That’s what the little food blogger that lives inside my head has been telling me all weekend. Is it crazy that I’ve been struggling with the idea of sharing something other than cookies this week? Crazy, right?!

Last night, I looked at Dustin while cleaning up the dishes and boldly declared, “We still have to eat dinner in December. We need dinner recipes!” Clearly Dustin didn’t know what I was talking about. He looked at me as he should, with absolutely no context surrounding my sudden outburst. Poor, Dustin. After a few seconds of awkward silence, I finally explained to him the whole taco soup versus Christmas cookie dilemma. He just smiled and agreed, “Yes, I think you’re right.”

What a good husband!

Today, let’s break away from peppermint cookie bites, cowboy cookies in a jar, and holiday air fresheners. It’s time to talk about dinner. Because dinner doesn’t magically take its own holiday vacation during this festive month.

Our family is currently in preparation mode. In just two weeks, just as the kids break for the winter holiday, we’re leaving behind our home for a three week vacation. We’ve never done anything like this before, so leaving everything behind: my kitchen, actively working on content for the blog, the hamster, and the dogs, is kind of a big deal. Don’t worry, the dogs and the hamster will be cared for thanks to Dustin’s family.

Our plan is to spend a week in Orlando, then venture over to an Airbnb on the East Coast of Florida, and finally meet my entire family (parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins) for a week-long cruise in the Eastern Caribbean. That’s quite the daring plan.

As we get ready to leave, I’ve been working on finishing up end-of-the-year freelance recipe development and photography projects for clients, and finalizing a few weeks worth of recipes for Live Simply. Today’s recipe, Slow Cooker Chicken and Quinoa Taco Soup, was initially inspired by one of the slow cooker soup recipes that I’ve been working on for a client. This soup was so easy to make, and so incredibly flavorful, that I just had to recreate a version for Live Simply. And bonus, the soup was a huge hit with everyone in the family: myself, Dustin, and the kids.

Easy.

Flavorful.

Family-friendly.

That’s a huge win for this mom.

I’ve been adding this soup to our weekly dinner rotation, during these busy weeks of vacation preparation, since the last thing I really want to do after recipe testing and photographing food all day is dirty more pans.

This soup does require a bit of prep work: browning chicken and chopping veggies. But that’s it! Once the initial prep work is done, the ingredients are added to a slow cooker and my job is complete. There’s great satisfaction in knowing that a family favorite dinner will be ready in four hours, and that I don’t have to do anything else to make that happen (well, besides shred chicken and chop cilantro).

I think we could all use a warm and cozy fix-it-and-forget meal in our lives right now, and this soup is exactly that kind of meal.

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Slow Cooker Chicken and Quinoa Taco Soup

A simple and flavorful slow cooker taco soup made with shredded chicken, black beans, corn, quinoa, tomatoes, and fresh lime juice. 

Course Soup

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Taco Soup

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 291kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 1 TB oil extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil
• 1 lb chicken thighs boneless and skinless* (3-4 thighs)
• 1 medium bell pepper chopped** (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 large yellow onion chopped (about 1 cup)
• 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 6 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 1 15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
• 1 14 ounce diced tomatoes no salt added; regular or fire roasted
• 1 4 ounce can diced green chilis
• 1 1/3 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1/3 cup quinoa rinsed***
• 1 1/2 TB chili powder
• 1 TB cumin
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt****
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime juiced

Additional Toppings (optional):

• tortilla chips
• shredded cheddar cheese
• sliced green onions
• sliced or chopped avocado

Instructions

• Pat the chicken dry. Sprinkle a generous pinch of salt and pepper (additional from the amounts listed in the recipe above) over each chicken thigh. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, warm the oil of choice. I use extra virgin olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken. Brown the chicken on each side for 5 minutes. If the chicken is difficult to flip, let it cook for another minute. The chicken should easily pull away from the skillet when it's perfectly brown on that side. Place the chicken in the slow cooker. 
• With the stove-top heat still on, add the chopped bell peppers, onions, and chopped garlic to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Add this mixture to the slow cooker. 
• Add all the remaining ingredients, except the fresh cilantro and lime juice, to the slow cooker. Stir the ingredients. 
• Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook the soup on high for 4 hours.
• After 4 hours, the chicken should be cooked through. Remove the whole chicken thighs from the slow cooker, and shred the chicken with two forks. 
• Place the shredded chicken back in the slow cooker, and stir in the fresh cilantro and lime juice. Serve warm with any optional toppings. 

Notes

*I prefer to use boneless and skinless chicken thighs in this recipe. If you'd like to use bone-in chicken thighs, you'll just need to remove the bones from the chicken before shredding the meat (after about 4 hours of cooking). I don't recommend leaving the skin on the chicken thighs, since the extra fat gives the soup a greasy feel/taste. I also recommend trimming any extra fat on the thighs before browning the meat. 

**I've been using a red bell pepper in this soup, but any color bell pepper will work. 

***I like to rinse the uncooked quinoa under water before adding it to the slow cooker. To do this, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under water (about 1-2 minutes). I believe this step helps to take away the bitterness. 

****The amount of salt you need in the final soup will depend on the saltines of your broth. I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon and then salting the soup to taste after the 4 hours. If your tomatoes contain salt, you may want to reduce this amount to 1/2 teaspoon, just to be safe, and increase the salt at the end. It's always better to under-salt then to over-salt a slow cooker meal, at least in the beginning. 

At first, I added 1 cup of quinoa to this soup. This was too much. If you'd like more quinoa, try increasing the amount to 1/2 cup or 2/3 cup. The cooking time will remain the same. 

This soup is freezer-friendly. 

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1686mg | Potassium: 405mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1895IU | Vitamin C: 31.4mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2.5mg

Vegetarian Note: I think you could make this soup vegetarian-friendly by skipping the chicken and increasing the beans and maybe upping the quinoa to 1/2 cup. I haven’t tried this, but my thought is to add a can of pinto or kidney beans to the soup versus the chicken. If you try this, I would love to hear about the final result.

The post Slow Cooker Chicken and Quinoa Taco Soup appeared first on Live Simply.

There are simple meals, and then there are simple meals. The kind of meal that requires zero prep work, zero hands-on cooking time, and barely any dishes or cleanup effort.  That, my friend, is exactly the kind of meal I’d like to share with you today. A meal that’s so simple and tasty, you’ll revisit the recipe over and over again. That’s my hope for you and this Crock-Pot Pulled Chicken Taco Meat.

This recipe literally only requires one pot, a crock-pot, which means this meal technically doesn’t even require any hands-on cooking time. I’m calling that a major weeknight win!

Usually when it comes to crock-pot meals, I like to saute the veggies or meat first, and then add the ingredients to the crock-pot. This extra step locks in the flavor base of a crock-pot meal. When it comes to pulled taco meat, that extra step is completely skipped without compromising the flavor of the chicken and spices.

Let’s take this simplicity even further, shall we?

This recipe is made with inexpensive ingredients, like chicken thighs, fresh lime juice, and a few basic dried spices. The inexpensive and basic nature of the ingredients also ups the simplicity factor.

Remember the humble chicken thigh, AKA: The Fixer Upper Chicken? The humble chicken thigh is not exactly the most beautiful or praised cut of meat. In fact, it’s a bit of a neglected cut, like the houses on Fixer Upper, thanks to the modern-day desire for boneless and skinless everything (AKA: flavorless meat). This recipe takes the humble thigh from a “fixer upper” piece of meat to flavorful and moist pulled chicken that can be used on a taco salad, served over warm tortillas, or enjoyed straight from the crock-pot (no judging here, we all have nights like that!).

