This is one of the most awesome chili recipes I have ever made ! The depth of flavor was amazing. This is a truly authentic, rich, aromatic and spicy chili that is just plain PERFECT. Don’t forget the squirt of lime just before serving – it actually makes a big difference in the total package.

Black Bean Chili (Crock Pot)

10 servings
280 calories per serving

1 lb. dried black beans, rinsed
1 T oil
1 T mustard seeds
2 T chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin seeds
1/2 t cardamom seeds (or ground cardamom)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
8 oz. jarred salsa verde (medium heat)
1/4 c water
4 c vegetable broth
6 oz. can tomato paste
½ t salt
2 T minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 1/4 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
1/2 c low fat sour cream
1/2 c chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into wedges

Place beans in a bowl with 2 quarts of water and soak overnight. Mix oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin and cardamom and place in a hot Dutch oven for 30 seconds to release more flavor then add in onions, mushrooms, tomatillos and water. Cover and cook 7 minutes then uncover and cook 15 minutes to lightly brown the veggies. Then add broth, tomato paste, salt and chipotles and mix. Place beans in a slow cooker and pour over the vegetable mix. Cover and cook on high 6-8 hours. Place into bowls and garnish with sour cream and cilantro and squirt with lime.

Crock pot recipes are super for busy days – just get it all together in the morning and leave it to cook for hours. This one is especially easy to prep and tastes just delicious !

Beef and Mushrooms (Crock Pot)

4 servings
215 calories per serving

1 lb. lean beef cut into stew sized pieces
1 can low fat cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c water
1 pack of dry onion soup mix
8 oz. fresh mushrooms

Brown meat in a skillet over medium high heat. Place meat in crock pot. Top with mushrooms. Make a sauce with the soup, water and onion soup. Pour over the meat and cook on low 5-6 hours.

The layer of pesto mixed with spinach and mushrooms adds an incredible layer of flavor and also bulks up the recipe with more nutrition. This is a FANTASTIC lasagna recipe – lots of cheese, lots of flavor and the perfect comfort food.

Pesto Lasagna (Crock Pot)

8 servings
395 calories per serving

4 c spinach, chopped coarsely
3 T water
2 c sliced mushrooms
1/2 c prepared low fat pesto
3/4 c shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
3/4 c shredded provolone cheese
15 oz. fat free ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 c grated parmesan cheese
25 oz. bottle marinara sauce
8 oz. tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
½ t garlic powder
Pam
9 oz. (12 noodles) no bake lasagna noodles
1/4 c packed basil leaves, chopped

Place spinach in a glass bowl with 3 T water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave 3 minutes to wilt. Squeeze it dry in a colander then mix with mushrooms and pesto. Mix mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, ¼ c of parmesan and egg. Mix marinara sauce and tomato sauce with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spray an oval crock pot with Pam. Place 1 c sauce in the bottom then place 3 noodles on top covering the bottom of the pan. Add 1 c of cheese and 1 c of spinach. Then start the layers again – - add sauce, noodles, then cheese and spinach. Finally end with a layer of noodles and spread the rest of the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with ½ c of parmesan and basil. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours.

This tenderloin comes out juicy and tender after cooking all day. There is nothing quite as convenient as a crock pot ! The onion soup mix holds all the flavor you need to make this a family favorite.

Crock Pot Pork Loin

6 servings
291 calories per serving

2 lb. pork tenderloin
1 oz. envelope dry onion soup mix
1 c water
3/4 c red or white cooking wine
3 T garlic, minced
3 T soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Place meat in crock and sprinkle with the soup mix. Add water, wine and soy and turn the meat to coat it. Spread garlic on top of roast and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on high 4 hours or low 7-8 hours. If you like the top to be brown, broil for a few minutes before slicing.

I love being able to throw together a meal in the morning and not think about it again until it’s time to put it on the table. Chicken Marrakesh is a great dish with the subtle flavors of cuisine from Morocco.

Chicken Marrakesh (Crock Pot)

8 servings
290 calories per serving

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
15 oz. can chick peas, drained and rinsed
2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground turmeric
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 t black pepper
2 t parsley flakes
Salt to taste
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

Place the onion, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, chick peas, and chicken into a slow cooker. Stir herbs into tomatoes then pour tomatoes over and stir well. Cover and cook on high 5 hours or low 8-9 hours.

Decadent tasting due to the creamy mushroom sauce, but low cal, low fat and a perfect weeknight dinner. This one gets filed with my ‘all time favs’ !

