Make Ahead Crockpot 22 Meals

Beef and Broccoli (8 servings)

Ingredients

4 one-gallon baggies 

8 quart baggies

4 snack bags

2 lb beef, thinly sliced flank steak (½ lb each bag)

2 t beef broth granules (1/2 t each bag)

1/2 cup soy sauce (2 T each bag)

1/3 cup brown sugar (4 t each bag)

4 t garlic powder (1 t each bag)

4 t sesame oil (1 t each bag)

2 cups broccoli (1/2 c each quart bag)

8 teaspoons cornstarch (2 t cornstarch each snack bag)

2 cups white or brown rice, cooked ahead and freeze. (1/2 c each quart bag)

Label gallon bags "Beef and Broccoli". Write cooking instructions on bag.

Mix the beef and sauce ingredients in a gallon bag.  

Cooking Instructions:

Cook beef 4-6 hours.

Remove approx.1/2 cup of the sauce from the crock pot and mix with the 2 t cornstarch. Stir back into the Crock Pot.  Add the broccoli, stir again, and cook for another half an hour. 

Serve over rice.

Honey Garlic Chicken and veggies 

(8 servings)

4 one-gallon baggies, 4 qt baggies

8 chicken thighs (2 each bag)

16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved (1/4 lb each bag)

16 ounces baby carrots (1/4 lb each bag)

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce (2 T each bag)

1/2 cup honey (2 T each bag)

1/4 cup ketchup (1 T each bag)

2 T garlic powder (1/2 t each bag)

2 t Italian seasoning (1/2 t each bag)

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (a pinch each bag)

1  teaspoon ground black pepper (1/4 t each bag)

16 ounces green beans, trimmed (separated) (1/4 lb each quart bag)

2 T  dried parsley (1 ½ t per quart bag w beans)

 Label gallon bags "HONEY CHICKEN W/VEGGIES ". Write cooking instructions on bag.

Cooking instructions:

Add all ingredients (except green beans/parsley) to each bag. Cook 6-8 hours. Add green beans/parsley during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

CROCK POT CHICKEN TACO CHILI (6 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

2 servings each bag

3 gallon baggies, 3 snack bags

1 16 oz. can black beans, drained (1/3 can each bag)1 16 oz. can kidney beans, drained (1/3 can each bag)                 3 teaspoons garlic powder (1 t each bag)

1 medium onion, chopped  (1/3 each bag)
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (1/3 each bag)
1 green bell pepper, chopped (1/3 each bag)
10 oz. package (1 1/4 cups) frozen corn kernels (1/3 bag each bag)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce (1/3 can each bag)
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained (1/3 can each bag)
1 tbsp. cumin (1 t each bag) 

1 tbsp. chili powder (1 t each bag)
1-1/2  tsp. dried oregano (1/2 t each bag)
1-1/2 tsp. salt (1/2 t each bag)
3/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper (1/4 t pepper)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 each bag)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (4 t each snack bag)

Label gallon bags "CHICKEN TACO CHILI ". Write cooking instructions on bag.

Cooking instructions:

Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in crock pot and stir. Then place chicken on top, in a slow cooker. Cook for 6 hours.  Thirty minutes before serving, pull chicken breasts apart with two forks. Stir and continue cooking. Top with fresh cilantro or any other desired toppings.

48 Crockpot Make Ahead Meals in Less Than an Hour

Ingredients for all the meals

Ready for the freezer

Vegetable soup with Beef

GROCERY LIST FOR ALL 48 SERVINGS

FRESH PRODUCE

• 8 small onions

• 24 oz baby spinach

MEAT

• 6 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 6 pounds ground beef

 FROZEN ITEMS

• 2lb bag of vegetable potstickers

• 6 cups frozen mixed vegetables

SEASONINGS

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 6 tablespoons Italian seasoning

• 3 teaspoons salt

• 1 cup dried minced onion flakes

• 5 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning mix
16 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules

SAUCES

• 1.5 cups honey

• 1 cup soy sauce

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 1 LARGE, GIANT can of tomato sauce (approx. 105oz)

MISC • 12 gallon-sized plastic freezer bags

• 12 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (3/4 cup)

NOT NEEDED UNTIL DAY OF COOKING

• 12 slices American cheese (for cheeseburgers) 