Shall we take the simplicity just one step further?

Finally, Crock-Pot Pulled Chicken Taco Meat can be a make-ahead kind of meal. I know, I said no prepping is required for this recipe, which is 100% accurate. But if you want to get a jump-start on dinner or a quick lunch, this recipe can be made on the weekend, and then the pulled (cooked) meat can be stored in the fridge for a few days or frozen for a later date. This means when your dinner plans just aren’t going to work out, a ready-to-go backup is sitting in the freezer (or the fridge). Not like any of us ever have dinner plan failures ;). Cough, cough.

Moving on…

As I mentioned above, the pulled chicken is super versatile. It can be tossed with salad greens, salsa, shredded cheese, tomatoes, and an avocado for a quick and easy taco salad. Or, it can be spooned over warm tortillas (I really like Food For Life Corn Tortillas) and topped with the simple Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw from last week. Another option is to make real food nachos. Simply top “cleaner” store-bought tortilla chips (Late July is a great brand) with pulled chicken taco meat and shredded cheese, and then broil the nachos until the cheese is melted.

No matter how I end up using the pulled chicken taco meat, the end result is always a family winner.

Let’s review: simplicity + versatility = a real food win!

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Crock-Pot Pulled Chicken Taco Meat

This recipe is made with inexpensive ingredients, like chicken thighs, fresh lime juice, and a few basic dried spices. The inexpensive and basic nature of the ingredients also ups the simplicity factor.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Pulled Chicken Taco Meat

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 343kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in chicken thighs I've used up to 6 chicken thighs with this recipe. So you're welcome to use 6 thighs, if desired., remove the skin
• 1 TB chili powder
• 1 TB ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 limes juiced (about 1/4 cup juice)--I use this juicer.

Instructions

• Remove the skin from the chicken thighs. You can keep the skin on the chicken thighs; however, the end result will be very oily meat. It's important to keep the bones in the thighs to keep the meat from drying out. Wash and dry the chicken thighs.
• Place the chicken thighs in the base of a crock-pot. In a small bowl, whisk together the spices: chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and salt. Using your hands, rub the spices over the chicken, covering both sides of the chicken. If you're using 6 chicken thighs, you may not have enough spice to cover both sides--that's okay.
• Mince the garlic over the top of the chicken, and then pour the lime juice in the base of the crock-pot (or juice the limes directly into the crock-pot). I like to pour some of the juice over the chicken and some off to the side. Just enough to get the top of the chicken moist, but not enough to wash away the spices.
• Turn on the crock-pot: 4 hours on high (the chicken is usually done in 3 hours, but I find that 4 hours is easier to shred--so you're welcome to check on the chicken at the 3 hour mark) OR 6-7 hours on low. The cooking time may vary with each crock-pot, and the time required will also depend on the size of the thighs and how many you use. The times recommended are based on 4 chicken thighs and my crock-pot.
• Once the chicken easily pulls away from the bones, shred the chicken with two forks. Remove the bones. The bones may be discarded or washed and used for homemade broth. Serve the taco meat over a taco salad, tortilla chips, or warm tortillas. I like to top the chicken taco meat with Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw.

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 729mg | Potassium: 416mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin A: 990IU | Vitamin C: 10.5mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2.7mg

Make-Ahead Tip: This recipe can be prepped in advance and stored in the fridge for roughly 3-4 days, or stored in a freezer-safe bag or container in the freezer for 4 months. If you’re freezing the pulled meat, it’s best to allow the meat to fully cool before placing it a container or bag. Store the meat in the crock-pot “juice.”

The post Crock-Pot Pulled Chicken Taco Meat appeared first on Live Simply.

I was so close to sharing another pumpkin spice recipe with you. So close, my friend. But then, I came to my senses…

It’s the end of October and if you’ve spent much time on Pinterest or Facebook, even Instagram, then you’re probably waving the white flag of pumpkin spice surrender and praying the madness will soon end. Seriously folks, how many more things can we pumpkin spice? It’s maddening and delicious, but a bit more on the maddening side at this point.  

No offense, Pumpkin Spice.

I still big puffy heart love you.

Sip. 

Now, let’s move on to the underdog of the season: Chili. Personally, I feel bad for little ol’ Chili.

See, before Starbucks came along and created the Pumpkin Spice Cult and long before Pinterest existed, Chili ruled the fall and winter seasons. Sure we all loved a good pumpkin spice treat… hello, pumpkin pie (remember the original pumpkin spice treat?). And while Pumpkin Spice certainly held a dear place in our hearts, fall and winter were the seasons for Chili. Her warmth and heartiness welcomed this time of sweaters and boots (yep, even in Florida…we like to play along with the cold weather idea). 

Let’s give our good ol’ gal Chili another shot today. Okay? 

Fall and Winter are my favorite seasons for putting the crock-pot to use. Yes, I know that seems a bit backwards considering both these seasons are a time when many of us are baking and enjoying hot ovens, but let’s think about it…

crock-pot=soft and tender food

winter/fall time = hearty soups

winter/fall time + soups = soft and tender, plus effortless and hearty meals on the cheap 

I beg of you, let’s give Chili another chance. Sure, we can still pumpkin spice everything, but let’s not forget about our dear friend Chili, especially when the friendship is effortless and the results are extra hearty bowls of warmth.

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Easy Crock-Pot Chili

Easy crock-pot chili thats amazing!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Crock-Pot Chili

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Soak Beans 12 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12 cups

Calories 181kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry chili beans A smaller version of kidney beans. Kidney beans may also be used.
• 1 TB coconut oil or olive, or avocado oils work well
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups chopped sweet potatoes
• 1 1/4 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup chopped bell peppers any color
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 TB chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 28 oz diced tomatoes 1 can
• 2 1/2 cups broth veggie, chicken, or beef all work well
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste--This amount will vary based on the saltiness of your broth.*
• toppings cilantro, red onions, sour cream, optional

Instructions

• Eight to twelve hours before starting the chili in the crock-pot, place the beans in a medium-size bowl. Cover the beans with water. Soak the beans at room temperature for eight to twelve hours. After soaking, drain and rinse the beans. Add the soaked beans to the crock-pot base.
• In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat the oil (depending on your skillet and the amount of fat in the beef, you may not need oil). Add the ground beef and brown (about 5-7 minutes). Do not overcook the beef, just cook the beef until no longer red/pink. Once browned, add the beef to the crock-pot.
• To the crock-pot add the remaining ingredients except the salt. The salt can interfere with cooking the kidney or chili beans in this recipe.
• Cook for 6 hours on high (10 hours on low). Before serving, stir in the salt to taste.
• This chili is perfect to freeze for later.

Notes

Find my favorite kitchen essentials, here.

Nutrition

Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 693mg | Potassium: 471mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3175IU | Vitamin C: 24.4mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2.4mg

Prep Ahead Tip: Brown the ground beef up to 3-4 days before cooking the chili. This is a great prep day activity!

*Salt Note: In the crock-pot picture (above) you’ll notice salt. Since taking that photo (a couple of months ago–I’ve had fall time on my mind for a while now) I’ve learned that salt can slow down the cooking of kidney beans in particular. I’m not sure why exactly this happens, but it’s best to add the salt after cooking the chili. 

