lebanese recipe with the most delicious garlicky sauce.

You could also make lentil sloppy joes or try lentil patties on top of a hearty salad. Soup, like this Middle Eastern lentil soup, is always a classic, too.

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Mushroom and Lentil Bolognese

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 318kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry brown lentils
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion finely diced
• 1 celery stalk finely chopped
• 2 carrots grated
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup whole milk or unsweetened almond milk
• ⅓ cup tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Add the lentils and stock to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook, covered, for 20-30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Drain.*
• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
• Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until beginning to soften. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes, until starting to brown.
• Pour in the wine, stirring well to release any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it begins to darken.
• Add the cooked lentils, milk, and bay leaf.
• Simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and the vegetables are very soft.
• Remove the bay leaf and stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Notes

*To cook lentils in an Instant Pot, combine the lentils and stock and cook under high pressure for 10 minutes. Naturally release the steam.

** To make in a slow cooker, reduce the stock to 1 cup and omit the oil. Combine all ingredients except the milk and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the vegetables are very soft. Stir in the milk and cheese 30 minutes prior to serving; keep the lid open and the heat on the help the liquid reduce during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 626mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g

Did you know that you can make crispy, crunchy homemade granola right in your slow cooker? 

That’s right, your crock pot isn’t just for soups and stews! In fact, making crispy slow cooked recipes is one of my favorite tricks. I share a bunch of them in my new Healthy Meal Prep Slow Cooker Cookbook, from an awesome veggie pot pie topped with crispy crust to cranberry-orange scones that are perfect for breakfast on the go. 

The naturally sweetened cherry-almond granola is one of my favorite recipes in the book both because it’s so tasty and because it’s so impressive. It doesn’t matter how many times I make it, it still amazes me every time I give it a final stir and hear it shaking around. 

(If you love granola as much as I do, you’ll also want to be sure to check out my carrot cake granola and these chewy earl grey granola bars.)

Homemade Granola Ingredients:

To make this crock pot granola you’ll need a few pantry staples:

• Rolled Oats: Because granola wouldn’t be granola without them!
• Shredded Coconut: This adds great flavor and texture and gets nice and toasty
• Honey: For the perfect touch of sweetness
• Cinnamon: So tasty and it smells so good! 
• Egg Whites: These help the granola form crispy clumps
• Mix-Ins: I went with dried cherries and slivered almonds for this granola recipe, but you can use any combination of dried fruit or nuts that you like

Slow Cooker Granola Method:

To make slow cooker granola, start by spraying your slow cooker insert with cooking spray, then mixing the oats, coconut, honey, and cinnamon together.

Next, stir in the egg whites, making sure the oats are evenly moistened. 

Put the lid on, but leave it slightly ajar. I stick a wooden spoon into the crock to prop it open a little. This lets the steam escape and helps the oats crisp up instead of getting soggy. 

Stir in your favorite mix-ins, then spread the cooked granola out onto  a baking sheet to help it cool faster. It will continue to crisp as it cools.

I love eating this healthy granola recipe in a bowl with milk or sprinkled over yogurt with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup. It’s also great on top of ice cream, or as the base to trail mix with pretzels and M&Ms or chocolate chips. 

Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

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Cherry-Almond Granola

If you thought slow cookers are only good for cooking soups and stews, you’ll be surprised to learn that you can also use them to make granola! Leaving the lid slightly ajar lets steam escape, helping the granola crisp up. Egg white helps the oats form crunchy clusters and honey adds just a touch of sweetness. Once you get the hang of this recipe, it’s easy to swap out the fruit and nuts to make it your own.  

Course Healthy Breakfast Recipes

Cuisine American

Keyword crock pot granola, granola recipe, homemade granola, slow cooker granola

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 223kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3 large egg whites
• ⅓ cup honey
• ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• ½ cup unsweetened dried cherries

Instructions

• Generously coat your slow cooker with cook-
  ing spray and add the oats, egg whites, honey, coconut, and cinnamon. Mix well to moisten
  the oats thoroughly.
• Cover the slow cooker, leaving the lid slightly
  ajar. Cook on High heat for 1 hour. Stir the
  granola to help prevent it from sticking to
  the bottom of the slow cooker. Re-cover the
  cooker and cook for 1 hour more.
• Stir in the almonds and cherries. Turn off
  the slow cooker and let the granola cool
  completely.
• Store individual portions in airtight containers
  in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks, or freeze
  for up to 3 months.