Porcupine Meatballs (Crock Pot)

5 servings
142 calories per serving

¾ lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 c skim milk
½ c raw long grain rice
1 onion, chopped
1 c breadcrumbs
¼ t pepper
½ pack of dry onion soup mix
1 can low fat cream of mushroom soup
½ c skim milk

Mix meat, 1 c milk, rice, onion, crumbs, soup mix, and pepper. Shape into meatballs and place in crock. Mix soup and ½ c milk and pour over the meatballs. Cover and cook on low 5 hours.

What a great goulash ! The caraway flavor is mild, yet it really steals the show and makes this a great tasting goulash.

Crock Pot Goulash

8 servings
181 calories per serving

2 lb. beef stew meat, trimmed and cubed
2 t caraway seeds
2 T paprika
1/4 t salt
Pepper, to taste
1 large onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
14 oz. can diced tomatoes (undrained)
14 oz. can beef broth
1 t Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 T cornstarch mixed with 3 T water
2 T chopped parsley
Pam

Place beef in the crock pot. Crush caraway seeds in an herb grinder or with the back of a heavy pot. Mix crushed seeds with paprika, salt and pepper and sprinkle on the meat pressing the spices into the meat so they stick. Add onion and pepper to a skillet sprayed with Pam and cook 5 minutes. Mix tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire and garlic and add to pan and bring to a simmer. Pour into the crock and then place the bay leaves on top of the meat. Cover and cook 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. Discard the bay leaves and then add the cornstarch mix and cook on high 15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve with optional whole wheat egg noodles.

I just found a new favorite chicken soup ! For years I have made ‘my chicken soup’ more often than any other recipe. But this one just takes the cake and this is my new ‘go to’ recipe. It combines home cooked goodness with just a little something extra…the evaporated milk makes the broth become such a mellow base and the roasted chicken has such a great texture – very different from your traditional soup where you cook the chicken in the broth. Give it a try !!

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup (Crock Pot)

6 servings
373 calories per serving

1 c onions, chopped
1 c carrots, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t oil
¼ t flour
½ t oregano flakes
¼ t onion powder
¼ t garlic powder
6 c fat free chicken broth
2 c water
4 c diced potatoes (I used canned)
1 t salt
2 c skinless roasted chicken, diced (Perdue Shortcuts work great here!)
2 c wide egg noodles
1 c fat free evaporated milk

Heat a skillet and add oil and brown onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Stir in flour, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder and then pour into crock and mix in broth, water, potatoes and salt. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours. Add chicken, noodles and milk and cook until noodles are tender, about ½ hour. If you don’t have a crock pot, you can easily do this stove top. Just let it simmer for an hour or 2 at very low temperature for the first step, then add the chicken, noodles and milk and let cook another 15 minutes or so.

This is so tasty – it’s something I have made many times and everyone who eats it is always delighted with the great heartiness and warmth. Beings this is a crock pot recipe, you can start this one before work, come home, drop in the noodles and in 20 minutes you’ll have a healthy soup ready to go. Serve with some low fat biscuits or some Cheesy Spirals.

Hamburger Soup (Crock Pot)

6 servings
260 calories per serving

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped coarsely
1 stalk celery in slices
1 package Lipton dry Beef Mushroom soup mix
14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
6 c water
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
1 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
2 c frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained
1 c uncooked fine egg noodles

Brown ground beef and drain thoroughly. Combine all ingredients except the noodles and frozen veggies in the crock pot, cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. 20 minutes before serving add thawed veggies and noodles and mix well. Increase heat to high, recover and cook another 20 minutes.

Nothing is better in winter than a pot of beef stew. And when you make it in the crock pot, the meat is so super tender. This one is a little more work than your typical crock pot recipe since different things have to happen at different times. But it is well worth it – the meat is super tender and the flavor is just great.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

8 servings
240 calories per serving

1 ½ lb. boneless chuck roast (trim off any fat)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
½ t pepper
6 c water
2 c red potatoes, cubed
8 carrots, cut into chunks
1 c frozen peas, thawed
1 c frozen corn, thawed
5 T cornstarch
6 T water

Put beef in crock and sprinkle with soup mix and pepper. Pour water around meat and cover. Cook on high 5 hours. Remove meat and cut into cubes. Return to crock with veggies and cook on low 2 hours or until veggies are soft. Combine cornstarch and cold water and then stir into crock. Cover and cook on low one more hour. If the gravy does not thicken up enough, you can take a bunch of the liquid and add another cornstarch mix, bring to a boil and then simmer 2 minutes. That will get it nice and thick. Then just add back to the stew pot and serve immediately.