More Real Food You May Like:

Homemade Crusty Bakery Bread

Easy Crock-Pot Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls

Prep Day: How to Make Easy Crock-Pot Shredded Chicken

The post Easy Crock-Pot Chili appeared first on Live Simply.

But then, I realized that I say the words “this is one of favorite meals” in a lot of the recipe posts here on Live Simply. Almost every single one…maybe.

I’m pretty sure I uttered those words, or at least thought about them, when I told you about crock-pot chicken noodle soup, or the crock-pot black bean soup, and again when we chatted and drooled over One-Pot Chicken, Rice and Vegetables. Yes, I have a lot of favorites, because they are all sooooo good, and my family actually eats them and smiles the entire time…huge mommy/wife points there.

The more I thought about the number of times I’ve spoken the word “favorite” in conjunction with a recipe, the more I realized my favorite recipes all have three common qualities:

#1 Easy: I’m a huge fan of easy. Now please don’t confuse the word easy with the word lazy. There’s definitely a bad easy, but that’s not what I’m going for here. When it comes to easy recipes, think about the word simple. Simple synonyms, in my cooking vocabulary, include: crock-pot, one-pot, only a few dishes, less than an hour total in the kitchen, make-ahead, freezer-friendly.

#2 Packed with Flavor: When it comes to processed food, most of the time a dish that’s easy isn’t going to be flavorful. Real food is just the opposite! In fact, often times the simplest meals, made with fresh ingredients, are the most flavorful. Take Easy 10-Minute Sautéed Spinach as a prime example. And don’t forget about 4-Ingredient Perfectly Roasted Potatoes. When it comes to real food, easy meals are the spice of the dinner table.

#3 Family-Friendly: There are a lot of meal ideas in the world of Pinterest. A lot! Have you browsed Pinterest lately? It’s like visiting an all-you-can-eat buffet, but the trick is you actually have to make the food…boo! Someone needs to invent a Pinterest where you can click on a photo, place an order, and minutes later the food is delivered. But then again, that concept may not work since most of the food on Pinterest is made with processed ingredients. Two- Ingredient Chocolate Cake? Please… more like fifty ingredients once you read the cake mix box.

Anyway, back on the subject…

While there are a lot of recipes on the internet, a large number of them just aren’t meals I would make for my family. Granted, I love looking at the pretty photos and reading about exotic ingredients, but when it comes to everyday sit down meals, I need family-friendly recipes that are easy to prepare, pack a ton of natural flavor, and nourish our bodies.

Those are my qualifications when it comes to a favorite meal in the Marr household: easy, packed with flavor, and family-friendly. I’m sure each season of life (right now I’m the season of elementary school commutes, little hands and lots of dirt, home remodeling–I’m excited to share the dinning room progress soon, and balancing life as a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom) will bring new qualifications. Isn’t that the beauty of a well-lived life?

Today’s recipe is truly one of my favorite meals, because it meets all three qualifications. Let’s take a look…

#1 Easy: Easy Crock-Pot Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls are as the name in the title implies, easy! How easy you ask? The heart of our family’s burrito bowl is the pulled pork, and thankfully, the pork only requires five minutes of hands-on time. The hard work is done in the crock-pot. That’s how easy!

#2 Packed with Flavor: The flavorful pulled pork is the main star in these burrito bowls. Before cooking, a simple blend of spices are rubbed on the pork, along with garlic cloves, and finally chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and beer (or broth). The combination of these simple ingredients results in a spicy (not too hot–the kids eat the pork) and flavorful burrito bowl.  Of course, we don’t stop there. Fresh toppings are then added to create the ultimate burrito bowl flavor experience. Who needs Chipotle?

#3 Family-Friendly: Burrito bowls are another meal I like to serve bar or buffet style. The whole family is encouraged to get involved in the process of preparing the “bar”: Piper and Londyn chop lettuce with kid-friendly knives, Dustin helps shred cheese, and I pull the tender pork. Once the ingredients are prepped and served in bowls (a muffin tin is another fun way to serve the individual ingredients), everyone prepares their own bowl. It’s fun to see what everyone comes up and how tastes change each month.

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Easy Crock-Pot Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls

Easy Crock-Pot Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls are as the name in the title implies, easy!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6 people

Calories 1036kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

Crock-Pot Pulled Pork:

• 4-5 lb boneless pork butt or shoulder--These are the same cut of meat but can go by two different names. You may also use a bone-in pork butt, if desired.
• 1 large yellow onion cut into wedges
• 4 garlic cloves crushed and sliced
• 1 TB chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt If your chipotle peppers have salt listed as an ingredient decrease this amount to 1/2 tsp.
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup ale or lager beer--Beef or chicken broth may be substituted--the alcohol in the beer cooks out resulting in a complex flavor without the alcohol content.
• 1 lime juiced
• 1/4 cup canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Cilantro-Lime Rice:

• 4 cups chicken broth vegetable, or beef broth--Water may be substituted.
• 2 cups jasmine rice or basmati rice--Brown rice may be used but the cooking time will differ.
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Toppings:

• hass avocados chopped tomatoes/salsa, sour cream, chopped red/yellow/green onion, shredded lettuce or spinach, shredded cabbage, black or pinto beans, shredded cheese, lime wedges, etc.

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine the spices: chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub the meat on all sides with the spice rub.
• In the base of a crock-pot, place the onion wedges and garlic. Place the rubbed pork over the top of the onions and garlic, followed by the beer, lime juice, and then the chipotle peppers. Cook the pork on high for 6 hours.
• After six hours, the meat should easily pull apart when shredded with a fork. Using two forks, shred the meat. Serve the pulled pork over rice (recipe below). Top with your choice of toppings. Retain some of the juice from the crock-pot if you plan to store the meat in the fridge or freezer.
• For the rice: In a large pot, bring the broth, rice, lime juice, salt, and olive oil to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer the rice for 20 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Remove the rice from the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro. Serve under the pulled pork.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 1036kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 94g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 272mg | Sodium: 2503mg | Potassium: 2020mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1100IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 8.4mg

Prep Ahead Tip: Rub the spices on the pork, cut the onions, chop the garlic, and open the can of chipotle peppers. Toss everything in a bag (except the beer) and freeze for later use, or keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The night before, if the pork is frozen, defrost the bag in the fridge. The rice can also be prepped in advance–frozen and defrosted, or stored in the fridge for 5-7 days.

More Real Food You May Like:

How to Make Easy Crock-Pot Shredded Chicken

Easy 10 Minute Sautéed Greens

7-Ingredient Crock-Pot Black Bean Soup

The post Easy Crock-Pot Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls appeared first on Live Simply.

Last week my oldest child, Piper, started school. In one week we went from the “lazy days” of summer and recovering from a kitchen remodel, to early morning school drop-off and late afternoon pick-up. With the start of school and a kitchen remodel complete, prep day is once again a vital part of our weekly schedule.

My dedicated prep time is Sunday afternoon. I usually meal plan on Friday morning, shop on Saturday, and prep on Sunday afternoon. This schedule works for me–small time slots that add up to an organized and simplified real food approach.

As we’ve talked about in the previous prep day lessons, your planning and prep time may look different than mine. For some people a dedicated hour or two on the weekend is best. For others, thirty minute time blocks in the evening are a better fit. Whatever your prep time choice, the goal is consistently dedicating a time(s) to prepping food. Prepping healthy food is vital to developing a doable real food lifestyle.

