Yes, you can use your slow cooker year-round! Too many of us pack up our slow cookers and easy meals with the warmer weather and that shouldn’t be the case. Slow cookers were made to make your life easier all the time– not just when it’s cold out.
3 Slow Cooker Recipes Perfect for Spring:
Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Ingredients:
5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (12 ounce) bottle of buffalo sauce
1 (1 ounce) packet dry ranch seasoning
6 Hamburger buns or rolls of your choice
1 cup of Blue Cheese (optional)
A jar of dill pickles
Directions:
Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Cover with the bottle of hot sauce and ranch packet. Cook for 6-7 hours on low or 3 1/2-4 hours on high. Shred chicken in slow cooker with two forks. Allow to cook for 30 minutes on low. Assemble sandwiches by placing chicken on the bun, topped with blue cheese crumbles and pickles.
Barbacoa Tacos
Ingredients:
3 lbs chuck roast (fat trimmed), cut into 2-inch chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
2 small white onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups) divided
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon dried Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup beef broth or water
10 corn tortillas
1 cup of cilantro, chopped
Directions:
Place chuck roast into slow cooker. Coat with garlic, green chiles, 1 cup of small white onion, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, ground cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, cloves and broth/water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Shred the beef with fork. Toss shredded beef in juices and leave to cook for 10 more minutes on low.
Make tacos by placing meat directly onto corn tortillas. Top with remaining chopped onion and cilantro.
Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole roasting chicken (3 1/2 – 4 1/2 lbs.)
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes
4 whole peeled carrots, chopped
1 whole lemon (reserve zest)
4 tablespoons room temperature butter
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Place onion, potatoes and carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Clean and dry chicken, set aside. Zest lemon and set aside. Quarter lemon and place inside the cavity of the chicken. Place chicken on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker. Combine butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme and lemon zest in a small bowl. Rub butter mixture on the outside of the chicken. Salt and pepper chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Before taking the chicken out of the slow cooker, use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the chicken as reached 160°F.
Image Source: BigStock
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