Turkey & Black Bean Chili | Slow Cooker Recipe

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Turkey & Black Bean Chili is so easy to throw together in the morning and a perfect meal for those hectic, crazy weeknights. Serve with corn bread, fresh fruit and salad.

This recipe is very easy to alter. Spice it up with a can of fire-roasted tomatoes or tomatoes with zesty green chilies--the varieties now seem endless. I'm the only person in my family who likes heat, so I have to use regular diced tomatoes or the dish will go uneaten.

You can also substitute the cooked ground turkey for other forms of cooked meat, like sausage and chicken. However, if you choose to use uncooked ground meat, your cooking time will be 7-8 hours on low. Personally, I do not like to cook ground meat in a slow cooker. It doesn’t have as much flavor as ground meat that has been browned on the stove top. That’s why I’m in favor of batch browning ground meat or sausage and freezing portions for dishes just like this one.

Turkey & Black Bean Chili in the Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen cooked ground turkey
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 (15.5 oz) cans black beans, rinsed
• 1 bell pepper, chopped or 1 cup frozen chopped peppers
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon chili
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• your favorite shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. At 5 ½ hours, stir well and cook for another half hour.

Top with shredded cheese when serving.

This makes a big batch of chili. Some ideas for the leftovers:

• Use it as a topping for nachos.
• Make a wrap and add your favorite toppings, like salsa, avocado, sour cream.
• Make Stuffed Peppers.
• Freeze for later use.

Print recipe for Turkey & Black Bean Chili in the Slow Cooker.

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Chicken, Black Bean & Corn Tacos | Slow Cooker Recipe

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I LOVE LOVE LOVE tacos! In fact, it was this recipe for Chicken, Black Bean & Corn tacos that inspired me to make homemade taco seasoning. This slow cooker recipe has become a dinner mainstay during the busy and hectic work/school week.

Chicken, Black Bean and Corn Tacos

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken
• 1 (16 oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
• ¾ cup frozen corn
• ⅔ cup homemade chicken stock (you can also use store bought) or water
• 3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning or 1 store bought package
• juice from one lime
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch to thicken (optional)
• hard or soft tacos
• your favorite taco toppings, such as cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, avocados, and sour cream

Directions

1. Place the onions, chicken, beans, and corn in the slow cooker. Mix together the taco seasoning and cornstarch and sprinkle over the chicken. Pour in the stock and lime juice. Cook on low for 6 hours.

2. After 6 hours, remove the chicken and shred with 2 forks. Place the shredded chicken back in the slow cooker and stir everything together.

3. Serve on hard or soft taco shells and top with your favorite taco toppings.

Print recipe for Chicken, Black Bean & Corn Tacos in the Slow Cooker.

What is your favorite: hard & crunchy taco shells or soft tortillas? Let us know in the comments. I love hard shell tacos!

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This post is linked to The SITSgirls ShareFest.

Pulled Pork BBQ in the Slow Cooker

I've found that most store-bought BBQ sauces include high fructose corn syrup. Since I try to limit our consumption of HFCS, I prefer to make my own BBQ sauce.  I found this recipe years ago on the back of a molasses jar, although, I've altered it slightly. This sauce tasty, super easy, and the ingredients are most likely in your kitchen. And since I only buy ketchup that doesn't include HFCS, this sauce in HFCS-free.

Pulled Pork BBQ in the Slow Cooker

Adapted from Grandma's Molasses

Ingredients

• 2 -3 lbs pork shoulder, fat removed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

1. Place the pork shoulder in the crock pot.
2. Combine the molasses, honey, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, and garlic. Mix in the onions.
3. Pour mixture over the pork.
4. Cook on low for 7 - 8 hours.
5. Remove pork from slow cooker and shred with 2 forks, add back to the crock pot, and mix with the sauce.
6. Serve on your favorite roll and Enjoy!

Kitchen Shortcut - Mix together the sauce and onions together the night before for easy morning prep.

You might also enjoy Pulled Chicken BBQ.

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Slow Cooker Sausage & Lentil Stew

Our schedule and routine has changed quite a bit since school started and I'm relying on my slow cooker to help ease the dinner time madness. I found this recipe that I adapted a bit in my search to use up some lentils in my pantry. My whole family enjoyed the stew. Even my husband who claims that he hates 'stew'.

Serve with a side salad, steamed veggie or homemade applesauce and homemade artisan bread.