During our prep time discussion each week we’ve been focusing on basic activities and foods you can prep in advance. So far we’ve talked about: washing and storing leafy greens, easy crock-pot shredded chicken, how to make and store homemade soup, how to store baked goods in advance, and how to make smoothies in advance. Today, we’re going to explore the art and science of cooking dry beans in the crock-pot.

I like to cook a large pot of dry beans, specifically to store in the freezer, once a month. Having cooked beans in the freezer is an easy way to save money, stretch meals, and prepare in advance for meals like soups and casseroles.

Before I share my crock-pot bean method, let’s focus on the main reasons why you should think about cooking dry beans during your prep time. After all, if you’re going to include a task on your prep day printable or mental plan, it must help maximize your time throughout the week (AKA: it better be important!). 

Why You Should Prep Crock-Pot Beans in Advance

1. Budget-Friendly Meal Ingredient:

Beans are a relatively inexpensive ingredient that pack a nutritional punch. While cooked beans may be purchased from the store, dry beans are usually less expensive and when properly cooked, they taste much better than the store-bought alternative. If you’re looking to decrease your food budget without compromising nutrition or quality, dry beans are the way to go!

Note: I still purchase cartons/cans of cooked beans to keep in the pantry. 

2. Quick and Easy Meals:

Beans will last 3-4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Since beans can be prepped in advance without scarifying taste or texture, they are the perfect protein-packed food to help make quick and easy meals: 30-Minute Chicken and Black Bean Nachos, black bean veggie burgers, tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, easy chili (recipe coming soon!), homemade hummus, smashed chickpea sandwich, “refried” beans (skip to step three when using cooked pinto beans), beans and rice, and soups and salads.

3. No Hands-On Time:

Beans can be made on the stovetop, but when it comes to putting meals on the table fast, I prefer to cook a large batch of beans in the crock-pot each month and keep them in the freezer. The crock-pot requires zero baby-sitting, unlike the stovetop, and produces soft and flavorful beans every single time.

4. Freezer-Friendly: 

Cooked beans only have a shelf-life of 3-4 days in the fridge. And trust me, you’ll know when your beans have been sitting around way too long–it’s a smell you’ll never forget. Thankfully, beans love the freezer! I’ll explain my method for freezing beans later in this post. First, let’s talk about how to cook beans in the crock-pot…

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How to Cook Dry Beans in the Crock-Pot

Having cooked beans in the freezer is an easy way to save money, stretch meals, and prepare in advance for meals like soups and casseroles.

Course Homemade, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Dry Beans in the Crock-Pot

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours

Soaking 12 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 People

Calories 12kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• beans Black, Pinto, Chickpeas/Garbanzo, Cannellini, etc. --I usually soak 3 cups of beans at a time. Kidney beans don't always cook all the way through using a crock-pot, so it's best to stick with a stove-top method to be safe.
• water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 large onion halved, optional
• 3-4 garlic cloves crushed, optional
• crock-pot

Instructions

• The night before (about 6-12 hours before cooking), add the beans to a large bowl. Cover the beans with water. The beans will double in volume, so make sure you have enough water and a large bowl.
• After the soaking time, drain the beans from the water and rinse with fresh water. Pick out any rocks that may be visible--yes, they can be found from time to time.
• Place the rinsed beans in a crock-pot, along with the onion (optional), garlic (optional), and salt. Cover the beans with fresh water. There should be 3 inches of water covering the beans.
• Cook the beans on low heat for 6-8 hours, until the beans are soft (not mushy!) and firm (not hard!). Once cooked, remove the onion and garlic from the beans. Allow the beans to cool. Once cool, place the beans in a storage container (with a bit of the excess liquid--about 1/4 cup to keep them moist). Beans can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. Beans are also freezer-friendly (see directions below).
• Use the beans for nachos, quesadillas, hummus, salads, burgers, taco meat (half ground beef, half beans), soups, etc.

Nutrition

Calories: 12kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 42mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 2.3mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.1mg

How to Freeze Cooked Beans For Later Use

Freezing cooked beans is a very simple process and will extend the life of your homemade beans for up to 3 months.

Transfer cooked, cooled beans into freezer-safe bags or Mason jars. I like to store beans in 2 cup portions since most soup recipes call for 15 oz. cans. Add 2 tablespoons or up to 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid to the beans before freezing. I’ve found this step helps the beans stay moist once defrosted. Label the containers with the name of the cooked bean (for example: black beans), the amount (for example: 2 cups), and the date. Place the beans in the freezer.

If you’re using bags, I like to freeze the bags flat. This takes up less space in my freezer and ensures the beans don’t clump together–clumping will occur if you freeze beans in a Mason jar. When it’s time to use, simply defrost the beans overnight in the fridge. Another option is to place the beans in a pot or a sink filled with hot/warm water for a quick defrost. For soups and casseroles, the beans may be used frozen, directly from the freezer. Of course, this last option is easier if the beans are stored in a bag versus a Mason jar.

This week, your homework is to create a meal plan, go shopping for the food you’ll need to implement the meal plan, set aside a specific day/time for prep time, and then print and fill out the Prep Day Action Plan printable. Focus on five foods you can prep this week based on your meal plan and schedule: washing and storing greens, cooking and shredding chicken, cooking and freezing rice, baking muffins, etc.

More Real Food You May Like:

Prep Day: 4 Simple Ways to Make Smoothies in Advance

Prep Day: How to Wash & Store Lettuce, Kale, Spinach and Other Leafy Greens

Prep Day: Why, What, & How To of Preparing Food in Advance

The post Prep Day: How to Cook Beans in the Crock-Pot and Freeze for Later appeared first on Live Simply.

Welcome back to another prep day lesson!

Last week we started the hands-on food part of this series with a leafy green discussion. Did you prep any leafy greens last week using my simple storage method? I hope you found the method and act of prepping food in advance to be incredibly helpful.

Now it’s time to turn our focus from produce (we will revisit vegetables and fruit later on) and talk about chicken!

One of my favorite foods to prep in advance is shredded chicken. Cooking a whole chicken and then shredding the meat in advance helps me save money and quickly prepare meals throughout the week. The act of cooking meat takes time (defrosting, cooking, cutting/shredding); a valuable commodity that’s often limited on busy weekdays. Thankfully, there are ways to prep meat advance without spending hours in the kitchen. Let’s talk about my favorite method for prepping shredded chicken in advance: the crock-pot!

Before I share my crock-pot method, let’s focus on the main reasons why you should think about making shredded chicken during your prep time. After all, if you’re going to include a task on your prep day printable or mental plan, it must help maximize your time throughout the week (AKA: it better be important!). 

Why You Should Prep Easy Crock-Pot Shredded Chicken in Advance

1. Budget-Friendly Lunchmeat:

A whole chicken is always a money-saving investment. While a whole pastured chicken (from chickens able to roam the land and eat bugs) may appear to be more expensive than a couple of breasts, in the end a whole chicken will yield twice as much meat.

Shredded chicken is great to use for lunchmeat. Instead of purchasing sliced deli chicken at $9 per pound, cook a whole chicken in the crock-pot and shred the meat. The shredded meat may be used to make multiple sandwiches, dinners, salads and casseroles throughout the week for a fraction of the cost. I realize making your own lunchmeat sounds time consuming, but it’s not! Today I’ll show you exactly how to prepare lunchmeat (AKA: shredded chicken) in advance with very little hands-on time.

Note: I still purchase lunchmeat on occasion (particularly Applegate or Whole Foods’ house-made lunchmeat). I save this expense for special occasions. 