Notes

Meal Prep Tip: This granola is great sprinkled over Greek yogurt, eaten as cereal with your favorite milk or nut milk, or on its own as a crunchy treat. 

Cooking Tip: This granola will continue to crisp up as it cools. You can let it cool in right in the slow cooker or speed up the process by spreading it out onto a baking sheet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/10 recipe | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 19mg | Fiber: 4g

Have you heard the news? I wrote another cookbook!

My newest book, Healthy Meal Prep Slow Cooker Cookbook, is coming out in a few weeks and I couldn’t be more excited.

I definitely was NOT planning to write another book so soon. They’re so much work and I already have plenty on my plate trying to juggle this blog with my day job and also trying to have a life. But when my publisher approached me with the topic, I just couldn’t say no. I NEEDED to write this book, because I needed this book in my life. And I have a feeling that a lot of you do, too.

This book is packed with easy, healthy recipes that can be prepped ahead for super easy dinners (and breakfasts and lunches) all week long. Just like my first book, they have minimal prep and most of them use less than 10 ingredients.

And there’s so much more than just soups and stews. I really put my slow cooker to work, turning out everything from frittatas to tacos to banana bread.

I can’t pick a single favorite recipe, but this healthy meal prep lemon chicken is definitely near the top of my list. It’s so simple, but full of flavor.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

This slow cooker lemon chicken was inspired by chicken piccata. The chicken cooks in lemon juice with garlic, capers and artichoke hearts. It won’t look like much at first but it completely transforms after 6 hours in your crock pot.

Just before serving, you’ll add the rice and let it steam right in the slow cooker. This is one of my favorite tricks for rounding out a meal – it’s like magic every time!

Then you can eat it right away or pack it up for later. The book has a whole section on how to meal prep safely, and every recipe includes specific meal prep instructions to steer you in the right direction.

Crock Pot Lemon Chicken Step by Step

Making this healthy meal prep lemon chicken is so easy! You only need a few ingredients and the slow cooker does most of the work for you.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, be sure to check out the book. It’s available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, and at tons of independent bookstores across the country – and you can pre-order it now!

Be sure to follow me on facebook and Instagram and subscribe to my email list for more sneak peeks inside, too.

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Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

This lemon chicken recipe is loosely based on chicken piccata, a classic Italian recipe made with sauteed chicken in a rich lemon sauce. I love the pop of flavor the salty capers add, but swap them for olive or leave them out entirely if you prefer. If you omit the capers, season the sauce to taste with kosher or sea salt before serving.

Course Healthy One Pan Recipes

Cuisine Italian

Keyword crock pot lemon chicken, healthy lemon chicken, meal prep lemon chicken, slow cooker lemon chicken

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 328kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Equipment

• Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• Juice of 2 lemons
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons capers drained
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups instant brown rice

Instructions

• In your slow cooker, combine the lemon juice, oil, garlic, and capers. Add the chicken and artichoke hearts.
• Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low heat for 6 hours, or on High heat for 2 hours. If you’ll be away for more than 6 hours, be sure to set your slow cooker to switch to "keep warm" once it’s finished cooking.
• Stir in the brown rice. Re-cover the cooker and let sit for 10-15 minutes, until soft and fluffy.
• Refrigerate individual portions in airtight containers for up to 4 days, or freeze up to 4 months.

Notes

Prep Ahead: Combine the lemon juice, oil, garlic, capers, artichoke hearts, and chicken in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months If you want to prep this recipe up to 4 days in advance and keep it in the refrigerator, keep the chicken breasts in their original packaging and consume before the best by date (refrigerating them in the acidic marinade for more than a day can make them tough.) If frozen, thaw the ingredients in the refrigerator overnight before adding to your slow cooker.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 435mg | Fiber: 4g

Homemade Italian meatballs and sauce is one of my absolute favorite dinners. There’s pretty much nothing better than walking into the kitchen and smelling slow cooker meatballs that have simmered all day. It’s so cozy and comforting! 