Slow Cooker Sausage & Lentil Stew

Adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• ¾ cup shredded carrots, or 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb Italian turkey sausage
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with zesty mild green chilies
• 1 cup lentils
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

Place the Italian sausage in the crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6 hours. Remove the sausage and slice. Add back to the slow cooker and cook for another hour on low or until sausages are cooked through and lentils should be tender.

Shortcut ideas:

• The night before, chop the celery, onion, carrot and mince the garlic. Keep in one container in the refrigerator overnight. No chopping in the morning before work.
• Remember to thaw chicken stock in the refrigerator overnight if using homemade frozen chicken stock.
• Also remember to thaw the sausage if frozen.
• You can also use leftover grilled sausages in place of the uncooked sausage.

Print recipe for Crock Pot Sausage & Lentil Stew

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Broccoli Cheese Soup ~ Slow Cooker Recipe

I am a bit ashamed to admit, but this is NOT a real food recipe. Rarely do I post recipes like this, but this is a family favorite that I serve when I am hosting a big crowd, as in 20+ people. That probably only happens once or twice a year and if the gathering is during the fall or winter, this soup is most likely on the menu.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

(from my mother)

Ingredients

• 16 oz Cheese Whiz
• 4 cans Cream of Celery Soup
• 1 quart half and half
• 4 (10 oz) packs frozen chopped broccoli

Directions

Combine all four ingredients in a crock pot (at least 6 quart) and cook on low for 5 hours. Stir well and cook on low for an additional hour. This recipe can be cut in half for a smaller crowd.

Some day I'm going to experiment and create a recipe using real food and not cheese whiz and canned cream soup. But right now this recipe is so simple and perfect for big crowds and I have never had a single complaint. There are rarely leftovers.

Print recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup.

This recipe is linked to Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as MOM.

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Batch Cooking & Freezing: Chicken Breasts for Future Meals

Meal time is starting to get more hectic around here.

As my kids get older, they are participating in more activities and for some reason they happen around our normal dinner time. I am looking for meal prep short cuts that do not sacrifice the quality of our meals, but still save myself time and maybe even some money.

I stock up on chicken breasts when the large 3 lb packages are on sale. $1.99 is my buy and stock up price. The best price I have gotten to date is $1.59/lb, but I doubt I'll see that price again, it was during a store's Grand Re-Opening.

To save myself some time I have been batch cooking the chicken breasts and freezing in 2 cups portions. Chicken in the main component in many of my dishes and eliminating the cooking part of chicken during meal prep should save me some time.

I place all of the chicken breasts from a 3 lb package in a 6-Quart crock-pot. I pour about 32 oz of homemade chicken stock on top and cooked on low for about 6-7 hours, or until it is done. (You could also use store bought chicken broth.) It is important not to over-cook, because the chicken dries out. The stock should be discarded; it will be full of foamy, fatty stuff.

When chicken is cooked all the way through, remove the chicken from the crock-pot and allow to cool slightly to the point where you can handle the chicken. You can then dice or shred into small bite-size pieces. I prefer to shred and honestly, I think it is easier to do with my clean hands than two forks. It is also much easier to shred when the chicken is still slightly warm.



Place in freezer containers and store in the freezer until future use. I like to freeze in 2 cup portions.

Another way to batch cook chicken is to Roast a Whole Chicken.

Easy meal ideas for your cooked chicken:

• Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Muffins
• Chicken Cornbread Potpie
• Pulled Chicken BBQ Sandwiches
• Chicken, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Quesadillas
• Chicken Corn Soup
• Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Do you pre-cook chicken for the freezer and future meals? If you have a recipe that includes already cooked chicken, feel free to include the link in the comments.

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Slow Cooker Asian Orange Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks

I don't use my slow cooker as much as I should. It is definitely an under-used appliance in my kitchen. I had some chicken thighs and drumsticks in the freezer that needed to be used up, so I dusted off my slow cooker and we had one delicious dinner.

Slow Cooker Asian Orange Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks

• ½ cup homemade chicken stock, or store bought
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ⅓ cup cider vinegar
• ⅔ cup honey
• zest & juice from one orange, or about ¼ cup orange juice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 4 pounds chicken thighs and/or drumsticks

Mix together all of the ingredients, except the chicken, in a bowl. Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour orange mixture over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until done.

I served with Jasmine rice and steamed broccoli. Enjoy!

Print recipe for Slow Cooker Asian Orange Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks.

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This post is linked to $5 Dinner Challenge and Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as MOM.