2. Quick and Easy Meals:

Chicken will last for 4-5 days in the fridge, which makes it the perfect meat to cook and shred in advance for quick and easy meals. My go-to meals using home-cooked shredded chicken include: Chicken and Rice, 30-Minute Chicken and Black Bean Nachos, Deli-Style Chicken Salad, Probiotic Chicken Caesar Salad (use the shredded chicken instead of the chicken thighs), tacos, quesadillas, Creamy Chicken Quinoa and Broccoli Casserole (I use the shredded chicken instead of cooking the breasts in the casserole), Mac, Chicken and Cheese Bites, and soups and easy salads.

3. No Hands-On Time:

While I love roasting a whole chicken, the roasting method requires extra prep and cooking time. So when it comes to prepping shredded chicken in advance, I take a super easy approach using the crock-pot. The crock-pot requires zero baby-sitting, unlike the oven, and produces moist chicken meat every single time.

No baby-sitting? Very little hands-on time? Super moist chicken?

OH YEAH! Sign me up.

4. It’s All About the Broth:

Once the chicken meat has been removed from the crock-pot, simply fill the base with water and a few vegetables. Water + vegetables + chicken bones = AMAZING HOMEMADE BROTH!  Turn the crock-pot on and walk away. That’s it!

By spending a few minutes of prep time cooking a whole chicken in the crock-pot, you can make shredded meat to use throughout the week and nearly a dozen cups of homemade chicken broth. Now that’s a prep time win!

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How to Make Easy Crock-Pot Shredded Chicken Using a Whole Chicken

One of my favorite foods to prep in advance is shredded chicken. Cooking a whole chicken and then shredding the meat in advance helps me save money and quickly prepare meals throughout the week. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Crock-Pot Shredded Chicken

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 hours hours

Total Time 5 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 3 cups chicken (depending on chicken)

Calories 924kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 1 3-3 1/2 lb whole chicken giblets removed from the cavity
• 1 yellow onion halved
• 2 celery stalks halved
• 6-8 TB butter cubed
• salt and pepper
• crock-pot
• stand-mixer

Instructions

• In the base of a crock-pot, place the whole chicken. Place the butter cubes inside the chicken and between the chicken skin and meat near the breasts. The butter will keep the chicken moist and tender.
• Stuff the chicken cavity (the inside) with the onion and celery stalks. Note: Place the onion and celery stalks around the outside of the chicken if they don't fit inside the cavity.
• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Cook the chicken on high for 4-5 hours in the crock-pot, until the chicken is tender and falling off the bone.

Notes

To Shred: Allow the chicken to cool so you can easily handle the meat. Once the chicken is cool, pull the meat away from the bones and place it a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand-mixer). The meat should easily pull away from the bones. Use two forks to shred the chicken into the desired size pieces. My favorite method for shredding chicken is to use the paddle attachment on my Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer. Turn the mixer on low for about 30 seconds until you reach the desired size pieces.a

Nutrition

Calories: 924kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 72g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 306mg | Sodium: 454mg | Potassium: 740mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1285IU | Vitamin C: 8.7mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg

More Practical Tips

1. Use Your Freezer: 

Freezing cooked meat is the perfect way to “cook once, eat twice.” Freeze half the shredded chicken for future homemade convenience meals. Frozen, cooked meat usually lasts about 3 months in the freezer. 

2. Create a Meal Plan: 

Dedicating 1-2 hours to food prep each week is incredibly valuable, but if you don’t have a plan for using the food you may find your prep work was a complete waste of time. Trust me, I’ve learned this lesson way too many times. Since meat is “fragile” it’s important to have a plan of action. Write down on your meal plan exactly how you plan to use the shredded chicken. For example:

Monday Lunch: Chicken Salad Sandwiches (shredded chicken) 

Wednesday Dinner: 30-Minute Chicken and Black Bean Nachos (shredded chicken) 

Friday Lunch: Chicken Noodle Soup (shredded chicken)

This week, your homework is to create a meal plan, go shopping for the food you’ll need to implement the meal plan, set aside a specific day/time for prep time, and then print and fill out thePrep Day Action Plan printable. Focus on five foods you can prep this week based on your meal plan and schedule: washing and storing greens, cooking and shredding chicken, making rice, baking muffins, etc.

Next week we’ll work on a new prep day activity. We’re going from chicken to baked goods.

More Real Food You May Like:

Prep Day: Why, What, and How To of Preparing Real Food in Advance

How to Wash & Store Lettuce, Kale, Spinach and Other Leafy Greens in Advance

Easy Deli-Style Chicken Salad

The post Prep Day: How to Make Easy Crock-Pot Shredded Chicken Using a Whole Chicken appeared first on Live Simply.

Over the next two weeks my life is going to consist of rummaging through old cookbooks and dishes, packing boxes, and lots of chaos. Have you ever tried packing up your contents with two eager, pint-sized helpers? Yep, loving chaos.

And now for the big news. Drum roll…

I’m moving into the garage.

Dustin and I are about to embark on a total kitchen demolition and remodel. This means everything must be packed up and shipped out to our tiny garage where I’ll be cooking, in the Florida heat, for the next three months. I won’t leave you guys behind on our journey. In fact, I’m so excited to invite you to join us. My plan is to share little updates here and there (with photos) mixed in with the regular chatter–recipes, DIYs, simple tips. It’s going to be fun.

I’ll admit the whole idea is like a fairy-tale at the moment, until I think about the garage scenario. I know, it’s all part of the whole remodel business, at least that’s what everyone keeps telling me, but Florida is hot (beyond hot) during the summer, and our garage is the hottest part of the entire house. Moving a gas oven in the garage for three months so I can cook food for my family and all my wonderful blog friends here at Live Simply is going to take the word hot to a whole new level. Basically, I’m moving into the world’s first kitchen sauna. I’ll be keeping lots of ice cold kombucha and Frappuccinos on hand. I’ve also decided my crock-pot and Dustin’s grill are going to be my new best friends.

One of my favorite summer meals is a pulled sandwich–beef, pork, anything–as long as there’s perfectly moist shredded meat nestled between a warm bun, I’m there! Pulled beef or pork is a super easy treat to make at home since most recipes require cheaper tough cuts of meats: butts, shoulders, chuck roasts. Not only are these cuts of meat cheaper than a summer steak, they also require slow-cooking to tenderize the meat to the perfect “pulled” consistency. Hello, crock-pot!

Can you see my future over the next three months? Pulled beef sandwiches, pulled pork tacos, pulled everything! Hallelujah!

Crock-Pot Pulled Beef Pot Roast Sandwiches are one of my all-time favorite dump-and-go summer meals. After searing the beef and onions on the stove-top, the crock-pot does the rest of the work, cooking the meat to pulled perfection. After hours of slow-cooking, the most tender pulled sandwiches come together in just minutes with butter, cheese, a bun, pickles, sauerkraut, homemade mayo (I like to add a bit of chipotle spice), and anything else your stomach desires. There’s no overloading these sandwiches, so pile the fixings high.

With a recipe like this, a hot summer garage isn’t looking so bad!