This slow cooker meatball recipe is super easy to make but seriously rich and flavorful. Serve them over pasta or zucchini noodles, on bread, or even on top of a salad! 

Crockpot Meatballs 

This slow cooker recipe is one of my favorite ways to get a healthy dinner on the table without much fuss. 

I love using my crock pot on weeknights because I can start dinner in the morning and let it cook for me. 

A few months ago, I would have said I like to start the slow cooker in the morning before I leave for work, but even now while I’m working from home it’s still nice to not have to worry about cooking come dinner time. I feel like I’m being pulled in a million directions these days, so one less chore that I have to do on a set schedule is always nice!

If you enjoy making healthy meals in your slow cooker too, be sure to keep your eyes peeled – I have a huge announcement coming in a few days that I just know you’re going to love.  

What kind of ground beef should I use for meatballs?

For these crock pot meatballs, I use 93% lean ground beef. It strike the perfect balance of being tender and flavorful without being too greasy. You can get away with a higher fat content when making meatballs on the stovetop since the grease can be drained away, but for the slow cooker, lean is definitely the way to go. 

For this particular recipe I decided to keep things simple and use only beef. You can also make spicy pork meatballs or use even ground turkey. 

Can I Make These Slow Cooker Meatballs Gluten Free? {H3 Heading} 

Yes! If you’re looking for a gluten free meal, these meatballs also come out great if you use substitute the bread for a gluten free version. 

As always, keep an eye on the other ingredients you use – especially the spices – to make sure they’re processed in a gluten free facility. 

 You can also use my tutorial for How to Bake Spaghetti Squash to serve these over some spaghetti squash “noodles” or serve them with my Cheesy Polenta with Roast Vegetables. So good.  

Are Italian Meatballs in the Slow Cooker Freezer Friendly?

Yes, this recipe is fantastic for meal prep! 

I often make a few batches of the meatballs and freeze to then add to the slow cooker with the sauce ingredients the day you want to prepare this meal. It gives you a great healthy and delicious meal that can easily be thrown together at the last minute. 

The one downside to making meatballs is that they’re so messy, so you might as well make a bunch if you’re going to make any at all! I also love using a meat baller (affiliate link) or large cookie scoop to shape the meatballs and keep my hands a little cleaner. If you do go this route, still be sure to give the meatballs a quick roll between your palms to make sure they’re nice and tight – that will help prevent them from falling apart in the sauce. 

If freezing meatballs, I recommend rolling and placing them on a lined baking sheet, then loosely covering them and popping into the freezer for 1-2 hours to help them keep their shape.  Remove them from the freezer, and put the semi-frozen meatballs into freezer storage bags that have been dated and labeled.  This keeps them from sticking together and makes it easy to just grab what you need out of a bag when needed.

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Slow Cooker Meatballs in Homemade Sauce

The best Crock Pot Italian Meatballs simmered in Homemade Sauce. This healthy recipe is super easy to make! Serve over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles and top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Yum!

Course slow cooker recipes

Cuisine Italian

Keyword crock pot meatballs, homemade meatballs, Italian meatballs, meatballs in sauce, slow cooker meatballs

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 334kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Equipment

• Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion minced
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 1 egg
• 2 slices bread torn into small pieces
• ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup spinach finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ⅓ cup milk dairy or nondairy
• 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Sauce

• 15- ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 15- ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

• To make the meatballs, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
• Transfer the onions and garlic to a mixing bowl and let cool slightly.
• Stir in the egg, bread pieces, breadcrumbs, and seasonings. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Mix in the ground beef, spinach, and parmesan.
• Using a meatballer or damp hands, form the mixture into 12-16 meatballs.
• Return the skillet to the stove. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook 304 minutes per side, until browned.
• Add the sauce ingredients to your slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Gently add the meatballs to the sauce.
• Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 567mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g

Mouthwatering Red Wine Pot Roast in the Slow Cooker

Lately, Monday nights have become slow cooker night at our house. Shawn and I go to a late class at the gym and by the time we get home:

1) I’m starving and

2) the last thing I feel like doing is spending a ton of time in the kitchen.

