Crockpots or slow cookers are great for travel nurses and travel healthcare workers. You typically have to throw the ingredients into it and set it to cook for hours while you are at work. As such, we have put together some easy crock pot recipes for our travel nurses.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tetrazzini
- Prep Time- 15 mins
- Cook Time- 8 hrs 10 mins
- Total Time- 8 hrs 25 mins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. fresh chicken breast fillets
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, ⅓ less fat or regular
- 1/2 pound dried spaghetti noodles 1/2 a box, cook according to package directions
- 8 oz. pkg. mozzarella cheese, grated (reduced-fat or regular)
Instructions
Add the chicken, sea salt, garlic powder, pepper, tarragon, onions, and mushrooms. Pour over the chicken broth. DO NOT ADD THE CREAM CHEESE OR SPAGHETTI YET. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
Cut the cream cheese into squares and add the slow cooker, cover. In the meantime, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions.
After the cream, the cheese has had some time to melt. Take 2 forks and shred the chicken. Stir the sauce and chicken together. Add the cooked and drained pasta. Stir. Add the mozzarella cheese over the pasta and sauce. Cover for about 10 more minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculation if you require a special diet. Values below are for 1/8 of the recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 599mg | Potassium: 595mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 635IU | Vitamin C: 5.5mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 1.4mg
Crockpot Pepper Steak Recipe {low carb, gluten free}
Ingredients
- 1lb thin sliced sirloin steak
- 1 thinly sliced green pepper
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 thinly sliced onion (white or red)
- 3Tbsp soy sauce
- 1Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Add the first four ingredients to the Slow Cooker
- In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients
- Pour over top of meat and vegetable mixture
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours
- Serve over rice
Nutrition Information:
- YIELD: 4
- SERVING SIZE: 1
Amount Per Serving:
- CALORIES: 345
- TOTAL FAT: 20g
- SATURATED FAT: 7g
- TRANS FAT: 0g
- UNSATURATED FAT: 10g
- CHOLESTEROL: 104mg
- SODIUM: 726mg
- CARBOHYDRATES: 8g
- FIBER: 2g
- SUGAR: 3g
- PROTEIN: 33g
Easy Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
Prep Time- 10 mins Cook Time- 6 hrs Total Time- 6 hrs 10 mins
Ingredients
- 1 15- oz. can black beans
- 1 15.25- oz. can corn undrained
- 1 10- oz. can Rotel tomatoes undrained
- 1 package ranch dressing mix
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 8- oz package light cream cheese
- 2 chicken breasts
Instructions
Drain and rinse the black beans. Place chicken at the bottom of the crock pot, then pour out the whole can of corn (undrained), Rotel tomatoes, and black beans on top of chicken.
Top with seasonings and ranch dressing mix. Stir together.
Place cream cheese block on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
After the cooking time is over, take chicken breasts from crock pot and shred and add back to the chili. Stir together and enjoy!
Notes
(recipe adapted from plain chicken)
Nutrition
Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 700mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g
Slow Cooker Baked Ziti
- PREP TIME- 15 minutes
- COOK TIME 4 hours
- TOTAL TIME- 4 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 jar pasta sauce
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 4 cups ziti or penne noodles, uncooked
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- fresh parsley for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and chopped onion until cooked. Add in the minced garlic, salt, basil, and oregano, and stir. Cook for 1 minute
- Add the beef mixture, diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, and water into the slow cooker. Stir until combined. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
- Turn your slow cooker on high and add ziti or penne noodles, and stir. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until noodles are of desired consistency.
- Sprinkle shredded Mozza on top {and parsley if desired}, cover, and cook until cheese is melted. This will take about 15 minutes.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
YIELD: 8 SERVING SIZE: 8 people
Amount Per Serving:
- CALORIES: 429
- SATURATED FAT: 6g
- CHOLESTEROL: 49mg
- SODIUM: 845mg
- CARBOHYDRATES: 53g
- FIBER: 4g
- SUGAR: 8g
- PROTEIN: 22g
Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes
- PREP TIME- 5 minutes
- COOK TIME- 3 hours
- TOTAL TIME- 3 hours 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 Lbs Red Potatoes – quartered
- 6 (3/4 inch) Boneless Pork Chops (or bone-in if available)
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Dry Ranch Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons butter – cubed
Instructions
- Sear pork chops in an oiled skillet over medium/high heat. (optional)
- Mix oil, ranch, and apple cider vinegar.
- Place potatoes and pork chops into a slow cooker. Pour ranch mixture over the top and toss to coat potatoes and chops evenly.
- Top with butter cubes.
- Cooking on high heat for approximately 3 hours. On low, 5-6 hours. Salt/Pepper to taste.
Notes
Some readers have expressed that this dish was not flavorful enough. If you prefer extra flavor, follow the tips below:
- Sear pork chops
- Increase dry ranch mix amount to 4 Tablespoons
- Add 1 chopped sweet onion and 8 whole garlic cloves to potatoes
Easy Slow Cooker Taco Pasta
Prep Time- 10 mins Cook Time- 6 hrs Total Time- 6 hrs 10 mins
Ingredients
- 1-pound lean ground beef
- salt and pepper
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup jarred salsa I used mild
- 15 ounce can corn drained
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning I use this easy recipe
- 2 ½ cups water or low sodium chicken broth I used one 14.5 ounce can chicken broth plus enough water to total 2 ½ cups
- 12 ounces shell pasta shapes whole grain or white
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and season with salt and pepper—Cook the meat, often stirring, until browned. Transfer beef to slow cooker.
- Add the bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, salsa, corn, taco seasoning, and broth or water. Stir.
- Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
- Stir in the pasta. Cook on high for 10-20 minutes. Pasta cook time will vary by the slow cooker. Begin checking for doneness at 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese and serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8 of recipe | Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 742mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g
Crockpot Tortellini & Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage (browned & drained)
- 2 (15oz) cans Italian diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (32oz container)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (cubed)
- 1 (20oz) bag of frozen cheese tortellini
- 3-4 cups fresh spinach
Instructions
- Add the browned, chopped, and drained sausage, broth, both cans of diced tomatoes, and cubed cream cheese to your slow cooker.
- Please give it a good stir and cook on LOW for about 4 hours or until the cream cheese has completely dissolved.
- Stir in the spinach and frozen tortellini and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the pasta is done to your liking.
- Serve immediately and store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
The tortellini will continue to cook if left in the crockpot to warm, so it’s best served right away with any remaining stored in the fridge for later.
You can also use the refrigerated tortellini, just keep in mind that it may cook a little bit faster.
Feel free to add anything else to the soup that you’d like. You can add a little minced garlic to the sausage while it’s browning if you have it on hand. You can also add cayenne or red pepper if you like it spicy.
We hope you found these crockpot recipes helpful. Do you have any easy crockpot recipes you would like to share? Please comment on your favorite crockpot recipes below.