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Crock-Pot Pulled Beef Pot Roast Sandwiches

Crock-Pot Pulled Beef Pot Roast Sandwiches are one of my all-time favorite dump-and-go summer meals. After searing the beef and onions on the stove-top, the crock-pot does the rest of the work, cooking the meat to pulled perfection.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Pot Roast Sandwiches

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 sandwiches

Calories 313kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

Crock-Pot Pulled Pot Roast

• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions halved (remove the outside skin)
• 1 pinch salt and pepper
• 2 1/2 lb beef chuck roast
• 1 cup chicken broth Vegetable or beef broth will also work.
• 1 TB chopped fresh rosemary about 3 sprigs
• burger buns I like Silver Springs brand

Sandwich Toppings

• 1 TB softened butter per sandwich
• 2 pickles per sandwich
• 1 slice cheese per sandwich, I like sharp cheddar
• sauerkraut
• mayonnaise

Instructions

• Sprinkle the chuck roast with a generous helping of salt and pepper on each side. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Add the halved onions and saute just until brown and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Note: I've learned some ceramic crock-pots may be used on the stove-top in place of a skillet. You will want to check with your crock-pot manufacturer before trying this. Push the onions off to the side of the skillet.
• Add the chuck roast to the center of the hot skillet and brown on each side for 3-4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Add the onions and chuck roast to the crock-pot. Pour the broth over the top and the fresh rosemary.
• Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8 hours.

Notes

To Assemble: After the cooking time, shred the meat and onions (in the crock-pot with the "juice") using two forks. Turn the oven broiler on low. Butter the inside of each bun half, then place the meat inside the buns. Top with pickles, sauerkraut, a slice of cheese. Place each sandwich on a cookie sheet and broil until the cheese is melted and the buns are toasty and warm, about 7 minutes. Serve the warm sandwiches with mayonnaise.

Find my favorite kitchen essentials, here.

Nutrition

Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 405mg | Potassium: 549mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 4.5mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 3.3mg

More Real Food You May Like:

Warm Balsamic and Steak Medley Salad

7-Ingredient Crock-Pot Black Bean Soup

20 Healthy Meal Prep Foods to Save Money and Time

The post Crock-Pot Pulled Beef Pot Roast Sandwiches appeared first on Live Simply.

Let’s imagine you’re stranded on a deserted island. You know…palm trees, water, coconuts and solitude.

There’s also a little catch to this deserted island escapade…

You received forewarning of your trip. Yes, a bit unusual, but let’s go with it! Because of this forewarning you were allowed to choose one food item to take with you. You could pick anything! What would it be? Chocolate, coffee, cheese (probably not very practical, but very yummy!), kombucha?

My top pick would be the humble, little bean that’s easily ignored in the name of being bland and too simple: dried black beans.

Hey, I like the underdog in life, because sometimes that underdog is secretly amazing!

A deserted island trip is the only way I could enjoy black beans at every meal, forever and ever!

Much to my family’s dismay, I’ve tried to convince them that black beans are one of the only foods we need in our life, but they haven’t been too pleased with my passionate cause. I don’t give up that easily. Let’s not forget the old saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

In an effort to convince my family that black beans are an essential everyday meal, I’ve been working on slowly introducing new meals with this underrated food. Because of this effort I’ve learned two very important keys to food persuasion. Moms, listen up!

1. Flavor. The moment a dish lacks flavor your food cause is lost! On the other hand, with the right flavor you can make just about any food an instant success, including beets and deviled eggs!

2. Versatility.  The more ways you can use an ingredient, the better. Get creative and start adding your mission impossible ingredient to a variety of recipes.

With these two keys in mind, let’s take a fresh look at black beans…

Toss together a handful of fresh cilantro, salt, and a couple of choice vegetables, and black beans are easily transformed from “Do we have to eat these, Mom?” to “Can we have these again, please??” Flavor is a powerful tool! Use it to your advantage.

Once a large pot of black beans has been prepared they can be stored in the fridge or frozen and used to make a variety of real food meals: quseadillas (and who doesn’t love tortillas, cheese, and beans?), nachos (always the right answer!), taquitos, beans and rice, burgers, and even soup! Black beans are one of the most versatile foods ever. And I’m not just saying that because I’m slightly biased or blinded by black bean love.

Today, I have good news. I won’t be arranging a deserted island trip, but I can help you persuade your family that black beans are an essential everyday food. To start, let’s go with a simple and healthy black bean soup recipe.

This easy 7-Ingredient Crock-Pot Black Bean Soup is made with, as the name describes, just seven real food ingredients. Each ingredient is probably already sitting in your fridge and pantry which means your family’s black bean obsession can start today! Not only is this soup made with just seven ingredients, it’s also a saute’ and dump in the crock-pot recipe. The end result is a time-saving, nourishing soup that packs fresh flavor with each new bite. Essentially, this soup is an effortless bowl of the best food ever: black beans! Top this soup with your favorite ingredients, and watch your family beg for more.

So what are you waiting for?

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7-Ingredient Crock-Pot Black Bean Soup

This easy 7-Ingredient Crock-Pot Black Bean Soup is made with, as the name describes, just seven real food ingredients.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword Black Bean Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cups

Calories 290kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 3 cups dried black beans soaked*
• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil this little addition isn't counted in the "7." Coconut oil or butter will also work just something to grease the pan and veggies.
• 1 yellow onion medium, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 TB salt reduce this amount if you plan to use broth and your broth includes salt
• 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth, or a combo of water and broth
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime juiced (optional)

Instructions

• In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and red pepper. Saute the vegetables for 4-5 minutes, just until the onions are translucent. Add the minced garlic and stir for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
• Pour the black beans into the crock-pot, followed by the the pepper and onion mixture. Add the salt and broth. Stir the soup ingredients to combine. Cook the soup in the crock-pot for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
• Once the soup is done (the beans are soft), stir in the 1/2 cup of cilantro. Originally, the recipe called for adding the cilantro before cooking the soup, but I've found the best flavor comes from adding the cilantro after cooking the soup. If you'd like, stir in the juice from one lime, too. 
• Serve warm with fresh cilantro, sour cream, rice, tomatoes, cheese, avocado, or salsa--this is where lots of additional flavor will come from. The soup alone is very basic and meant to be served with toppings. You can also drain a portion of the beans to use for nachos, quesadillas, or tacos.

Notes

Find all my favorite kitchen tool essentials, here.

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1737mg | Potassium: 1338mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 39.6mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 4.3mg

*Soaking Directions: In a large bowl, soak 3 cups of dried back beans in 8 cups of water. Cover the bowl with a towel (to keep bugs and dirt out). Soak the beans for 8-12 hours (overnight). After the soaking, drain and rinse the beans with fresh water. You will have 3 cups of soaked black beans to add to the crock-pot.

 More Real Food You May Like:

Easy Crock-Pot Braised Shepherd’s Pie

Blueberry Surprise Oatmeal Pancakes

4 Weekly Habits to Make Real Food Affordable

The post 7-Ingredient Crock-Pot Black Bean Soup appeared first on Live Simply.

Fridays are my meal planning day.

Meal planning sessions always start the same way–a quick look at the weekly calendar to check for busy days or times we won’t be home, a few minutes with my inventory lists and planning as many meals as possible with the food we already own (oatmeal pancakes, salads, burgers), and final planning help from my valuable list of family favorite recipes (the secret weapon to easy meal planning!).

The meals that top our favorite’s list are recipes/ideas that are guaranteed to be loved by the whole family. Some meals are easy to make, others are more complicated.

Meals that require hours in the kitchen don’t often make their way from the favorite’s list to the “I can’t wait to make this for dinner” list (AKA: my meal planning calendar). But here’s the thing. My family knows I have a list.  I asked them to contribute to the list. After a few weeks of skipping favorite meals, questions arise, “Can we have shepherd’s pie again? We haven’t had it in soooo long!”