 • Suggested side dishes
  Asian Chicken and Potstickers – fresh broccoli
  Hearty Tomato Vegetable Soup - 4 loaves of frozen garlic bread                                                             Italian Chicken – spaghetti pasta
  Monster burgers- 12 hamburger buns and salad

 modified from newleafwellness.biz

 

CROCKPOT MONSTER BURGERS

Yield: 4  gallon-sized bag of burger meat with three servings in each bag

INGREDIENTS

 • 4 pounds ground beef (1 lb in each bag)

 • 1 cup dried minced onion flakes (1/4 cup each bag)

• 5 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning mix (1 ¼ teaspoon each bag)

 • optional: slices of American cheese,  buns not needed until day of cooking

MATERIALS

• 4 gallon-sized plastic freezer bag

PREP

1. Label each freezer bag with”3 MONSTER BURGERS”. Write cooking instructions on bag. 

2. To your freezer bags, add all ingredients and squish to mix seasonings (except cheese, buns).

3. Remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer.

COOK

1. The night before cooking, move frozen bag to your refrigerator to thaw.

 2. The morning of cooking, add the meat to your crockpot and smooth it into a flat layer on the bottom of the crock.

3. Cook on medium setting for 6-8 hours, or until beef is cooked through.

4. Top with cheese and replace lid for 10 minutes or until melted.

5. Slice into 3 burgers and discard grease. Serve on hamburger buns with a side salad.

CROCKPOT ITALIAN CHICKEN

Yield: 2 bags of Italian Chicken with three servings each

 INGREDIENTS

• 2 onions, diced (1 onion in each bag)

• 8oz fresh baby spinach (about 2 handfuls each bag)

• 4 ½ cups tomato sauce (2 ¼ cup each bag)

• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder (1/4 t each bag)

• 1/2 cup honey (1/4 c each bag)

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (2 T each bag)

• 2 tablespoons Italian seasonings (1 T each bag)

 • 1 teaspoon salt (1/2 t each bag)

 • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (1/4 t each bag)

 • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (¼ t each bag)

 • 2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 lb each bag)

 MATERIALS

 • 2 gallon-sized plastic freezer bags

PREP

 1. Label your freezer bags with ITALIAN CHICKEN.

2. To your freezer bag, add all ingredients, chicken last, so it’s on the bottom when you pour into crockpot

3. Remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer.

 COOK

1. The night before cooking, move frozen bag to your refrigerator to thaw.

2. The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot.

3. Cook on “MEDIUM” setting for 4-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with spaghetti and a salad.

CROCKPOT HEARTY TOMATO VEGETABLE SOUP

Yield: 4, one-gallon sized bag of vegetable soup (2 chicken, 2 beef) with 6 servings each

INGREDIENTS

 • 9 cups tomato sauce (2 ¼ cups each bag)

 • 6 cups frozen mixed veggies{1.5 cups frozen mixed vegetables each bag)

 •8 oz. spinach (2oz each bag, about 1 handful)

•4 onions, diced (1 each bag)

• 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (1 T each bag)

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (1/4 t each bag)

 • 4 tablespoon Italian seasoning (1 T each bag)

• 2 teaspoons salt (1/2 t each bag)

 • 1 teaspoon pepper (1/4 each bag)

• 2 lbs chicken and 2 lbs ground beef (1 lb each bag)

 • 16 teaspoons of chicken stock (4 t each bag)

 MATERIALS

•4 gallon-sized plastic freezer bag

PREP

 1. Label your freezer bag with” CHICKEN (or BEEF) VEG SOUP”, cooking instructions,

2. To your freezer bag, add all ingredients. Add the meat to the freezer bag  last so it’s the first ingredient poured into your crockpot.

 3. Remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer.

COOK

1. The night before cooking, move frozen bag to your refrigerator to thaw.

2. The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot with 4 cups of water.

3. Cook on “medium” setting for 8 hours, or until meat is cooked through and vegetables are soft.

4. Break apart ground beef or shred chicken.

Serve with garlic bread or a scoop of rice.