Before we had the idea of pulling the slow cooker out we would stop and grabbed something to eat on the way home, which kind of defeated the point of going to the gym in the first place. Now, we look forward to a nutritious, home cooked meal, like this classic pot roast with vegetables, waiting for us when we get home.

Chili and soup are on frequent rotation, but when we’re in more of a “meat and potatoes” kind of mood, this slow cooker red wine beef roast does the job.

It also makes an amazing Sunday dinner and is great for entertaining – your guests will never know how easy it actually was!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Beef Chuck Roast. For this slow cooker roast beef recipe, start with a three pound chuck roast. A little bit bigger or smaller is ok, just look for a boneless beef chuck roast around that size. Chuck is a great cut to use in slow cooker recipes because it has a rich, beefy flavor and cooking for a long time in liquid makes it super tender.

Red wine. Whatever your favorite red wine is should work well. I usually use a Pinot Noir or Burgundy. It gives the pot roast gravy such a delicious, rich flavor!

Vegetable stock. I like the complexity of vegetable stock, but you can also use beef broth.

Carrots. Regular sliced carrots or baby carrots work well!

Frozen pearl onions. You could also use two sliced onions, but I love the flavor and texture of pearl onions (plus they’re Shawn’s favorite, so I get bonus points for making them.)

How to make it

Pat the roast dry with paper towels – a dry surface helps the meat brown beautifully – before seasoning it liberally with salt and pepper.

Sear it in a hot pan until a golden brown crust forms. Don’t worry about actually cooking the roast at this point, you just want some of that delicious browning to help develop the flavor.

Once the roast is beautifully browned, transfer it to the slow cooker along with the red wine, vegetable stock, and vegetables.

Let it cook all day long until the vegetables are super tender and the meat starts to fall apart.

My favorite way to serve this fork tender, pot roast recipe is over creamy horseradish polenta.

It’s a nice change from something more expected, like mashed potatoes, and is super easy to make. I also love how the sharp flavor of the horseradish contrasts with the rich beef.

When you’re just about ready to eat, bring a big pot of water to boil for your polenta. I take advantage of the time it takes to boil that water and use it to shred the beef. Sometimes I’ll also cook a few green beans or another vegetable.

Once the water is boiling, add instant polenta and salt. It cooks fast!

Cook, stirring frequently, until it solidifies into a porridge and starts to pull away from the sides of your pot. Remove it from the heat and stir in butter and prepared horseradish. I use enough to get a hint of horseradish flavor without being too overpowering or spicy; you can add more if you prefer a stronger flavor.

Spoon the polenta onto your plates and top with the shredded beef and extra pot roast gravy. Serve the vegetables on the side.

If you love slow cooked beef, you’ll also want to check out this slow cooker birria recipe. It’s so good in tacos!

Common Questions

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Slow Cooker Red Wine Roast Beef with Horseradish Polenta

This delicious red wine roast beef recipe cooks all day in your slow cooker! It's so tender, and the vegetables have an amazing rich flavor. Serve it over horseradish polenta for a nice change of pace from the more traditional noodles or potatoes.

Course Beef Recipes

Cuisine American

Keyword pot roast with vegetables, red wine pot roast, slow cooker beef, slow cooker beef pot roast, slow cooker pot roast

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 hours hours

Total Time 10 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 575kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 3 pound chuck roast trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic smashed
• 6 carrots sliced
• 1 ½ cups frozen pearl onions
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped

For the polenta

• 1 ½ cups instant polenta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Instructions

• Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels, then generously season it with salt and pepper.
• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan set over high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the roast to the pan. Sear for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until deeply browned.
• Transfer the roast to a slow cooker. Add the garlic cloves, carrots, onions, wine, and stock. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat is falling-apart tender.
• Transfer the roast to a cutting board. Shred the meat, then drizzle it with some of the pan juices. Sprinkle with parsley and season with salt and pepper. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables from the slow cooker to a serving dish.