That’s my dilemma.

Over the last six months I’ve been working on my dilemma– a happy medium between not spending all afternoon and evening cooking and cleaning, but still creating the more complicated meals my family loves. Simplifying a few of our favorite meals has been my mission.

With the cold weather still upon us, a winter favorite has been requested multiple times–shepherd’s pie. Shepherd’s pie isn’t overly time consuming and complicated, but the multi-step process always defeats me, at least mentally. Yes, the end result of warm potatoes nestled over saucy beef is always worth it, but simplification was needed if this beloved dish was going to make it back to our table as a regular favorite.

This, my friend, is the answer. The answer to the pile of dishes and multi-step process we once knew as the only way to make the shepherd’s pie we all love.

The answer starts with chuck roast (yep, say good-bye to ground beef) that is braised for hours in the crock-pot. With beef slowly cooking in the crock-pot the possibilities are endless– play with the kids, stare at fold the laundry, enjoy a latte (or two!), or write a blogpost. Six hours later the perfectly tender beef is ready to shredded and topped with homemade mashed potatoes (which can be made in advance).

Mission Completed. Comfort food simplified.

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Easy Crock-Pot Braised Shepherd’s Pie

With the cold weather still upon us, a winter favorite has been requested multiple times–shepherd’s pie. Shepherd’s pie isn’t overly time consuming and complicated, but the multi-step process always defeats me, at least mentally. Yes, the end result of warm potatoes nestled over saucy beef is always worth it, but simplification was needed if this beloved dish was going to make it back to our table as a regular favorite.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Shepherd's Pie

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 hours hours

Servings 6 People

Calories 499kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

Crock-Pot Braised Beef:

• 1 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 2 carrots diced
• 2 celery ribs diced
• 1/2 yellow onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 lbs beef chuck roast
• 1 tsp salt to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup good-quality beer I like Pale Ale (beef broth may be substituted)
• 2 TB arrowroot flour starch
• 1 cup peas frozen

Mashed Potatoes:

• 5 large red potatoes peeled
• water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 TB butter cubed

Topping:

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Sprinkle the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• If your skillet is large enough, push the vegetables to one side. Add the chuck roast to the hot skillet, browning the meat on each side for 4 minutes.
• Place the chuck roast and vegetables in a crock-pot. Pour the beer over the meat and vegetables. Cook on low for 6 hours.
• Place the potatoes in a soup pot (or Dutch oven). Fill the pot with water until the water just covers the potatoes. Add the salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil, then reduce to a lively simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
• Drain the water from the potatoes, leaving the potatoes in the pot. Add the cubed butter. Mash the potatoes and butter with a potato masher. Add salt or pepper to taste.
• After 6 hours, preheat the oven to 350F. The beef should easily pull apart with a fork. Using two forks, shred the meat and remove any bone(s) from the crock-pot. Add the arrowroot flour to the liquid and whisk. Add the peas and stir.
• Pour the meat and veggies mixture into a 13X9 pan. Top with the mashed potatoes, and finally the shredded cheese.
• Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Serve warm.

Notes

The “where to buy” links provide links to the actual products I use. As always, I recommend shopping around online and at local stores for the best prices and products you love. Find all my favorite kitchen tool essentials, here.

Nutrition

Calories: 499kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 932mg | Potassium: 692mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4145IU | Vitamin C: 12.3mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 3.7mg

 More Real Food You May Like:

 Make-Ahead Freezer Breakfast Burritos

 20 Minute Fresh Salmon Burgers

Chicken Pot Pie Biscuits

The post Easy Crock-Pot Braised Shepherd’s Pie appeared first on Live Simply.

Contributor post written by Kelly from New Leaf Wellness

If you want to eat healthy, homemade meals without slaving away in the kitchen, crock-pot recipes are your answer.  I’m not talking about old fashioned recipes made with condensed soups and yucky ingredients either.  You can actually make healthy, real-food recipes in your crock-pot.  Believe me.  It’s true!

For example, last year I shared my favorite crock-pot beef stew made with beef, barley, fresh vegetables and seasonings, and homemade broth.  It’s a healthy and simple recipe that’s also incredibly delicious.

Today, I want to add a crock-pot bacon lentil soup recipe to your dinner menu.  It’s a healthy and hearty soup that your whole family will love.  And, you’ll feel good about serving it to them because it’s packed with fresh vegetables and French lentils.

If you’ve never cooked lentils before you’re in for a treat.  They’re a small member of the legume family that’s packed with protein and iron.  They’re also cheaper than most sources of protein, which is an added bonus.

Combine some quality French green lentils with bacon, vegetables, and a tasty broth and let your crock-pot do the rest of the work for you.  I’m also including directions below that explain how to prep and freeze this soup for later.  Perfect for busy weeknights, if you ask me.

I’ll admit that my favorite part of this crock-pot bacon lentil soup recipe is the bacon itself.  I’ll eat pretty much anything made with bacon, but that’s a story for another day…

Have I convinced you to get out your crock-pot yet?

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Freezer to Crock-Pot Bacon Lentil Soup

Today, I want to add a crock-pot bacon lentil soup recipe to your dinner menu. It’s a healthy and hearty soup that your whole family will love. And, you’ll feel good about serving it to them because it’s packed with fresh vegetables and French lentils.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword Bacon Lentil Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 People

Calories 1344kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 5 slices bacon
• 2 celery ribs diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup carrots diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 onion chopped (about 1 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 4 collard greens thinly sliced
• 1 cup french green lentils
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1-2 TB stone-ground mustard
• 1 TB apple cider vinegar
• 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

Instructions

• Cook bacon until it is crispy on the stovetop or in the oven.  Chop bacon into small pieces.
• Rinse and sort lentils. (I like this easy explanation of sorting.)
• Combine all ingredients in your crock-pot and cook for 8 hours or until vegetables are tender.

Notes

The “where to buy” links provide links to the actual products I use. As always, I recommend shopping around online and at local stores for the best prices and products you love. Find all my favorite kitchen essentials, here.

Nutrition

Calories: 1344kcal | Carbohydrates: 150g | Protein: 74g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 10282mg | Potassium: 4352mg | Fiber: 64g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 23965IU | Vitamin C: 180.3mg | Calcium: 440mg | Iron: 19.5mg

To Freeze: Cook the bacon until it’s crispy, and then chop the bacon into small pieces.  Rinse and sort lentils.  Combine all ingredients (except the broth) in a gallon-sized freezer bag, and freeze for up to three months. When you’re ready to eat, dump the contents of the bag into your crock-pot and add 8 cups of broth.  Cook on the “low” setting for 8 hours or until the vegetables and lentils are tender.

Add a big salad and warm crusty bread or homemade biscuits, and dinner is done. Yum!

You can find Kristin’s stovetop version of this recipe here: Hearty Lentil Soup. 

The post Freezer to Crock-Pot Bacon Lentil Soup appeared first on Live Simply.

Last week, I tried to make a lasagna for dinner with no-bake lasagna noodles.  In the time it took me to layer the sauce, cheese filling, and noodles, all hell broke loose.  My baby cried.  My 3-year-old ate two cookies.  My crying baby stopped crying long enough to stuff a cookie in her mouth.  What was my 5-year-old doing?  Who knows!

“This is why I don’t cook!” I screamed out loud (or at least in my head).