Crockpot Asian Chicken and Vegetable Potstickers

Yield: 2 gallon-sized bag of chicken and potstickers with three servings each

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb each bag)

 • 2 pound of frozen vegetable potstickers (1 lb each bag)

• 2 small onions, diced (1 onion each bag)

• 1 cup honey (I/2 cup bag)

 • 1 cup low sodium soy sauce (1/2 c each bag)

 • 1/2 cup ketchup (1/4 c each bag)

 • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (2 each bag)

 • ½ teaspoon garlic powder (1/4 t each bag)

 • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ¼ t each bag

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (1/4 each bag)

MATERIALS • 2 gallon-sized plastic freezer bag

 PREP 1. Label your freezer bag with "ASIAN CHICKEN W POTSTICKERS”, cooking instructions

2. To your freezer bags, add all ingredients.

3. Remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer for up to three months.

 COOK

1. The night before cooking, move frozen bag to your refrigerator to thaw.

2. The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot.

3. Cook on “medium” setting for 6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with steamed broccoli.

Lemony Chickpea and Herb Wheat Berry Salad

Ingredients
1 cup wheat berries or hulled wheat
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups  water

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can cooked chickpeas, rinsed
1 bunch (about 6 medium) scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
1/2 bunch fresh parsley leaves, minced
3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (adjust to taste)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions
1. Add the wheat berries, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and water to a medium pot; bring up to a boil, then cover
the pot, turn the heat down to low, and cook until the wheat berries are tender, about 1 hour, stirring
occasionally. Drain, rinse under cold running water, and drain again
.
2. Combine the wheat berries and all other ingredients (including the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt) in
a large bowl; refrigerate until serving (this salad is even better the next day!).

Tracy Williams made this for mahjongg and I had to have the recipe!

http://www.anediblemosaic.com/?p=14393

Chocolate Sheet Cake 9X13

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 1 cup Flour
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 2 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 1 stick Butter
• 1/2 cup Boiling Water
• 1/4 cup Buttermilk (or just a little less than 1/4 c milk, and 2 t white vinegar)
• 1 whole Beaten Egg
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• _____
• FOR FROSTING:
• 1/4 cups Finely Chopped Pecans 
• 3/4 c stick Butter
• 2 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 3 Tablespoons Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• almost 2 cups Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Note: I use a 9×13 sheet cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing.  Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Pour over warm cake. Sprinkle nuts over 1/2 cake. Some like nuts, some do not. Makes all the people happy.

Cut into squares.

I have cut this recipe in half from the recipe below.

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/the-best-chocolate-sheet-cake-ever/?print=1/#size3x5

Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:
4 cups vegetable stock
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 leeks (white and light green parts only), thoroughly washed and sliced

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

1 bay leaf
1 t Italian seasoning
Salt and freshly ground pepper

11/2  cups half and half or whole milk

Directions
Put the vegetable  stock, potatoes, leeks, celery, bay leaf and Italian seasoning in a large pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Boil until the potatoes are soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf. Mash the potatoes until they are the desired bite-sized pieces. Add the milk and simmer until the soup has thickened, about 20 minutes. DON"T BOIL. The milk will curdle so don't do it!

White Meringue Frosting

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar, not confectioner's sugar
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1.Place all ingredients in the mixer bowl and whisk until well combined. Fill a saucepan with water about (2-3 cups). The saucepan should be large enough for the mixer bowl to “rest in it” but without touching the bottom of the saucepan.

2.When the water is shimmering place the bowl in the sauce pan and whisk the mixture. The mixture must not boil. Whisk until all the sugar is dissolved or you will end up with a grainy looking frosting. Remove from the saucepan.
3. Place the bowl in the kitchen mixer with the whisk attachment on. Whisk the meringue frosting until stiff peaks forms and has a glossy look. 

4. Stored in the refrigerator, frosted cupcakes will remain fresh for 2 days.

http://cakejournal.com/recipes/white-meringue-frosting/

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf

½ cup flour
½ cup butter

1 cup Parmesan cheese
1.5 cups half and half, warmed 
1/2 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Put in food processor and blend until almost smooth: celery, carrots, and onions. 
In a large dutch oven saute the pureed vegetables 5 mintues. 
Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, and bay leaf  and broth.
Cook on low for 2-3 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir into hot soup.  
Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed.
Cook on LOW for 20 minutes or so. Too high of a temp,  and the milk will curdle-DON'T DO IT!