If you’re a busy mom like me, your slow cooker can be your best friend! In the past, I would use it often in the fall and winter but found it collected dust most of the spring and summer.
This spring has proven to be an exceptionally busy time for our family with the girls starting tennis/swim lessons, my travel business finally picking back up, spending time working on our yard, and spring cleaning our house, so I’ve found myself meal planning with slow cooker meals more and I’m LOVING it!
Here are some spring slow cooker meals you should try too!
3 Spring Slow Cooker Meals Our Family Loves
1. Ham & Cheese Melts
Ingredients:
- 12 slices ham or turkey
- 1 large round artisan loaf
- 6 provolone or Swiss cheese slices
- 1 large yellow onion, slices
- 12 oz jar sweet banana peppers, drained
- Italian seasoning
- olive oil (optional)
- favorite condiments (optional)
Directions:
- Add a few aluminum foil balls to the bottom of the slow cooker, along with about ½ cup of water.
- Slice artisan loaf about 12 times across the top, without slicing completely through the bread.
- Layer cheese, ham or turkey slices, banana peppers, and onion slices in between every other bread slice; sprinkle with desired amount of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Tightly wrap the bread in aluminum foil.
- Place in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 2-4 hours.
- Unwrap and drizzle with olive oil if desired, then add your favorite condiments to the inside of each slice.
- Slice through to serve.
2. Texas Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
- 4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (we LOVE G Hughes Sugar Free BBQ Sauce)
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 hamburger buns
Directions:
- Add vegetable oil to the bottom of the slow cooker and place pork roast inside.
- Mix together BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken broth, brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire, chili powder, onion, and garlic; pour over roast.
- Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours, until the roast shreds easily.
- Serve over toasted hamburger buns.
3. King Ranch Chicken
Ingredients:
- 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (or you can precook and shred 4-5 chicken breasts in a slow cooker the day prior to use)
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 green bell peppers, chopped
- 5oz can cream of chicken soup
- 5oz cream of mushroom soup
- 10oz can rotel tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 12 fajita-size corn or flour tortillas
- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
- Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Mix together the first seven ingredients in a bowl.
- Cut tortillas into 1” strips.
- Place 1/3 tortilla pieces into the slow cooker.
- Add 1/3 chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese.
- Repeat layers twice.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 ½ hours.
- Uncover and continue to cook on low for another 30 minutes.
Click HERE for a PDF document where you can print out these recipes. I hope this encourages you to take your slow cooker out and use it more this spring!
Happy Spring cooking!