I love to cook, but truth is that I’ve done very little of it since my third daughter was born last year.  I’ve settled into a routine of prepping simple meals on the weekend and freezing them for the week ahead.

My freezer cooking system works like this: I chop the vegetables and add them to a gallon-sized plastic freezer bag with sauces, spices, and meat.  Freezer meals last up to three months in a standard freezer, so if I assemble 5-7 per week my freezer stays stocked and I don’t have to cook at all!

If you’re brand-new to the concept of “no cook” freezer cooking, here’s why you’ll love it:

• Since the meals are frozen without any cooking ahead of time, they’re very easy to prep.  (It only takes me 40-50 minutes to assemble six freezer meals – including clean-up!)
• Your homemade freezer meals will cook for the first time out of the freezer and won’t taste like leftovers at all.  Wahoo!
• You can take advantage of sales and bulk purchases and stock your freezer.
• You’ll have healthy, homemade meals ready for busy weeknights.

To get you started today, here’s a recipe for freezer crockpot beef stew that I adapted from Kristin’s recipe.  It’s so delicious that I’ve already made it several times for my family and friends.  You won’t believe how easy it is to prepare this healthy meal.

Ditch the no-bake lasagna noodles and make this freezer crockpot beef stew for your family instead!

Print

Freezer Crockpot Beef Stew

To get you started today, here’s a recipe for freezer crockpot beef stew that I adapted from Kristin’s recipe. It’s so delicious that I’ve already made it several times for my family and friends. You won’t believe how easy it is to prepare this healthy meal.

Course Crockpot, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Beef Stew

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 5 People

Calories 444kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 2 lb beef chuck roast grass-fed, fat-trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 carrots peeled and chopped
• 2 celery ribs chopped
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup pearled barley
• 7 cups beef broth *not needed until day-of cooking
• 1 gallon-sized plastic freezer bag I find Hefty freezer bags work great

Instructions

• Label your freezer bag with the name of the recipe, cooking instructions, and "use-by" date.
• Combine all ingredients (except beef broth) in a gallon-sized plastic freezer bag, adding the beef to the bag last so it's the first ingredient poured into the crockpot.
• Remove as much air as possible, seal, and freeze for up to three months.
• When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or in a bowl of cold water.
• Add to crockpot with beef broth and cook on "low" setting for 8 hours or until carrots are soft.
• Remove the bay leaf and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 1670mg | Potassium: 1014mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 6225IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 5.5mg

A note from Kristin: I highly recommend stopping by Kelly’s blog where you’ll find many more freezer meals, plus her freezer cookbook.

The post Freezer Crock-Pot Beef Stew appeared first on Live Simply.

“The best!”

Seriously…

“The Best!” 

Guys, I realize that’s some pretty braggy (that’s an official word today) language. Trust me, it’s not a term I wave around frequently, although I’m pretty sure that pumpkin spice latte needs a “best” label. Definitely in the bestest (also an official word today) ever category!

Brace yourself, friend! Today’s recipe is truly the best homemade applesauce ever. Plus, the fact that all the hard work is done in the slow-cooker (or crock-pot, whichever term you go with), makes this applesauce not only the best, but also the simplest, easiest homemade applesauce ever!

Really, bestest ever!

Okay, let’s put the bragging aside. The bottom line is: you need to make this applesauce! This isn’t a suggestion, it’s a must!

If you’ve read my book, Real Food Planning Challenge, then you know based on the What to Buy vs. What to Make printable chart (page 92) that I recommend buying applesauce. Homemade applesauce is not very cost or time efficient compared to the many other tasks I need to accomplish in my kitchen. It’s not on my priority list, so the majority of time, if we want applesauce, I buy a good organic brand (which can be expensive at $3.99-4.99 for jar).

While I recommend buying applesauce, I’m also a huge advocate for eating seasonally and stockpiling seasonal foods in a practical way. My pantry isn’t overflowing with seasonal veggies and fruits, but I try my best to take advantage of nature’s bounty and freeze seasonal surplus, or at least enjoy as much as possible throughout the season.

In the fall, apples are plentiful and cheap. It’s their time to shine along with over twenty other fruits and veggies. Apples hit a rock bottom price in their peak season which makes them affordable and nourishing. So each year in the fall, I forget my applesauce-buying ways and embrace homemade applesauce.

Note: You can find a huge printable list of seasonal fruits and veggies for all the seasons in my book on page 84. 

In order to make homemade applesauce worth the little bit of effort involved, it’s important to use a lot of apples! In fact, the more apples the merrier. I freeze extra homemade applesauce and enjoy the surplus for baking, snacking, mixed with yogurt, poured over the top of pastured pork chops, and spooned over pancakes and waffles.

Before we proceed, I’ll warn you, homemade applesauce  is simply amazing, “the best.” It’s hard to go back to anything else once the last jar in the freezer is consumed. Even if you’re not an applesauce fan, I beg you in the name of the goodness of fall, to try making a batch of homemade applesauce. I promise, you won’t regret it!

Print

How to Make the Best Slow-Cooker Homemade Applesauce

Before we proceed, I’ll warn you, homemade applesauce is simply amazing, “the best.” It’s hard to go back to anything else once the last jar in the freezer is consumed. Even if you’re not an applesauce fan, I beg you in the name of the goodness of fall, to try making a batch of homemade applesauce. I promise, you won’t regret it!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Homemade Applesauce

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 People

Calories 332kcal

Author Kristin Marr

Ingredients

• 14 cups apples (I used Red Delicious this year due to a sale. Gala, McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Fuji, or Cortland will also work well)
• 2 lemons juiced
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup honey

Instructions

• Peel the apples and chop into small-medium equal size pieces. Place all the apples in a large bowl or the base of your slow-cooker with the heat turned off.
• Squeeze the lemon juice from the two lemons over the top of the apples. Toss the apples in the lemon juice.
• Sprinkle the cinnamon and honey over the top of the apples, along with the water. Turn the slow-cooker on high and let the apples cook for 3 hours. You'll need to come back in an hour and a half to stir and mash the apples. Note: If you don’t like cinnamon you can leave it out or reduce the amount called for in this recipe.
• After an hour and half of cooking, stir the apples with a wooden spoon and then mash the apples with a potato masher. This will take about 2 minutes. The apples will still be chunky and a bit hard. Return the lid to the slow-cooker and allow the apples to finish cooking for an hour and a half.
• Now it's time to make the applesauce. After three hours of cooking your apples are ready to meet their final destiny! Puree the apples with an immersion blender. Blend the apples until you reach the desired consistency. For me, this means a super smooth store-like applesauce.

Notes

Note: I peeled and chopped the apples by hand this year because I couldn’t find my apple peeler, but if you have one (like this) I highly recommend using it!

Nutrition

Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 557mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 70g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Vitamin C: 48.8mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1.1mg

Note: An immersion blender (like this) is the trick to creating an applesauce that’s creamy and smooth! You can also use your immersion blender to make creamy soups, bean burritos, and lattes. 

This recipe makes 5 cups of creamy homemade applesauce. You can easily double this recipe if you have a slow-cooker large enough to handle the extra apples. Homemade applesauce will keep in the freezer for 12 months (when stored in freezer-safe containers). Keep homemade applesauce in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

 More Apple Recipes You May Like:

 Homemade Caramel Apples (Real Food Style)

 Apple & Sweet Potato Bake

Cinnamon Baked Apples

The post How to Make the Best Slow-Cooker Homemade Applesauce appeared first on Live Simply.