Prepare the polenta immediately before serving:

• Bring 6 cups of water to boil in a large pot. Add the polenta and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until the polenta begins to pull away from the edges of the pot. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and horseradish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 575kcal | Protein: 52g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 243mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g

If you follow along on instagram or snapchat, you might have noticed that I just finished up a month of Whole 30. Eliminating grains and legumes really threw me for a loop in terms of meal planning, so I spent a lot of time scouring through cookbooks and magazines looking for inspiration.

About halfway though my 30 days, I received a review copy of Good + Simple by British blogging duo Hemsley + Hemsley and was excited to see how many of the creative recipes were Whole 30 compliant – and every single one of them looked fantastic.

The book focuses on eliminating gluten, grains, and refined sugars while maximizing nutrition and is filled with fresh recipes that I found to be really inspiring. It’s packed with gorgeous photos and tons of information about nutrition and food prep. A few recipes that caught my eye include butternut and almond butter porridge, spicy coconut kale chips, slow cooker smokey apple pulled pork, and green goddess noodle salad. There are also some clever desserts, like tahini date fridge fudge (which is delicious and reminds me of a less-sweet version of halva), cannellini vanilla sponge cake with chocolate avo frosting, and lavender an carob “hot chocolate.”

One of the first recipes from the book that I tried was this Slow-Cooked Chicken Pot Roast with Sweet Paprika and Cayenne. Thanks to tons of root vegetables, it’s a simple slow cooker meal that was easy to prep the night before and let cook all day while I was at work. i was a little skeptical of the amount of spices the recipe called for (a teaspoon and a half of cayenne?!), but it totally worked. The result was spicy, but the flavor of the lemon also came through really strongly and the cooking liquid made a delicious sauce.

The book suggested a few side dishes to accompany the meal, but I didn’t think it needed any extras. If you want more, a simple green salad would be nice alongside the chicken.

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Slow-Cooked Chicken Pot Roast with Sweet Paprika and Cayenne

Servings 4

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 4 large carrots roughly chopped
• 2 large onions roughly chopped
• 3 large celery stalks roughly chopped
• 1 celeriac or 2 small turnips or rutabagas roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves halved
• ½ cup water
• 1 handful fresh rosemary parsley, basil, basil or thyme, or 1 tablespoon dried
• 1 x 4 pound chicken

For the stuffing:

• 1 lemon halved
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion roughly chopped

For the spice rub

• 4 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme

Instructions

• Place the chopped vegetables in a slow cooker with the garlic, water and herbs.
• Stuff the chicken with the lemon halves, garlic and onion and place on top of the chopped vegetables.
• Rub the top of the chicken with the salt, spices and thyme. Put the lid on the slow cooker and set to low for 8 hours. Alternatively, place in an ovenproof casserole with a tight-fitting lid and cook in the oven (preheated to 325ºF) for 4 hours.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from Good + Simple, by Jasmine Hemsley and Melissa Hemsley.

I received a free review copy of Good + Simple, but all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

For the past few months, I’ve been completely obsessed with Thai flavors. Basil, lemongrass, chili, ginger, lime – I can’t get enough! I’ve been stuffing them into peppers and lettuce wraps, using them to flavor baked chicken wings, and adding them to my salad dressing. It was only a matter of time before my thoughts turned to soup.

The star of this Thai chicken soup is the broth, which I made in a slow cooker. If you don’t have a slow cooker, a regular stock pot will work just as well. The trick is to cook it low and slow, letting it reduce so the flavors concentrate.

I wanted to keep things light and simple, but still ensure that the soup was packing plenty of nutrition, so I decided to skip pasta and use zucchini noodles instead. I love the way the compliment the flavor of the broth, soaking in all of it’s flavor.

I use a paderno spiralizer that I absolutely love, but if you don’t have one you can shred the zucchini lengthwise on the coarse side of a box grater.  The noodles will be a little thinner if you use a grater, so the texture won’t be exactly the same, but they’ll taste just as good.

To serve, I like to take a cue from pho and finish the soup with fresh basil, jalapeno slices and just a touch of sambal olek, a spicy thai chili paste. Let everyone add their own for a fun, customizable experience – and so they can have it be as mild or as spicy as they like.

This Thai Chicken Soup with Zucchinni Noodles recipe first appeared on Food Fanatic, where I contribute recipes as the soup expert.